One of the greatest tragedies of the cost of living and victim of the cruel London nightlife death knell was Soho’s iconic G-A-Y bar. The queer venue closed nine months, after 22 years in operation. Now, the site is set to be home to an ambitious new queer club, Coven: Headquarters.

Taking over the space on 30 Compton Street, Coven: Headquarters will be set over a whopping five stories and proudly claims that it will be a space for every letter of LGBTQIA.

Coven: Headquarters started life as a club night in Hackney Wick in 2025, started by Matthew Jacobs Morgan. Luckily and perhaps unsurprisingly, the night was seriously popular and its Soho run will be its first permanent home.

Whilst Coven is set to be a new era (qu-era) for the site, it aims to honour the legacy of the venue’s former inhabitant, with nods and touches to G-A-Y throughout the building. In the main room, you can find an an antique fountain sitting centrally, filled with books on queer history. There’s also a couple of accessories brought over from the club night’s original Hackney Wick venue, like the battered shell mirror on one of the upper floors.

As well as the classic nightclub style evenings with a roster of rotating DJs, there is also live music and cabaret evenings. The club will also have a schedule of themed nights including Afrobeats and techno. However, it’s not solely an evening raver gig, with Coven open during the daytime too. You’ll find a cafe and community hub with plenty of space for people who are looking for somewhere to work. And if you need a quick break from tapping away at your laptop and need to find some inspiration, why not pop over to the in house tarot reader who also works in the space from 5pm till late. A personalised prophecy whilst you party is something we can get on board with.

With legendary shoes to fill, Coven: Headquarters opened up at the former club earlier this week. Jeremy Joseph who founded G-A-Y cited financial pressures (read: rising rent costs) as the reason for its closure, and the site went on sale in 2025 with a rent of £410,000 per year. Joseph also criticised Soho saying it had “lost its vibrancy”. However, the former site’s sister venue Heaven nightclub is still operating as normal.

As part of the venue announcement, he said: “We as queers can make space for each other in a cardboard box – but luckily, we now have a five-storey building with a W1 postcode…Spaces where people can come together safely, joyfully and truthfully matter more than ever."

It’s sort of a full circle moment for Morgan who said on Instagram that “This building [G-A-Y] was the first gay bar I ever went to”, and is now bringing his legendary club night to the Soho institution, and injecting a little bit of queer joy back into the dying nightlife.

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

Does anyone else have one of those nebulous spaces in your house / garden that you always look at with a mug in hand, turn to your partner and go "You know we could put a [insert ambitious idea that you’ll never get round to] here?".

Well, Stratford has the same problem / opportunity depending on if you’re a pessimist or a millionaire. A new plan has been put forward which would turn the old Coach Park into a pretty groovy new destination.

The site has drawn a fair bit of attention already, especially back in 2019 when the Madison Square Garden company submitted plans to turn it into a huge music venue in the style of a massive orb like the Vegas Sphere. For some unknown reason, these plans were rejected back in 2023, meaning Big Ben no longer needs to worry about being literally overshadowed. Now, a new proposal has been submitted which would see the old coach park get transformed into a huge entertainment destination.

• Wait… is Stratford finally cool? 8 places that prove it really is

The plans come from Stratford Park LTD who have proposed to turn the plot into a new food and culture venue, as part of a redevelopment which will build a new ‘cultural and artistic identity for the area’.

The plans sound pretty impressive, meaning this isn’t going to be your average in and out food court with a couple of floating tables. The plans propose having a whole complex with street food stalls, a market, a basketball court, a gallery, a skate park, and a performance venue. Perfect for anyone whose wanted to eat copious amounts and then give yourself indigestion, then polish it off with watch a bit of theatre.

It's also planned to have an eco zone, a mirror pool, and a wellness area for relaxation as well as additional space for even more outdoor activities. Apparently, all the attractions would be made from recycled shipping containers, and upcycled London buses which are already part of the site. Well, it is East London after all.

If it comes to life, the site would be open from 10am until 1am daily which isn’t exactly surprising given the sheer amount you can do there. The idea is that the space would become a whole new area in its own right — sort of like Battersea Power Station’s glow up from defunct to definitely on the hit list. Plans suggest that may include ‘shared living’ housing aimed at 26-45 year olds, a hotel, education and training facilities, an outdoor square and exhibition spaces, indoor galleries, music and theatre venues and a food market.

Ambitious, then, but it’s not a done deal yet — the plans were submitted in early March and Newham Council is expected to give their feedback in July.

• One of London’s biggest train stations is set to get a major foodie update

Londoners are collectively panicking at the upcoming 37 degree plus temperatures melting the city, and collectively if frantically Googling which tube lines actually have air con. For all the jokes that a UK 35 degrees feels nothing like a Europe 35 degrees it turns out there’s actually some proof to this, which is a relief as it’s too hot for gaslighting right now.

According to a study by officials from UK Health Security Agency, Londoners could be at greater risk in heatwaves due to numerous factors like commuting, overcrowding, and the city’s wealth distribution.

Here's the breakdown of your heat-induced breakdown.

1. 'Urban Island Effect'

Temperatures are generally higher in London thanks to the “urban heat island effect” which often increases exposure due to indoor overheating risk. Basically, the ratio of concrete to green space is particularly unbalanced in cities, and whilst London does have some lovely public parks, the amount of built up areas and the density of their populations means temperatures will be higher than elsewhere in the country.

2. Cost of living

The old cossie livs crisis rears its expensive head once again, and this time it’s responsible for heatwave rises. It's not exactly breaking news that London is expensive. From rent to pints, the average price of things in the capital is often higher.

According to the survey, the heat risk can be increased by less capacity for “adaptive behaviours to reduce the overheating risk” due to socioeconomic factors “unique to the capital”. Inequality in London is far higher than the rest of the UK with over a quarter of Londoners living in poverty. Things like “security concerns or the necessity of income” can contribute to lower income Londoners heading to work during intense heat, putting Londoners at a higher risk.

3. Overcrowding

It’s not exactly news that London is a pretty packed city, and anyone who's ever tried to get on a Northern Line tube during a midweek rush hour will be all too familiar with overcrowding. Turns out that it’s having an effect on the heat and how people will cope. “Evidence suggests that, in London, more affluent areas also have more access to green space, which is also linked with cooler urban environments, potentially reducing risk,” according the study.

• Forget handheld fans — the Sony Reon Pocket Pro Plus is the gadget Londoners actually need right now

London is certainly not short of parks, pubs, galleries, and pleasingly relaxing Sunday walks. Still, there are times when you want the day to feel a little more like a proper escape – ideally without spending hours on a train.

Enter the National Trust.

Within around 90 minutes of the capital, you can find grand houses, riverside gardens, deer parks, rose-filled borders, walking trails, and even Churchill’s painting studio.

Some are easy Tube-and-train trips; others work best as a low-effort drive out of the city. All of them offer a useful change of scene without demanding a full weekend away.

We’ve rounded up some of the best National Trust places near London, grouped by the kind of day out you’re after – from easy escapes inside the M25 to big historic houses and fresh-air favourites made for walkers, garden lovers, and picnic people.

Please note: A National Trust membership gives you free access to every location, and there are individual, family, joint, and lifetime options available. If you plan to visit multiple places on this list, we definitely recommend getting one.

Easy escapes inside or near London

For days when even “getting out of London” sounds like a bit much, these are the National Trust trips that keep the faff to an absolute minimum.

You still get gardens, history, tea room energy, and a proper change of scene, but without needing to plan the day like a military operation.

Osterley Park and House

• Best for: A low-effort culture fix

Osterley is one of the easiest National Trust escapes from central London, which makes it a handy choice when you want fresh air and a grand house without the full countryside schlep.

The estate sits in west London, with formal gardens, parkland, and an impressive Georgian house known for its Robert Adam interiors.

It is a good all-rounder: relaxed enough for a picnic, interesting enough for a history-minded wander, and convenient enough to squeeze into a half-day if you start early.

The gardens bring the colour in summer, while the house gives the visit a bit more substance than a standard park walk.

Getting there: Take the Piccadilly line to Osterley, then walk from the station. It is one of the simplest options on this list by public transport.

Ham House and Garden

• Best for: Riverside walkers and history buffs

Ham House has the rare advantage of feeling tucked away while still being firmly within London’s orbit. Set near the Thames in Richmond, it combines a handsome 17th-century house with formal gardens and one of the capital’s best riverside strolls.

Inside, the house leans into the drama of the Stuart era, with richly decorated rooms and a strong sense of old-world intrigue. Outside, the gardens and nearby river path make it an easy pick for anyone who wants a gentle day out with a pub or café stop folded in.

Getting there: Travel to Richmond, then walk along the Thames or take a short bus/taxi connection.

Red House

• Best for: Design lovers

Red House is a smaller, more specific trip than some of the big estate days on this list, but that is exactly the appeal. Built for William Morris, it is one of the key Arts and Crafts houses, with a strong design story and a quieter feel than the headline National Trust properties.

This is the one to choose if you would rather spend a couple of thoughtful hours with architecture, interiors, and creative history than roam around hundreds of acres of shrubbery.

It’s worth noting that visits are more structured than at many National Trust places, so it suits people who enjoy a guided, detail-rich experience.

Getting there: Head for Bexleyheath by train, then continue by local bus, taxi, or on foot depending on your route.

Big houses, bigger stories

Some National Trust places are best approached as a gentle wander. These are more like stepping into someone else’s extremely dramatic life.

Expect political history, old money, grand rooms, sweeping parkland, and the sort of views that make you briefly consider buying a linen suit.

Chartwell

• Best for: History lovers

Chartwell is the obvious choice for anyone with even a passing interest in Winston Churchill, and it’s more personal than a standard “great man lived here” historic house.

This was his family home from the 1920s, and the rooms still carry the feeling of a private retreat rather than a formal memorial.

There is plenty to see outside the house too, from gardens and lakes to the studio where Churchill painted. The wider estate gives the visit a softer edge, so it works just as well for a summer wander as it does for a deep dive into political history.

Getting there: Chartwell is easiest by car. By public transport, take a train to Sevenoaks, Oxted, or Edenbridge, then continue by taxi or local bus, depending on the day.

Knole

• Best for: Deer spotters and grand-house wanderers

Knole has scale on its side. Set in a huge deer park in Sevenoaks, it combines open parkland with one of England’s great historic houses, making it a strong pick if you want a day that can be as relaxed or as culture-heavy as you like.

You can keep things simple with a walk through the park, watch the deer from a respectful distance, or head inside for ornate rooms, portraits, tapestries, and centuries of aristocratic history.

Getting there: Take the train to Sevenoaks, then walk uphill through the town and park. The walk is part of the experience, but it is worth factoring in comfortable shoes.

Polesden Lacey

• Best for: Rose gardens, picnics, and Edwardian fanciness

Polesden Lacey is the sort of place that seems built for a lazy summer afternoon. The former country retreat of Margaret Greville mixes elegant interiors with gardens, lawns, and long views across the Surrey Hills.

The estate has a pleasingly sociable feel, helped by the fact Greville was known for entertaining royalty, politicians, and society figures.

Today, the appeal is a little more low-key: bring a picnic, wander through the gardens, let children loose in the play areas, and soak up the grand-house atmosphere without making the day feel too formal.

Getting there: Polesden Lacey is simplest by car. By train, head to Box Hill & Westhumble or Dorking, then continue by taxi.

Cliveden

• Best for: Riverside glamour

Cliveden does not do subtle. Set high above the Thames, it brings together formal gardens, woodland, river views, a maze, and one of the most storied country house settings near London.

The house itself is now a hotel, but the estate has more than enough to fill a day.

Come for the gardens and views, stay for the whiff of scandal, politics, and old-school glamour. Families get plenty of space to roam, while anyone after a more indulgent visit can look at boat hire or seasonal river trips.

Getting there: Cliveden is easiest by car. For public transport, take the train towards Taplow, Burnham, or Maidenhead, then use a taxi for the final stretch.

Gardens, views, and proper fresh air

If your ideal National Trust day involves fewer corridors and more colour, these are the destinations to aim for.

These places still come with history, but the main event is outside: gardens, trails, viewpoints, rivers, meadows, and the useful reminder that London is not the whole world.

Sissinghurst Castle Garden

• Best for: Serious gardeners

Sissinghurst is one of those gardens that even non-garden people have vaguely heard of, and for good reason.

Created by writer Vita Sackville-West and diplomat Harold Nicolson, it is famous for its series of garden rooms, each with its own mood, structure, and planting style.

The White Garden is the headline act, but Sissinghurst is at its best when you let yourself drift through it slowly. Climb the tower for views over the estate, wander the wider grounds, or simply enjoy the rare pleasure of a place where every corner feels deliberately composed.

Getting there: The nearest mainline station is Staplehurst, around five miles away, so you will usually need a taxi for the final leg.

Mottisfont

• Best for: Rose lovers and gentle summer wandering

Mottisfont earns its place on this list in early summer, when its walled garden becomes one of the National Trust’s great rose-season draws.

It is a soft, pretty, unhurried sort of place, with lawns, river walks, and the remains of a medieval priory folded into a later country house.

The roses are the obvious reason to go, but they are not the only ones. A chalk stream runs through the grounds, there are meadow walks beyond the formal gardens, and the whole estate has a slower pace that suits a long picnic and a lazy afternoon.

Getting there: Take the train to Mottisfont & Dunbridge, then walk just over a mile to the estate. Mottisfont sits at the outer edge of this article’s 90-minute rule, so check journey times before committing.

Box Hill

• Best for: Walkers, cyclists, and big-view hunters

Box Hill is the one to choose when you want a National Trust day with a bit more puffing involved, swapping grand interiors for chalk downland, woodland, stepping stones, and sweeping views across the Surrey Hills.

You can keep it gentle with a short viewpoint walk, or make more of a day of it with one of the longer circular routes.

