Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson is a broadway baby and west end wonder, and now, he’s set to grace London’s theatrical boards in a new production. He’ll be making his debut at the Meiner Chocolate Factory, playing Truman Capote in Jay Presson Allen’s play Tru.

The play was first performed in 1989 at the Booth Theatre in Manhatten. It’s adapted from the words and works from American playwright and novelist Truman Capote. Set in December 1975, the play finds Capote isolated in his New York residence, grappling with the fallout of a scandal that stripped him of standing among the wealthy social set he once cherished. The whole play unfurls in the writer’s apartment a week before Christmas when Capote would have been 50 (nine years before his death).

Capote is best known for his novel Breakfast At Tiffany’s which was later adapted into the cult classic film starring Audrey Hepburn.

The UK production comes from director Rob Ashford and is set to run from September 27th until November 14th at Menier’s Chocolate Factory.

Ferguson will be reprising his role as Capote after starring in the same production in the New York staging on Broadway earlier this year.

Tru will take over from a run of Mel Brooks' musical The Producers which is currently finishing its run at the Garrick Theatre before transferring. Midnight at the Never Get is the incumbent play at Menier's Chocolate Factory, starring Ben Platt and set in 1965 New York City. The story follows Trevor Copeland and Arthur Brightman’s love is against the law, with Platt starring opposite Gregor Milne.

Ferguson is no stranger to stage lights, having received a Tony Award for playing the accountant Mason Marzac in its Broadway revival. And although this will be his debut at the Chocolate Factory, he’s no tourist in London either, currently one of the guest stars portraying King Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar at the London Palladium. He made his first West End appearance in Here We Are, Stephen Sondheim’s last work, at the National Theatre.

As it's a one man show, we're not expecting any further casting announcements, unless they're planning to do a more 'out there' interpretation of the play.

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

Keir Starmer has officially teased an extra bank holiday if England actually does bring it home and return victorious from this year’s World Cup.

Not to jinx anything, and please, have some wood handy to knock on for the duration of this article, but England have actually done pretty well so far during the 2026 World Cup. Whilst there are still two more rounds to go, including a face off against Erling Haarland Norway in a platonic heated rivalry esque match (or at least that’s what most of us are hoping for), there is already whispered, hopeful talk about what will happen if the team manage to bring it home.

Current UK PM Keir Starmer said: “On the question of a bank holiday, I think I don’t want to jinx it, but ask me again if we get to the final.” Although the incumbent Prime Minister is set to resign soon, his official resignation date is 20th July, meaning the match would take place the day before. Call it a sweet sweet parting gift to the nation. Talk about ending on a high.

The Three Lions will have to beat Norway in the quarter finals first with the match set to take place on Saturday 11th July at 10pm. Until 2026, the squad has made it to fourth place twice previously, the first in Italy in 1990, and the second in Russia in 2018. Our last recorded win was in 1966 when we were also the hosts. Considering people who were born in the same year are turning 60 this year, let’s just say it has been a fair while since a big win. (For the men’s team that is).

If England beats Norway on Saturday, July 11, they will face either Argentina or Switzerland on Wednesday, July 15 (who play each other in the early hours of Sunday morning). In the final, England could potentially face one of four teams: France, Morocco, Spain or Belgium.

If, if England does do the double, an Early Day Motion had previously been pencilled in for Monday 20th for the bank holiday, however it’s more likely it would actually take place on Friday 24th July as not to clash (and let’s face it, overshadow) the Labour Party leadership election.

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

Stroll round any central London street, square, or circus and chances are you'll be passing a behemoth of a marbled creation, from prowling horses in fountains to Gods striking a power pose. The city is positively littered with historical figures with slightly dodgy family history (read: wealth) that is best not looked into if you still want to appreciate the art. Changing up the statue scene in the heart of the big smoke is the arrival of a brand new sculpture which is all about celebrating the metropolitan, everywoman Londoner that many can relate to.

Trafalgar Square is sort of like the Vegas residency for sculptures, with 15 different beautiful (and sometimes whacky) sculptures gracing the central London spot since 1999. Currently, Theresa Margolles’ Mil Veces un Instante (A Thousand Times in an Instant) is the current incumbent which celebrates the existence of trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people. Its run however is set to end in September 2026 as a new creation from Tschabalala Self takes over.

Marking the 16th plinth commission, Tschabalala Self’s new piece is called ‘Lady in Blue’ and will be unveiled in Trafalgar Square on September 10th. The New York based artist’s piece has been a long time coming, having initially been chosen by the commissioning group back in 2024. The statue itself depicts a woman of colour mid-stride in a flowing blue dress and heels, and according to the artist, it represents a metropolitan everywoman who many can relate to. The statue is set to be over 10 ft tall and made from bronze. The blue in the vivid dress will be made from the rare lapis lazuli blue pigment which anyone who vaguely skimmed over a gallery pamphlet or placard will be familiar with as being on of the rarest colours which has been used in many ancient famous paintings to depict wealth and opulence.

Talking about the piece, Self said that the Lady in Blue is not an “idol to venerate or a historic figurehead to commemorate. She is a woman striding forward into our collective future with ambition and purpose. She is a Londoner who represents the city’s spirit.’ Cue Chaka Khan’s I’m Every Woman.

Its significance in London is also personal for the artist who said "I have London to thank for so many milestones in my practice. I had my first institutional show here, and later the first presentation of my first major painting series. The city has truly supported my artistic development and is the best possible home for this powerful figure."

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Summer holidays and London Zoo already make for a pretty solid day out. Throw in slime, gruesome experiments, time-travelling scientists, plenty of animal poo, and you've got one of the city's most entertaining family events.

From the 18th of July until the 2nd of September, Horrible Science will be taking over London Zoo, transforming the Regent's Park attraction into a giant interactive adventure packed with live comedy, hands-on experiments and plenty of the wonderfully disgusting facts that have made the bestselling books a favourite with kids for decades.

Included with standard zoo admission, the event has been created as part of ZSL's 200th anniversary celebrations and promises to blend real conservation science with the wonderful world of Nick Arnold's Horrible Science series.

Leading the action is Back from the Brink, a brand-new live comedy show where a scientific experiment goes spectacularly wrong, opening a time vortex that brings some of ZSL's greatest scientific minds crashing into the present day. Their mission? To save a species from extinction before it's too late. Expect fast-paced sketches, audience participation and plenty of laugh-out-loud science along the way.

The fun doesn't stop there. Families can also tackle a Horrible Science Trail that winds through the zoo, hunting for clues left behind by six famous ZSL scientists. Armed with a Horrible Science Fact File, children will solve puzzles, uncover hidden words and learn about pioneering figures including Charles Darwin, reptile expert Joan Procter, entomologist Evelyn Cheesman and conservationist Christine Hawkey. Finish the trail and you'll even earn your own Horrible Scientist badge to take home.

Naturally, this is Horrible Science, so things get a little messy. Visitors can expect everything from investigating the surprising science behind vampire bat saliva to digging through fake blood, spider webs, slime and, yes, plenty of poo-inspired activities, all designed to make learning about wildlife as entertaining as possible.

The event also shines a spotlight on the work ZSL carries out around the world, with interactive demonstrations showcasing how conservationists help protect endangered species. It's the perfect mix of gross-out humour and genuine science, making it every bit as educational as it is entertaining.

Away from the special activities, visitors can still enjoy everything London Zoo has to offer, including more than 8,500 animals ranging from Asiatic lions and Sumatran tigers to playful penguins, curious capybaras and one of the UK's largest collections of reptiles and insects. Those looking to upgrade their visit can also book animal encounters or even spend the night at the zoo's unique lodges.

The Horrible Science takeover also runs alongside London Zoo's 200th anniversary celebrations, including a new heritage exhibition, a historical plaques trail and a limited-time exhibition inspired by Disney's The Lion King. Throughout August, visitors can also take part in special Lion King-themed workshops featuring puppetry and dance sessions.

Running throughout the school holidays until the 2nd of September, Horrible Science at London Zoo is included with standard admission, with family tickets offering savings of up to £39 this summer, alongside a free return visit during the holidays. It's a pretty convincing excuse to spend a day getting gloriously gross in the name of science.

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If there's one thing LEGO loves almost as much as launching another Star Wars set, it's building something absolutely enormous.

Its latest creation might just be one of its most ambitious yet. Standing 8.4 metres tall in the heart of New York City's Rockefeller Plaza, the toy giant has unveiled a towering replica of the FIFA World Cup Trophy that's been built from an astonishing 1.36 million LEGO bricks.

The gigantic installation arrives as the 2026 World Cup enters its final stages, with Rockefeller Plaza serving as one of FIFA's biggest fan zones during the tournament. While the USA's hopes of lifting the trophy may already be over, supporters still have the chance to get up close to a version that's arguably even more impressive than the real thing.

At 25 times the size of the actual trophy, the brick-built monument is one of the largest LEGO models ever created. It stretches 8.47 metres into the Manhattan skyline, weighs around 4.2 tonnes and is based on the same trophy that has been presented to every World Cup winner since 1974.

It's also far more than a giant stack of plastic bricks. Hidden beneath the familiar gold exterior is a 3.5-tonne steel framework that supports the entire structure, allowing it to withstand both its own weight and the thousands of football fans expected to flock to Rockefeller Plaza over the coming weeks.

Creating it was no small task either. Over a period of eight months, a team of 59 designers, engineers and model builders worked at LEGO's production facility in Kladno, Czech Republic, spending more than 7,000 hours bringing the project to life.

Transporting it across the Atlantic proved almost as complicated. The finished model had to be dismantled into 16 individual sections before being shipped to New York and painstakingly reconstructed on-site, with some sections weighing as much as two tonnes.

"The numbers on this installation are mind-blowing," said LEGO Senior Designer Christophe Vietti. "It's the biggest mobile build ever made."

"The goal of the LEGO World Cup Trophy is to unite people through the love of football and play. This build brings that celebration to a whole new level and creates a landmark for fans visiting the FIFA Fan Festival during the closing stages of the tournament."

The final brick was ceremonially placed by Brazilian football legend Cafu, who officially opened the attraction alongside fans representing nations still competing in the tournament.

The trophy also marks the centrepiece of a new LEGO Fan Zone at Rockefeller Plaza, where visitors can take part in football-themed building challenges, help create a collaborative brick mural and even design their own custom minifigures at the nearby LEGO Store on Fifth Avenue.

The mega-build continues LEGO's recent run of increasingly ambitious real-world creations. Following last year's fully drivable Formula 1 cars and a growing collection of record-breaking installations around the world, the company seems intent on proving that almost anything can be recreated in brick form if you have enough patience... and, in this case, around 1.36 million LEGO pieces.

• Bringing back the Barfly: Frank Turner and the Camden venue’s new owners on the importance of London’s grassroots music scene

As T3 celebrates its 30th anniversary, the technology title has looked back at the products that genuinely changed our lives while also crowning the best-designed tech of 2026.

There are very few gadgets that can genuinely claim to have changed the way we live. Every year, brands promise the next AI-powered, titanium-coated rectangle will revolutionise our daily routine, only for it to quietly disappear into the same drawer as an old Kindle charger and a tangle of cables you'll definitely sort out one day.

As part of its special 30th anniversary awards, technology title T3 has named the iPod the Best Tech in T3's Lifetime, recognising the single biggest gadget to arrive since the magazine first launched back in 1996. For anyone who remembers painstakingly ripping CDs onto iTunes or carefully curating playlists for the bus journey to school, it's a choice that's difficult to argue with.

The iPod wasn't simply another MP3 player. It completely reshaped the music industry, changed how we bought albums and, ultimately, laid the foundations for the Apple ecosystem we know today.

T3 editor-in-chief Mat Gallagher said: "The iPod was more than just a product, it was a revolution of the whole music industry. What started with 1,000 songs in your pocket introduced the world to iTunes and paying for digital music. Though ultimately, the iPhone made the iPod redundant, without the iPod, the iPhone wouldn't have existed."

Thirty years of Tomorrow's Technology Today

The lifetime award forms part of an expanded T3 Awards celebrating three decades since the magazine first appeared on shelves. While the annual event still shines a spotlight on the very best products you can buy right now, this year's ceremony also takes a moment to recognise the people and innovations that have shaped modern technology.

Apple CEO Tim Cook was named the inaugural Person of the Year, while Sir Tim Berners-Lee received the British Icon award for inventing the World Wide Web. Considering most of us spend an alarming proportion of our waking hours online, that feels like a fairly safe pick.

The rest of the awards remained firmly focused on the latest and greatest gadgets. Across 84 categories, judges selected winners spanning everything from kitchen appliances and fitness gear to watches, TVs, speakers, cars and outdoor kit.

Garmin was crowned Brand of the Year, the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 3 claimed Product of the Year, and LEGO Smart Play took home Tech Innovation of the Year. It's a reminder that the most exciting technology isn't always the flashiest. Sometimes it's the brands that quietly keep making products you'll end up recommending to everyone you know.

The best-looking tech of the year

Performance is one thing, but the T3 Design Awards celebrate products that also happen to look fantastic. After all, if you're spending hundreds, or in some cases thousands, of pounds on a gadget, it may as well look good sitting on your shelf, kitchen counter or driveway.

The winners were selected by a judging panel made up of editors from some of the biggest names across technology, design and lifestyle media, including Shortlist, Wallpaper*, Tom's Guide, TechRadar, Creative Bloq, SheerLuxe and T3.

Nike claimed the Active Design Award with its ACG Air Milano Jacket, proving technical outerwear no longer has to make you look like you're halfway through climbing Ben Nevis when you're actually just heading to the office.

Dyson continued its mission to make household appliances look like props from a sci-fi blockbuster, with the PencilVac taking the Home Design award. Meanwhile, Nothing's transparent Headphone (1) picked up the Tech Design prize, continuing the company's knack for producing gadgets that manage to stand out in a market full of anonymous black plastic.

Rounding things off, Rolls-Royce's Project Nightingale won the Auto Design award. It isn't the sort of car you'll accidentally lose in a supermarket car park, but then subtlety has never really been part of Rolls-Royce's design philosophy.

If you'd like to see the complete list of winners across all 84 categories, you'll find every category and every winner over on T3.

• Bringing back the Barfly: Frank Turner and the Camden venue’s new owners on the importance of London’s grassroots music scene

Just when it looked like FIFA had finished assembling its all-star cast, it has pulled another global superstar out of the bag.

