Things to do
First things first: if it was a heavy night last night, you'll be wanting to visit the best places in London to deal with a hangover. Sorted? Good.
ICE SKATING: What better way to shake off a fuzzy head than by going ice skating? Twinkly lights, elegant gliding — it'll have you feeling right as rain quick-sharp. London's seasonal ice rinks are mostly open into the new year.
NEW YEAR'S DAY PARADE: If you've never been awake at a decent hour on New Year's Day, you may be unaware that a right racket of a parade stomps its way through town. The New Year's Day Parade has all manner of performers and floats, from London boroughs to classic cars to American high school bands. One year, Eddie the Eagle made an appearance, but there's no such A-list glamour for 2020. Still worth a watch if you're in the area and can stand a bit of noise though. Central London, free, just turn up, from 12pm
BARBICAN CONSERVATORY: For a more gentle introduction to 2020, take an afternoon stroll around the City of London's tropical conservatory. Among Barbican's brutalist architecture lies something of a green paradise, with trees, plants, cacti, fish, and even a few terrapins. Barbican, free, just turn up, 12pm-5pm
NEW YEAR'S DAY CEILIDH: Didn't do enough dancing on New Year's Eve? Get involved in Southbank Centre's New Year's Day Ceilidh, involving folk music, dance and theatrics, with performers from all over the world. Southbank Centre, free, just turn up, 1pm
CLASSIC CARS: London's classic car drivers are roaring into the year with the first Park It in the Market of 2020 in Greenwich. Vintage cars and motor bikes park up for the public to admire them, while the market stalls are open for business as usual. Greenwich Market, free, just turn up, 2pm-6pm
NEW YEAR'S DAY PROM: If you were planning to go easy on the booze in 2020, there's a chance that the complimentary drink at Barbican's New Year's Day Prom might derail your well-laid plans. Enjoy a performance of classic tunes by the London Concert Orchestra inside the main Barbican Hall. 2.30pm
EXHIBITIONS: Why not use this downtime to catch up on a bit of culture? Several of London's large exhibitions are still running between Christmas and the New Year, although do check gallery and museum websites for changes in opening times this week. Here are our picks, in no particular order:
Tutankhamun at Saatchi Gallery | Top Secret at Science Museum | Cars at V&A | Culture Under Attack at Imperial War Museum | Wildlife Photographer of the Year at Natural History Museum | Moving To Mars at Design Museum | The Moon at National Maritime Museum | Hidden London at London Transport Museum | Driverless at Science Museum | 24/7 at Somerset House | Gingerbread City at Somerset House | William Blake at Tate Britain | Olafur Eliasson at Tate Modern | Troy at British Museum | Tim Walker at V&A | Designed in Cuba at House of Illustration | Kara Walker at V&A | Rembrandt at Dulwich Picture Gallery | Gauguin at The National Gallery | Steve McQueen at Tate Britain | Inspired by the East at British Museum | Nam June Paik at Tate Modern | Pre-Raphaelite Sisters at National Portrait Gallery | Buddhism at The British Library | Lucian Freud at The Royal Academy | Leonardo da Vinci at The National Gallery.
Tube ponderings with Barry Heck
Our resident tube fancier dishes out daily thoughts on the London Underground.
The best thing about New Year's Day, of course, is the chance to ride the tube lines for free, at stupid O'Clock in the morning. Almost the entire network is running free until 4.30am, not just the bits that are used to nocturnal operation as part of the Night Tube. So if you've ever wanted to ride the Waterloo & City line at 2am in the morning, or circumnavigate the Hainault Loop before the cock crows — and for free — this is your once-a-year opportunity. (Apologies to anyone reading this after dawn on New Year's Day... you'll have to wait a whole year, and a Leap Year at that, for your next chance.)
Follow Barry on Twitter @HeckTube.
Have a read
Catch up with some of our favourite articles from 2019:
- Check out this stunning roof garden in the City of London.
- Kids are going horse riding in Brixton, and its improving their lives.
- While most pie and mash shops are shutting down, this one is bucking the trend.
- Why the hell would anyone visit Luton?
- This is what Waterloo station will soon look like.