Cyclists know it from the 2012 Olympic road race, families come for fresh air and picnic spots, and Londoners come because it feels like a proper countryside reset without needing to go very far.

Getting there: Take the train to Box Hill & Westhumble or Dorking, then continue on foot.

• One of London’s tiniest and most mysterious islands is opening up to the public

Eel Pie Island is firmly up there in London history – and not just because it has one of the oddest, quasi historic names in the city, sharing the podium with Elephant & Castle, and Cockfosters Isle of Dogs. It’s also steeped in more Rock n Roll history than one of Jimmy Hendrix’s guitars, and for a few days next month, the usually private island is opening up to the public.

Whilst London is home to many quirky spots and hidden historic gems, none of them quite have a history like this private island in South-West London. Currently, it’s home to a selection of artist’s studios which open to the public for a couple of weekends a year, which are the only occasions average joes can actually visit the island. Dubbed a hedonistic hideaway, Eel Pie Island is basically the urban island equivalent of dungarees – mainly used by artists with a slightly bohemian vibe.

As well as the artist studios, there are also some locals too, with around 120 people living on Eel Pie Island. The island is only 8.9 acres in total, in the River Thames just off Twickenham. Otherwise it’s pretty much off limits. Luckily one of the coveted weekends where it opens up is coming our way, welcoming in new, curious faces in July

It will give you a chance to revel in some true musical history, sharing pathways which have been trodden by famous artists including Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton, and The Who – even The Rolling Stones were known to play at the Island’s hotel every week in 1963. Towards the end of the sixties, the hotel was forced to close, and the island was inhabited by the kind of hippie communities you think exist solely as a side-joke in sitcoms and your Auntie Pam’s Christmas anecdotes that only come out after three glasses of sherry.

The island will be throwing open its doors, or rather, opening up its footbridge across two weekends in July, the 4th and 5th, and 11th and 12th, from 11am-5pm each day. The best part is that it’s free to grab a ticket, although what would you expect from a group of hippies? The tickets give each visitor a 2-hour time slot to explore the island. You won’t be able to visit without one, even though they’re free, as the Open Studios have pointed out tickets are in place to create a safe and enjoyable weekend for visitors and neighbours alike across the island. Visitors will be allowed to wander around the island, exploring the unusual landscapes and gardens, look at the artists’ workshops, and even commission them to do a specific piece for yourself if you’re feeling inspired / flushed with cash.

If you can’t make the July dates it’s worth keeping an eye out for future open days across Autumn and Winter, and even into 2027. And if you can’t wait, there’s always the Eel Pie Museum in Twickenham to tide you over.

You can find out more and book tickets here.

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

System of a Down play in London for the first time since 2015 this July, with a two-night run at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Whether or not you’ve snagged a ticket, you can pick up some merch in London surrounding those dates.

From 10th to 16th July, a System of a Down shop will open at at 56-57 Eastcastle Street in central London, nestled between Oxford Circus and Tottenham Court Road tube stations.

This is one of the band’s “official fan stores,” which presumably let the band avoid the venue cut involved in merchandise sales made at the band’s own gigs.

Stuff on sale will include “exclusive merch only available at our official fan stores,” according to System of a Down’s social media channels. And you can expect clothing from Hummel as well as records, and more.

This run lands around the 25th anniversary of the band’s classic Toxicity album, and you’ll find fan shop-specific vinyl editions of the album on sale. Presuming they haven’t sold out already, anyway.

We don’t have the full list of wares at the pop-up, but have seen a preview of a few of the articles of clothing, including these tasty numbers:

You can simply walk up to the store but slots are also bookable through a Seetickets portal — don’t worry, there’s no fee involved here.

The band will also have fan stores across Europe over the coming weeks, including stints at Stockholm, Paris, Berlin and Dusseldorf.

London’s store opens from 10am to 8pm each day bar Sunday 12th July, with opening hours of 11am to 5pm.

The band’s actual gigs are on 13th and 15th July. While the band rapidly sold out of tickets initially, there’s solid resale availability for the 15th gig in particular across sites like Ticketmaster resale, Tixel and Twickets.

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

If you've spent any time on the London Underground during the current heatwave, you have my sympathies — we know all too well the feeling.

The Central line is somehow hotter than the sun. The tube mice have little sombreros on. And the tiny handheld fan you panic-bought during last summer's heatwave is doing little more than sputtering warm air directly into your face.

Enter the Sony Reon Pocket Pro Plus — a wearable cooling gadget that feels like it has been designed specifically for surviving a sweltering Tube commute. I've been using it for a few weeks now and, as the mercury rises, it's one of the only things keeping me sane.

Reon Pocket Pro Plus: In Short...

• Hands-free cooling throughout the day
• Sauna-like tube journeys become considerably more bearable
• More effective than a handheld fan
• Discreet enough for office wear
• Heating function useful in winter too
• Up to 10 hours battery life
• Priced at £199

There’s no denying though that the Reon Pocket Pro Plus is an odd looking thing. Like a backpack for a miniature astronaut, it has a vaguely medical look to it. Its angular white box, finished with a metal plate on one side and balancing on your back just below your neck with the help of two rubber-coated arms that reach over your shoulders, isn't immediately intuitive. Without a bit of explanation, a newbie wouldn't know what to do with it.

It won’t win any style awards, but that doesn’t matter — it's a surprisingly practical device that sits discreetly beneath your shirt and actively cools your body while you travel. Sony describes it as a wearable thermo device, but let's be honest: it's essentially a personal air conditioner for your back.

How it works

Rather than blasting air like a fan, the Reon Pocket Pro Plus uses a cooled stainless steel plate that sits against the upper spine, with an internal heat regulator working away to keep it fridge-like cool. The effect is immediate. Imagine pressing an ice cube against the back of your neck on a 30°C day, except it doesn’t melt, and continues working throughout your journey. Out and about in this oppressive heat, and even just sitting at my desk, I have found it noticeably more effective than conventional portable fans, particularly during commuting.

The latest Pro Plus model arrives at exactly the right moment, with London set to see a June record temperature of a 38°C high.

Sony claims it offers 20% greater cooling performance than its predecessor and can achieve an additional 2°C reduction in cooling plate temperature thanks to a redesigned thermal system and upgraded cooling algorithms. Measuring exactly how much it cooled me without thermal imaging gear wasn't really possible, but I can attest it's more than just a placebo — I felt calmer and more comfortable during the hottest moments of the day while wearing it.

More importantly for Londoners, Sony has also fixed one of the biggest complaints about previous versions. The new 'Adaptive Hold' neckband increases stability by as much as 40% they say, helping the device stay firmly in contact with your skin while walking through stations, climbing escalators or sprinting to catch a train. You'll need to maintain relatively good posture to get the greatest effect from the Reon Pocket Pro Plus, but that's no bad habit to get into.

It's also remarkably discreet. Despite being about the size of a Magnum ice cream (to keep the theme going), it's worn underneath a shirt with the top poking over your collar, so most people won't even realise you've got a cooling device attached to your back. Unlike a fan, it doesn't occupy a hand, is practically silent, and doesn't advertise your desperation to everybody in the carriage.

It takes some getting used to its sensation in use, but after a short while you forget its place against your skin, its little removable and adjustable exhaust fan (a larger one comes in the box for collared shirts) silently venting air away from you.

A companion app allows you to fine-tune cooling levels, while Smart Cool mode automatically adjusts performance depending on your surroundings. The Reon Pocket Pro Plus also comes with a small temperature sensor, the Reon Pocket Tag, on a carabiner that can be hooked onto a bag and paired with the app, giving detailed ambient heat and humidity readings and working in conjunction with the Smart Cool mode to balance cooling needs against unnecessary battery drain. Battery life is rated at up to 10 hours, which is enough to handle a full workday and commute.

It IS expensive though. £199 isn't cheap. But neither is arriving at the office looking like you've just completed ran a marathon ending in the fires of Mount Doom. We've also already seen retailers offering significant discounts on the device (though whether those cuts will survive the heatwave remains to be seen).

And unlike many seasonal gadgets, the Reon Pocket Pro Plus also includes a warming mode for winter use, potentially making it one of the few gadgets you'll appreciate in both July and January.

Verdict

As temperatures continue to climb and London's ageing transport network struggles to keep commuters comfortable, Sony's wearable cooler feels less like a novelty and more like a glimpse into how we'll all be surviving summer in the years ahead. It’s the end of the world as we know it, but this little gadget might just make you feel fine.

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

London City Airport is renowned among Londoners for being quick to get to, and quick to get through. But from 2027 you may want to spend a bunch more pre-flight time there.

The airport is opening its first airport lounge in 2027, coinciding with London City Airport’s 40th anniversary, having first opened in 1987.

Its lounge will be called Aspire Pre‑Flight Hospitality, and Aspire is of course already responsible for a whole heap of lounges, including Club Aspire at London Gatwick, Aspire Lounge Birmingham and another at Manchester’s Terminal 3.

London City Airport’s Aspire lounge will have an entrance designed to mimic the vibes of a 5-star hotel, while just like London’s other airport lounges, it’s going to be packed with comestibles.

There will be a cocktail bar at the heart of the space, a coffee station and a food buffet.

The Aspire lounge will be open to all travellers, for a fee that is yet to be announced. But for a reference, the Club Aspire lounge at Gatwick South typically costs £36.

One of the first questions that may come to mind for frequent London City Airport travellers: where are they going to put it? One of the rendered images suggests its entrance will sit down a flight of stairs, perhaps leading off the main departures area.

Another rendered preview shows off the art deco inspired look of the space, including a classic staffed bar with high stools. It’s all looking pretty swish.

“The introduction of this exclusive experience is answering a clear demand from passengers and will elevate our unrivalled customer offer and reputation as London’s most loved airport,” says Andy Cliffe, London City Airport CEO.

“We’re delighted to be partnering with Aspire Pre-Flight Hospitality on this project, who have a proven track record of designing and operating luxury lounges in airports around the world.”

We don’t yet have a specific opening date for the airport lounge, but are assured the plan is to open up its doors “by early 2027” and that its construction is “well underway.”

• London's Underground is getting closer to full mobile coverage

Usually the idea of eating in a train station means grabbing a to-go wrap from some kind of supermarket chain, and maybe a tinny if you’re feeling fancy and calling it a day. London however always seems to do things with a little more oomph, and one major station’s foodie offerings is no different.

Market Place is already fairly well established in London, having opened its fifth site at the end of last year in Leicester Square. Each outpost is essentially a foodhall-style venue, with lots of different traders all under one roof, with long communal seating stretching in between each stall. So far, the group has sites over in Harrow, Vauxhall, Peckham, and St Paul’s – now, they’re heading to Victoria. Specifically, Victoria Station.

The new opening will be Market Place’s first foray into station dining, and it's set to span a whopping 5,000 square feet, housing 10 different food and drink stalls. In between these stalls, there will be room for around 200 diners. Would it be a British train station without some kind of watering hole where people can get merrily smashed before a long journey and drink away the probably-four-hour delay? Luckily at the centre of the complex there will be a fully stocked bar with cocktails and craft beers.

So far, we don’t know what exact foodie stands will be featured in the new Market Place, although it's likely it will be a mix of smaller traders with a huge mix of global cuisines as per their other locations. Hide & Greek, Momo Thai, Pasta Factory, and Duck Shed are just a few of the current vendors across the London sites, whilst Bread Ahead, and Crumble Mania deliver the sweet stuff.

If you’re going to set up another giant foodhall, heading to one of London’s busiest stations isn’t a bad shout. London Victoria Station sees around 156,000+ passengers pass through its rail station every day, at least half of whom are clamming for a sandwich (probably).

"Victoria is one of London’s most exciting and fast evolving districts, making it the perfect home for our newest Market Place Food Hall venue," said Blake Henderson, managing director for Market Place Food Hall.

"We’re creating far more than a place to eat, we’re building a destination where people can discover incredible food, watch live sports, meet friends, celebrate occasions and be part of a thriving local community."

Market Place Foodhall is set to open up in Autumn of 2026 at Victoria Station.

• A dedicated Guinness saloon is heading to London inside one of the city’s oldest bars

If you've ever wanted to raid Peggy Gou's wardrobe, merchandise stash or personal collection, this Friday might be your best chance this side of a restraining order.

The globally renowned DJ, producer and fashion icon is opening the doors to "Gou,tique", a one-day-only pop-up event in east London where fans can walk away with items taken directly from her personal archive, completely free of charge.

Taking place on Friday 26th June at Dream Bags Jaguar Shoes on Kingsland Road, the event will see Peggy gifting 200 mystery items from her own collection alongside 100 pieces of archival Peggy Gou merchandise to lucky visitors.

The giveaway arrives as Gou celebrates the release of her latest single, Wo,man, a collaboration with Nigerian superstar Ayra Starr released via XL Recordings. Described as "a euphoric summer dancefloor anthem" — would you expect anything less from Gou? — the track explores themes of "independence and shared joy". You can listen to a sneak peek at the YouTube embed below:

Fans attending Gou,tique can also expect music throughout the day courtesy of DJs from Peggy's Gudu Records roster, with drinks and a party atmosphere befitting one of dance music's biggest names.

There is a catch, however. Entry operates on a first-come, first-served basis, with organisers warning that both access and gifting opportunities will be limited. Anyone hoping to secure one of the 300 giveaway items is advised to arrive early.

Since breaking through as one of electronic music's most influential figures, Peggy Gou has built a devoted global fanbase spanning music, fashion and culture. Gou,tique will be a rare opportunity for that community to take home a genuine piece of Peggy Gou history.

Gou,tique takes place from 4pm until 9pm on Friday 26 June at Dream Bags Jaguar Shoes, 32-36 Kingsland Road, London E2 8DA.

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

One of London’s most exciting festivals is tipped to be making a comeback.

Camden Rocks, the multi-venue rock-and-metal-focussed event, is being considered for a revival, according to founder Chris McCormack.