Justin Bieber has officially joined the line-up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup final half-time show, adding yet another huge name to what is already shaping up to be one of the biggest live performances ever staged at a sporting event.

The Canadian singer will take to the stage alongside Madonna, Shakira, BTS, Burna Boy, Gustavo Dudamel, the PS22 Chorus featuring Coldplay and even the Sesame Street Muppets during the 11-minute spectacle at MetLife Stadium in New York New Jersey on the 19th of July.

The performance will make history as the first-ever Super Bowl-style half-time show at a FIFA World Cup final, with Coldplay frontman Chris Martin helping curate the event in support of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. The initiative aims to raise $100 million to improve access to education for children around the world, with the show expected to be watched by hundreds of millions of viewers globally.

"The FIFA World Cup brings the world together in a way nothing else can," Bieber said following the announcement.

His inclusion feels particularly significant given his gradual return to live performance. After cancelling the remainder of his Justice World Tour in 2022 due to health issues, Bieber has largely stayed away from major concerts, making each appearance feel like an event in itself.

Earlier this year, he made his biggest return yet with a nostalgic Coachella set, revisiting early hits including Baby, Never Say Never, One Time and Beauty and a Beat, reminding fans why he became one of the defining pop stars of his generation.

For FIFA, Bieber's arrival only strengthens an already extraordinary bill. Madonna brings decades of pop history, Shakira is arguably football's most iconic musical performer thanks to Waka Waka, BTS remains one of the biggest acts on the planet, and Burna Boy returns following his performances at the tournament's opening ceremony. Together, it's a line-up designed to appeal to every corner of the globe.

The only lingering question is how FIFA plans to squeeze so many headline performers into an 11-minute show without anyone feeling short-changed.

As for the football, the tournament is reaching its dramatic conclusion, with the remaining nations battling for a place in the final while Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane continue their race for the Golden Boot.

Regardless of who eventually lifts the trophy, the final is now guaranteed to deliver one of the most star-studded half-time shows football has ever seen. With Bieber now on board, FIFA's first attempt at bringing a Super Bowl-style spectacle to the World Cup has become even harder to ignore.

• Bringing back the Barfly: Frank Turner and the Camden venue’s new owners on the importance of London’s grassroots music scene

After years of debate, funding rows and ever-changing repair plans, Hammersmith & Fulham Council has effectively accepted that getting cars and buses back on the historic crossing isn't financially realistic, at least for now.

Instead, the council is focusing on securing government funding for a £128 million programme of essential repairs designed to keep the bridge safely open for pedestrians, cyclists and river traffic, rather than restoring it for full motor use.

The money would come from the Government's £1 billion Structures Fund, which the council had originally hoped would cover the estimated £300 million needed to fully reopen the bridge. However, hopes of securing that level of funding have faded after officials indicated the bridge's lengthy restoration wouldn't meet the fund's deadline, which requires projects to be completed by the 31st of March 2030.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting this week, council leader Stephen Cowan said the authority simply couldn't afford to fund the remaining work itself.

"We have to be honest with residents," he said. "If it was a magic money tree, we could fix it. But we don't live in a something-for-nothing society."

The 139-year-old Hammersmith Bridge has been closed to motor traffic since 2019 after engineers discovered dangerous micro-fractures in its cast iron pedestals. It reopened to pedestrians and cyclists in 2021 following emergency stabilisation works, but buses, taxis and private vehicles have never returned.

Since then, the bridge has become the centre of a long-running funding dispute between Hammersmith & Fulham Council, the Department for Transport and Transport for London. The council says it has already spent around £54 million maintaining and stabilising the structure and believes it's still owed almost £23 million under a previous agreement that split repair costs equally between the three organisations.

Richmond Council's deputy leader, Alexander Ehmann, criticised the decision to prioritise walking and cycling over reopening the bridge to public transport, arguing it would leave older and disabled residents facing longer journeys.

"If we accept that buses will never return, we're not just making an engineering decision," he said. "We're making a social choice about who benefits and who is left behind."

Opposition councillors also questioned why Labour, which currently controls Hammersmith & Fulham Council, the London mayoralty and the UK Government, had failed to secure funding for a full restoration.

For now, though, the priority is simply keeping one of London's most recognisable bridges standing. Whether cars ever return to Hammersmith Bridge will largely depend on whether the Government is willing to stump up hundreds of millions of pounds beyond the current funding programme. At the moment, that looks a long way off.

• Bringing back the Barfly: Frank Turner and the Camden venue’s new owners on the importance of London’s grassroots music scene

Sometimes cinemas are open-air affairs with drive-in spaces and the best drive-through snacks money can buy. Other times, they’re plus, dimly lit cavernous spaces filled with those lovely red armchairs, vintage awnings, and obviously a well-stocked bar. Chances are the latter are an Everyman special, bringing a touch of glamour to your local high street. Now, they’re set to glitz up a new spot in South London.

Happily injecting a bit of oomph into London’s slightly flailing and definitely struggling cinema scene, Everyman will be opening a new five-screen venue in The Elephant. The Elephant is a new development happening in Elephant & Castle’s town centre, and forms part of the whopping £4bn transformation of Elephant & Castle, which includes a new campus for London College of Communication and 485 new rental properties.

The new cinema will be Everyman’s 17th branch in London, adding to the boutique chain’s impressive portfolio. True to their style, the cinema will show a mix of current blockbusters, indie films, and old school classics, as well as special events, talks, theatre, ballet, and opera (take that Timmy). Plus all the groovy and luxurious seating, interiors, and food and drink that you always find in an Everyman offering.

The Elephant complex will be launching in late 2026, but there are plenty of other Everyman spots across the city to satiate your bougie movie watching. As well as sites in Hampstead, Muswell Hill, Belsize Park, Brentford, Canary Wharf, Stratford, Kings Cross, Maida Vale, Baker Street, Broadgate Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Borough Yards, and Paddington, Everyman is back with their free floating cinema in Coal Drops Yard where Londoners can lounge on the grassy banks opposite a giant screen, watching everything from OG school-kid classics to live Wimbledon coverage and more. There are no bookings here, no tickets. You just turn up and hope to find a spot on the steps beside the canal.

Talking about the new space, Everyman CEO Farah Golant said, ‘Elephant & Castle is a vibrant, creative community, and we can’t wait to welcome locals and visitors to experience the magic of the big screen alongside the warm, first-class hospitality that defines Everyman.’

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More than two decades after he first burst onto screens repping the "West Staines Massiv", Ali G is officially making a comeback.

According to Variety, Sacha Baron Cohen has secretly wrapped production on a brand new Ali G film, marking the character's long-awaited return to cinemas for the first time since 2002's Ali G Indahouse.

In true Baron Cohen fashion, the project has been kept almost entirely under wraps. Filming is believed to have taken place across Oxfordshire and the US, with no official title, release date or plot details confirmed. Representatives for the actor have so far declined to comment, only adding to the mystery surrounding the film.

Ali G first appeared on The 11 O'Clock Show in 1998 before becoming the star of Da Ali G Show, where his hilariously clueless interviews with politicians, academics and celebrities turned him into one of British comedy's biggest breakout characters. The oversized tracksuits, questionable slang and endless "booyakashas" eventually led to his first feature film, which became a cult favourite.

While Baron Cohen declared both Ali G and Borat retired in 2007, retirement has never seemed to stick. Borat returned for a hugely successful sequel in 2020, while Ali G has popped up sporadically over the years, including appearances at the 2012 British Comedy Awards, the 2016 Oscars and the TV special Ali G: Rezurection.

The new film is expected to follow the same hidden-camera formula that made Borat and Brüno such hits, with Baron Cohen reportedly conducting interviews with unsuspecting public figures while staying fully in character. If that's the case, expect plenty of painfully awkward encounters and brilliantly uncomfortable comedy.

A return for Ali G had been rumoured for several years, although reports suggested development was delayed by the Hollywood writers' and actors' strikes. Now, with filming apparently complete, it looks like the self-proclaimed voice of da yoof is finally gearing up for one more run.

For anyone who grew up quoting Ali G in the playground, this could be one of the most unexpected comedy comebacks of the year. Restecp.

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Ahead of Pitbull's headline show at BST Hyde Park, London, this Friday, Aldi is embracing one of the internet's favourite music memes by temporarily rebranding itself as "Baldi". The supermarket will set up a one-day-only pop-up outside Hyde Park, handing out everything fans need to transform into Mr. Worldwide as thousands descend on central London.

If you've somehow missed it, Pitbull gigs have become famous for fans dressing exactly like the rapper himself. Bald caps, aviator sunglasses and smart shirts have become almost mandatory attire, turning every show into a sea of mini Pitbulls. It's a trend that's only grown over the past few years, and now the man himself wants to take it one step further.

Pitbull has called on fans to help him break the Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people wearing bald caps during his BST Hyde Park performance. Naturally, Aldi has spotted an opportunity and decided to lend a helping hand.

The Baldi stand will be giving away free bald caps, aviator sunglasses and temporary tattoos, alongside complimentary ready-to-drink Infusionist and Stefanoff cocktail cans to help festivalgoers get into character before heading through the gates.

Complete with a giant "Baldi" logo and a suitably pun-heavy "Firebald!" banner, the pop-up is expected to become one of the busiest stops outside Hyde Park as fans scramble to complete their Mr. Worldwide makeover. Given the popularity of Pitbull's shows and the sheer number of people already planning to dress up, don't expect the freebies to hang around for long.

It's the kind of brilliantly daft activation that's become synonymous with festival season. Rather than simply advertising its drinks range, Aldi is leaning into one of this summer's biggest viral moments, and in doing so might just help Pitbull make music history.

Whether you're determined to help break the world record or simply fancy a free bald cap for the journey home, Baldi looks set to be one of the most entertaining pit stops before the show.

The Baldi pop-up will be outside BST Hyde Park on Friday, with all giveaways available free while stocks last.

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Whether you're a grandmaster in the making or someone who still forgets which way the knight moves, Trafalgar Square is the place to be this July.

The UK's biggest chess event, ChessFest, is returning to central London for another free day celebrating one of the world's oldest and most addictive board games. Taking place from 12pm until 7pm on the 12th of July, the annual festival is expected to welcome around 20,000 visitors for a packed programme of live matches, giant chess boards, lessons and family-friendly activities.

Now in its sixth year, ChessFest has grown into one of London's most unique summer events, transforming Trafalgar Square into a giant open-air chess club where complete beginners, casual players and seasoned competitors can all get involved.

If you've always fancied learning the game properly, professional chess coaches and some of the UK's top players will be offering free lessons for both children and adults throughout the day. More experienced players can test themselves against England internationals, including British champions Mickey Adams and Gawain Jones, during a series of simultaneous exhibitions where one grandmaster takes on dozens of opponents at once.

Visitors will also be able to challenge top players to speed chess, with prizes available for anyone who manages to earn a win or even a draw.

Elsewhere, there'll be blindfold chess demonstrations, giant speed chess matches projected onto a huge 12 x 7-metre screen and live links to ChessFest events taking place around the country.

For many visitors, though, the standout attraction will be the famous living chess set.

Featuring 32 costumed actors bringing famous games to life, the performances combine theatre, history and live commentary from Grandmaster Chris Ward and event host Owen Williams. This year's theme is wildlife, meaning you'll see everything from kingfishers and queen bees to butterflies and hedgehogs taking the place of traditional chess pieces in a delightfully bonkers retelling of classic matches.

The 2026 festival also celebrates a major milestone in chess history: the 175th anniversary of the legendary Immortal Game.

Played in London in 1851 by German master Adolf Anderssen, the match became famous after he sensationally sacrificed both rooks and his queen before delivering a stunning checkmate, creating what many still consider the greatest attacking game ever played. Fittingly, it took place just a short walk from Trafalgar Square at Simpson's-in-the-Strand, one of the capital's most historic chess venues.

Whether you're looking to improve your opening, challenge a grandmaster or simply enjoy one of London's most unusual free events, ChessFest promises a day that's anything but stale.

ChessFest takes over Trafalgar Square from 12pm to 7pm on the 12th of July, with all activities completely free to take part in.

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

Lord's has welcomed some of the biggest names and greatest moments in cricket history over the past two centuries. This month, it's about to add another landmark occasion to the list.

From the 10th to the 13th of July, the Home of Cricket will stage its very first women's Test match, as England take on India in what promises to be one of the biggest events in the summer sporting calendar.

The four-day fixture marks a historic milestone not just for Lord's, but for women's cricket as a whole. While the famous ground has long hosted international women's fixtures, this is the first time a women's Test match has ever been played on its hallowed turf.

The occasion also arrives exactly 50 years after Rachael Heyhoe Flint became the first England Women's captain to lead her side out at Lord's. Half a century later, current captain Nat Sciver-Brunt will walk out onto the same ground to lead England into another significant chapter of the sport's history.

With England and India regarded as two of the biggest names in international cricket, the match is expected to attract packed crowds across all four days, offering fans the chance to witness a genuine sporting first.

A day at Lord's is about more than just the action in the middle.

Visitors can explore a huge range of food and drink options across the ground, from street food vendors to more upmarket dining experiences, including Tommy Banks' Edrich Restaurant. There'll also be luxury brand activations taking place throughout the venue for fans looking to pick up a special souvenir from the occasion.

Lord's remains one of the few major sporting venues where spectators are welcome to bring their own food and drink, including alcohol, making it an ideal excuse for a summer picnic while watching world-class cricket unfold.

Whether you're a lifelong cricket fan or simply fancy spending a sunny day at one of London's most iconic sporting venues, this is a rare opportunity to witness a genuine piece of sporting history.

England take on India at Lord's from the 10th to the 13th of July, with tickets starting from £5 for children and £30 for adults.

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

If you've been hoping to see Jay-Z back on a UK stage, this could be your only chance for a while.

The rap legend has announced a huge London date as part of his "Jay-Z 30" anniversary shows, celebrating three decades since he emerged as one of hip-hop's defining artists. The show will take place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on the 4th of September and marks his only UK performance of 2026.

Rather than embarking on a full world tour, Jay-Z is keeping things exclusive with just a handful of special stadium dates across New York, London, Paris and Los Angeles. That makes the Tottenham show one of the most sought-after live music events of the autumn, particularly for UK fans who haven't had many opportunities to catch him live in recent years.

The anniversary celebrations come during a milestone year for the rapper. This week, Jay-Z is playing two sold-out nights at New York's Yankee Stadium, celebrating both the 30th anniversary of his groundbreaking debut album Reasonable Doubt and the 25th anniversary of The Blueprint, two records widely regarded among the greatest hip-hop albums ever made.

