Looking for something fun to do today? Something eye-opening to watch tonight? Something delicious to eat tomorrow? Our guide to things to do this week in London is personally curated, ensuring there's always a diverse range of events for you to choose from. Get stuck in!
All week
SOPHIE'S SURPRISE PARTY: Party‑style circus show Sophie’s Surprise Party enters the final week of its current run at Underbelly Boulevard Soho combining acrobatics, comedy and ’90s nostalgia. Each night, one guest is chosen to become Sophie, joining the fun on stage - you've been warned! Until 10 January
IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST: The National Theatre's sold-out production of The Importance of Being Earnest is now at the Noël Coward Theatre, telling Oscar Wilde's story about two young men who lead double lives, getting caught in a web of lies. Olly Alexander stars. Until 10 January
CECIL BEATON: The fashion photographer is in the spotlight at the National Portrait Gallery, where Cecil Beaton's Fashionable World is the first exhibition dedicated solely to his fashion and portrait photography. 200 items including photographs, letters, portrait sketches, fashion illustration and costume are displayed. Until 11 January
EAST LONDON WATERWAYS: Walthamstow Wetlands hosts East London Waterways, a free exhibition of work by local artist Rory Brooke. Head to the Engine House to view limited-edition screenprints, linocuts and giclée sketches inspired by the Thames Estuary, Lea Valley and local water infrastructure. The work looks at pipes, pumping stations and weirs and how these structures sit alongside wetlands and wildlife. FREE, until 11 January
PALLADIUM PANTO: If you didn't manage to squeeze in a trip before Christmas, this week is your last chance (oh no it isn't...) to see the legendary Palladium Panto. This year's tale is Sleeping Beauty, starring Catherine Tate, Palladium pantomime royalty Julian Clary, impressionist Jon Culshaw, panto favourites Paul Zerdin, Nigel Havers and Rob Madge and West End stars Emily Lane and Amonik Melaco. Until 11 January
MUMBAI AND LONDON: See three sculptures from cultures rarely seen side by side, at the British Museum's current display, Mumbai + London: new perspectives on the ancient world. Works from ancient Egypt, the Mediterranean and India have been brought together, in a display co-curated with one of India's leading museums, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya. FREE, until 11 January
COOKING WITH KATHRYN: Kate Owens brings her Edinburgh Comedy Award‑nominated show, Cooking With Kathryn, to Soho Upstairs. It's a one‑hour comic theatre piece mixing live music, shadow puppetry and physical clowning as Owens plays Kathryn, a chaotic Southern cooking‑show host. 5-10 January
Today's events: Monday 5 January
PARENTS' PUB QUIZ: The Bring Your Baby pub quiz team pop up at the Richard the First in Greenwich, for a quiz designed for parents and carers with a baby in tow. It takes places in a relaxed environment, with feeding and changing breaks built into the schedule, and prizes including chocolates and prosecco up for grabs. 12pm-2.30pm
RNB ORCHESTRA: A live orchestra reinterprets RnB hits from the 90s and 00s, arranging familiar songs into full orchestral versions, at a lively show at The Jazz Cafe in Camden. 7pm-10.30pm
ALFRED BRENDEL: Barbican marks what would have been the 95th birthday of Austrian classical pianist Alfred Brendel with a special concert, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. Hear works by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert, by performers including Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Adrian Brendel, Dame Imogen Cooper, Paul Lewis, Sir András Schiff, Dame Harriet Walter and the Takács Quartet, among others. Proceeds go to the Alfred Brendel Young Musician’s Trust. 7pm
NEW MUSIC MONDAYS: Up-and-coming musicians are in the spotlight at the Windmill Brixton's New Music Mondays. Tonight's performers including Antrim-born, London-based songwriter Jonique, and local band Little Grandad, performing a set of new songs. FREE, 7.30pm
MONDAYS IN LONDON: For more ideas for things to do today, or any other Monday throughout the year, bookmark our guide to things to do in London on a Monday. Guided walks, live music, comedy shows and pub quizzes all feature. We've got the rest of the week covered too.