McCormack, the former guitarist of alt-rockers 3 Colours Red who now co-owns the freshly re-opened Camden Barfly venue, is hoping to bring back the long-running festival, with the resurrected Barfly at its heart.

“Camden's still Camden,” McCormack told Shortlist at the grand re-opening of the Barfly.

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

“There's not many places you can pull off a festival like Camden Rocks. You can do it in Brighton, but you've got to get taxis everywhere.

“But Camden is very concentrated, you've got your great venues like The Underworld, The Black Heart, the big ones like Electric Ballroom and The Roundhouse. You’ve got all different size venues, it's great — when you're walking down the street any day of the week, you hear bands playing.

“It's important that the venues group together. We're not against each other, we're all part of the same thing, and that's what creates the scene in Camden.”

Big name bands

The festival last took place in 2019 with headliners Frank Turner and Ash. Over the years it also saw performances from bands including The Cribs, Sea Power, Bullet For My Valentine, PiL and The Damned, as well as hundreds of other acts across more than 20 Camden venues.

The Camden Rocks name currently lives on at venues across Camden, with spots like The Underworld hosting Camden Rocks club nights and gig showcases. But the plan would be to revive Camden Rocks as a multi-venue event — the festival previously operated with an open-doors wristband-entry system, with gig-goers able to wander from one venue to another (capacity allowing), to check out all the acts performing across its many stages.

A revival is very much in the early planning stages it seems, but with the Barfly’s re-opening adding fresh energy to Camden’s live scene, the return of Camden Rocks could help further boost the area’s reputation as one of London’s premier gigging hotspots.

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

They’re trying to send Camden’s live music scene to rehab, and we say “go, go, go”.

The launchpad for artists including Amy Winehouse, Coldplay and dozens of others, the Camden Barfly celebrated its grand re-opening last night, giving London’s grassroots music scene another vital performance space.

The venue at 49 Chalk Farm Road has had many names over the years, from The Camden Assembly to The Monarch, but its noughties-era incarnation as the Barfly was its most loved, with the 200-capacity space attracting the then-stars-of-tomorrow, including Adele, The Strokes, Ed Sheeran and many more to its stage.

And now it's back — and at a crucial moment for London’s grassroots scene, as more and more small performance spaces disappear. Yes, there’s still space for the superstars at London’s arenas and stadiums — but where do the first-gig teenagers get their opportunities to perform in front of a crowd?

That’s where the Barfly comes in.

“It's not that the music industry as a whole is in a bad place, it's just in a bit of a state of flux at a certain level,” says Barfly co-owner Richard Buck.

“It's just about revalidating the ecosystem and how you do that, so I think we should all be hugely optimistic about where music in creative arts is. It's just about how we engage it and make it commercially viable for those that are really at the developing level.”

“I think there's a lot more awareness about the challenges of grassroots venues and venues of this capacity, because fundamentally they don't stack up financially,” adds Dan Ickowitz-Seidler, fellow co-owner at the Barfly, and Buck’s partner in the Propaganda Independent Venues (PIV) group, of which Barfly is now a part.

“We're providing something really important for the music industry, providing the first opportunities for artists to play and really engage with a fan base and build a fan base.

“Over the years we've had Adele, Amy Winehouse, Frank Turner played his first sold-out show here, The Strokes, Libertines, Killers, The National — so many incredible artists have played on this stage, but as a venue it's really hard to stack up when you've only got so much capacity.”

Making Camden rock again

The team behind Barfly’s re-opening is well-positioned to help it succeed. Buck and Ickowitz-Seidler’s PIV has already successfully taken ownership of Tramshed and The Globe in Cardiff, as well as the XOYO clubs in London and Birmingham, clawing back their independence from Australian live entertainment giant TEG. Fellow co-owner Chris McCormack (formerly the guitarist in alt-rockers 3 Colours Red), founded the Camden Rocks festival, which united Camden’s many live music spaces under one banner. And each has a personal connection to the venue, whether having gigged there, DJ’d there, or promoted nights at the Barfly.

Support for grassroots venues is picking up speed as awareness grows too, with charities like the Music Venue Trust helping struggling sites keep their doors open, and bigger shows and performers pushing funds towards the cause.

“We've got the £1 Pound Ticket Levy that's going on to more and more shows [an additional £1 fee artists and venues can optionally add to their ticket prices to help fund the restoration of grassroots venues, .ed]. Royal Albert Hall, and a lot of other large venues are starting to do it more and more, and I think people realise that they need to be supporting venues of this size to allow them to continue to exist,” says Ickowitz-Seidler.

“So we’re optimistic, hopefully, of the future support that's going to be here for venues of this size. Nervous about the challenges of the industry as a whole, but I think we're confident we can at least get to break even and hopefully make it work.”

And there are plans for more to come — McCormack is looking to revive the multi-venue Camden Rocks festival, with the Barfly at its heart. Stretching a mile through Camden’s music heartland, it saw punters dip in and out of more than twenty venues on a single ticket to see hundreds of acts across a weekend.

“Camden's still Camden,” says McCormack. “There's not many places you can pull off a festival like Camden Rocks. You can do it in Brighton, but you've got to get taxis everywhere.

“But Camden is very concentrated, you've got your great venues like The Underworld, The Black Heart, the big ones like Electric Ballroom and The Roundhouse. You’ve got all different-sized venues, it's great — when you're walking down the street any day of the week, you hear bands playing.

“It's important that the venues group together. We're not against each other, we're all part of the same thing, and that's what creates the scene in Camden.”

Barfly’s biggest fan takes to its stage

The new era of the Barfly was kicked off by not one, but two sold-out shows in a single night from punk singer-songwriter Frank Turner. The long-time North Londoner played his first ever shows at the Barfly in its original incarnation — both as part of his band Million Dead, and then later as a solo artist. Revealing his very own (unofficial) blue plaque at the venue, it’s a space that’s close to the musician’s heart.

“I feel that I have a debt of gratitude to repay, because my career would not exist without rooms like this,” says Turner.

“I would not have the career I have, the living I have, the art that I have, all that kind of thing, if I hadn't had the opportunity to find myself, find my audience, figure out who I am, figure out what I want to say, in rooms like the Barfly.”

Turner’s route to stardom has been a steady ascension, with 3,166 shows under his belt following the Barfly double-header. Venues like the Barfly have allowed him the space and time to build a loyal following — something not always afforded the artists of today where social virality is sometimes seen as the key currency.

“That sort of viral TikTok success type thing is just so flimsy,” he says.

“Everybody's heard horror stories about getting a billion streams on TikTok, booking a big venue, and then selling 12 tickets. It's important to view that kind of virality as almost a totally different thing to actually building an audience — they're two separate phenomena. We don't have to be judgmental about one or the other in saying that, but having a million kids who know 30 seconds of one of your songs is not the same as building an audience for your career.”

There’s an education to be had for a generation of young gig-goers lost to “COVID-weirdness” too, says Turner, youngsters that were deprived of the joys of those formative nights out at sweaty clubs and gigs, with an industry instead keen to push them towards shows at enormodome venues for stars charging several hundred pounds per ticket.

“Yeah, you can spend 400 quid and see Olivia Rodrigo, which is fine, and she's great. But you could also spend just 15 quid and go and see a bunch of bands you’ve never heard of and maybe discover something amazing. Also, more to the point, you make connections with people in the room, and then you'll meet the band afterwards, and they'll sweat on you during the gig, and you feel part of something in a way that you just don't in a corporate arena setting.

“There's something so direct about the connection in the room like this. The audience is there, you can touch them — you can touch about half of them if you lean! There's this sort of feedback loop, because a good show is a dialogue, not a monologue, it's about an exchange of energy, and that is so very apparent in a room like this.”

Want to know what’s on next at the Barfly? Check out all the upcoming shows here.

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

If there’s one thing that Netflix’s House of Guinness proved is that James Norton can really do an Irish accent. And also that Brits are just giddy for Guinness. In fact, it’s as common a sight on London streets as it is in Dublin now — you truly know you’re in the heart of the city when you walk down any Soho street and see a string of white shirt-wearing, black-stuff-drinking lads piled out on the pavement.

So all in all it’s not exactly surprising that a dedicated Guinness saloon is set to open up in Covent Garden this summer.

Swapping the rootin-tootin’ kind of saloon for a more suave sippers kind of old-time saloon bar, the spot will be setting up shop inside the new site, Mr Fogg’s Market Tavern. It was announced earlier in the year that a new opening from Mr Fogg’s would be taking over the historic wine bar inside Covent Garden Market, The Crusting Pipe. The new Mr Fogg’s spot will open up on July 20th, making it the 11th spot from the group. Unlike the more eccentric spots from the brand whose bars are styled in the eccentric manner of Jules Verne’s character from Around the World in 80 days, this spot will be designed to look more like a traditional Victorian pub.

The venue itself is a little like a labyrinth with different rooms and corridors spanning across the space, all connected by the original brickwork arches, making it feel like you’ve time travelled back to Ye Olde England, but with better style and working toilets. One of said rooms is going to be The Guinness Saloon, an entire bar purely dedicated to serving up Guinness.

In a fun twist and a gimmick we can truly get behind, the recipient of every 1000th Guinness pint poured will have their smiling face hung up via picture on the wall, like a drinker’s hall of glory. As well as being immortalised in a London drinker, to sweeten the deal and coax a smile out of reluctant models, there’s a free round of drinks on offer with the accolade.

To keep track of exactly who is the lucky 1,000th pint swigger, the machine the Guinness will be poured from will count the number of drinks sold since its opening, digitally displaying the number so everyone can keep track without any need for VAR. If you happen to be the 10,000th recipient, you’ll get something even better: a full expenses paid trip to the St James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin. That certainly calls for a Guinness.

It’s certainly on brand for Mr Fogg’s whose other venues include Mr Fogg’s Pawnbrokers (our regular Shortlist Pub Corner haunt), Mr Fogg’s Hat Tavern, and Mr Fogg’s City Tavern which opened up recently in Broadgate Circle.

You can find the new Mr Fogg’s Market Tavern at The Piazza, 27 The Market, WC2E 8RD next month.

• Clerkenwell Ebi Wines wine bar announces opening date — and it's next month

If you think about Pride and immediately think of parades, floats, and drag queens being more entertaining in ten minutes than the 2026 TV slate so far, then you’re not exactly wrong. However there are plenty of events which are a little less parade and a little more pottering around a bookshop. One of the fan favourites making a comeback for 2026 is Aesop’s Queer Library.

The skincare company is bringing back its pop-up Queer Library to Soho this summer as part of London's Pride celebrations. Running from 3rd-5th July, this year marks the sixth edition of the pop-up which highlights the longstanding presence and value of queer voices across the UK. For three days visitors heading to the store can select a complimentary book from one of the 33 LGBTQ+ authors featured in this year’s library. The best part? You don’t even need to purchase anything or spend a certain amount to be eligible.

Each year revolves around a different theme, and 2026’s is Body of Work, in a subtle nod to the brand. The collection celebrates queer literary voices that use the body as a site of power, pleasure, resistance, and renewal. The featured title this year is The Log Books by Tash Walker and Adam Zmith, which explores intergenerational queer heritage, taking an intimate look at four decades of LGBTQ+ life in Britain through the call logs of Switchboard, the volunteer-led support line.

As well as the free books on offer for visitors, in a new addition for this year, Aesop Spitalfields will host a Reading Room where you can browse an array of LGBTQ+ titles that celebrate liberation through self-expression. The Spitalfields Reading Room will be hosted by K Bailey Obazee, founder of queer Black book club PRIM.BLACK. The full library spans 33 titles, including works by Kae Tempest, Lee Lai, Jason Okundaye, Brandon Taylor, and Yrsa Daley-Ward.

In select locations, visitors will also be invited to partake in a literary card game of sorts—taking an archetypal Aesop fable as creative raw material to reveal something new.

If you want to get involved with Pride without losing your voice (after all the cheering and singing, obvs) or just fancy swapping beauty products for books, Aesop’s Queer Library is the perfect spot to explore stories that you won’t find on the average bookshelf.

• London Museum gets November opening date - and some surprising night-time plans

In what felt like a very Black Mirror, 1984-esque move, the Met Police announced the roll-out of live facial recognition software being used across several transport hubs. The devices have previously been trialled across London Bridge station and Brixton. Now, they’re heading for central.

The devices attach to street furniture and allow the Met to monitor crowds remotely. The Soho and West End devices are set to be in place by the end of 2026. The extension follows a six month pilot in Croydon which wrapped in May 2026, and led to 173 arrests, including one woman sought for over two decades.

According to the Chief Super, the cameras work by scanning faces and comparing them to a watchlist of offenders wanted for serious offences. If there’s a match – very Tinderesque – then the system generates an alert (again, not dissimilar from a dating app). Then, an officer will review it and carry out further checks to determine if the person is a suspect and if further action is needed. This scanning and comparison system has already been used by the police on London streets, with the Metropolitan Police confirming thousands of arrests have been made since the technology was introduced.

LFR (live facial recognition) has an exceptionally low false alert rate too, with current statistics showing false alerts occurring in 0.0003% of cases out of three million facial scans. According to the Met Police, the technology has proven to be both effective and accurate.

Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: “Facial recognition is one of the most revolutionary technology advances in policing in recent years.

“Public confidence in this is clear – around 80 per cent of Londoners support its use. That backing reflects a simple truth: it works.

“We have already seen the impact in Croydon, where a six-month pilot delivered over 170 arrests, a reduction in crime and a significant fall in violence against women and girls.” He added that “The technology supports officers to target wanted criminals and registered sex offenders. Crucially it is supporting officers – not replacing them.”

So long as there are no major disasters, it wouldn't be surprising if the software will be rolled out across more of London on a permanent basis in the future.

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

Remember the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Of course you do. Remember when Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo would grab their favourite dish, a New York pizza? And remember how delicious those animated slices looked, and wishing you could wrap your tastebuds around them?