Earlier this year, he also made a surprise return to the stage at Philadelphia's Roots Picnic, performing alongside legendary hip-hop band The Roots, giving fans another reminder that his live shows remain some of the biggest events in music.

Few artists can boast a catalogue quite like Jay-Z's. Across 30 years, he's released countless classics including 99 Problems, Empire State of Mind, Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem), Run This Town, Big Pimpin', Dirt Off Your Shoulder and Public Service Announcement. While the setlist hasn't been revealed, fans can expect a career-spanning celebration packed with era-defining hits and deep cuts from one of rap's most influential performers.

The London date is also significant because it arrives during a year packed with major reunion tours and comeback concerts. Despite the crowded calendar, Jay-Z's show stands out simply because of how rare it is.

Unlike many artists celebrating milestone anniversaries with months of touring, he's chosen just a handful of carefully selected performances, making each one feel like a genuine event.

If you're planning to be there, you'll want to be ready when tickets go on sale.

Presale opens at 10am on the 9th of July, with general sale following at 10am on the 10th of July via Ticketmaster.

Ticket prices haven't yet been confirmed, but with just one UK date and a stadium expected to be packed with fans travelling from across the country, demand is almost guaranteed to be enormous.

Thirty years after changing hip-hop forever with Reasonable Doubt, Jay-Z is proving that he can still fill some of the world's biggest venues. For UK fans, this September show is likely to be the only opportunity to see him perform live this year. Tickets will go on sale on the 10th of July.

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

Battersea Power Station has had the glow-up of all glow-ups way back when, going from power station to power house of a station, complete with shops, cinemas, bars, restaurants, and flat blocks that look like they belong in Dubai. Come Christmastime, the space transforms into a mini wonderland, with the markets, ice rink etcetera. Now, its outdoor riverside is getting a revamp for summer, hosting pop-ups, exhibitions, and even an open-air cinema.

The first part of the plan is the arrival of an exciting new funfair. Electric Summer is set to take over the Power Station Park as well as the Coaching Jetty that runs adjacent to the site. The fair will be tumbling into London from 29th July until 31st August, perfect for summer holidays as well as adults who want to indulge their inner child, and by that we obviously mean beating their mates at the dodgems.

The fair will have all the bells and whistles, with rides, a big wheel, dodgems, and boardwalk games. The central attraction will be the huge roller rink (normal, not iced), which will be welcoming to skaters of all skill levels. As well as late-night skating sessions which will run on Thursday evenings, the rink will have a whole programme of lessons and sessions to help people build their confidence on four wheels, kids’ classes, first timers, and even a silent disco on Saturdays to help bring the spirit of a 70s rave firmly back into 2026.

If you’re wondering how the big jetty comes into the fairground plans, unfortunately it won’t be transforming into a log flume or logrolling race. Instead it will become a relaxed waterside bar and eatery where you can refuel on a quick sandwich or get some Dutch courage after sorely losing a game of petanque. There will also be a rooftop terrace and a Boardwalk Bar where you can also refresh.

This is just the start of the potential plans for the jetty on the banks of the Thames at Battersea Power Station, which has submitted a proposal to extend its licence, allowing it to keep hosting events into 2028. As well as the funfair, if approved, the jetty will be able to continue being used for art installations, live music, markets, events, exhibitions, and even an open-air cinema and sports screenings. Everyman on the Canal just got a competitor.

Whilst we’ll have to wait for news (aka approval) on the further activities and events at the Power Station’s jetty, the funfair is already gearing up for its summer residency. It will be open daily from 10am-10pm, accepting walk-ins for most of the rides and games available, but if you’re desperate to lock in a skate session or a particular activity, it’s worth perusing their website and booking in.

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

London's most gripping sporting spectacle this month might involve athletes deliberately climbing 14 metres into the air with absolutely nothing underneath them except a stretch of dock water.

The North Face Climb Festival returns to Royal Victoria Docks this July after selling out in 2024, bringing a weekend of world-class climbing, live music and family-friendly activities to East London. Better yet, it's completely free to attend.

The headline attraction is a towering 14-metre Deep Water Solo climbing wall, built directly above the docks. Unlike traditional climbing competitions, there's no harness, no ropes and no safety mats. If competitors lose their grip, there's only one place to go: straight into the water below.

It's one of the fastest-growing disciplines in climbing and easily one of the most entertaining to watch. Equal parts sporting contest and spectacle, Deep Water Solo climbing rewards strength, precision and nerve, with every attempt carrying the risk of an unavoidable splashdown.

This year's competition will see some of Europe's best climbers descend on London after qualifying through events held across the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. They'll battle it out for a share of a £20,000 prize pot, with spectators able to watch every nail-biting ascent from the waterfront.

Even if you've never watched competitive climbing before, it's surprisingly addictive. One moment an athlete is gliding effortlessly up the wall, the next they're making an unplanned dive into the docks. It's tense, unpredictable and a lot more dramatic than your average afternoon at the climbing gym.

The festival isn't just about watching the professionals, either.

Across the weekend there'll be climbing experiences for visitors of all abilities, athlete-led workshops, family-friendly activities and opportunities to learn more about the sport from some of the world's best climbers. Whether you're a seasoned boulderer or someone who's never set foot on a climbing wall, the event is designed to be as hands-on as you want it to be.

Once the climbing finishes each day, the festival swaps chalk bags for turntables.

The live music line-up includes internationally renowned DJ Jyoty, dance music collective Girls Don't Sync, Femi Koleoso from Mercury Prize-winning jazz outfit Ezra Collective, alongside Rinse FM, bringing a festival atmosphere to the Royal Docks long after the final climber has made their descent.

Following a packed-out debut last year, organisers are expecting another bumper turnout, with the festival continuing its mission of bringing elite climbing into the heart of the city in a way that's accessible to everyone.

Whether you're there to cheer on Europe's best climbers, catch a DJ set in the sunshine or simply watch people willingly throw themselves into a dock in the name of sport, this is shaping up to be one of London's most unique free weekends of the summer.

The North Face Climb Festival takes place at Royal Victoria Docks this on the 17th of July, with entry free across the entire weekend.

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

Japan's J.League has announced one of the most delightfully unexpected collaborations of the year, teaming up with The Pokémon Company to assign every single one of its 60 professional football clubs an official Pokémon.

The campaign, called Pokémon J.League Fest 'EVOLUTION!', launches ahead of the 2026-27 season and celebrates two major milestones at once. Not only does it mark the start of a new J.League campaign on the 7th of August, but it also forms part of Pokémon's 30th anniversary celebrations, with the franchise first launching back in 1996.

The theme of the collaboration couldn't be more fitting. With the J.League's current slogan being "Evolution! The J.League is evolving," each club has been paired with a Pokémon that will "evolve" alongside the team throughout the season. Expect official artwork, matchday graphics, social media content and promotional material featuring every club's designated Pokémon as the campaign unfolds.

It's a wonderfully simple idea that feels tailor-made for both football fans and Pokémon lovers. Whether your club has been matched with a powerhouse, a fan favourite or one of the franchise's more obscure creatures, there's bound to be plenty of debate over who got the best pairing.

Supporters attending matches won't be leaving empty-handed either.

To mark the launch, the league is giving away one million exclusive EVO BAGs across the season. Available only at home matches, each reusable bag features Pikachu alongside the home club's official Pokémon and club badge, making them a stadium-exclusive collectable. The bags won't be sold in shops, so the only way to get hold of one is to attend a fixture in person.

While the bags are the headline giveaway, the J.League has also confirmed that additional Pokémon merchandise will be released throughout the campaign, although exactly what that includes is still being kept under wraps.

This isn't unfamiliar territory for either side. The J.League and Pokémon first collaborated back in 2014 with the Family Join Days campaign, which saw young supporters receive exclusive Pikachu trading cards at stadiums across Japan.

Elsewhere, Pokémon has steadily built an impressive footballing CV. The franchise has partnered with FC Seoul in South Korea for themed fan events and merchandise, while UK fans may remember the Pokémon Futsal promotion launched alongside the English FA in 2019. That campaign produced a small collection of highly sought-after Pokémon Trading Card Game cards featuring Pikachu, Eevee, Grookey, Scorbunny and Sobble showing off their ball skills.

The latest crossover, though, is comfortably the biggest yet. Rather than focusing on a single club or promotional event, every professional side across Japan's top three divisions is getting involved, making it one of the most ambitious sporting collaborations Pokémon has ever attempted.

With the new season kicking off in August, fans won't have long to wait before stadiums across Japan are filled with football shirts, scarves and a healthy dose of Pikachu.

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

There are pop princesses, and then there is the Party Princess, and that title belongs firmly to Charli XCX. The London musician has blessed dancefloors and tube headphones alike with a plethora of hits, and not forgetting Brat summer, which lasted longer than most pool floats. Now, to celebrate the release of her latest album, Music Fashion Film, London is getting an exclusive listening party.

All the listening parties, including sister parties across the world, will be taking place in independent cinemas this month. There will be two screenings taking place in London, both at The Castle Cinema in Hackney. Both screenings will be taking place on 10th July, the first at 7pm, and the second at 9pm. The event is completely free to attend, but you will need to grab tickets (or as they call it, RSVP), which can be found on Charli XCX’s website here.

As well as the Castle Cinema in London, there will be another UK showing in Stockport at the Savoy Cinema.

‘Music, Fashion, Film’ is set to land on July 24 and has previously been previewed with the tracks ‘Wink Wink‘, ‘Rock Music’, and ‘SS26’. It marks Charli’s seventh studio album and is the official follow-up to her 2024 Brat album. According to a post from Charli on Instagram, it will have 11 songs, lasting 30 minutes.

The album’s cover is just as iconic as you’d expect from a Charli project. We’ve already had a sneaky preview of what the album cover looks like, with a black-and-white cover showing three absolute industry heavyweights: John Cale, Marc Jacobs, and Martin Scorsese posing together in a kitchen. Plus, it has been shot by Aidan Zamiri.

As well as the UK listening parties, there will be other ones taking place in: Dublin, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Milan, Madrid, Berlin, Tokyo, Mexico, Sao Paulo, as well as Boston, New York, Toronto, Denver, Phoenix, LA, Chicago, Santa Cruz, Seattle, Atlanta and Miami.

As the album officially releases on July 24th, these will be world previews of the new tracks, meaning you could be among the first people to hear the new Charli tunes.

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

The world of Peaky Blinders is coming to London this summer in the form of a brand-new immersive experience that promises live actors, interactive missions, and a painstaking recreation of the Shelby family's most iconic locations.

Opening this August beneath the atmospheric railway arches near London Bridge, Peaky Blinders: Underworld transforms the venue into the criminal empire of Thomas Shelby, challenging visitors to prove whether they've got what it takes to earn a place in the gang.

The experience begins in The Garrison Tavern, a faithful recreation of the Shelby family's legendary Birmingham pub. Better still, the tavern is free to enter, meaning you don't need a ticket to soak up the atmosphere, enjoy live music and tuck into drinks and light bites while surrounded by one of television's most recognisable settings.

Ticket holders will venture into the Peaky Blinders Underworld, an immersive adventure blending actor-led performances with interactive gameplay. Rather than simply watching events unfold, guests become part of the story, completing challenges, making decisions and navigating shifting alliances as they attempt to earn the trust of the Shelby organisation.

Along the way, you'll explore locations pulled straight from the hit BBC series, including Garrison Lane, The Bookies, Chinatown and The Small Heath Fairground, each featuring its own missions, characters and surprises.

The attraction has been created by KMJ Entertainment in partnership with Banijay Rights, the company behind the global distribution of Peaky Blinders. It's also arriving at a good time for fans of Steven Knight's crime saga, with two brand new television seasons already in production following this year's feature film, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.

Beyond the main experience, The Garrison Tavern will continue hosting live music, themed nights and special events. At the same time, an official merchandise shop will stock exclusive clothing and collectables inspired by the show's unmistakable style.

If you've ever fancied finding out whether you'd survive in the Shelby family's world, this might be as close as you'll get without hopping in a time machine.

Peaky Blinders: Underworld opens near London Bridge on August 21st 2026, with standard tickets starting from £21.95.

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

England's World Cup dream is still alive after a breathtaking win over Mexico at the Azteca Stadium, with Thomas Tuchel's side edging one of the tournament's greatest matches to book their place in the quarter-finals.

Next up is Norway, who stand between the Three Lions and a place in the last four. The match kicks off at 10pm BST on Saturday the 11th of July, a much friendlier time for supporters than England's 2am Round of 16 victory, meaning pubs and sports bars across London are expected to be packed with fans.

England could receive a timely boost with Reece James expected to return at right-back after recovering from injury. However, Tuchel will be without Jarell Quansah, who serves a one-match suspension after his red card against Mexico, while Jordan Henderson has also been ruled out after injuring his arm after tumbling over the advertising hoardings after the dramatic victory.

Whether you're after a giant fan zone, a dedicated sports bar or simply a great pub with plenty of screens, here are some of the best places in London to watch England vs Norway.

Market Place Food Hall

If you're after something a little different from the traditional sports pub, Market Place Food Hall is screening England's quarter-final across its venues in Vauxhall, St Paul's, Peckham, Harrow and its biggest venue, Leicester Square. Big beautiful screens are dotted throughout each location, so you won't have to fight for a decent view when the action gets underway.

With multiple bars and a wide choice of independent street food traders all under one roof, it's a great option for groups who can't agree on what to eat or drink before kick-off. The food hall setting also means shorter queues than your average packed pub, making it an easy choice for anyone looking to settle in for England's biggest game of the tournament so far.

BOXPARK

BOXPARK is once again going all out for England's World Cup campaign, with screenings taking place across its Wembley, Camden, Croydon and Shoreditch venues. If you're after atmosphere, this is about as close as you'll get without hopping on a plane, with giant screens, hundreds of fellow England fans and plenty of food and drink to keep you going through another huge knockout night.

With 14 independent street food traders across its venues and plenty of bars serving drinks throughout the evening, it's one of the capital's biggest football fan zones. Tickets are required, so it's worth booking ahead to avoid missing out.

TOCA Social

If you want to lean into the football theme, TOCA Social is an easy shout. The interactive football venue is screening England's quarter-final at both its O2 and Westfield White City locations, giving fans the chance to soak up the atmosphere well before kick-off.