Today's events: Tuesday 6 January
WREN'S CITY CHURCHES: Join City of London guides for a walking tour focusing on Wren's City churches. Meet near St Paul's Cathedral and get a glimpse of his magnum opus, before walking to some of the other 51 parish churches he was tasked with rebuilding after the Great Fire. Hear about how he transformed the City skyline with spires, towers and a magnificent dome. 11am-1pm
CATIL QUINTET: Swing by St Bride's Church on Fleet Street for a free lunchtime concert. London-based wind ensemble the CATIL Quintet perform a programme of works by Grażyna Bacewicz, August Klughard and Claude Debussy. FREE, 1.15pm
SHARP'S FOLK CLUB: Every Tuesday, Sharp's Folk Club takes over Cecil Sharp House in Camden for a lively evening of trad songs and tunes, ballads, shanties, rousing choruses, and more. Even better, everyone's welcome to join in — head to the front to take part, or join in from the audience. 6.30pm-10.30pm
HELLO 2026: Throughout January, the Old Blue Last in Shoreditch hosts Hello 2026, a new music showcase series, organised in collaboration with DIY Magazine. In previous years, it's hosted early-career shows by the likes of Wolf Alice, so is a proven benchmark for artists to keep an eye on over the coming 12 months. 7pm
COMEDY KNOCKOUT: 12 comedians go head to head in Comedy Knockout at Backyard Comedy Club in Bethnal Green, with the audience deciding the winner. After each round, vote for who goes through to the next stage, before the victor is crowned at the end of the night. 8pm-10.30pm
Today's events: Wednesday 7 January
DANGEROUS SECRETS: Footprints of London guide David Charnick leads an exploration of secret activity that links the Old Vic Theatre to Charing Cross Station, and the Savoy Hotel to the HSBC in Covent Garden. Meet in Emma Cons Gardens in Waterloo to hear tales of betrayals, assassinations and other covert activity, ending at Charing Cross. 11am-1pm
VICTORY AT ALL COSTS: The Queen's House in Greenwich hosts a free lunchtime talk, in which curator Fern Aldous discusses the economics and logistics that went into maintaining the Royal Navy’s ‘wooden walls’, the warships of the Napoleonic era. Hear about the costs involved, both to the nations involved in the Battle of Trafalgar, and to the British sailors who fought to save the ships. FREE, 1pm-1.30pm
WICKED WEDNESDAY It might be called the Last Tuesday Society, but Wednesday is arguably the most tempting day on the calendar at Viktor Wynd's emporium of oddities — once a month on this day it hosts a liquor tasting masterclass, homing in on the likes of rum, brandy and mezcal. Dry January who? 4pm-10pm
FIRKIN HILARIOUS COMEDY: The punnily-named Firkin Hilarious Comedy returns to its namesake venue, The Fox and Firkin in Lewisham, for an evening of laughs starring Darren Walsh, Ibs Essay, Celine Kuklowsky, Fitz Honger, Audrey Simmons and Sarah Evans. 7pm
BOWIE'S BIRTHDAY: Mark the birthday (eve) of the late, great David Bowie with a special night of live music at Camden's Jazz Cafe. A collection of London's finest musicians perform some of his best-loved tracks, including renditions of Let’s Dance, Starman, Space Oddity and Heroes. 7pm-10.30pm
ARAB CHRISTMAS: Experience the atmosphere of Christmas in the Arab world, at a candlelit event at Grand Junction in Paddington. Hear Arabic, Syriac, Coptic, and Byzantine chants, harking back to the time of Queen Zanubia’s Palmyra in the second century CE, with performers including Egyptian multi-instrumentalist Mina Salama, Egyptian singer-songwriter Hayat Selim, and Melkite Greek Catholic priest Rev Dr Abouzayd. 8pm
Today's events: Thursday 8 January
LA TRAVIATA: Giuseppe Verdi's opera La traviata gets an airing at the Royal Opera House, courtesy of the Royal Ballet and Opera. Glamorous courtesan Violetta is swept off her feet by the young Alfredo, giving up her luxurious life to be with him, until the appearance of his father throws their lives into turmoil. 8 January-17 February
SCREENPRINT HISTORY: Gill Saunders, author of Screenprints: A History, and former Senior Curator of Prints at the V&A, gives a free lunchtime talk on the origins, process and history of screenprinting, and discusses works by Andy Warhol, Bridget Riley and Damien Hirst. See it at the V&A in South Kensington. FREE, 1pm-2pm
PIAF REMEMBERED: A dramatised musical tribute written and directed by Gary Merry, Piaf Remembered recalls Édith Piaf’s final Olympia performance in 1962. Oriana Curls takes the role of Piaf, backed by multi-instrumentalist Katy Jungmann (saxophone, clarinet and accordion) and pianist Chris Jerome, blending storytelling and chanson in an intimate cabaret setting at Crazy Coqs (Piccadilly Circus). 6.30pm
SHIMMY TO SALSA: Rumba Latina UK shimmies into Boxpark Wembley, offering up a beginners' class, an improvers' class — and ending on a social dancing free for all. 7pm-10pm
PAINT LIKE PICASSO: Try your hand at recreating Picasso's Cubist Rose, at tonight's Pop Up Painting session at the London Art Bar in Holborn. Step-by-step tuition from a professional artist and all materials are supplied, and a glass of prosecco is included in your ticket. 7.30pm-10pm
Today's events: Friday 9 January