Borough’s Spring Street Pizza remembers, and it’s brought that perfect slice to life.

The Little Italy-inspired restaurant, tucked away beneath the railway arches of Borough, has become one of London's most sought-after pizza destinations, serving enormous New York-style pies to crowds of diners. With Michelin-star pedigree in the kitchen, it’s a must-visit spot for any self-respecting, pizza-loving Londoner.

WHERE IS IT?

You'll find Spring Street Pizza in Borough, a short walk from Borough Underground station and within easy reach of London Bridge. Set beneath railway arches, the space combines exposed brick, industrial details and an open kitchen where diners can watch pizzas being stretched, topped and fired throughout service.

Outside seating spills onto the pavement during warmer weather, while inside there's a constant hum of conversation, clinking glasses and the occasional gasp as another enormous 18-inch pizza lands on a neighbouring table.

WHAT'S SPECIAL?

London isn't short of pizza restaurants, but Spring Street Pizza is chasing a very specific dream: bringing authentic New York-style pizza culture to the capital.

The restaurant's oversized pizzas arrive with the characteristic thin base and crisp underside you'd expect from a proper NYC pie, while ingredients lean heavily into Italian-American comfort food territory.

That focus on doing one thing exceptionally well gives Spring Street Pizza its edge, and it’s masterminded by a true pro: Michelin-star chef, Tom Kemble, formerly of The Pass and Bonhams. And so there’s the craft and care with ingredients you’d expect from the top-tier of the culinary world, but presented in as laid-back a fashion as you’d hope from a humble pizzeria. It’s the best of both worlds.

It’s worth noting that the Spring Street Pizza restaurant doesn’t have to be your only destination to enjoy the pies on offer — sat right next door to Rae’s (formerly the O’Meara venue), you can have a slice at the bar there, and even order to the nearby retro-gaming bar Four Quarters, too.

WHO SHOULD YOU BRING?

Is there anyone in the world who doesn’t love pizza? All are welcome at Spring Street, and walk-ins are happily accommodated too. But this is very much a friends-first restaurant.

The atmosphere is relaxed, chatty and youthful, making it ideal for group dinners, post-work catch-ups or weekend gatherings where nobody wants to spend three hours discussing wine pairings.

Dates would work too, particularly if both parties appreciate good pizza over white tablecloths. Families can easily fit in, although the evening crowd tends to skew younger. It's a lively spot without being overwhelming and busy without feeling chaotic.

Most importantly, it's somewhere built around sharing. Unless you’re a true pizza fiend, an 18-incher demands company. If you’re hoping for clean plates, bring mates.

WHAT SHOULD YOU WEAR?

Whatever you wore to get there. Spring Street Pizza is comfortably casual. Trainers, jeans, T-shirts and overshirts dominate the dining room. Nobody is trying too hard and nobody expects you to either.

This isn't a place for suits, ties or dressing up for the sake of it. The focus is firmly on eating well and having a good time.

WHAT WILL YOU PAY?

Spring Street Pizza is definitely on the affordable end of the scale for a night dining out, especially with a Michelin-botherer in the kitchen. Pizzas start at £24 for a simple Marinara, rising to £36 for fancier options like the Fennel Sausage fest. It’s not a huge menu, and we’d recommend getting a half-and-half pie to try out a little more of what’s on offer (a £2 top up fee on the price of the most expensive half.)

When one pizza can comfortably feed two hungry diners, you can get some drinks and starters and come away with change from a £50 note.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DRINK?

The cocktail list sticks to crowd-pleasers and executes them well.

The Negroni arrived exactly as it should: bitter, boozy and balanced, with gin, Campari and sweet vermouth working in harmony.

Meanwhile, the Venetian — combining Select Aperitivo, prosecco and soda — proved lighter, brighter and ideal for easing into the meal.

Both fit the restaurant's Italian-American identity perfectly — if you're coming for pizza, starting with one of these feels like the right move.

MUST-TRY DISHES

Whatever you order at Spring Street, you’re in for a treat — the base underpinning all of the pies is truly excellent, a perfect balance between crisp bite and satisfying stretch. The phrase “this is a life changing pizza” was thrown around by my dining partner, and it’d be difficult to argue otherwise. Alongside some Perello Manzanilla olive openers, we tucked away:

Fried Breadcrumbed Mozzarella Sticks (£8)

Spring Street's sticks arrive golden and crunchy, paired with house marinara sauce, hot honey and a snowfall of 22-month parmesan. The contrast between molten cheese, sweet honey and savoury parmesan makes them dangerously moreish.

New Yorker Pizza (£34, 18-inch)

One half of our enormous pizza featured the restaurant's signature New Yorker combination of San Marzano tomato, fior di latte mozzarella, pepperoni, Pecorino Romano and hot honey. The pepperoni curls crisped beautifully, while the honey added just enough sweetness to cut through the richness, a hint of heat keeping things interesting. It's exactly the kind of pizza that explains why New York-style pies have such devoted fans, and the don’t-miss highlight of the menu.

Fennel Sausage Pizza (£36, 18-inch)

The second half showcased pork and fennel sausage alongside scamorza, Pecorino Romano, friarielli, Calabrian chilli flakes and guindilla pepper salsa. Where the New Yorker leans comforting and familiar, this one delivers greater, earthy complexity. The fennel notes, smoky cheese and gentle chilli warmth create a pizza that's packed with flavour, but not so heavy as to enter roast-dinner-on-a-pizza territory. Those two made for a great duo in a half-and-half, and we’d certainly recommend ordering a similar combo.

Tiramisu (£8)

Ending with tiramisu felt obligatory (if a little bit excessive after the very-filling pizza), but it still managed to impress. Mascarpone mousse layered with Marsala-soaked savoiardi and bourbon coffee brought together richness, bitterness and sweetness in all the right proportions. Light enough not to finish you off, indulgent enough to justify every calorie.

Honourable mention: The dips (£6.50 for 3)

The best in the business. Green Goddess has a light basil pesto freshness, Confit Garlic Aioli is perky and zingy, while the Jalapenos & Sour Cream dip adds some kick that cheese-covered crust. Try them all, you won't regret it.

GET ON THE GUESTLIST?

Spring Street Pizza gets two licked-clean thumbs up from Shortlist. The pizzas are excellent, the atmosphere is lively and friendly and we left instantly planning our next visit. It isn't trying to be London's fanciest pizza restaurant, but its slices would put meals three times the cost to shame. Michelangelo would be proud.

Spring Street Pizza is found at Arch 32, Southwark Quarter, Southwark St, London SE1 1TE, and is open Tuesday to Sunday. Reservations can be made through OpenTable, but walk-ins and takeaway are accommodated, too.

• Can you become a wine expert in 2 hours? We put a quick-fire tasting session with the pros to the test (and get 5 expert tips)

A new wine bar is coming to central London next month as Ebi Wines announces it is to open up shop on 15th July.

Ebi Wines will live at 5a Rosebery Avenue, nearby Farringdon tube station. It's named after "a Japanese colour name of grapes."

It’s notable as the venture of Raku Oda, who was previously Assistant Head Sommelier at Heston Blumenthal’s three-Michelin-star The Fat Duck in Bray.

Oda posted a farewell message to The Fat Duck team on social media just a few days ago, suggesting the Ebi Wines founder is now putting all of his time into this new venture.

But this isn’t the start of Ebi Wines. It has already held wine tastings and pop-up events at Teto Studio in Islington, before announcing these new venue plans in April.

Ebi Wines will be open Wednesday to Saturday from 5pm to 10:30pm and on Sundays, which will see it serve from 3pm to 9:30pm.

Takeaway too?

A recent commercial listing for the site suggests it’s a 452 square feet space — Ebi Wines is going be intimate, as the venue’s own recent work-in-progress Instagram posts suggest.

The site was previously home to another wine bar, one called Emanuelle.

It opened in 2023 and was a 24-cover venue, giving us some idea as to how many of us may be able to cram into Ebi Wines next month.

The Ebi Wines website is a bare-bones affair at present, but does describe the business as a “wine bar + shop” suggesting it could be as useful for preparing for a dinner party as heading out for a glass or two,.

Wines that have featured in previous tastings under the Ebi Wines banner include the Pieropan 2023 Soave Classico La Rocca, which tends to sell for up to £40 a bottle, and the £80-a-go Mullinueaux Granite Syrah. This is unlikely to be the place for cheap plonk.

• Can you become a wine expert in 2 hours? We put a quick-fire tasting session with the pros to the test (and get 5 expert tips)

If you thought the second coming of Sam Ryder in a resurrected Jesus Christ Superstar was a miraculous booking for musical lovers in London's West End, count your blessings for this latest update on the revived show. Lloyd Webber’s legendary musical has announced possibly the most stacked lineup of guest stars for the role of King Herod.

It was previously announced that Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Richard Armitage, Boy George, Layton Williams and Julian Clary would be sharing the role of King Herod, but now a starry slew of guests have been confirmed as joining the cast too.

Star of White Collar Matt Bomer will be joining in the regal role on 16th of October, with this performance marking his West End debut.

He’ll pass the baton onto National Treasure Rob Brydon on 2nd November with BAFTA winning Comedian Reece Shearsmith taking over the following week until 14th November, with Michael Ball, Omid Djalili and Bob The Drag Queen also on the lineup for the run.

The musical, which was last performed in London’s West End in 2019, is kicking off its run on 22nd June at The London Palladium before transferring to Theatre Royal Drury Lane in October. The production first ran in Regent’s Open Air Theatre before transferring, with Sam Ryder in the titular role.

Written by legendary dramaturgs Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, the show follows the events of the last days of the life of Jesus Christ, as seen through the eyes of Judas. Known as more of a rock opera than a traditional musical, the production includes generation defining hits like I Don’t Know How to Love Him, and Superstar.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson who will be kicking off the run is best known for starring in Modern Family, and has been the recipient of a Tony Award for his role in Take Me Out on Broadway. The collective awards cabinet for the cast doesn’t stop there though, with British actor Simon Russel Beale bringing his three Olivier Awards, two BAFTAs, and Tony Award to the production too. Michael Ball OBE is a double Olivier Award-winning singer and actor having scooped up Best Actor in a Musical for his performances as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray, and not forgetting Layton Williams' Olivier award too. Just to name a few.

Whether you’re a musicals nerd or someone who loves gawping at celebs in real life, the lineup is pretty glitzy, with some of the biggest names in the biz all on one billing. From Drag Race winning queens to actual Sirs and comedians, there is literally no bad night to go and see the musical.

Tickets are currently on sale starting at £28 for the binoculars-probably-required seats, although a front-row sweat-and-spit-receiving-distance seat will come with a slightly higher price tag, between £195 and £245.

The full list of Herods:

• Jesse Tyler Ferguson (20 Jun – 11 Jul) at The London Palladium
  Richard Armitage (13 Jul – 1 Aug & 8 Aug) at The London Palladium
  Boy George (3 – 15 Aug) at The London Palladium
  Layton Williams (17 – 29 Aug) at The London Palladium
  Julian Clary (31 Aug – 5 Sep) at The London Palladium
  Matt Bomer (16 – 31 Oct) at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
  Rob Brydon (2 – 7 Nov) at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
  Reece Shearsmith (9 – 14 Nov) at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
  Bob The Drag Queen (16 – 21 Nov) at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
  Michael Ball (23 Nov – 5 Dec) at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
  Simon Russell Beale (7 – 12 Dec) at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
  Omid Djalili (14 – 19 Dec) at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
  Layton Williams (21 Dec – 2 Jan) at Theatre Royal Drury Lane

You can browse and buy tickets for all performances via London Box Office's website .

• London's Madame Tussauds is getting a 4D Jumanji experience

Fancy owning a piece of music history? Christie’s is holding a London auction later this year that will see many of Johnny Marr’s guitars sold.

It’s catchily titled Marr’s Guitars: The Johnny Marr Collection and one of the top items in the auction is the 1982 Rickenbacker 330 Jetglo Marr used on classic The Smiths singles including This Charming Man and What Difference Does It Make?.

Marr has owned the guitar since 1983, and it’s estimated to sell for £60,000-80,000.

It’s not the guitar expected to go for the most money, though. That accolade goes to Marr’s 1960 Cherry Red Gibson ES-355, which was apparently bought for Marr by record company exec Seymour Stein as a sweetener for signing to the Sire Records label in 1984.

Christie’s has put a £100,000 - £150,000 estimate on the guitar.

Marr’s Guitars: The Johnny Marr Collection is made up of 95 lots including around 80 guitars. It’s an absolute whopper of an auction.

And, ever a good egg, Marr will donate a chunk of the money to charity.

“Johnny Marr will donate 100% of the hammer price of 10 lots to benefit The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and The National Autistic Society,” says Christie’s — although we don’t know how high-value those lots are.

Other guitars up for grabs include a 1984 Gibson Les Paul Standard used on Meat is Murder, expected to go for up to £120,000, and a custom Telecaster shape guitar made by luthier Roger Griffin, as seen on a Top of the Pops performance by The Smiths. Its upper estimate is £30,000.

Several guitars used as part of the recording process for Marr’s upcoming The Age of Everything are up for auction too. It was announced last week and is due out on 2nd October.

Marr’s Guitars: The Johnny Marr Collection is going on tour — that’s right, the guitar collection, not the man himself — to New York, where it will be displayed from 25th June to 1st July at Christie’s in the city.

It will come to London, for a public viewing at Christie’s from 9th to 16th September, ahead of the auction itself on 17th September at 2pm.

“Writing Marr’s Guitars in 2023 gave me the perfect excuse to bring all of these instruments together, to tell their stories, revisit the songs, shows and unforgettable moments they’ve brought me, and that I’ve shared with remarkable people in studios and on stages around the world,” says Marr.