Every ticket includes a free drink from the standard menu if you arrive early, while a matchday happy hour runs in the build-up to the game. Just bear in mind that this is a ticket-only event, and the football games themselves aren't included with your screening ticket.

Belushi's

Belushi's has been showing international football for years, so it knows exactly what supporters want on matchday. Both its London Bridge and Shepherd's Bush venues are screening England's clash with Norway, promising giant screens, booming commentary and the sort of atmosphere that starts building long before kick-off.

The London Bridge venue is the standout, with multiple floors packed with TVs and projector screens, plus The Dugout, a dedicated viewing area for fans wanting to be right in the thick of the action. There are also semi-private booths available for larger groups, alongside burgers, wings, loaded fries, craft beer and cocktails.

Tank & Paddle Bishopsgate

For City workers or anyone heading into central London, Tank & Paddle Bishopsgate is another excellent option. Just a short walk from Liverpool Street Station, the venue offers both seated table bookings and standing tickets depending on how you'd rather experience the game.

Spread across two floors, Tank & Paddle pairs live football with its famous yard-long stone-baked pizzas and fresh tank beer brewed by Meantime. Arrive early and you can even squeeze in a game of shuffleboard before England kick off.

40ft Brewery

If craft beer is as important as the football, 40ft Brewery should be firmly on your shortlist. Both its Blackhorse Road brewery and Dalston taproom will be screening England's quarter-final, with free entry available for supporters.

Expect giant screens, fresh beer brewed on site and food from Acme Taco, alongside DJs helping build the atmosphere before kick-off. It's a brilliant alternative to the traditional sports pub if you fancy something a little different.

Bar Kick at The Shoreditch Arms

Fresh from a recent revamp, Bar Kick at The Shoreditch Arms is one of East London's strongest options for football fans. Head downstairs and you'll find six giant screens showing every minute of England's clash with Norway, alongside a lively sports bar atmosphere that's made for big tournament nights.

There's also a strong selection of classic pub food and drinks, making it an easy choice if you're based around Shoreditch or Liverpool Street and want somewhere dedicated to live sport.

Pub on the Park

Overlooking London Fields, Pub on the Park has become one of East London's most popular places to watch major sporting events. With 12 screens spread throughout the venue, you won't struggle to find a good view of England's quarter-final.

England matches are walk-ins only, however, so expect it to get busy. If you want a table, you'll need to arrive well before kick-off. Even if you end up watching from outside, takeaway pints mean you'll still be able to soak up the atmosphere.

The Golden Tooth

The Golden Tooth in Newington Green is throwing itself behind England's World Cup run by transforming both its pub and restaurant into one giant football venue for the evening.

Alongside ice-cold beers, fans can tuck into a special match-night menu created by chef Matthew Scott, featuring dishes including the Shearer's Bun, Steak and Ale Slice and a Yorkshire Hogget Vindaloo. Finish things off with the Builders Tea Basque Cheesecake if you need a sugar boost before the final whistle.

Belleville Brewing Co.

If you'd rather avoid the biggest crowds, Belleville Brewing Co.'s taproom near Wandsworth Common offers a more relaxed setting for England's quarter-final. The brewery will be showing the match with full commentary across all of its screens while extending its opening hours for the occasion.

Fresh American-style craft beers brewed on site are the main attraction, with World Cup specials often available during England games. Tables can be reserved for groups, although the best spots are first come, first served, so arriving early is still recommended.

• This new app shows you a map of every hidden set menu across London’s best restaurants – including Michelin starred spots for less than £30

It feels as though London is flocked with bikes – between the die-hard lyra-donning pedal pushers to the flock of bright green lime bikes, Londoners simply love donning two wheels to get from A to B. Now, cycling around the city just got a little bit lighter on the wallet thanks to Santander bikes.

Across July, TFL will be handing out passes that will let you cycle around the city completely free. On the last day of each week in July, the Santander Cycles Day Pass will have a 100% discount, costing you nada instead of the usual £3.50.

It’s the second year the initiative has run, originally launched in 2024 as part of the Cycle Sundays scheme, which aimed to get city dwellers cycling. Now, it’s making a comeback to help encourage people to use TFL’s fleet of electric bikes.

Obviously, the free rides are exclusive only to Santander bikes, but there are over 800 docking stations across the city for said bikes, so it will be pretty easy to find a suitable two-wheeler. To get a free ride, you’ll just need to grab one of the discount codes. You can access the codes via the discounts page of the Santander Cycles app. Other than that, you’ll just follow the normal process to unlock and access a bike, just remembering to enter the promo code when you go to checkout, which will give you unlimited 60-minute rides over a 24-hour period.

The codes are valid for both normal and e-bikes, although you will need to become a member first, and membership is free.

Although most Londoners, especially seasoned ones rival an old school A-Z of the city’s roads, knowing exactly where they’re heading to and from, as part of the scheme TFL has mapped out a selection beginner friendly routes, in case you want to take time and explore the city rather than the head down pedalling you usually do when you try and shave 5 minutes off a 20 minutes route. There are more than 50 routes spanning across the capital, from scenic scenes in Hampstead Heath to the panoramic views of Primrose Hill.

The codes are:

• 5 July - CYCLEJULY5
• 12 July - CYCLEJULY12
• 19 July - CYCLEJULY19
• 26 July - CYCLEJULY26

Whether you want to find a docking station, rent a bike, or explore some of the routes, TFL’s website has all the information you need to get biking.

• This new app shows you a map of every hidden set menu across London’s best restaurants – including Michelin starred spots for less than £30

Peckham has long been a miniature foodie capital, thanks to its Afro-Caribbean, West African, and South Asian culture, it has been a longstanding hub of great grub. So much so that sometimes it feels like you need to spend a whole week there doing a long and rather filling restaurant crawl. Thanks to the Peckham Weekender heading to the area in July, you can fill your stomach without emptying the bank – and it’s all for a good cause. Well, a better cause than making your stomach happy.

The Peckham Weekender is a three day shindig that takes over the area across July, running from 24th until 26th, with some of the area's best restaurants getting involved. It will bring together 19 of SE15’s best restaurants for a weekend of £10 specials. It's like some kind of loophole in doing good without actually having to do anything taxing, like a beach clean up or tutorting without knowing what you're meant to be teaching. The Peckham Weekender is all about supporting the Peckham Pantry, a local food bank style initiative which supports local residents to have access to affordable fruit veg, and pantry staples.

Some of the city’s most talked about spots will be serving up special dishes at a reduced price. The participating restaurants will be dishing up an exclusive £10 plate where £1 from each dish sold will be donated to Peckham Pantry. Hot spots like Forza wine, Connie’s (which just got named one of the best pizzerias in EUROPE), and Nola are all getting involved, preparing special, exclusive dishes.

Participating venues include:

• MR Bao
• Lai Rai
• Forza Wine
• Peckham Cellars
• Nola
• Rye Lane Bagels
• Taca Taco
• Bà BA
• 081 Peckham
• Kruk
• Connie’s
• Ganapati
• Maiz
• Bara
• Cöödie
• En Root
• Janda Diner
• Shorty’s
• Rice Paddy

It’s not just foodie spots getting involved, with a couple of bars also dishing up some special serves like the Pantry Paloma at Shorty’s bar.

There’s no official entry or tickets for the Peckham Weekender, just rock up to your chosen featured restaurant (or restaurantS) of choice and try out their charity special. Win win.

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

Ladrock legends Don Broco have replaced Alkaline Trio as one of the three headliners at 2000 Trees Festival in Cheltenham. Fresh from their head-turning appearance supporting Biffy Clyro at Finsbury Park last weekend, Don Broco have saved the day as a last-minute addition, following an unfortunate health complication from Alkaline Trio vocalist Matt Skiba.

Taking place 8-11^th July at Upcote Farm, Don Broco join Funeral For A Friend and Neck Deep as main stage headliners, with a supporting bill that features Glassjaw, Pup, Militarie Gun, Superheaven, The Skints, The Bronx, A, The Wildhearts, Sunny Day Real Estate and many more across the weekend.

For the uninitiated, 2000 Trees is a wonderfully serene independent festival – and one of the UK’s best-kept musical secrets. With a capacity of just 15,000 people, 2000 Trees is a paradise for lovers of all things rock, emo, punk and indie. From its idyllic acoustic stage hidden in the depths of the woods to its legendary late-night silent disco, family-friendly atmosphere and world-beating guitar bands, it’s the antithesis of a soulless, corporate-run megafest.

Now in its 19th year, Trees is still the only place to watch rock’s best and brightest while nestled amongst the Cotswolds’ picturesque rolling hills.

With Trees turning 20 next year, it’s not the only beloved British creation celebrating a big birthday. As UK punk turns 50 this year, we recently spoke to bands on this year’s bill like PUP and Militarie Gun about how UK punk changed their lives – in a feature you’ll be able to read here on Shortlist very soon.

With no massive corporations running 2000 Trees, it’s a festival that’s born of that same DIY punk spirit – a fact that led ex-Gallows guitarist Steph Carter to set up a stage at the festival, as the current Director of Culture Marketing at Marshall Amps.

“Punk’s greatest legacy is that DIY ethos: the idea that anyone can create, anyone can start a band, as long as you’ve got something to say and the drive to get it out there,” says Carter, “You don’t need huge budgets or industry backing. You can self-produce, self-release, and put on your own shows. That spirit of independence and urgency still resonates. If you’ve got a message, punk says: don’t wait - get it out there!”

With the sun shining and punk turning 50, you can bet that we’ll be celebrating by getting our punk spirit out in the Cotswolds (while running for the shade) at Upcote Farm this weekend. Don’t forget to pack the suncream, and we’ll catch you in the pit!

• The 8 best festival line-ups of summer 2026 for anyone with a Glastonbury-shaped hole in their calendars

The video games industry has had a rough few years. Studio closures, mass layoffs, ballooning development costs and an increasing shift towards digital-only gaming have all become depressingly familiar headlines. This week, things took another significant turn.

Xbox has confirmed it's laying off more than 1,600 employees immediately, with parent company Microsoft planning to cut 4,800 jobs overall as part of a wider restructuring. Even more strikingly, Xbox says it expects to eliminate more than 3,200 roles during its current financial year, making this one of the biggest shake-ups in the brand's history.

The announcement follows reports from Bloomberg earlier this summer that several Xbox-owned studios were at risk, including Compulsion Games, Double Fine Productions, Ninja Theory, Undead Labs and Arkane.

Rather than outright closures across the board, the picture is more complicated. Compulsion Games and Double Fine will become independent studios, retaining ownership of their IP and enough funding to develop their next projects. Ninja Theory and Undead Labs are set to continue under new ownership, with financial backing to finish Senua and State of Decay 3. Arkane, meanwhile, faces a far less certain future, with consultations now underway to determine what happens next.

The cuts also extend well beyond Xbox's development studios, affecting staff across Activision, Bethesda, Blizzard, King, Mojang and Xbox Game Studios.

In a memo to employees, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said: "Our business today is not healthy." Despite the scale of the layoffs, Xbox says none of its previously announced first-party games has been cancelled.

The timing is particularly striking. Sharma only recently took over the role and initially won praise from fans by introducing new community initiatives, reaffirming console exclusives like the next Gears of War and Clockwork Revolution, and reshaping Xbox's broader strategy. That early goodwill has now been overshadowed by sweeping job cuts and yet another round of hardware price increases.

The layoffs also arrive during a period of wider uncertainty for the games industry. Just days earlier, PlayStation confirmed plans to stop releasing first-party games on physical discs from 2028, a move that has reignited speculation that the next generation of consoles could become entirely digital. Combined with rising game prices, subscription changes and increasing consolidation among major publishers, it's becoming clear that the traditional console market is changing rapidly.

Whether these changes ultimately strengthen the industry's future or simply accelerate its growing pains remains to be seen. For the thousands of developers, artists, writers and support staff now facing redundancy, though, that debate is likely to feel a long way off.

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Most Tube journeys aren't exactly memorable. Delays, packed carriages and someone eating tuna at 8am tend to see to that.

One weekend later this month, you can swap the usual Metropolitan line service for something far more special, as the London Transport Museum brings its beautifully restored vintage trains back to the tracks.

Taking place on Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th of July, the heritage journeys depart from Amersham and give passengers the chance to travel aboard authentic London Underground trains dating back almost a century.

The headline act is the museum's meticulously restored 1938 Tube Stock, complete with Art Deco styling, red and green wool upholstery, polished wood interiors and period light fittings. These trains were a genuine milestone for the Underground when they first entered service, becoming the first fleet to house all of their electrical equipment beneath the floor, creating more space for passengers. They remained in service for almost 50 years before being retired.

If that's not enough nostalgia, there's also the chance to ride in elegant 1950s railway carriages hauled by the legendary Sarah Siddons, one of the Metropolitan Railway's iconic electric locomotives from the 1920s. Named after the celebrated Welsh actress, Sarah Siddons is one of the few surviving locomotives of its kind still in operation today, making appearances only at special heritage events.

Passengers can choose between several different routes across the Metropolitan line. Saturday's return trip runs between Amersham and Watford, while Sunday's return service travels to Harrow-on-the-Hill before heading back. Single journeys to Harrow-on-the-Hill are also available across the weekend for those after a shorter trip.

Unlike your usual Tube journey, though, you won't be tapping in with an Oyster card. Adult tickets start from £22, rising to £40 depending on the journey, with concessions available for children.

Whether you're a lifelong railway enthusiast or simply fancy seeing London from a very different seat, it's one of the capital's most unique heritage experiences, and one that only comes around a handful of times each year.

• This new app shows you a map of every hidden set menu across London’s best restaurants – including Michelin starred spots for less than £30

Last week a London summertime insitutition returned to King's Cross, the Everyman on the Canal cinema.

It’s found just a few minutes’ walk from the King’s Cross and St Pancras Internatonal stations. And is a top place to spend a warm summer evening, as well as check out what’s happening at the Wimbledon tennis tournament during the day, if you work nearby.

At present, Wimbledon dominates the Everyman on the Canal daytime schedule, but there are still daily film screenings at 5pm and 7:30pm. Films take over entirely from 13th July, with four screening at day, starting at 12pm. Slots are at 12, 2:30pm, 5pm and 7:30pm.

There are no booking here, no tickets. You just turn up and hope to find a spot on the steps beside the canal.

The schedule is packed with crowd-pleasing movies, sensibly taking a turn for more adult fare for the 7:30pm slot each day.