OUR AMERICAN QUEEN: Kate Chase, apparently the most powerful American woman you've never heard of, is the subject of new play Our American Queen, which gets its UK premiere at the St Bride's Foundation in Fleet Street. Set during the 1864 presidential campaign, the production examines ambition, reputation and the limits placed on women seeking power, through the story of Kate Chase and her father Salmon P. Chase. 9 January-7 February
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: Regular as clockwork every January, Cirque du Soleil swings back into the Royal Albert Hall to wow audiences with its latest production. OVO brings the bug world to life, with acrobatics inspired by the abilities of creatures both real and imagined: crickets leap skyward, butterflies soar midair, ants juggle with precision, and spiders contort, bend and twist in the family-friendly show. From 9 January
OUT OF HOURS TOUR: The British Museum offers one of its regular out-of-hours tours, introducing you to some of the highlights of the collection before the doors open to the public. Join a guide to learn about the museum's beginnings back in 1753, and its development through to the present day. 8.50am (and selected other dates)
WOMEN'S MILITARY SERVICE: The experiences of servicewomen during the First World War are the subject of a free lunchtime talk at Chelsea's National Army Museum. Historian Jane Clarke discusses the lasting impact of women's involvement, in roles such as cooks, waitresses, clerks and telephone operators. FREE, 12pm-1pm
80S PARTY NIGHT: See off the first working week of the year by dancing like it's the 1980s. Cryer Arts in Carshalton throws a repeat of its sold-out '80s themed Christmas party, with live performances of absolute bangers from the decade. 7.30pm
Today's events: Saturday 10 January
ADVENTURE TRAVEL SHOW: Head to the Business Design Centre in Islington to satiate your wanderlust at the Adventure Travel Show. 125 travel organisations and specialists are there, offering you the chance to plan high-adrenaline and off-the-beaten-track adventures, and hear from high-profile names such as Simon Reeve. 10-11 January
BECOMING VICTORIA WOOD: Bloomsbury's Bertha DocHouse screens new-release film Becoming Victoria Wood, which uses her own voice and that of those who knew her best to delve into the insecurity, anger, and self-doubt behind the comic genius's public persona. 10-11 January
COMEDY FINAL: The best acts from almost 40 heats compete in the New Comedian Of The Year Final at Leicester Square Theatre. The winner receives a cash prize as well as the coveted title, and past finalists have included Rob Beckett, Rachel Parris, Jessica Fostekew, Olga Koch and Sofie Hagen. 3pm
28 DAYS LATER: Danny Boyle’s award-winning, post-apocalyptic 2002 horror film 28 Days Later is shown at the Eventim Apollo, accompanied by a live orchestra and rock band performing John Murphy's score. 7.30pm
SCARED TO DANCE: Alternative club night Scared To Dance is back at the Victoria in Dalston, playing post-punk, indiepop and new wave rock tunes by the likes of David Bowie, Phoebe Bridgers, New Order, Manic Street Preachers and The Velvet Underground until the small hours. Singer-songwriter Billie Marten is the guest DJ this time round. 10pm
Today's events: Sunday 11 January
GIANT LONDON FLEA: The Giant London Flea brings dozens of vintage, antiques and second‑hand stalls to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, with traders selling clothing, furniture, collectables and other reclaimed goods, all along the road outside the Velodrome. 10am-5pm
FLOW AND WRITE: Keats House hosts a two-hour session led by Calleen Everitt, combining a gentle vinyasa flow, a short meditation, and creative journalling prompts to help unlock ideas. Take a mat, notebook, pen and water. No previous yoga or writing experience is required. 10.30am-12.30pm
TRANSPORTATION: Explore the history of transportation on Laura Agustin's 'The Way to Botany Bay' walk. The tour follows the story of two Islington teenagers who in 1825 were caught thieving from a shop on the Goswell Road. They were sentenced to death at the Old Bailey, but later spared for transportation to Australia. Walk streets not so different from those the thieves would have known: past handsome houses, prisons of Clerkenwell and Newgate and backstreets of the City before reaching the riverside where they left these shores for Australia. 1pm
NO TROUSERS TUBE RIDE: The annual No Trousers Tube Ride returns to London's public transport network, with members of the public navigating the Tube minus their trousers. Anyone can take part; just make your way to the meeting point in Chinatown. Note that trousers should be kept on until you enter the Underground... and underwear is very much required at all times. From 2.45pm
CARDUCCI QUARTET: Conway Hall's first Sunday Concert of 2026 stars the award-winning Carducci Quartet, joined by pianist Simon Callaghan. Together they perform works by Beethoven and Schumann, as well as one of Rebecca Clarke’s only two surviving works for string quartet, Poem. 6.30pm
NO FRILLS FOLK CLUB: The Windmill Brixton is the place to head for No Frills Folk Club, an informal round-the-table folk session led by The No Frills Band. Multiple genres are covered, including Irish, Welsh, English and Scottish, American old time, bluegrass and western swing, French, Yiddish, East European, Scandinavian, Greek, Turkish, Balkan and more. Take part, or turn up, get a drink, kick back and listen. 7pm