“It’s bittersweet to be parting with these guitars but I want them to go to new homes and new people who will love them as much as I have. I hope they bring as much joy, inspiration and fun – and new songs – as they have given me.”

We expect to see the the full catalogue of items published on the Christie’s website within the coming weeks.

Marr’s own live tour begins at the end of this week, kicking off with a gig at Middenvijver Park in Belgium on Sunday. It’s capped off with a concert at Ovo Arena in Wembley on 24th October, the largest of his solo career to date.

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

Thanks to Emily in Paris, everyone is far more familiar with the coveted guide La Liste. It’s essentially a guide of the coolest and most chic tastemakers and eateries across the world. There are literally a staggering number of awards and accolades being dished out for London’s many restaurants, bakeries, and bars but you know that if the French rate it, it’s got to be seriously distinguished. One brilliant London bakery has been listed in the 2026 edition, marking it as one of the finest in the world, and it’s nestled in one of the city's oldest arcades.

Le Café by Nicolas Rouzard has been selected as one of the spots on La (uber prestigious) Liste. La Liste gives out annual accolades across eleven different pastry-related categories – collecting the crème de la crème of croissants, cronuts, and cracking patisserie. Le Café which is located inside Piccadilly’s gorgeous Burlington Arcade clinched the title of Pastry & Bakery Opening of the Year, proving that maybe London can compete with calorific perfection of French viennoiserie – albeit if there’s a French chef at the helm.

Nicolas Rouzard was previously the executive pastry chef at bougie London hotel The Connaught, serving up perfect pastries inside the Mayfair jaunt. He’s known for his fruit-focused pastries, with every creation crafted with a “profound respect for French culinary traditions”.

Le Cafe marks his first solo adventure, opening up in January of 2026 serving up high-end pastries, stunning savoury brioches, and dessert-inspired coffees. Things like classic croissants and more adventurous Pineapple Banana Upside Down Cake pastries are on the menu, apprently inspired by Rouzard’s childhood, bringing French soul and culture to the cafe. As well as the expected petit dejuner, the cafe also serves up lunch and cocktails so you can euromaxx without leaving London.

Le Cafe was awarded the title alongside two other notable spots which included Maison Devoille in Dubai and Blue Box Cafe in Tokyo.

La Liste was founded in 2015 and has featured more than 35,000 restaurants, 7,00 hotels, and 3,00 pastry and bakeries across more than 200 countries. Alongside Le Café, winners included Garuharu in Seoul, Melbourne’s Madeleine de Proust of Hyoju park for Pastry Talent of the Year Award, and Pierre Hermé Paris in Singapore. Another London spot that made the list was Jacqueline at The Chancery Rosewood which won World’s Best Afternoon Tea Award.

You can find out more about La Liste’s 2026 Pastry Awards here.

• London Museum gets November opening date - and some surprising night-time plans

London’s Madame Tussauds will offer a new attraction next month for those visiting during school holidays: a 4D Jumanji experience.

Only a handful of the most important Tussauds venues across the world are getting this one, including Hollywood, Las Vegas, London, New York, and Singapore.

But what is it exactly? The Jumanji: Safari Tours 4D Expedition is a seven minute experience in which a cinema-like presentation is given some extra oomph with 3D, seat motion and “wind, water and more” effects — that’s the fourth of your dimensions for this one.

It arrives ahead of a third Jumanji film in the rebooted Jack Black lineage, Jumanji: Open World, which lands in cinemas on 25th December, 2026. But exactly when it will open in the London Madame Tussauds is still to be confirmed.

“From July” is the wording for the roll-out of Jumanji: Safari Tours 4D Expedition globally, while the Singapore location will get it in “mid-August” for example. Madame Tussauds London is yet to confirm its date.

Welcome to the jungle

Jumanji: Safari Tours 4D Expedition features Jumanji actor Rhys Darby — because who can afford the Rock’s or Jack Black’s rates? — as he takes you on a wildlife tour that includes scenes with ostriches, anacondas and rhinos.

“Visitors will embark on an immersive jungle tour that quickly spirals into humorous chaos that can only be found in the universe of Jumanji,” reads the experience’s description.

“At Merlin, bringing iconic entertainment franchises to life is central to what we do. With this new Jumanji 4D cinematic experience, we’re bringing families together through play by taking them deeper into the jungle action than ever before,” says Paul Moreton, Chief Development Officer at Merlin Entertainments, which runs Madame Tussauds.

The Jumanji attraction will be offered as part of a standard Madame Tussauds ticket. Book online and these will cost you £32.38 per adult or £29.31 for kids in July — although prices vary slightly based on date and time.

Alternatively, Merlin annual passes start at £139 per person, and offer access to other sites including Alton Towers and Chessington World of Adventures too. There’s currently a summer sale on for the more expensive tiers of passes too, which provide less restricted access to Merlin’s locations.

• A historic ship is coming to London, and you can visit it this July

Soon the Barbican centre won’t be the only real reason to alight at the Barbican tube station, with the London Museum set to open soon.

The London Museum’s new Smithfield Market location will open on 28th November, joining the current London Docklands museum.

It inhabits a space that used to be part of Smithfield Market, which has spent the last few years going through a major renovation and all-round rethink.

The museum will of course focus on London and its history, reaching right back to Roman times. You’ll be able to check out a floor mosaic and fresco, which have been uncovered after 2000 years.

In what the London Museum is calling a “world first” you can also watch tube trains pass by through a massive 6m-long window.

It’s planned to be much more than just a staid museum too, with a “day to night” programme of events in the Our Time section of the museum. The Fabric nightclub, Punchdrunk Enrichment theatre company and Morley’s chicken are all on the list of planned partnerships.

There are places to eat and drink too, while a monthly “dinner club” will begin from January 2027.

If this is all starting to sound nothing like a museum, the London Museum in Smithfield Market will have 13 “anchor displays” that feature “snapshots" representing iconic aspects and areas of London.

A big part of the initial focus on the London Museum will be on food, though. Its first wave of “guest editors” include food writers Ruby Tandoh and Jonathan Nunn, who are helping to steer the London Tastes section of the museum. It’s all about the “intersections of food and social change” in the global food city that is London, and will run from the museum’s opening to August 2027.

If you can’t wait for the new London Museum to open, you can visit the Docklands museum at West India Quay. It’s free to enter, and features all sorts of historic exhibits with a focus on the docks, trade during the time of empire and World War 2.

• Two London museums have been announced as finalists for the Museum of the Year prize

Ready to time warp back 500 years? You can do just that with a visit to the Nao Victoria in London next month.

The Nao Victoria is a replica of a real ship that sailed the seas back in the 1500s. It set sail from Seville in 1519, and spent a few years crossing the globe before returning to Seville in 1522.

This replica of that slice of history was constructed in 1991, and is set to arrive in St Katharine’s Docks on 30th June.

It will spend a couple of weeks there, and you can tour its decks while it’s there. With the current online discount you can pick up Adult tickets for 10.15 Euro, kids for 5.55 Euro and a family pass (up to five) for 23.95 Euro. You can book from 30th June to 12th July.

That currency pricing is a clue that the Nao Victoria spends its life touring around different ports and countries, rather than sticking to these shores. And it has done for a couple of decades now.

“This replica of the Nao Victoria started in 2004 another trip around the globe starting from Seville. Up to 26,894 miles were covered during 2004 to 2006 visiting 17 countries. The replica of the Nao Victoria was the first historical replica to circumnavigate the Earth,” writes Fundación Nao Victoria.

It is a proper globetrotter/paddler. What do you get with a ticket? A “self-guided” tour of the Neo Victoria’s three decks. And its arranged like a floating museum, with info panels that tell the story of the ship.

It’s not the only historical replica doing the rounds in the coming weeks either. You’ll find the Nao Santa Maria docked in Shoreham from 1st to 12th July, while El Galeon is currently bimbling around Northern Ireland — docking at Warrenpoint and Derry this month.

If you’re not going to be around for Nao Victoria’s stint, you can always check out London’s more permanent boaty residents — Greenwich’s Cutty Sark and the Golden Hinge nearby London Bridge. Both are well worth a visit.

• Christopher Columbus replica ship is touring the UK — and we climbed aboard

It’s almost hard to believe that David Nicholls’ heartbreaking love story One Day came out in 2009, given the numerous adaptations and cultural status it holds. The 2024 Netflix adaptation starring Leo Woodall and Ambika Mod caused the whole nation to collectively swoon, root for and cry over the mismatched but soul-destined couple. Now, the novel is heading for another adaptation, heading to London’s West End for a musical.

For anyone who hasn’t seen the film, series, read the book, or been subjected to a friend haphazardly attempt to recall the plot, One Day follows the lives of Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morley who meet and spend the night together as students on 5th July (St Swithin's Day) in 1988 and follows the ups and downs of their tangled lives across the next twenty years.

The musical is coming down from Edinburgh where it ran in the Lyceum Theatre. It had a pretty starry team behind it, with playwright David Greig wrote the book (he’s also the theatre’s artistic director), Amanda Sudano and Abner Ramirez responsible for the songs, and Max Webster – whose West End credits include Life of Pi and The Importance of being Ernest – directing.

Two bona-fide West End stars are in the leading the cast, with Jamie Muscato (current Emcee in Cabaret), and Sharon Rose (who you might recognise from Hamilton) taking on the roles of Dexter and Emma. The whole musical will be moving into the Garrick Theatre, starting its run on November 17th and currently has performances scheduled until March 14th.

One Day the musical will be taking over from the West End revival of Mel Brooks' The Producers, which will be wrapping up its run in September.

Anyone who is a fan of industry gossip (read: everyone) will be interested to know the lore behind this show; it drew some controversy in its early Edinburgh run as critics weren’t invited to the run, as the team wanted to keep the reviews (and presumably opinions) fresh for the London transfer. Whilst mysterious, it does mean there’s no real chatter about whether the adaptation is worth a watch, but given the creative team and cast behind it and the fact that the original run was extended by two weeks, it’s looking promising.

Tickets are already on sale, with prices starting at £30 and ranging up to £110 for the smack-bang-in-front-of-the-stage seats.

• Picturehouse Cinema is opening up its biggest London venue for another legendary all-nighter

Is cinema officially cool again? It may be 90% down to Letterboxd, but going to the cinema has once again risen through the ranks of glorified binge-watching to being a respected hobby with cultural cache. Speaking of cache, Picturehouse Cinema is cache-ing on this, hosting another huge event celebrating all things cinema. Picturehouse Central in Piccadilly is opening its doors all night long this weekend for seven unmissable movie marathons and film-fanatic-antics.

Dubbed The World’s Biggest All-Nighter, this is definitely a step up from the teenage days of trying to watch all eight Harry Potter films / every single LOTR movie at a sleepover fuelled solely by popcorn and Cadbury buttons. Kicking off on Saturday 20th, Picturehouse Central will be opening up all seven screens with a distinct programme of classics and favourites, as well as special hosts and some big surprises. But probably good surprises, unlike the sugar rush vomiting surprise of your teenage movie marathons.

Anyone who had wattpad downloaded in circa 2010 will know that no movie night marathon will be complete without a Twilight Saga marathon, and luckily Picturehouse knows it. Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn: Part One, and Breaking Dawn: Part Two will be a key part of the lineup alongside Nouvelle Vague classics, horror, anime, and more.

The current programme lineup includes:

• Witching Hour Horror
• Anime All-Stars
• The Twilight Saga
• Transmission Presents Cult Classics and Genre Filmmaking
• Jacques Rivette’s Out 1: Noli Me Tangere in full
• Two potluck screenings – one dedicated to all-time classics, and one showing exclusive previews

Tickets cost £35.85 for the event, and tickets for any of the All Nighter screens include free tea and coffee all night to help you keep hooked all night, as well as giveaways and surprises. Each screen will have a host for the night who will introduce each film, and there will be plenty of breaks across the night.

You can get tickets via Picturehouse website.

• Cult creamy faves Hackney Gelato have teamed up with this London bar for boozy milkshake style cocktails

London has spent the last few years turning just about everything into an immersive experience. We've had immersive theatre, immersive art galleries, immersive Van Gogh, immersive dinosaurs and more immersive versions of The Great Gatsby than anyone could reasonably ask for.

A new exhibition called TIMEWALK is heading to London this July, promising to take visitors on a journey through some of humanity's most influential civilisations, from the world's earliest known temple complex to the pyramids of Ancient Egypt and the giant stone heads of Easter Island.

Unlike your average museum visit, the idea isn't to stand behind a rope reading information panels. The goal is to make you feel like you've actually stepped into these ancient worlds.

Opening at Immerse LDN at the Excel Waterfront, TIMEWALK has been designed as a fully immersive walk-through experience that uses large-scale visuals, surround sound, cinematic storytelling and interactive environments to bring thousands of years of human history back to life.

The journey begins at Göbeklitepe, the extraordinary archaeological site in modern-day Turkey that's widely considered one of the oldest known temple complexes on Earth. Dating back more than 11,000 years, it predates Stonehenge by several millennia and has fundamentally changed our understanding of when organised human civilisation began.

From there, visitors move through a series of ancient cultures that helped shape the world as we know it.

Expect to pass through the mighty city gates of Babylon, explore the beliefs and rituals of Ancient Egypt, discover how the Maya civilisation used mathematics and astronomy to understand the cosmos, and learn about the cultural significance of the famous Moai statues on Rapa Nui.

The exhibition's creators say they've deliberately moved away from presenting these civilisations as collections of dusty artefacts and ruined buildings. Instead, TIMEWALK aims to recreate them as living places full of people, movement and stories.

That means visitors might find themselves sailing along the Nile at sunset, wandering through bustling ancient streets or standing beneath monuments recreated at full scale.

It's a concept that feels increasingly popular as museums and cultural institutions look for new ways to engage audiences who have grown up expecting experiences rather than information. Whether you're a history buff or someone whose knowledge of ancient civilisations begins and ends with whatever happened in The Mummy, the idea is to make the past feel immediate and accessible.