Some screenings that caught our eye include Cinema Paradiso at 5pm on 16th July, a Thursday, Dune: Part One on 28th July at 7:30pm and Clueless at 7:30pm on 1st August or 5pm on 13th August.

And today? For the 6th July line-up there’s 10 Things I Hate About You at 5PM followed by Song Sung Blue — a biopic about a Neil Diamond tribute band starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson — at 7:30pm.

You can pick up soft drinks, £6 ice creams, popcorn and £11.95 cocktails at Everyman on the Canal itself, while the nearby area is not short of eateries if you fancy something more substantial.

The Everyman on the Canal programme runs until 16th August, letting the curtain close with a suitably London-relevant screening of Bridget Jones’s Diary.

Check out the full programme:

Or if that's a little too small for comfort, head to the Everyman on the Canal website.

Not going to be around King’s Cross so much? While it’s not free, consider Rooftop Cinema Club, found in Peckham and Stratford, instead. If offers screenings of key Wimbledon and World Cup matches, as well as film screenings throughout the summer.

• The BIG London Cinema List 2026: Film festivals, seasons, Q&As and rep screenings [SUMMER UPDATE!]

The latest version of the 50 top bars in Europe has been published. And while London doesn’t claim the top spot, it does have the most picks of any city in the list.

London’s best bar is that found in Mayfair’s The Connaught hotel, giving you some idea as to the criterai for 50 Best’s list — which is published by food and drink specialist William Reed.

It reached number 10 in the ranking this year. London’s other picks include Satan’s Whiskers at number 11, a completely different kind of vibey cocktail bar found nearby Bethnal Green.

London also inhabits number 12 of 50 with Tayer + Elementary near Old Street. This one has picked up a lot of heat on socials but is currently closed thanks to a nearby fire — one in the same building. Keep an eye on the bar’s social for the latest on when it may be opening back up.

Waltz sits at number 23. It offers walk-in seats at the bar, plus table reservations. Waltz incorporates Japanese inspirations, and has won multiple awards since its 2025 opening. You’ll find Waltz nearby Shoreditch High Street station.

Heading back to Mayfair, Kwant is found at number 40. It’s a stone’s throw from Green Park, and comes from Erik Lorincz, who worked for a decade at The Savoy.

Our penultimate pick is the Soho branch of Three Sheets — the follow-up to a cocktail bar of the same name in Dalston. It serves classic and more imaginitive cocktails alongside small plates, including a fancy “chip butty” and oysters. Three Sheets lands at number 41.

The last London pick from 50 Best is found in the Rosewood hotel. It’s High Holborn’s Scarfes Bar. This is a fun place considering its luxe surroudnings, and has a “heroes & villains” themed cocktail menu — just don’t enter expecting a cheap night.

So which bar topped the list? That honour went to Line in Athens. And the city commanded the two top spots, with The Bar in Front of the Bar coming in at number two.

Still, Athens “only” has five spots on the list, while London can stay smug with a full seven entries this year.

Check out the full list over at 50 Best.

• This new app shows you a map of every hidden set menu across London’s best restaurants – including Michelin starred spots for less than £30

Most galleries let you admire the finished work. This one lets you step inside the spaces where it's actually created.

For one day only, Leyton High Road's Open Studios is inviting the public behind the scenes of one of East London's most exciting creative hubs, with 18 working artist studios opening their doors to visitors as part of this year's Leytonstone Arts Trail.

Taking place on Saturday the 11th of July, the free event gives art lovers the chance to wander through the studios between 11am and 5pm, meet the artists in person and explore everything from paintings and photography to sculpture, textiles, illustration and mixed-media installations.

Rather than viewing artwork in a traditional gallery setting, visitors can see works surrounded by sketchbooks, tools, materials and works in progress, offering a fascinating glimpse into the creative process. Many of the artists will also be on hand to chat about their practice, techniques and inspirations, making it an ideal day out whether you're a serious collector or simply curious about London's thriving independent art scene.

Among those taking part is Natasha Awuku, whose award-winning paintings celebrate nature through intricate, dreamlike compositions, alongside Elicia McKenzie, whose bold work explores identity, heritage and representation through expressive portraits and abstract pieces inspired by African and Caribbean culture.

Visitors can also discover the work of Iela, whose figurative drawings blend influences from 90s animation, fantasy and video games, while Melina Merlin combines painting, film, sculpture and photography to reimagine myths through feminist and decolonial storytelling.

Elsewhere, sculptors and installation artists, including Haydn Albrow, Tess Garland and Dominika Prinz, will showcase tactile contemporary works, while fashion designer Aylafaye Studios will present sculptural garments crafted from recycled denim. Visitors can even pop into Orlando Frames, a local bespoke framing workshop that regularly collaborates with artists across East London.

The open studios also form part of the wider Leytonstone Arts Trail, one of East London's biggest annual celebrations of creativity, with artists exhibiting across homes, studios, businesses and community spaces throughout the neighbourhood.

Whether you're looking to discover emerging artists, pick up an original piece, or simply spend an afternoon exploring one of London's most creative corners, this is one of those rare events that offers a genuine look behind the curtain.

Leyton High Road Open Studios takes place on Saturday the 11th of July, from 11am until 5pm, at 452 High Road, Leyton, E10 6QE. Entry is free.

• This new app shows you a map of every hidden set menu across London’s best restaurants – including Michelin starred spots for less than £30

Pizza is a staple and available pretty much everywhere for Brits. However, there is a big difference between your supermarket trolley addition and a proper thin but doughy base, cheese pull, and proper marinara sauce. Luckily, you don’t have to start Googling Easyjet flights to Naples to get the real thing, as a couple of London spots have made the coveted list for Best Pizza in Europe, including stealing the number one spot. Like stealing candy from a baby, stealing mozzarella from Italy…

Maybe having the best job in the world, the officials over at 50 Top Pizza Europa 2026 have recently announced the rankings for the best restaurants on the continent for a slice of the good stuff, looking at hundreds of spots from traditional Italian eateries to French walk-ups and London joints.

Napoli on the Road came in the number one spot for the third year running. The west London spot started life as a food truck that popped up at food markets across the UK, growing to have three joints across the big smoke. The group’s original spot opened up over in Chiswick in 2019, going on to open another in Richmond and a more central one in Soho. It’s not the first award the restaurant has scooped up, and ranking this highly means it has automatically qualified for the 100 Best Pizzerias in the World award, which will be unveiled on 15th September.

50 Kalo also made it on the list, clinching the fourth spot. The central pizzeria has a pretty impressive pedigree, originally starting in Naples in 2014 fishing up delicious traditional pizzas. It moved over and opened up a UK offering in July 2018 and has been the recipient of plenty of awards and accolades since. The restaurant’s founder, Circo Salvo, is a bit of a pizza connoisseur/legend, having studied the links between dough and hydration, using science to back his cheffing. The result is pretty stunning pizza.

The next London spot to make the list was L’Antica Pizzeria, which landed in the 28th spot. It’s a Hampstead joint which opened up five years ago by Italian duo Luca de Vita and Alessandro Betti. Since then, it has been serving up its signature pizzas made with 36-hour fermented dough in its Neapolitan-made wood oven for a mouthwatering charred base.

The final London joint to make the list was Connie’s Pizzeria, which came in spot 48. A Peckham local, Connie’s Pizzeria (named after the founder's wife, #goals), is the brainchild of 081 Pizzeria founder Andrea Ascitui. It only opened up at the beginning of 2026, so it’s pretty incredible that it’s already made the European ranking. You may have heard of it as the city’s first ‘Bri-talian’ pizzeria, blending London-style pizza with Italian soul. It has a fairly simple menu with all the delicious staples you’d want from “the kind of local pizzeria you wish was on your street”.

If staying up until silly am to watch England’s triumphant win has left you seriously hungry, or you’re seeing all the gorgeous pictures of people sipping on Aperol Spritz and feeling left out, it turns out you don’t need to head to the Mamma Mia Motherland to get your Italian fix; you can just stay in the city.

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Eating out in London can often feel like you need to take out a mortgage or skip rent for the month just to afford somewhere a bit special. And whilst there are plenty of dining deals to be found, sometimes you want to enjoy more than one course, eaten at a normal time without having to only order one specific dish and no drinks and be a rising Gemini born on a Sunday in order to qualify for said deal. Bring back dining freedom, eh?

Luckily, set menus are the patron saint of getting a taste of some of the city’s best restaurants for a fraction of the price. And this new app makes it easy to find them.

Actually, finding a set menu can feel more like an Indiana Jones-style crusade as you search the depths of websites, TripAdvisor, and Reddit threads, trying to decipher if one is offered. Luckily, there’s a new app which will keep track and do all the sleuthing for you. Called All Set London, the app maps out all of the city’s set menus, even highlighting the Michelin-starred spots so you can find the best spots easily.

You can use different filters in the app to toggle factors like location, price, and days available to find the best one for you and your dining companions. There are a whole load of different cuisines to choose from too, as you’d expect from London’s foodie scene. Currently, there are 120 restaurants featured, although most of them are concentrated around central London. If users know of a set menu that isn’t currently listed, they can submit a recommendation for All Set London’s team to ratify. More restaurants are being added every week, slowly building up a map of places around wider London boroughs like Hackney and Brixton.

Haute cuisine highlights

If you’re wondering what sort of fare is on offer via All Set London, there’s Clerkenwell’s Luca with two courses for £34, Marylebone’s Trishna with two courses for £25, Chez Bruce in Wandsworth for £40.50, and Mauro Colagreco at Raffles in Whitehall for £50. And those are just some of the Michelin-starred places. Kokum in East Dulwich offers three courses for £25, Camden institution Frederick’s with a two-course £30 offering, Blanchette in Soho for £19.50, Noble Rot for £28, and the cheeky £15 set lunch at the gorgeous Brunswick House. Basically, half the restaurants on your notes app bucket list are featured, making a dinner out feel a lot less like an indulgence.

As All Set London points out, finding set menus is often harder than it sounds, as they’re often not listed on restaurant websites and missed by AI search results, which is why they built the app. All easily found in one place. The app is super easy to use, with options like ‘Near Me’, ‘Available Now’ and ‘Prix Fixe’ on the homepage so you can shortcut to find exactly what you need.

You can download the app for free via the App Store or head to their website and Instagram to find out more.

• Warner Bros just launched two Game of Thrones inspired whiskies bringing Westeros to your malt

The England football team play Mexico at 1am on Monday morning. It's likely to be a hectic one following Keir Starmer’s confirmation pubs will be allowed to open until 5am for the occasion.

“Football might be coming home but we're making sure fans don't have to,” Starmer said during the announcement.

If you plan to go big for this one, check out our guide to where you can see the match.

Based on some recently-commissioned research, you won’t be alone.

According to stats compiled by tech brand Honor, London has the highest proportion of football fans planning to stay up for the 1am match — at 80 per cent compared to a 68 per cent average across the country.

55 per cent of Londoners also have, or plan to, take time off work for World Cup matches, while around eight per cent even have plans to “pull a sickie” according to the research. Public service announcement: we don’t think you’ll get away with that following the England v Mexico match.

Late night adrenaline rush

The match itself takes place at Azteca stadium, and England captain Harry Kane is already making excuses should the team foul this one up. Azteca stadium sits 2240m above sea level in Mexico City, which both he and manager Thomas Tuchel claim puts the England team at a “huge” disadvantage — given their lack of training at altitude.

At the time of writing the betting odds place England as favourites to win the upcoming match, despite playing on Mexico’s home turf.

Research stats suggest 52 per cent of Greater London viewers struggle to sleep after a World Cup match thanks to all the adrenaline. But we imagine a few of you might have some sleepless nights over the weekend too.

Why is a Chinese tech brand like Honor commissioning research about London football fans? It’s all part of the marketing push for its new Honor Watch 6, which came out last month (and has an £80-off early bird offer until the end of this month, if you're interested).

The research also, to the surprise of no-one, also revealed we’re already unusually tech-pilled in London. Apparently 10 per cent of us already use a smartwatch, and even more — a full 15 per cent — use sleep headphones. Those ambulance sirens and snoring partners won't drown themselves out, right?

Don’t take these stats too seriously, though. Honor only commissioned a 2000-strong survey for these figures.

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England's World Cup campaign continues this weekend as Thomas Tuchel's side take on Mexico in the Round of 16, with a place in the quarter-finals on the line.

After edging past DR Congo 2-1 to reach the knockout stages, England now face one of their toughest tests of the tournament. The only downside for supporters back home is the kick-off time, with the match getting underway at 1am BST on Monday the 6th of July.

• The best goals of World Cup 2026 so far

While pubs and bars can stay open later if they have the appropriate licensing or council permission in place, not every venue will be screening the game. If you're planning to watch alongside fellow England fans, it's worth booking ahead as many places are taking reservations for the late-night fixture.

From giant fan zones and dedicated sports bars to pubs staying open into the early hours, here are some of the best places in London to watch England vs Mexico.

TOCA Social, The O2

Football-themed entertainment venue TOCA Social is showing England's clash with Mexico at its Greenwich home. While it's best known for its interactive football games, the venue also transforms into a lively sports bar on major matchdays, complete with large screens, cocktails, sharing platters and plenty of seating. It's a great option if you're planning to make a full night of it before the early morning kick-off.

BOXPARK (Croydon, Shoreditch and Wembley)

BOXPARK's venues in Croydon, Shoreditch and Wembley have become some of London's go-to destinations during major football tournaments, and England's last 16 clash with Mexico is no exception.

Expect giant screens, buzzing fan zones, street food from a range of independent traders and plenty of bars serving drinks into the night. Tickets and advance bookings are recommended, especially given the unusual 1am kick-off.

Box (Piccadilly)

Located in the heart of the West End, Box Piccadilly has built a reputation as one of London's best sports bars thanks to its wall-to-wall screens and lively matchday atmosphere.

England's showdown with Mexico will be shown live into the early hours, with food, cocktails and beers available throughout the night. Booking ahead is recommended as tables are expected to fill quickly.

Hope & Anchor (Brixton)

Another south London favourite opening specifically for England vs Mexico, the Hope & Anchor is taking advance bookings for the overnight screening. With more than 20 indoor and outdoor screens, it's one of the biggest sports pubs in the area and is known for its lively football atmosphere. If you want to watch the game surrounded by fellow England fans, this should be high on your list.

Long Arm Brewery & Tap Room (Shoreditch)

Located inside Montcalm Royal London House in Finsbury Square, Long Arm Brewery & Tap Room will be screening every England match throughout the tournament.

The venue combines fresh craft beer brewed on site with large screens and a relaxed atmosphere, making it a great option if you want something a little different from the traditional sports pub. Food and drinks will be available throughout the evening as fans settle in for another late-night fixture.

Arcade (Battersea, Covent Garden and Tottenham Court Road)

For those who'd rather pair the football with dinner, Arcade is showing England vs Mexico across its Battersea Power Station, Covent Garden and Tottenham Court Road venues.

The food hall brings together kitchens serving everything from burgers and pizza to Thai and Indian dishes, alongside a well-stocked cocktail menu. Large screens throughout the venues mean you can catch every minute without sacrificing your dinner plans.

Rae's Summer Sports Lounge

Formerly known as Omeara, Rae's Summer Sports Lounge at The Lowline near London Bridge is showing every England match throughout the tournament, including the last 16 clash against Mexico.

The venue will feature more than eight large screens, DJs before and after the match, six beers on tap and premium cocktails, plus plenty of food options from The Lowline's traders. Doors open from 10pm, giving fans plenty of time to settle in before the 1am kick-off. Next door is one of our favourite London pizza spots too — Spring Street Pizza.

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

The LEGO Group and Formula 1 have unveiled 22 fully drivable LEGO minicars that will take to the track ahead of the British Grand Prix, with every driver on the 2026 grid getting their own brick-built machine for the traditional pre-race parade.

That's a significant upgrade on last year's Miami Grand Prix, where drivers shared just 10 LEGO cars in a parade that quickly descended into the kind of light-hearted chaos fans couldn't get enough of. Instead of politely waving to the crowd, the drivers spent most of the lap laughing, overtaking each other and nudging rival teams, creating one of the most widely shared moments of the entire F1 season.

Fans wanted more, and it's been delivered.

Rather than sharing cars between teams, every one of the 22 current Formula 1 drivers will have their own personalised LEGO racer, each inspired by their team's 2026 livery and complete with official colours, sponsor detailing, team logos and driver numbers.

These aren't static display pieces either. Each minicar is made from more than 28,000 LEGO bricks, is fully drivable and can reach speeds of up to 25km/h, meaning they'll complete a full lap of Silverstone before the main event gets underway.

Building the fleet was no small task. A team of 20 LEGO designers, engineers and builders spent more than 6,400 hours bringing the cars to life at the LEGO Group's factory in Kladno, Czech Republic, balancing authentic Formula 1 styling with LEGO's unmistakably playful design.

The expanded parade is the latest step in the growing partnership between LEGO and Formula 1, which has become one of the sport's most successful collaborations since launching its full product range earlier this year.

With rivalries already bubbling away across the 2026 championship, don't expect the drivers to take it easy just because they're behind the wheel of something made from plastic bricks. If Miami proved anything, it's that once the helmets go on, every race becomes competitive, even when the top speed is closer to an e-bike than an F1 car.

The British Grand Prix gets underway this Sunday at Silverstone, but there's every chance the biggest smiles of the weekend will arrive long before the lights go out. If the sequel is anything like last year's viral hit, expect plenty of bumping, overtaking and the sort of racing that reminds everyone that, underneath it all, Formula 1 drivers are still just big kids when you hand them a LEGO car.

• Looking to buy some LEGO? Here's some more of our favourites on store shelves today

The annual Top 50 UK Beer Awards have returned, with thousands of drinkers, hospitality professionals and more than 150 beer experts casting their votes to decide the country's best brews.

This year's winner is Steady Rolling Man from Gloucestershire brewery DEYA, which climbs back to the top after taking third place last year. The hazy New England pale ale previously claimed the number one spot when the awards launched in 2024, and its mix of juicy tropical flavours and soft, pillowy finish has clearly lost none of its appeal.

Taking second place is Five Points Best from London's own Five Points Brewing Co, while Thornbridge Jaipur, one of Britain's most influential craft IPAs, rounds out the podium in third.

The awards also shine a spotlight on the industry's biggest talking points, and this year's judges reckon three trends are defining British beer right now: London's brewery boom, increasingly flavour-forward styles and a renewed appreciation for traditional cask ales.

London, in particular, is enjoying a strong showing, and we know it has some cracking taprooms. Five breweries from the capital landed inside the top 10, including Five Points, Pretty Decent, Pillars, Saint Monday and Anspach & Hobday, suggesting the city's craft beer scene is in rude health ahead of the London Craft Beer Festival later this month.

Elsewhere, the innovation award went to Hertfordshire's Beyond Belief Brewing Company for its Payload pale ale, which is brewed using surplus pasta offcuts from sister company Ugo Foods. It's an unusual idea, but one that cuts waste, reduces carbon emissions and proves there's still plenty of room for experimentation in Britain's beer scene.

With the London Craft Beer Festival returning to Southwark Park on the 17th and 18th of July, expect plenty of these award-winning pints to be flowing. If you needed an excuse for a brewery crawl this summer, you've just found one.

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The peak of British comedy comes in the form of a heatwave, someone snapping a pic of their (slightly shitty) local beach and captioning it “Costa Del [insert crumbling beachside town here].” One London bar has taken inspiration from this, turning a concrete jungle into a tropical (?) destination with a beachside twist.

Costa del Croydon is officially returning for 2026. The urban beach first debuted in 2024 in the borough’s Centrale and Whitgift Centre car park, swapping smog for sand and giving the city a beachy makeover. Grab your bucket and spade as the rooftop beach will be back in the capital from August 7th, running until the beginning of September.

The words “Croydon” and “beach” may not be a natural fit; however, the multi-storey space will be transformed with splash zones, mini go-karts, trampolines, as well as a large chill-out area for the kind of beachside relaxation you’d expect. There will be two bookable sessions running per day, helping keep the number of people zonked out on a beanbag relatively chilled.

Whilst this may sound like an event for kids galore, this year, the organisers have introduced first-of-its-kind adult-only sessions. Dubbed ‘Beach Club’, the sessions are a series of after-hours events just for adults. They’ll be taking place on Thursday evenings (when else), welcoming in the hordes of post-work punters who are gasping for a pint. As the kids head home, the party will get going with music, DJs, live entertainment, and all the food and drink you’d want (not covered in sand, that is). There will be a different theme featured each week, including drag-hosted lip sync battles, paint and sip sessions, as well as music ranging from pop classics to garage.

Thanks to the rooftop’s, well, sky-high location, there will be plenty of golden hour light to snap some pics in, killer views during the day, and gorgeous sunsets over the city in the evenings. Perfect for anyone who used up all their annual leave in Q1 and is now mourning the loss of three nights firmly seated in a beachside resort in the Med.

Entry to the rooftop beach is free, although booking tickets is recommended to make sure you get a space, as only a few walk-ins are accepted daily. You can pre-book via the website from July 31st.

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Hamilton has become something of a Hollywood regular over the years, appearing in more than 500 films and TV shows. But its latest collaboration with director Christopher Nolan does something a little different.

Instead of creating a watch that appears on screen, the brand has unveiled a limited-edition timepiece inspired by Nolan's upcoming adaptation of Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey. The result is the Khaki Field Auto The Odyssey Limited Edition, and it's one of Hamilton's most striking releases in years.

Built around the familiar 42mm Khaki Field Automatic, the biggest change is the move to a bronze case, a fitting nod to the Bronze Age setting of the film. As with any bronze watch, it'll gradually develop its own unique patina over time, meaning no two will age in quite the same way.

The cinematic influences continue across the dial. A vertically brushed black finish takes inspiration from Odysseus' helmet, while bronze sword-shaped hands reference the hero's weapon. Even the second hand has been designed to resemble a spear, making this feel more like a thoughtfully designed tribute than a simple movie-branded product.

Inside is Hamilton's reliable H-10 automatic movement, offering an impressive 80-hour power reserve and a Nivachron balance spring for enhanced magnetic resistance. It's the same dependable calibre found across much of Hamilton's range, making this as practical as it is collectable.

The finishing touches are what really elevate the package. Each watch comes on a brown grained leather strap and is presented in a bespoke display box alongside a replica of Athena's pin, a talisman gifted to Odysseus by Penelope in the film.

Only 2,112 of these gems will be made, with the production number chosen as a subtle nod to Homer's legendary tale.

Hamilton's partnership with Christopher Nolan has already produced memorable watches linked to Interstellar, Tenet and Oppenheimer. This might be the most interesting of the lot. Rather than recreating a prop from the screen, it's a celebration of the mythology behind Nolan's latest blockbuster, resulting in a watch that feels like a genuine collector's piece rather than just another film tie-in.

Limited to 2,112 pieces worldwide, the Hamilton Khaki Field Auto The Odyssey Limited Edition goes on sale on the 17th of July, priced at £1,190. If you're a fan of Hamilton, Nolan or simply beautifully designed watches, this is one to keep firmly on your radar.

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The idea of doing exercise, especially in summer, falls into the same category as volunteering or homecooking – something that works far better in theory than in reality, and is usually thought about with most vigour right before you fall asleep on a Sunday evening having spent the entire weekend horizontal. But by the time you Google "London gym membership prices" and see the gallery of impressively fit, somehow attractively sweaty people splashed across the website, it all gets a little off-putting.

Enter the BON CHARGE method, a new series of expertly crafted workouts that you can do from the comfort of your own home.

BON CHARGE is the wellness company behind the kind of red light products that look like they could have fallen out of a Steven Spielberg / Gore Verbinski set. As well as the red light masks you’ll have seen all over your girlfriend’s fyp, BON CHARGE offer things like red light caps (to help with hair growth, yes really), infrared sauna domes, and EMF-blocking blankets. Their new ‘method’ has been created by celebrity trainer Flik Swan, and it’s all about bringing elite training to busy Brits without them even needing to leave their home.

Rather than a subscription-based model that requires your life savings for the vague promise of lightly visible abs, every workout episode is free to watch (and pant at) on YouTube. Hear the words ‘celebrity personal trainer’ and ‘wellness brand ’, and you might be panicking that you’re about to be subjected to some kind of medieval-style torture via burpees that you’ll end up pausing four minutes in.

However, this workout series follows four different segments: movement, breathwork, performance, and relaxation, meaning the whole thing is less about getting shredded and more about building up a more balanced inner wellness. It's all about helping busy Londoners squeeze in a bit of wellness without needing to sign up for a 12-month boot camp.

The classes include:

• 360 Sculpt: A full-body, high-energy, and calorie-burning session that focuses on strength and resistance. An immersive session that combines body weight movement, light exposure and recovery.
• Sound Bath Meditation: Guided recovery experience blending sound, breathwork and deep rest. Best utilised for evening wind-down rituals to support moments of calm, relaxation and reset.
• Sculpt & Stretch: A restorative new category of wellness exploration combining performance and recovery. Specifically designed for time-poor Brits, this daily wellness ritual focuses on light, mobility, flexibility and movement.

Each class is designed to use a different Bon Charge tool, from the red light panel to the infrared PEMF Mat, red light face masks and blankets. Whereas you can often buy a wellness product and end up tugging at a few buttons and hoping for the best, the sessions are meant to help Londoners get the most out of their existing wellness toys tools so just maybe, you can justify that Black Friday purchase which has been used approximately twice.

It’s a demystifying-the-wellness-and-fitness-scene kind of series which has been created around science, and executed by a professional trainer, which makes a nice change from vaguely trying to copy something you saw a part-time fitness influencer post on Instagram.

You can find The BON CHARGE method workout series, on their YouTube channel.

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If you gave up hope of seeing My Chemical Romance in London at Wembley after seeing ticket prices, there's still a surprisingly affordable way to get through the gates.

While resale prices for the band's hugely anticipated reunion shows continue to climb, official premium tickets are still available from just £39 per person on Seat Unique, with private VIP box seats working out cheaper than some standard tickets being sold elsewhere.

The cheapest deal we've spotted is for premium tickets in Block 204, priced at £39 per person.

These tickets are in the venue's premium seating area on Level Two, giving fans a reserved padded seat rather than general admission, along with access to the premium concourse where food and drink can be purchased.

If you'd rather be even closer to the stage, there are also front row seats in Block 204 available from £49 per person, while seats in the first five rows are currently listed for £55 each. Both options include the same premium Level Two experience, with the bonus of being positioned at the front of the block.

There's another premium seating option available in Block 224, where tickets are currently selling for £59 per person.

For anyone celebrating a special occasion or heading to the show as a group, the standout deal has to be the private boxes.

Wembley is currently offering places in an eight-person private box from £99 per person. While that might initially sound like a luxury purchase, it's cheaper than some standard seated tickets currently listed elsewhere.

The experience includes exclusive use of the private box, comfortable seats directly outside overlooking the stage, a private kitchen and bathroom, a personal host and chef, plus a fast-track exit once the concert finishes. Food and drink aren't included, but can be purchased throughout the evening.

My Chemical Romance's return to the UK has proved one of the biggest live music events of the year, with demand for tickets remaining high months after the original sale.

That's what makes these tickets stand out. In several cases, they're cheaper than fans might expect to pay.

If you've been waiting for resale prices to come down before committing, it's worth checking what's still available through Seat Unique.

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Getting Wimbledon tickets can feel more elusive than Glastonbury tickets at times, leaving some Brits (me) wishing that bribery was an acceptable way to get around the ballot. Even if the bribe would probably consist of things currently listed on my Vinted page and whatever unopened bottle of wine is in the back of our kitchen cupboard. And if you’re not prepared to do the whole 4am queue thing, then often the closest you end up getting to the prestigious courts is watching it on a large screen in a busy area of London. This year might be an exception, however, as tennis legend Maria Sharapova is set to give away eight Wimbledon tickets to some very lucky Londoners.

Technically, Stella Artois is the one actually supplying the tickets, with Sharapova hosting the competition, which will be taking place at The Audley in Mayfair. The only catch? It's a one-day-only gig happening on Thursday, 2nd July.

To actually be in the running for the tickets, you’ll need to head down to The Audley pub in Mayfair on 2nd July between 5-7pm. You’ll need to buy a pint or half pint of Stella Artois (or Stella 0.0), which will be served in an exclusive glass, and scan the QR code on the coaster it comes on. You’ll upload a photo of your chalice of beer with your details, which will be your entry into the prize draw. The competition kicks off at 5pm and the winners will be announced by Sharapova between 6-7pm so this is definitely one of those occasions where you do not want to be running late.