The exhibition comes from DEM Museums, the team behind the award-winning Hagia Sophia History and Experience Museum and Ephesus Experience Museum, both of which use immersive technology to reinterpret major historical sites for modern audiences.

According to DEM chief executive Eda Bildiricioglu, the goal is to tell the story of civilisation through a contemporary lens while remaining rooted in archaeological research.

A 25-language audio guide will also be available, helping visitors navigate what is essentially a globe-spanning journey through thousands of years of human development.

TIMEWALK is the latest addition to Immerse LDN, the growing entertainment district that's become one of London's biggest homes for large-scale immersive experiences. The venue says it has already welcomed more than 1.7 million visitors since launching, and TIMEWALK looks set to be one of its most ambitious projects yet.

Because while we've all seen ancient history in books, documentaries and museums, it's not every day you get the chance to walk through it.

TIMEWALK opens in July 2026 at Immerse LDN, Excel Waterfront. Tickets start from £28.50 for adults and £22.70 for children.

• Drinks by the Dram just launched a Whisky Library – and it’s a book lover’s (boozy) dream

London has plenty of fantastic nights out, but nothing hits that cultured-but-cool mark quite like a jazz-fusion evening. Even cooler if it’s one of those elusive, pop-up style events which deals exclusively in residencies. Soul Mama was one of these nights, bringing jazz, soul, gospel, reggae and more from emerging artists and touring stars to bring the best of live music to London’s streets. Now it’s heading to its first ever permanent site.

Founded by musician and broadcaster YolanDa Brown OBE DL, Soul Mama originally started in the ground floor of the Gantry hotel in Stratford, as a brief musical residency. Now, the unrivalled music night is heading to its first permanent site over in Islington.

Continuing its tradition of being iconic, Soul Mama has already teased the lineup for its inaugural season; this year, Soul Mama Islington will feature performances from the likes of Omar, Susan Carol, Mica Paris, Etana, Citrus Sun and Avery*Sunshine alongside Najee, Brit Funk Association, Ray Gelato & the Giants and Syd Lawrence Orchestra. Alongside the live music, comedy and spoken word, Soul Mama Islington will host its famous Motown, Gospel Choir and Afrobeats live brunches.

The space itself spans a chunky 3600 square footage, with floor to ceiling windows which offer up views over Chapel Market. The venue has a 150-person capacity, starting as a spacious restaurant during the day, and transforming into its signature, intimate live music venue by night. The food is heavily inspired by the music, fusing tastes of Africa, the Caribbean, and South America; it will be serving up small plates like Braised Lamb, a Jerk Wing Pit which offers a delectable roulette wheel of flavours from fiery Scotch Bonnet and Mango to smoky Rum BBQ. Bigger plates like Coconut Curry Chicken and Argentinian Smoke Gaucho Jerk Chicken are on offer.

YolanDa Brown OBE DL is possibly one of the most accomplished people around, not only bringing Soul Mama to life, but is also a saxophinist, broadcaster, two time MOBO winner, and chairs the BRIT Awards and Mercury Prize. Talking about the new venue, she said it “will be a real joy to bring more music, culture and connection to such a vibrant and spirited destination. Islington is about to get even more soul”.

Soul Mamma Islington is located at 21 Parkfield Street, N1 0PS, with a second location in Stratford also in the works, expected to open in August 2026. You can book tickets for the performances here.

• Cult creamy faves Hackney Gelato have teamed up with this London bar for boozy milkshake style cocktails

London is a hotbed for fantastic venues for live music – everything from the sweaty back room at the Dublin Castle in Camden to the pomp and circumstance of my favourite, the Royal Albert Hall, and the immense scale of the O2 in Greenwich.

However, for as long as I've been going to gigs in London (and that's quite a bit over the last 15 years), I've often felt it was missing a venue. London has lots of theatres with a sub-3000 capacity – think the Palladium, Lyceum and such – and then some slightly larger halls, such as the Hammersmith Apollo and Royal Albert Hall that push 4000 to 6000 people in one room.

• 10 best London music venues for seeing unsigned bands

Above that, and you're getting into arena territory with the O2 and Wembley Arena. It's the gap between the Palladium and the Albert Hall that's difficult to fill.

That's where the new British Airways Arc comes in. The first venue of its kind to be built in London for the best part of a decade, with a sweet-spot 3,800 capacity situated at the Olympia in west London, that's sitting on a site with more musical heritage than people realise. The likes of Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd and the Cure all played in Olympia's West Hall (where the Arc is situated atop), and in more recent years, it's played host to Richard Ashcroft and Alicia Keys, amongst the sea of trade shows that usually occupy the venue.

It's part of a hefty £1.3 billion renovation to the Olympia site, where I'm told that a concert venue of some form was central to the plans, reviving Olympia's musical heritage in a thoroughly modern manner. This is all part of an idea to make the exhibition hall into more of a destination – Birmingham has tried it with the NEC complex, adding the Resorts World outlet shopping centre and the associated BP Pulse arena a decade or so ago, but it feels a bit soulless considering it's mostly shut before doors open for a show at the arena.

On the other hand, the Olympia already has several venues open for business, and with a good variety, too. Everything from coffee and fried chicken to Japanese cuisine and beyond, with Wolves of Tokyo, a rooftop Japanese restaurant and bar from the Incipio Group, as the marquee opening. The space already feels alive with a clean and modern feel, and is worth checking out on its own. I recommend arriving an hour or so before doors to make the most of it.

What's on

The opening season AEG is going for reflects the ambition to revive Olympia's musical fortunes. There's an excellent spread of artists for the venue's opening season – Self Esteem has opened up this week, with the likes of McFly, Zac Brown Band and The Black Keys to follow. Van Morrison is down for a five-night residency in a more intimate setting, while there's also a jazz festival partnership featuring Branford Marsalis and Dianne Reeves towards the back end of 2026. AEG's target is 200 events a year, meaning this could be the hustling and bustling venue to see your favourite artist in a new and different setting.

AEG has said the venue is built for multi-night runs and that the idea of artists having residencies is arguably the whole point of the venue. It's designed to attract arena sellers to a smaller space, potentially encouraging a different kind of show with a better atmosphere. Van Morrison is a prime example, as is the rarely seen Zac Brown Band – a country artist not seen at a standalone UK show in the best part of a decade, the last of which was at Wembley Arena, outside of sporadic country festival appearances at the O2. If they're selling out the Arc in the next week or so, that's an indication of things to come.

The best seats in the house

Once inside, you wouldn't know it's a nearly 4,000-capacity venue. It doesn't feel particularly big. The entire bowl is wide and deep, rather than narrow and high, feeling closer to the Roundhouse in Camden than a traditional theatre. The balcony is quite modest in scale, stretching back for only a handful of rows, and there isn't necessarily a bad seat in the house – I sat in a good few to check! There's a gentle rake, too, and good legroom between rows. If you're at the extreme side at the top, though, in seats 85 to 91 or so, just beware that they sit close enough to the stage that a large speaker may affect your view a bit. Of course, as time goes on, we're going to see photos from folks inside with specific seat and row numbers, but just a small tip for you.

If you're happy to spend a bit more and want to sit in the balcony, then the Arc has specific 'Front Row' seating – a lowered section at the front of the balcony with clean sightlines and no one in front of you.

For an even plusher option, there's the British Airways Wing, which is genuinely one of my favourite parts of the venue. It features a private bar serving made-to-order cocktails with its own lounge area that sits at the literal side of the stage – like the backstage viewing area you see well-to-do people using at Glastonbury.

Once the show's about to begin, you get your own little pen of even plusher seats that look more like ones you've found in a nice cinema than a concert venue. It's available via the Premium Seating option through AXS when buying tickets for certain shows — allocations are likely to be very limited, so you'll need to move quickly when a show goes on sale.

Downstairs, the floor is standing, but can be changed to seated arrangements for certain shows. It's a big, wide and open space, complete with ample opportunity to buy things, with a large bar and merchandise stand right as you go in the main auditorium door. Moving down the side is a self-serve bar if you don't want to deal with large queues with contactless payment terminals to make it as easy as possible to get that pre-show pint down your neck.

Comfort and accessibility

One thing I wasn't expecting was how much standing room there is outside of the main bowl, and that the bar areas and such are slightly raised up by a couple of steps against the main room. There are lots of spaces to lean with your drink, a few steps away from the back of the main standing bowl, and you get a surprisingly good sightline, especially with the stage being 1.7 metres high – that's higher than a lot of other venues. If you still want a good view without the hassle of being in a mosh pit, the rear standing area could be the play.

The venue has 37 accessible spaces on the ground floor at the side of the room, too, by the self-service bar, and you get good views in your own designated section, rather than having to deal with the problem of potentially being stuck behind a pillar in other venues.

Admittedly, it's a small thing, but the fact that the entire venue is air-conditioned makes a difference, especially with it opening at the height of summer. At this time of year, older halls can be very hot and stuffy in the summer months, especially as places in this country are mostly designed to keep heat in, rather than get rid of it. It's a small thing that will make a noticeable difference on a hot night.

If you're not already a member, it's worth signing up to the BA Club – British Airways' free membership scheme. As well as earning points on flight bookings, holidays and other things, you can also collect Avios if you spend at selected bars and restaurants across the new Olympia complex. From 22nd June, you can earn 10 Avios per £1 spent, which seems like a no-brainer if you're saving up points for a reward flight and want to maximise your earnings. Likewise, you also get access to your own specific presale for when artists go on sale at the Arc, giving you another route to book tickets to a show.

Getting there

One last tip is on public transport. To navigate to the Arc, you're genuinely best using public transport. On-street parking directly outside is restricted to permit holders until 10pm, ruling out most gig-goers. You've otherwise got a couple of options, with the Kensington Olympia station being served on the Mildmay Overground line, a branch of the District line on certain days and weekends, and Southern Rail's National Rail services. Otherwise, it's a short walk from Barons Court station on the Piccadilly line, which is useful if you're coming from central London or connecting from Heathrow, for instance.

Overall, I think the British Airways Arc is a genuinely worthwhile addition to London's entertainment landscape with a modern and considered feel that's unlike a lot of the other venues we've seen in London over the years. It's a little early to tell whether folks will seek it out for the wide, open room itself, for the pre-gig dining options, or simply because their favourite artist happens to book it. However, on the evidence of what's here already, the foundations are solid, and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens with it in the future.

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

Drinks companies have been working real alchemy recently, turning those slightly wacky dreams you have (like a swimming pool but it’s lemonade instead of water) into reality. First it was Peroni’s sculpture on Southbank which dispensed actual pints, then the Italian inspired fresco mural which had beer flowing from it, now we have a tequila-only vending machine.

Patron has teamed up with London club 77 to launch the PATRÓN Tequila Lounge and it comes with the UK’s first-ever PATRON El Alto vending machine. The new experience will dispense 5cl bottles of PATRON El Alto, PATRÓN Silver, PATRÓN Reposado and PATRÓN XO Cafe, so there is plenty to choose from. The idea is that you can have a mini taste test of the spirit in a more fun way than being brought little glasses on a tray.

The new lounge itself is an immersive space that brings together two classics: live music venues and tequila. Whilst headlines may be screaming that late-night venues in the capital are on the brink of extinction, Marylebone’s 77 is bringing classy raving back to the forefront. The lounge is perched on the second floor of the building, with a custom mural donning the walls, and a panoramic view stretching out past the dance floor (if you can see through it past all the bodies trying to dance in time to the beat).

Kicking off on 19th June, the lounge is opening up with a headliner that’s just as exciting as adorable miniature, individual tequila bottles. London artist Nafe Smallz will be performing a DJ set, with tickets available to the public to come down and party.

77 will have plenty of events running across summer, with Meloko performing on Saturday 20th, house music masters Luch & Omri on 4th July, and TeeDee bringing the bassline on 10th July. Unlike your bog-standard

Like all vending machines, you’ll be looking longingly at the price before eventually tapping your card against a reader that took you a couple of tries to successfully locate. PATRÓN'S vending offering looks as though it won’t be any different, with the tequila minis set to retail at £60 – although that looks as though that's for the full quartet, not per 5cl bottle.

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I could smell the smoke as I approached Twickenham stadium as it towered over the surrounding houses. The scent of low and slow meat filled the air, tantalising passers-by, and setting the taste-buds on a recon mission for some deftly-charred meats.

Fume is not only London’s largest BBQ festival, but it’s the biggest in Europe, hosted this year over a long weekend in the shadow of the home of rugby. The annual event features 30 of the best barbecue pit masters the world has to offer, and is spearheaded by social foodie phenomenon Eating With Tod.

Fortunately, I was heading to where the smoked meats were being cooked and, as it turned out, I learned a thing or two just in time for BBQ season.

Hosted at the Pit Boss stand, I met East London-born Jack Rowbottom, who runs Jack’s Meat Shack in Sudbury, Suffolk. He’d prepared melt-in-your-mouth, 12 hour smoked Wagyu brisket on the Austin XL wood pellet grill, and four hour smoked honey, butter and coffee ribs — and we were along not only to taste it, but to get a master class from one of the best in the business, too.

While the meat shone, I’m now considering investing in the Austin XL. As someone who loves low and slow meats, but doesn’t have the fire skill or patience to tend to a wood-burning fire for hours on end, this could be the answer:

Once I’d finished gawping at the grills, Jack had me making a smash burger while imparting his top tips for your smashed patties and BBQs this summer.

5 top tips for perfect smash burgers

1. Embrace the fat

Jack says “fatty mince is key. Go to the supermarket and look for something with 20% fat. Some supermarket chains do 25%, but I think you lose a bit of flavour with that, so 20% would be my goal.”

He mentions beef is his go-to, but you can try other meat. “Pork can work quite nicely, but you need the fat content there.”