All the tickets are for the highly coveted Finals Weekend with a pair of tickets up for grabs for Court 1 across Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Plus, there are two Ground Pass tickets for the Sunday, too.

Currently, we’re three days into Wimbledon, and have seen the Venus sisters return to the grassy courts, Naomi Osaka making tennis fashion history, and a plethora of British celebs guzzling Pimms. The lineup for the Finals Weekend is yet to be determined, as the current seeded players are battling it out to progress.

• Wimbledon’s 2026 Collection: 6 standout pieces that bring Centre Court chic to centre stage

Office workers across London were treated to an unexpected sight on Wednesday morning when the famous Goodyear Blimp drifted over the capital for the first time in four years.

The enormous aircraft crossed the English Channel after taking off from Calais Dunkerque Airport in France before making its way over Kent and following the Thames into central London.

Flight tracking showed the blimp passing over Canterbury and Rochester before looping across the capital and continuing further north. It later appeared to begin turning back.

Despite its huge size, the Goodyear Blimp isn't exactly built for speed. The semi-rigid Zeppelin NT airship measures more than 75 metres long, stands almost 18 metres high and has a top speed of 73mph.

That didn't stop plenty of Londoners from doing a double take. Social media quickly filled with photos of the blimp.

The comparison has a historical basis. During the First World War, German Zeppelins carried out bombing raids over London. Nicknamed "silent raids" because they could approach with relatively little warning, the attacks killed 668 people and caused widespread damage across the capital. The destruction was later dwarfed by the Blitz during the Second World War, but the sight of a giant airship over London still catches plenty of people off guard.

What is the Goodyear Blimp?

Despite the name, today's Goodyear Blimp isn't technically a traditional blimp at all.

The aircraft flying over the UK is a Zeppelin NT, a semi-rigid airship with an internal framework that helps it keep its shape. Traditional blimps rely entirely on the pressure of the lifting gas to stay inflated.

Airships were once seen as the future of long-distance travel, carrying passengers across continents before advances in aeroplanes and disasters such as the Hindenburg crash in 1937 brought the era to an end. Today, they're a genuine rarity. Aviation experts estimate there are only around 25 operational blimps and airships left worldwide, making any appearance in the skies a fairly unusual event.

Goodyear has used airships for nearly a century, with the first taking to the skies in 1925. Over the decades, they have become one of the world's most recognisable corporate symbols, acting as giant floating billboards while also providing aerial TV coverage of major sporting events including motorsport, American football, golf and baseball.

While the blimp is a familiar sight in the U, UK appearances are much rarer. Before Wednesday's flyover, it was last spotted over London in 2022.

For anyone who happened to glance out of an office window today, it was a reminder that one of aviation's most unusual aircraft is still very much in business.

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

Coughlans bakery, which operates a host of sites across the South including bakeries in Croydon, Beckenham and Addiscombe, has announced it has gone into voluntary liquidation.

The announcement was made on the chain’s Instagram feed, inciting a public outcry as well as a response from bakery backer Romesh Ranganathan and a handful of his comedy contemporaries.

Coughlans Bakery director Sean Coughlan explained the move in a video statement, saying the liquidation would allow the chain to pay its suppliers, where waiting longer could see them left in limbo.

“It’s with the heaviest of hearts that I’m bringing you the news that sadly we at Coughlans Bakery are closing our doors today for the last time,” Coughlan wrote.

“The last 2 months with the fuel prices from the war, new NI charges & higher rates are costing us an extra £20k per week, this has affected us more than we could have ever imagined which is so devastating as March was a fantastic month, as was a lot of last year with our growth with new stores.”

A local institution

Coughlans Bakery was established in 1937, by Sean Coughlan’s grandfather.

It made happier headlines back in 2024 when comedian Romesh Ranganathan became a backer of the business, having long been a fan of its largely plant-based menu.

As well as vegan sausage rolls and wellingtons, the bakery produced vegan chicken sandwiches, vegan-friendly loaves and pasties.

“Gutted isn't the word,” Ranganathan posted in response to the bakery’s news. He can be seen across the bakery’s previous social posts, including getting involved with actually making some of the bakery’s items.

“Our lovely little Coughlans bakery has ceased trading,” says Coughlan.

“Up until March everything was going really swimmingly…. But then literally on the 1st April our extra National Insurance payments that had been put on us from the government [came in], obviously the wages increase… but the rates have absolutely smashed local businesses and local retail.”

He went on to explain how increases in the cost of fuel and ingredients factored into these events, alongside poor trade during the recent heat wave.

• This London spot has been named as one of the best bakeries in the world

The June additions to the Michelin Guide have been published, with three brand new restaurants in London on the list — including one that won't break the bank.

Covent Garden, Mayfair and Notting Hill are home to the new picks, Burro, Mazarine and Taq.

Burro is an Italian restaurant whose menu changes daily. But you can expect hand-made pasta dishes, antipasti and a handful of meat/fish plates.

It opened in March 2026, and is headed by Conor Gadd, who was previously head chef at Trullo.

But earlier this year he told restaurantsonline the plan wasn’t just to copy-paste Trullo.

“Once I realised that opening another Trullo would be to dilute that I shut the idea down pretty quickly,” says Gadd.

"What it did make me realise was that sense of place and belonging can be replicated in a slightly different format."

Whatever he’s doing, it seems to be working.

Burro is found on Floral Court, nearby London’s tourist hotspot heart.

Next up is Mazarine, a French seafood restaurant based in Mayfair. On the ever-changing menu you’ll find caviar of various grades —pricey enough to induce sweating — alongside langoustines and oysters.

Its head chef is Thierry Laborde, previously known for Mayfair’s La Petite Maison. Mazarine opened in November 2025.

Mazarine lives at 22 Hanover Square, off of Regent Street.

The affordable option

But it's this final newcomer, with menu prices just about anyone can afford, that's caught our interest the most. Our last addition is Taq, which is blissfully a lot less high faluting and serious than the other two. Yep, even though it’s based in Notting Hill.

Taq is a Mexican restaurant that serves veggie tacos for a fiver. That’s more like it.

Fish, carnitas, beef and chicken are also part of the taco menu. And quesadillas and toastadas are on offer too, alongside snack plates like Escabeche pickles. Yes please.

Taq is a reworking of the old space on the site, Taqueria, under head chef Eduardo Yishima. The idea is to bring it back up to speed with the standards of London’s 2026 taco scene. It opened in May 2026 and is found at 141 Westbourne Grove.

• Three London restaurants were added to the Michelin Guide in May, including Thai barbecue and Mexican seafood

Every World Cup turns England shirts into the unofficial dress code. You'll see them in the pub, on the train, at the office, and pretty much anywhere a screen is showing the football.

That doesn't automatically mean everyone wants the latest one, though. Some fans haven't warmed to this year's design, while others can't quite bring themselves to spend the thick end of £100 on a shirt they'll mostly wear for a few weeks every couple of years.

Luckily, backing England doesn't have to mean buying the newest kit. There's no shortage of alternatives that look the part without emptying your bank account and we've listed our favourites below.

The beauty of football shirts is that there isn't really a right or wrong answer.

If you love the latest England kit, crack on. If you'd rather wear something with a bit more history behind it, you've got plenty of options.

Companies like Score Draw have made a name for themselves by recreating some of England's most iconic shirts, giving you the look of a classic without having to spend months hunting one down. If authenticity is more your thing, there's always Classic Football Shirts, where you can pick up everything from genuine vintage England tops to cult classics from clubs and countries around the world.

Or, if none of that scratches the itch, why not make your own, just like the fella above.

• The best goals of the World Cup 2026 so far

To be or not to be? That’s the question about a lot of London’s cultural venues thanks to the current climate (cough cough: cossie livs). Luckily, there are a few institutions which have been steadily going since 1600 and are pretty firm fixtures across the infamous city skyline. We’re talking, of course, about Shakespeare’s gorgeous Globe Theatre, which is far from extinction, and after a bumper summer with a sprinkle of midnight matinees, its 2026/7 winter programme has been officially unveiled.

If you think The Globe is just Shakespeare, then think again. In addition to the Tudor Ruffs and verse, The Globe has some pretty exciting shows on its docket across its winter theatre season. If you’re not au fait with the theatre’s modus operandi, then you might be picturing shivering your way through a two-three hour play in the glorious but chilly open-air space.e However, between October and March, the outdoor theatre at the Globe shuts, and it’s the intimate, indoor Sam Wanamaker Playhouse which plays host to the season’s shows.

The winter season is a nice mix of traditional Shakespearean plays, as well as a couple of newer ones. The season is kicking off with a big hitter; Julius Caesar is heading to the stage at the beginning of November and running until 14th February – who said an early modern masterpiece about democracy under attack isn’t a romantic Valentine’s Day plan? The production is set to be directed by Joe Hill-Gibbins, who theatre buffs may remember as the guy responsible for the Measure for Measure performance that used a set entirely constructed from sex dolls. So, it probably won’t be your average Julius Caesar, but a more provocative spin on the beloved history play.

Next up is a new piece from playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker called The Animals Come To The Table, which will be running from December 11th until January 24th. The play is a subversive piece which follows a surreal world where animals put humanity on trial. Its run at Sam Wanamaker will be the play’s world premiere.

Another recognisable name making a comeback is Chekov’s play The Seagull, which has seen many famous adaptations over the years, and is now heading over to The Globe. Running from 15th January until 10th April, this rendition of The Seagull will see Caroline Steinbeis and Rory Mullarkey return to the Globe as director and translator. The duo previously wowed audiences with a stellar (and by that we mean five stars from everyone) production of Three Sisters, also at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.

Rounding off the season in true Globe style is another Shakespeare classic. King John will be heading to the stage from February 20th until April 11th. If you’ve heard the words “Shakespeare Play” and “King John” and are scratching your head a little, that might be because this particular play is one of Shakespeare’s least performed works – even the Globe points out it’s a “rarely performed masterpiece”. In fact, even The Globe hasn’t staged this play much, just the one performance back in 2015 at the traditional open-air stage. The play follows – unsurprisingly – King John, who ascends to England’s throne after England’s most beloved monarch, Richard the Lionheart, dies. Desperate to carve out an identity of his own to escape the shadow of his adored older brother, King John must step into the role he claims the right to and attempt to rule his England.

Driven to prove himself, his rule brings chaos, turbulence and power struggles across nations as he demonstrates he’ll go to any lengths to keep the crown and maintain control.

Olivier-nominated director Jaz Woodcock-Stewart will be making her directorial debut at The Globe with this production, which is already looking like one to remember.

Tickets will be on sale for the general public on 14th July, with the usual £5 and £10 standing tickets available – if you’re quick, that is. You can browse the full lineup and details for each performance over at The Globe’s website.

• 10 London festivals worth leaving the house for this summer

Snoopy has starred on everything from NASA mission patches to trainers, but now the world's most famous beagle is taking to the skies on a luxury watch.

Swiss-American watchmaker BALL has unveiled its first-ever collaboration with Peanuts, creating a limited-edition timepiece inspired by Snoopy's legendary World War I Flying Ace persona. Called the Engineer Master II Snoopy Flying Ace, the watch launches in mid-August and is limited to just 410 pieces worldwide, with a £2,510 price tag.

Rather than simply sticking Snoopy on the dial and calling it a day, BALL has gone all in on the character. The 9 o'clock sub-dial features the Flying Ace piloting his doghouse-turned-biplane, complete with aviator goggles, scarf and helmet. At the same time, Woodstock cleverly doubles as the tip of the running seconds hand.

The rest of the watch leans into BALL's reputation for rugged engineering. Fourteen self-powered micro gas tubes are built into the hour markers and hands, meaning the dial glows continuously in the dark without needing to be charged by sunlight or artificial light.

Inside sits BALL's manual-winding RR2102 movement, a deliberate nod to the hand-wound watches worn by pilots during the First World War. Every morning you'll need to wind it yourself using the oversized onion-style crown, adding a satisfying bit of old-school ritual.

Despite measuring a sizeable 46mm across, BALL says the relatively slim 12.35mm stainless-steel case and riveted calf-leather strap keep it comfortable on the wrist. Flip it over, and you'll find a sapphire crystal caseback revealing the movement, alongside another illustration of Snoopy in full Flying Ace uniform.

Beyond the cartoon charm, the watch is surprisingly capable too. It's shock-resistant to 5,000Gs, anti-magnetic, water-resistant to 100 metres and built with the sort of durability BALL has become known for since the company was founded in 1891.

The collaboration also marks a milestone for Peanuts. Snoopy first appeared in Charles M. Schulz's comic strip on the 4th of October 1950, with the Flying Ace later becoming one of the character's most beloved alter egos as he imagined dogfights against the infamous Red Baron from atop his kennel.

With only 410 examples being produced, don't expect this one to hang around for long. Between the playful design, genuine watchmaking pedigree and the enduring popularity of Snoopy, this feels destined to become a collector's piece almost as soon as it lands on the 4th of October.

• 10 London festivals worth leaving the house for this summer

Just as London has started to cool off after a record-breaking week of heat, it looks like the capital is about to do it all over again.

Forecasters are predicting another heatwave could arrive this weekend, with temperatures climbing back to 28C on Saturday before potentially staying there, or climbing even higher, for the next 10 days.

According to BBC Weather, London is currently predicted to see highs of between 28 degrees and 32 degrees every day through to the end of its current outlook on the 13th of July. If those hold, the capital would comfortably meet the official definition of a heatwave, which is three consecutive days of temperatures reaching at least 28 degrees.

Of course, long-range forecasts can shift (hopefully), but it's not just the BBC expecting another blast of hot weather. The Met Office is also pointing towards a return to hotter conditions across southern England as we head into July. It seems unlikely both are wrong, but we'll have to wait and see.

It comes barely a week after the UK recorded its hottest June day on record. The Met Office has now confirmed a provisional high of 37.7 degrees was recorded in Norfolk, beating the previous June record of 35.6 degrees, which had stood since 1976.

Last week's heatwave caused widespread disruption across the country. Schools closed, train services were cancelled, hospitals declared critical incidents, and Kent introduced a hosepipe ban as water demand surged. Scientists also warned that heatwaves of this intensity have become far more likely because of human-driven climate change.

For Londoners, the soaring temperatures can be even tougher than elsewhere in the UK. As we recently explained, the capital's dense buildings, lack of green space in some areas and the urban heat island effect mean the city often stays hotter for longer, particularly overnight. If you're wondering why London always seems to feel several degrees warmer than everywhere else, we've broken down exactly why in our guide to why Londoners are more at risk in hot weather than the rest of the UK.

If you struggled through last week's heat, it might also be worth thinking beyond another desk fan. We've also been testing gadgets designed specifically for hot weather, including Sony's surprisingly brilliant Reon Pocket Pro wearable air conditioner, which sits underneath your shirt and helps keep your body temperature in check during scorching commutes.

Whether this second heatwave lasts the full 10 days remains to be seen, but one thing seems certain: don't pack away the shorts, refillable water bottle, SPF or your handheld fan just yet. Summer isn't finished with London.

• Dreading the heatwave? This map shows you which places have air con near you

Whoever lands the role of the next James Bond won't just have to fill some very expensive shoes. They could also end up rewriting one of the franchise's oldest unwritten rules.

Since the 60s, Bond has almost always been played by an older actor in his 30s or 40s, someone more distinguished and refined. Daniel Craig bucked that trend slightly by being a bit more rugged, but ultimately he still fit the usual age profile. Even the youngest 007, Sean Connery, was already 32 when he first introduced the world to shaken martinis and licence-to-kill charm.

Now, though, the latest rumours suggest Amazon MGM could be ready to go in a very different direction. According to industry chatter, 23-year-old British actor Louis Partridge has emerged as a genuine contender to become the next Bond. Better known for starring alongside Millie Bobby Brown in Enola Holmes before popping up in Argylle and House of Guinness, which is conveniently written by Steven Knight, who is also penning Amazon’s reboot.

Partridge wasn't even part of the Bond conversation a few months ago. That changed when Variety reported in April that Partridge was genuinely "in contention" for the role, rather than simply being another name added to bookmakers' lists.

Fast forward a couple of months, and it's beginning to look a bit more plausible. The actor has rapidly climbed the betting odds and now sits among the favourites to inherit the Aston Martin. This will no doubt be helped by the recent success of the James Bond game 007 First Light, which also opts for a younger, less polished take on the spy.

When Variety caught up with him recently, Partridge didn't exactly pour cold water on the speculation either. "No, no. Not yet, at least. But that's something to keep in mind."

If he did get the nod, it would be a genuine Bond first. At 23, he'd be almost a decade younger than Connery was when he debuted as 007, while Daniel Craig was 38, Pierce Brosnan was 42, and Roger Moore was 45 when they first stepped into the tux.

It's a move that would make plenty of business sense, too. A younger Bond could potentially front the franchise for 15 years or more before another reboot becomes necessary, giving Amazon plenty of mileage from its biggest blockbuster spy.

Of course, this is still Bond, where rumours spread fast as anticipation continues to build for who will don the tux in Denis Villeneuve’s take on the character. Amazon MGM hasn't confirmed anything, and Partridge remains one of several names linked to the role alongside Callum Turner, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Harris Dickinson, Regé-Jean Page and Jacob Elordi.

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The expanded FIFA World Cup has delivered exactly what fans were hoping for: goals, goals and even more goals.

The group stage alone produced a record-breaking 215 goals across 72 matches, smashing the previous tournament record and giving supporters no shortage of moments to replay or discuss with their pals. Rockets from 30 yards, outrageous solo runs, pinpoint free-kicks and last-gasp screamers have all made the cut, with football's biggest stars rubbing shoulders alongside the tournament's surprise packages.

Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe have once again reminded everyone why they belong among the game's greats, but they've been joined by breakout stars such as Bosnia's Alajbegovic, who has announced himself on the biggest stage in style.

Narrowing it down has been no easy task, but we've picked out the best goals of the tournament so far. With the knockout rounds only just beginning, expect this list to change.

We'll be updating our rankings after every round all the way through to the World Cup final on the 19th of July, so don't be surprised if a few more worldies force their way into the conversation.

Best World Cup goals of the Group stage

The groups have seen some cracking goals, with long range efforts seemingly being incredibly effective as pointed out by BBC pundit and former England goalkeeper Joe Hart.

The Trionda, the ball being used during this tournament, has been spotted by Hart as moving quicker in the air catching a lot of keepers out. You can check out his analysis below at the 8:33 mark, but it raises some interesting theories about Adidas's latest ball.

Kevin Pina vs Uruguay (Group H, 21 June)

Cape Verde had never scored at a World Cup before Kevin Pina stepped up, and he made sure the moment would live long in the memory. Standing more than 30 yards from goal, the midfielder spotted a gap in Uruguay's wall and drilled a fierce, low free-kick through it. The ball skipped off the turf and beyond the dive of Fernando Muslera before crashing into the bottom corner.

It was a goal worthy of any tournament, and can be seen at the 1:20 mark in the video above, but its significance made it even sweeter. Not only did it secure a famous 1-0 win, but it also went down as the first World Cup final goal in Cape Verde's history.

Kerim Alajbegovic vs Qatar (Group B, 24 June)

If this tournament has produced a breakout star, Kerim Alajbegovic has every right to be in the conversation. Still only 18, the Bosnia and Herzegovina youngster produced a moment of brilliance that mixed composure with skill.

Picking the ball up on the edge of the box, Alajbegovic danced past two Qatar defenders with quick feet before unleashing a thunderous strike that flew beyond the goalkeeper and into the top corner. It was the sort of goal that announced him to the world, combining fearless dribbling with a finish that gave the keeper absolutely no chance.

Daizen Maeda vs Sweden (Group F, 25 June)

Not every great goal has to come from 30 yards. Japan's opener against Sweden (as found at the 4:30 mark above) was a reminder that slick teamwork can be just as breathtaking.

The move started with Ritsu Doan exchanging a clever one-two with Ayase Ueda before threading a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Daizen Maeda. Timing his run to perfection, Maeda burst in behind the Swedish defence and calmly slotted beyond the advancing goalkeeper.

Lionel Messi vs Algeria (Group J, 16 June)

Some players make the extraordinary look routine, and Lionel Messi did it again against Algeria. Collecting the ball on the half-turn just outside the penalty area, the Argentina captain took a couple of quick strides before unleashing one of his trademark left-footed efforts.

The shot bent away from Luca Zidane with the pace and whip that has defined so many of Messi's greatest goals, nestling into the corner before the goalkeeper could get close. At 39, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner is still capable of producing moments that few others can, and this was yet another reminder that class really is permanent.

Eldor Shomurodov vs DR Congo (Group K, 28 June)

Uzbekistan's maiden World Cup campaign may have come to an end in the group stage, but it still produced one of the tournament's classiest finishes (at the 45-second point above). With the White Wolves searching for a memorable moment, captain Eldor Shomurodov delivered exactly that.

Spotting the goalkeeper off his line, the experienced forward produced a perfectly judged lob that sailed through the air before dropping into the net. It was a finish that demanded both vision and flawless execution, providing the standout moment of Uzbekistan's historic first appearance at the World Cup.

Wilson Isidor vs Morocco (Group C, 24 June)

Some goals leave goalkeepers flapping, and Wilson Isidor's effort, in the third minute of the video above against Morocco, was one of them. Collecting the ball just outside the area, the Haiti forward unleashed an unstoppable drive that rocketed across the goal and into the top corner.

Yassine Bounou barely had time to react as the strike flew past him, with its combination of pace, power and pinpoint accuracy making it one of the cleanest hits of the tournament so far.

Ismael Saibari vs Brazil (Group C, 13 June)

Few teams carve Brazil open with such ease, but Ismael Saibari did exactly that. Timing his run to perfection, the Morocco midfielder burst between the two centre-backs to latch onto a perfectly weighted through-ball before producing an ice-cool finish.

With Alisson rushing off his line, Saibari showed remarkable composure to lift the ball first time over the Brazilian goalkeeper and into the net.

Best World Cup goals of the Round of 32

The knockout rounds have already raised the bar. With the pressure cranked up and every mistake carrying the threat of elimination, the Round of 16 has produced plenty of goals worthy of a place on this list already.

Kylian Mbappe and Amad Diallo have both added stunning finishes to their World Cup highlight reels, although individual brilliance doesn't always guarantee progression.

For Diallo, even one of the tournament's best finishes has ended up as little more than a consolation prize, proving that at the business end of the World Cup, quality in front of goal only gets you so far.

Kaishū Sano vs Brazil (Round of 32, 29 June)

Scoring against Brazil is one thing. Doing it with this level of skill is something else entirely. Kaishū Sano gave Japan a dream start after producing one of the cleanest finishes of the tournament.

Driving through the heart of Brazil's defence, Sano refused to give up possession despite losing his footing on the edge of the area. As he tumbled to the deck, he somehow managed to fire a superb strike beyond the goalkeeper and into the net, giving Japan a shock 1-0 lead. Brazil eventually fought back to win, but Sano's combination of determination, balance and technique ensured his goal will be remembered long after the tournaments over.

Antonio Nusa vs Ivory Coast (Round of 32, 30 June)

Antonio Nusa has made a habit of cutting in from the left, but that didn't make his finish against Ivory Coast any easier to stop. Collecting Martin Ødegaard's pass out wide, the Norway winger drove directly at two defenders before shifting the ball onto his right foot.

What came next was pure class. Nusa curled a pinpoint effort beyond the goalkeeper and just inside the far post, leaving everyone watching with the feeling it was in the moment it left his boot. It was a finish full of confidence and technique, lighting up one of the standout ties of the Round of 32 and proving why the 21-year-old is regarded as one of Europe's brightest attacking talents.

Kylian Mbappé vs Sweden (Round of 32, 30 June)

Kylian Mbappé has made a career out of embarrassing defenders, and Sweden striker Viktor Gyökeres became the latest victim. Isolated one-on-one inside the penalty area, the France captain teased his marker with a trademark stepover before bursting past him in a flash.

With the hard work done, Mbappé still had plenty to do, but the finish was as composed as you'd expect. He rifled his shot beyond the goalkeeper to give France the lead, adding another spectacular strike to his growing World Cup collection.

Amad Diallo vs Norway (Round of 32, 30 June)

Amad Diallo has been one of the tournament's standout super-subs, and his equaliser against Norway was packed with quality from start to finish. Exchanging a slick one-two with Nicolas Pépé, the Manchester United winger burst through on goal with only Ørjan Nyland left to beat.

Just as it looked like the chance might get away from him, Diallo produced a wonderfully delicate touch to shift the ball back onto his favoured left foot before dinking it into the far corner. It was a finish that combined quick thinking with outstanding technique, even if it ultimately wasn't enough to keep Ivory Coast's World Cup dream alive.

Harry Kane vs DR Congo (Round of 32, 1 July)

England looked to be losing their grip on a tricky Round of 32 tie until Harry Kane reminded everyone why he's one of the game's great finishers. Receiving the ball with his back to goal on the edge of the area, the England captain spun in one fluid movement before unleashing a ferocious strike.

The shot screamed into the top corner, leaving the goalkeeper grabbing the air and sealing a dramatic 2-1 victory over a stubborn DR Congo side. It was a goal that arrived when England needed it most, combining Kane's trademark composure with sheer power to send the Three Lions into the last 16 in spectacular fashion.

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If there’s one thing that’s been firmly established about Gen Z, it’s that they ain’t drinking. And that they’re lazy, refusing to work, and putting the rest of the country in economic fragility, if you’re reading right-wing news sites, that is. Here to meet the needs of the nation, Holland and Barrett is opening a London boozer with a twist – a healthy twist that is, swapping traditional pints for pull-ups.

Taking the phrase ‘watering hole’ quite literally, the first-of-its-kind pub will be helping Londoners recharge with electrolytes on tap, for once getting punters to leave the pub more hydrated than they arrived. Called The Wellness Tap, the pub is heading to Clerkenwell in July, helping to provide a restorative alternative to your weekday rager.

Just because it’s a wellness pub doesn’t mean it won’t be recognisable as a good old drinkers' den. Visitors can enjoy free drinks and snacks with pints of electrolytes whilst DJ sets, pub quizzes, and expert-led talks keep them entertained across the evening. The interactive pub quizzes will be taking place throughout the day, with the talks happening at lunchtime (1.15pm) and early evening (6pm). There is even the chance to walk away with some luxurious wellness prizes too, which will put your round of shots at your local to shame.

The only catch is that the pub itself is only staying in the capital for two days, on 9th and 10th July. It's combining Brits’ love of going to the pub with the equally big love of not having a hangover at work and having to smile through Linda’s constant small talk and pungent egg sandwich the following day. The idea is that Londoners can power through that summer slump when your social calendar is packed, but FOMO keeps you RSVP-ing to more and more social events.

You will need to book tickets for a spot at the pub (Covid flashbacks much?), but tickets are free; it’s just to secure you and your mates a guaranteed spot. After all, we all know how packed a pub can get.

You can book tickets here.

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Supporting England usually involves a lucky shirt, a pre-match pint and telling everyone "it's coming home" with increasingly misplaced confidence mixed with doubt. One pub chain wants fans to go just a little bit further.

BOX Sports Bar has announced what might be the most ridiculous World Cup promotion of the summer, offering a year's worth of free pints to anyone willing to legally change their name to Harry Kane.

The offer launched after England secured their place in the World Cup knockout stages and will remain open until the Three Lions are either dumped out of the tournament or lift the trophy themselves.

Anyone brave or thirsty enough to complete the paperwork before then will receive vouchers for one free pint every week until July 2027 across BOX venues nationwide. That's 52 pints in total, which suddenly makes the admin feel a little more worthwhile.

According to BOX Brand and Marketing Manager Tom Mayer-Jones: "Harry Kane has delivered for England time and time again, and we wanted to celebrate that in true BOX style. If fans think England are going all the way, now's the time to prove your commitment."

The promotion is available at BOX venues across London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield and Nottingham, meaning Londoners have as much chance as anyone of waking up next week answering to England's record goalscorer.

Of course, before you rush off to the Deed Poll office, it's probably worth remembering that changing your legal name isn't quite as easy to undo as changing your fantasy football team. You'll also have some explaining to do at work and probably to your mum.

If keeping your existing identity sounds preferable, BOX will still be showing every World Cup match live throughout the tournament. Fans can expect giant HD screens, stadium-style sound, DJs for England games and plenty of food and drink deals, including sharing platters, burgers, pizzas, beer steins and cocktail packages.

There'll also be a Fantasy Football league running throughout the tournament with weekly prizes for those who'd rather compete with their football knowledge than their birth certificate.

If England do end up lifting the World Cup and you happen to bump into several Harry Kanes celebrating with free pints next summer, at least you'll know how it happened.

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