You can also use leaner meat - Jack suggests turkey or chicken thigh mince, ideally something with a line of fat running through it - but you’ll need to season the cooking surface with fat to help the flavour. He recommends Spanish avocado oil, as it has a high smoke point. You’ll want to watch the heat, and don’t cook leaner meat as high as it’ll dry out.

2. Don’t get greedy

I was presented with a 100g ball of 20% fat rib cap beef mince to cook my smash burger. No other ingredients, no binders, just pure beef. And you don’t want much more mince than that per burger, as Jack explained.

“I would go no bigger than 125g, because then you lose the thinness of the smashed patty.” Stick to his recommended weights and “the thinner, crispier and quicker your smash burger will cook.”

3. Hot and flat

When it comes to preparing your smash burger cooking surface, Jack notes you need a “nice hot, flat surface”.

I cooked my smash burger on the Pit Boss Griddle, but you can just as easily do one at home “with a cast iron pan or something that can conduct the heat really well. Stainless steel pans work nicely, [as does] carbon steel.”

4. No touching!

Patience is key when making the perfect smash burger, so don’t be tempted to move the meat around too much.

“The key is to let the ball of meat sit, render a bit of fat out of it, then press it nice and flat (we’re talking millimetres thin) against the surface”. And don’t press it more than once. Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper then “don’t touch it”, Jack tells me as I close the lid of the griddle. “You want the meat to form a reaction, a bit of a caramelisation, and then it will release naturally from the surface.”

Once it’s ready, flip it, add salt, pepper and cheese to the top and cover again to allow it to steam. As Jack says, it’s “really simple. It’s a quick process.”

If you don’t have one of the best BBQs with a lid, you can instead use a frying pan with a lid, or a burger cloche, to trap in the heat while the patty cooks.

5. Have everything ready

And finally, once your smashed patty is ready, you’ll want to plate it up as soon as possible and tuck in. Jack says “have everything ready, have all your sides and bits and pieces done so you don’t have to run around, get your cheese out the wrap and all that.”

Lightly toast your burger buns next to the burger as it’s finishing off, allowing the bread to soak up some of the fat and gain structural integrity, ready to hold the burger and any other sauces and toppings you want to add.

3 top BBQ tips for your summer cookouts

After tasting Jack’s work, I wasn’t letting him out of my sight until I’d got his advice on how I can elevate all the other elements of my BBQ this summer. Thankfully, he was more than happy to oblige. Here are his key points to consider.

1. Master two zone cooking

“Whatever you’re cooking on, have half the grill hot and half the grill not hot” Jack tells me. “That way you have a zone to roast, and a zone to grill.”

I’m certainly guilty of firing up the barbecue and just letting the heat rip across the whole surface, which tends to deliver varying results.

As Jack explains, with two zones “you have a safe zone - so if you’re doing something really fatty like sausages, and cooking them directly over the charcoal for 20 minutes, the fat is going to drip down and you’ll get flames and char - you want to control it. Start them off on the indirect side, close the lid, let them slowly come up to temperature.”

This will get your perfectly cooked meats, instead of the British summertime classic of burnt on the outside and raw in the middle.

2. Know your temperatures

Purely eyeballing your meat on the grill isn’t enough to achieve the perfect cook though, even if you are practising the two zone cooking approach.

“Invest in an instant read thermometer, that way you know your meat is safe to eat, you can nail a perfect steak. If you want it medium, how do you know it’s medium? The temperature.”

It’s a simple, yet effective tip, and with food thermometers starting at less than £10, it’s also an affordable investment.

3. BBQs are more than just the meat

“Don’t overcomplicate things, meat is really simple to cook” Jack says. “Sometimes it’s the sides that make a BBQ. Look at sauces, look at doing things you wouldn’t normally think to do on a BBQ. Do a dessert, do your starters, do a bit of fish.

“Desserts are really nice, because fruit takes on smoke really nicely. It becomes nice and jammy.” And I can attest to that, as I also tried a cocktail infused with pineapple Jack had smoked.

When it comes to cooking outside, Jack concludes “anything you can do in your oven you can do on your BBQ outside, especially if it has a lid.”

• Cult creamy faves Hackney Gelato have teamed up with this London bar for boozy milkshake style cocktails

Got a Worthy Farm-shaped hole in your social calendar? Everywhere at Once is a three-day showcase of incredible music happening nationwide between 26th and 28th June, that might just plug the big Glastonbury gap.

Taking place on what would have been the Glastonbury weekend were 2026 not a fallow year for the Somerset based festival goliath, Everywhere at Once has been organised by the Music Venue Trust, the not-for-profit organisation that champions, supports and promotes grassroots venues.

The event will see a diverse array of established names, cult favourites and up and coming acts play at intimate spaces.

Grassroots venues are the foundation on which our live music scene is built. They’re where the artists of tomorrow cut their teeth and where new scenes and movements are born. This gig series gives you the chance to catch some amazing gigs in fantastic small spaces – supporting the venues, the bands and the future of the UK live music scene.

Below we pick five not to be missed shows happening in London and a further five amazing artists playing in other cities and towns around the country.

London shows

1. STOP THINKING

When: Friday 26th June
Where: 93 Feet East, 150 Brick Lane, E1 6QL

Formed in 2024, London’s STOP THINKING have become one of the UK’s fastest rising indie acts. Known for their energetic live performances, punchy vocals and gutsy riffs, the four piece have turned many heads before even putting out a full-length album. Their impressive rise makes them one of the most electrifying up and coming acts playing at Everywhere at Once. Their set at 93 Feet East may prove to be one of the last chances to see them in a venue of this size.

2. Old Dirty Brasstards present Brasstonbury

When: Friday 26th June
Where: The Garage, 20-22 Highbury Corner, N5 1RD

London based 10-piece tweed wearing brass band Old Dirty Brasstards are known for bringing the party with their dance-inducing takes on well-known pop, rock and hip-hop tunes. Anyone pining for a weekend of musical delight in a Somerset field can’t go wrong with this gig. Cheekily dubbed “Brasstonbury” – the band’s performance is set to draw upon the music of artists who have put in legendary sets at the festival – from The Prodigy to Alanis Morissette and David Bowie to Radiohead and Elton John. This one is sure to be a whole heap of fun. Not to be missed.

3. Master Peace

When: Saturday 27th June
Where: Sebright Arms, 31-35 Cote Street, E2 9AG

Peace Okezie aka Master Peace started turning heads with his vibrant combinations of indie-rock, indie-dance and hip-hop influences around 2018. Hype and anticipation grew as he dropped tunes over a few years and then released his much-anticipated debut full length album How to Make a Master Peace in 2024. Anticipation is building once again as he works towards the October release of his sophomore effort if i don’t love you who will? Catch him at Sebright Arms to hear favourites and new material alike.

4. Omar

When: Saturday 27th June
Where: 229, Great Portland St W1W 5PN

Sometimes referred to as the Godfather of UK Neo-Soul, Omar Lye-Fook, better known simply as Omar has been delighting audiences for decades with his distinctive sound. Masterfully combining various shades of soul and R&B with touches of jazz, funk and more, he has collaborated with the likes of Erykah Badu and Stevie Wonder. Don’t miss this captivating cult UK artist at 229.

5. London Ambient Orchestra

When: Sunday 28th June
Where: St Giles' Church, Camberwell Church Street, SE5 8RB

Offering up a truly immersive experience at St Giles Church, London Ambient Orchestra (LAO) is an experimental collective who weave highly improvised soundscapes that, as the name suggests, exist at the quieter end of things. Numbering anywhere between a dozen and as many as 30 players, depending on the performance LAO features members of Penguin Café and players who have collaborated with cult figures such as Lubomyr Melnyk and Douglas Dare. They also have the approval of ambient music legend William Basinski, who has described their sound as “gorgeous”.

Shows around the UK

6. Jodie Harsh

When: Friday 26th June
Where: Gut Level, 32-34 Chapel Walk, Sheffield, S1 2PD

LGBTQ+ icon, DJ and drag queen Jodie Harsh is known for high energy sets where they play a pumping blend of house, disco, pop and more. Equipped with their signature beehive and good time style, Harsh (who has remixed for everyone from Kylie Minogue to Charli XCX and Rina Sawayama) is sure to bring their trademark sense of fun to Sheffield’s Gut Level on the opening night of the festival.

7. Tinie Tempah (multiple dates)

When: Friday 26th June
Where: 1 St Michael's Road, Byker, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 1QU.

When: Saturday 27th June
Where: Voodoo Daddy’s, 68a London Street, Norwich, NR2 1JT

When: Sunday 28th June
Where: The Brook, Portswood Road, Portswood, Southampton, SO17 3SD

For a few years in the 2010s Tinie Tempah was an inescapable force within the UK scene. The MC fused hip-hop, dance music and pop sensibilities to create huge hits such as ‘Pass Out’ and ‘Written in the Stars’. Years later, he still commands a strong following and is set to be a big draw with his three shows during the festival. The good people of Newcastle upon Tyne, Norwich and Southampton will have a chance to catch him in action on the event’s three days respectively.

8. The Divine Comedy

When: Saturday 27th June
Where: The LCR, Union House, University of East Anglia Norwich, NR4 7TJ

Known for his rye wit, his way with melody and a sense of the grandiose, Derry native Neil Hannon has been releasing records under the name The Divine Comedy to his adoring fanbase for decades at this point. Existing somewhere between chamber-pop and indie, the project is set to be a huge draw during Everywhere at Once. This university venue is admittedly one of the larger spaces playing host to gigs during the series, but it is still an opportunity to see this legendary act in a more intimate setting than usual.

9. Rizzle Kicks

When: Sunday 28th June
Where: Patterns, 10 Marine Parade, Brighton, BN2 1TL

Forming in Brighton in 2008, Rizzle Kicks delivered a series of tunes such as ‘Mama Do The Hump’ and ‘Down With The Trumpets’ that became inescapable pop rap anthems. Splitting after releasing two albums, the duo then reformed in 2024 and have since dropped another record and been delighting audiences with their lively performances. Where better to see them than at a home-town show?

10. Fatboy Slim

Brighton (Date and exact venue TBA)

One of the most tantalising prospects for Everywhere at Once is a set from big beat originator, veteran party starter and Glastonbury staple Mr Norman Cook aka Fatboy Slim. The exact date and venue are being kept closely under wraps. What we do know is that it will be at a grassroots venue in his home city of Brighton. Demand will undoubtedly be huge, but for the lucky few who manage to get into whichever of the south coast city’s excellent intimate venues it turns out to be, they're sure to have a hugely memorable night.

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

Lenny Henry, Jo Brand, Talawa and a major new theatre programme are all part of the East London venue's biggest celebration yet.

Hackney Empire is turning 125 next year, but it's clearly not interested in a quiet birthday.

The iconic East London theatre has unveiled the first details of a huge 16-month anniversary programme, featuring comedy legends, acclaimed theatre productions, community events and ambitious new work, as it sets out a vision to become an even bigger force in London's cultural scene.

Rather than simply looking back, the venue is using the milestone to launch what chief executive Chris Sudworth is calling Hackney:Central. It's a plan designed to place the theatre at the heart of the borough while expanding its role across London's wider arts landscape.

The celebrations officially begin with a launch weekend on the 19th and 20th of September 2026. Expect an outdoor festival stage curated by the theatre's Young Producers, a new exhibition charting 125 years of Hackney Empire history, and even a new football kit for Hackney Women's FC created in collaboration with the London College of Fashion.

Sudworth said the anniversary is both "a moment of huge celebration" and an opportunity to imagine what comes next for one of London's most beloved venues.

Since opening in 1901, Hackney Empire has welcomed everyone from music hall performers to stand-up comics, theatre stars and local community groups through its doors. Now it's looking to build on that legacy with a programme that mixes big names, local talent and ambitious new productions.

October sees the theatre host the 10th anniversary tour of Theatre Re's acclaimed The Nature of Forgetting, while Talawa Theatre Company will celebrate its 40th anniversary with a special showcase on the 13th of October. The line-up is still under wraps, but the event promises a celebration of four decades of Black excellence in British theatre.

A new live series called Empire Nights launches later that month, reviving the venue's variety-show roots. The first edition will be hosted by comedian Jamali Maddix and feature appearances from Guz Khan, Michelle de Swarte, Kyrah Gray and Manga St Hilare, with more guests still to be announced.

Comedy remains a major part of the anniversary programme too. November will see alternative comedy pioneers and former Hackney Empire favourites Lenny Henryand Jo Brand return to the venue for special performances. Then, of course, there'll be panto.

The theatre's legendary Christmas production returns with Jack and the Beanstalk, featuring the return of Clive Rowe as Dame. Rowe will also direct the production following the success of last year's Cinderella.

The anniversary celebrations won't stop there. Looking ahead to 2027, Hackney Empire has already confirmed plans for the world premiere of Nanny of the Maroons, a major co-production with the Belgrade Theatre and tiata fahodzi. The new musical will arrive in Hackney in July 2027 following its premiere in Coventry.

Alongside the performances, the theatre has also secured support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to help preserve and share its history. The funding will support research into the artists, audiences and communities that have shaped the venue over the past 125 years, while helping plan future improvements to the Grade II-listed building. You can find all of this and more on the Hackney Empire website.

• 10 places to watch the 2026 World Cup in London (even if you’re not an England fan...)

Flying Goose, the Thai brand behind those distinctive green-capped bottles that seem to live in every kitchen cupboard these days, has opened a ten-day pop-up dedicated entirely to the spicy stuff. The brand is bringing together 30 different Sriracha flavours under one roof for the first time.

Called the SuperGoose Collection, the pop-up gathers some of Flying Goose's rarest, most sought-after and hardest-to-find bottles in one place. For ten days, they're all sitting together on a shelf in Soho, London.

Alongside the classic Original Sriracha, visitors can get their hands on flavours including Sriracha Ghost Chilli, Sriracha Coconut, Sriracha Yuzu, Sriracha Gochujang and various mayo-infused concoctions designed to make beige food less beige.

A chef flown over from Thailand will be cooking throughout the event, serving dishes that show off the sauces in their natural habitat rather than forcing visitors into the sort of chilli-tasting challenge that ends with someone regretting their life choices. There's also exclusive merchandise, an immersive content space and one mystery sauce that's being kept secret until opening night.

The giveaways are decent, too. The first 50 people through the door each day will walk away with a free bottle of Flying Goose sauce, with a different flavour featured every day. So turning up early could save you a trip to the condiment aisle later on.

If free hot sauce isn't enough incentive, visitors can also enter a competition to win a trip to Thailand. Three lucky winners will bag return flights to Bangkok, stays in Bangkok and Koh Samui, a tour of Flying Goose's factory and a week of activities in Thailand. All you need to do is visit the pop-up, post on social media and tag the brand.

The SuperGoose Collection is running at 59 Greek Street in Soho until the 20th of June. Entry is free, doors are open from 10am until 7pm each day and, fair warning, you'll probably leave craving something spicy.

• Apple and London's Metropolitan Police have a new plan to make stolen iPhones useless

For generations of Londoners, hopping on the Tube has meant temporarily vanishing from society.

One minute you're replying to messages, checking football scores and pretending to listen to a voice note. Next, you're trapped in a signal-free metal tube beneath the city, blissfully unaware of whatever fresh chaos has unfolded online.

That increasingly rare moment of peace is rapidly disappearing. Transport for London has announced that more sections of the London Underground now have 4G and 5G coverage, bringing the network another step closer to full connectivity by the end of the year.

The latest rollout covers sections of the Bakerloo, Circle, District and Metropolitan lines, while stations including Vauxhall, Gloucester Road, Temple and Nine Elms have also gone live.

Major transport hubs, including King's Cross St Pancras, Victoria and Paddington, are now beginning to receive coverage too, although TfL says these stations will be connected in phases because of their size and complexity.

The new additions mean around 60 per cent of stations classified as underground now have mobile coverage.

Among the newly connected stretches are:

• Bakerloo line between Queen's Park and Edgware Road
• Metropolitan line between Euston Square and King's Cross St Pancras
• Metropolitan line between Barbican and Moorgate
• Circle and District lines between Cannon Street and Monument
• Circle and District lines between Sloane Square and Victoria
• Circle line between Bayswater and Paddington

It's all part of TfL's long-running mission to eliminate one of London's most persistent blackspots.

Hundreds of engineers have been working overnight to install the infrastructure, squeezing the project into the few hours available when trains stop running. TfL says most of the Northern, Bakerloo and Metropolitan lines will have tunnel coverage by the end of the summer, with the entire Underground network expected to be connected before the end of 2026.

The rollout involves all four major UK mobile operators: EE, Vodafone, Three and Virgin Media O2.

And while uninterrupted Instagram scrolling might be the most obvious benefit, TfL is keen to stress there's a more serious side to the project. The network will also support the Emergency Services Network, allowing first responders to access critical data and communications underground during emergencies.

Still, for most Londoners, the biggest impact may simply be that familiar panic when a message won't send becoming a thing of the past.

Whether that's progress or the final death of the last socially acceptable excuse for ignoring emails on your commute is another question entirely.

• Apple and London's Metropolitan Police have a new plan to make stolen iPhones useless

If you've spent the last year gripping your phone like it's the Crown Jewels every time a scooter whizzes past, there's finally some encouraging news.

Apple has struck a new agreement with the Metropolitan Police aimed at making stolen iPhones dramatically less valuable to criminals, in what could be a significant blow to London's booming phone-snatching trade.

The move comes as phone theft continues to plague the capital. Around 80,000 devices were stolen in London last year alone, prompting us to put together a guide on how to protect your data and what to do if your phone gets nicked. As that piece explains, the real prize for thieves often isn't the handset itself, but the access it gives them to your bank accounts, emails and digital life.

Now Apple and the Met are trying to make the phones themselves far less useful.

• Had your phone nicked in London? Here's how to protect your data — and what to do to stay safe from thieves next time

Under the new partnership, device identifiers such as IMEI numbers will be shared between Apple and police, helping track stolen handsets and monitor whether they're being reactivated, exported overseas or broken down for parts.

The ultimate goal is simple: if a stolen iPhone can't be reused, resold or reactivated, there's far less incentive to steal it in the first place.

Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has been pushing tech firms for months to do more to tackle phone theft, previously warning that if manufacturers didn't act voluntarily, he would push for legislation forcing them to.

The Met says improvements to phone security are already having an impact. Thefts and robberies involving stolen phones fell by 18 per cent across London in the year to May 2026, while Westminster, one of the capital's worst hotspots for phone crime, has seen a 45.8 per cent drop so far this year.

Apple recently switched on its Stolen Device Protection feature by default for users, adding extra barriers that prevent thieves from changing passwords or disabling security settings, even if they've seen your passcode.

It's the sort of feature cyber security experts have been urging people to activate for months. In our guide to surviving a phone theft, experts warned that criminals often move fast, attempting to access banking apps, email accounts and social media profiles within minutes of stealing a handset.

The new data-sharing arrangement is designed to tackle the problem further up the chain by targeting the criminal networks that profit from moving thousands of stolen devices around the world.

Recent Met investigations uncovered one operation that allegedly trafficked up to 40,000 stolen phones to China, accounting for around 40 per cent of all devices stolen in London during a two-year period.

For anyone who's ever watched their phone disappear into the distance on the back of an e-bike, this gives you peace of mind that the portal to your life is worthless.

• These are the loudest spots on London’s tube: Here's how to protect your ears, according to an expert

For most people, wandering through central London on a weekday involves headphones in, head down, and a fairly committed relationship with your phone screen.

Sam Thompson had other ideas. As part of the LEGO Group’s World Play Day celebrations, the Made in Chelsea TV star, I'm A Celebrity winner, and radio presenter took to the streets of the capital armed with LEGO bricks, inviting strangers to stop, talk and, crucially, play. The idea behind it is simple but increasingly urgent. New research from the LEGO Group suggests that half of UK parents say work or long hours are stopping them from playing with their families as much as they would like, despite evidence that just five hours of play a week can significantly boost wellbeing.

For Sam, though, the issue goes beyond schedules. It is about something more fundamental. Somewhere along the way, he thinks, adults stopped feeling allowed to play at all.

“I find it a real shame that adults almost feel embarrassed to play now,” he says. “As a child and a teenager, you are taught it is good for you, good for your mind, good for your development, and then suddenly we decide as adults that it is not the way to go anymore. I do not understand the science behind it at all.”

It is not just a campaign talking point for him, either. He circles back to it repeatedly, almost surprised at how normal it has become to lose that side of yourself, especially in the big city where life can become so serious.

“Play for me has been so important and has got me through loads of times in my life,” he says. “I think it is something that should stay with you forever.”

Why play never really leaves you

Spend any time with Sam, and it does not take long for the conversation to drift towards childhood energy, imagination and chaos. The man has more energy than you thought was possible without consuming your own body weight in sugar, and it's immediately endearing.

In his case, fun often involves his nephew, whom he credits with helping him reconnect with the kind of unfiltered creativity most adults quietly abandon.

“I’ve got a nephew and one of my favourite things is to play with him,” he says. “What I thought I would love about it and what I actually love are two very different things. I love seeing his reaction to things I used to do when I was a kid. You can see the wonder in his eyes, like his imagination is just going.”

That sense of wonder, he says, is infectious. It is not about the LEGO sets or the finished product, but what happens in the process. “You can see his brain thinking, like this is an actual castle I have made or this is a car zooming around. It is like he is in a sort of flow state. I just love that so much.”

He pauses on that idea, that adults are the ones who have forgotten something, rather than children being the ones who need to learn it.

“I really hope I do not lose that at any point,” he adds.

London, parks and never really growing up

For someone who has spent much of his life in London, Sam is clear about where his own sense of play still lives. Not in nightlife or big city landmarks, but in something far simpler.

“The parks”, he says without hesitation. “There is something magical about a city park. You have got all these buildings everywhere, and then suddenly greenery. I have spent so much of my childhood in parks, playing football with my mates, pretending I was a wizard, building things, doing all sorts.”

Even now, that feeling has not really left him. “That magic as an adult is still there,” he says. “I wonder if it would be the same for someone who did not grow up in a city. For me, a park is everything.”

It is also where his idea of “proper play” still exists in full force. Not curated experiences or structured activities, but the kind of messy, improvised afternoons that tend to run on far longer than anyone planned.

“I love sports days,” he says. “Getting a group of friends together, playing rounders in the park, doing sack races, egg and spoon races. In the summer, that is my idea of heaven.”

With his nephew, it is even simpler.

“Swings,” he says. “I know it sounds boring, but to him it is a rocket ship. He thinks he is flying. You push him, and he is on the moon. That is my play as well, not just his”.

Why adults should stop overthinking play

The point Sam keeps coming back to is not that adults need to behave like children, but that they need to stop putting so much distance between themselves and the idea of play. “You do not have to play like a young child,” he says. “But if you have a kid or a nephew, just join in their world. If he is going to space, I am the rocket fuel. I am in his world.”

That mindset, he believes, changes more than just the moment itself. “It genuinely makes you more peaceful,” he says. “It calms your mind. If you can release that barrier of ‘I am an adult, and I need to think about everything all the time’, you can have so much fun.”

He also points to the broader importance of play in development, something he has become more aware of through his work.

“I did not realise how important it was until I saw the science behind it,” he says. “We have a responsibility to play with our kids because it is incredibly good for their brain development. We should be doing it, not just for them but for us too.”

An ideal London would be built out of LEGO bricks

Away from the parks and football pitches, Sam’s imagination still drifts back into the city itself, especially after a recent visit to the LEGO store in Piccadilly Circus.

“I was in the LEGO store last week, and they’ve got this amazing city build,” he says. “It’d be a bit like that for me. I’d have water, rivers flowing through the city, clean, fresh rivers, loads of greenery everywhere, futuristic buildings.”

It is a very Sam Thompson version of London. Less grey commuter belt, more living, shifting playground.

“I’ve got a pretty decent idea of what I’d build with my LEGO bricks,” he adds. “It all comes from what you can see in your head. That’s the fun of it.”

Sam Thompson’s World Cup predictions

Before heading back out into the streets of London, off the back of a strong Soccer Aid and the spirit of fun, we asked Sam about the upcoming summer of football and who he thought would take home the trophy.

He didn’t hesitate for long before stating “England.” Sam went on to add, “I wouldn’t normally say it, but I think this could be the time.”

His reasoning is rooted in manager Thomas Tuchel’s approach and what he sees as a more structured, decisive England side.

“I think he has picked a team he believes can win the tournament. There is no space for egos. It is about structure, and I like that.”

• Winner: England (Thanks to Tuchel’s cup management experience)
• Runner-up: Portugal
• Dark horses: Norway
• Player of the tournament: "Hopefully some kind of unknown like a James Rodriguez from 2014"
• Top scorer: Harry Kane. "Maybe Kai Havertz as a rogue choice. Especially after that header against the USA"

• 10 places to watch the 2026 World Cup in London (even if you’re not an England fan...)

Returning on Sunday, the 14th of June, the World Naked Bike Ride event will once again see cyclists shed their clothes and take to the capital's streets in one of London's most unusual, eye-catching and surprisingly wholesome traditions.

What started as a protest has become something of a summer institution, drawing riders from across the city and plenty of confused tourists wondering whether they've accidentally walked into the wrong version of London.

Despite the sea of bare flesh, there is actually a serious point behind it all. The ride aims to highlight the world's dependence on oil, challenge car culture, campaign for safer conditions for cyclists and promote body freedom. It's essentially a political demonstration. It just happens to be one where everyone's forgotten their trousers.

Last year's ride attracted more than 1,200 participants, and organisers are hoping for another strong turnout in 2026. The event has been running in London since 2004 and remains completely free to join. There's no registration process, no ticketing system and no complicated sign-up forms. You simply turn up with a bike and decide exactly how much clothing you're comfortable wearing.

Despite the name, complete nudity isn't mandatory. The official rule is "as bare as you dare", meaning some riders go fully nude while others opt for costumes, body paint, strategically placed accessories or just enough to avoid upsetting your nan.

Where does the ride start?

There are nine starting points spread across London, allowing riders from different parts of the city to gradually merge into one giant rolling mass of cyclists before heading through central London together.

The 2026 starting points are:

• Clapham Junction – Grant Road, SW11 2NU (arrive 2pm, depart 2.15pm)
• Croydon – 233 Shirley Church Road, CR0 5AB (arrive 10.45am, depart 12.45pm)
• Deptford – Piehouse Co-op, Edward Street, SE8 5HD (arrive 12pm, depart 1.30pm)
• Hackney Wick – Thingy Cafe, 1 Trowbridge Road, E9 5LD (arrive 9am, depart 1.15pm)
• Kew Bridge – North end of Kew Bridge, near W4 3NQ (arrive 12.45pm, depart 1pm)
• Regent's Park – Outer Circle, near NW1 4NA (arrive 2.05pm, depart 2.20pm)
• Tower Hill – Trinity Square Gardens, EC3N 4DJ (arrive 1.15pm, depart 2.15pm)
• Wellington Arch – Hyde Park Corner, W1J 7JZ (arrive 1.45pm, depart 2.15pm)
• Accessible route – SE1 7GQ (arrive 3pm, depart 3.15pm)

Several locations, including Croydon, Deptford and Hackney Wick, will also have body-painting stations before departure.

The ride itself is expected to finish around 5.30pm/6pm before participants head to the official afterparty at The Steel Yard near Cannon Street. There'll be food, drinks, entertainment and life-drawing sessions.

• Cult creamy faves Hackney Gelato have teamed up with this London bar for boozy milkshake style cocktails

Burger fan? You’ll have to travel to a place you might not expect this weekend for one of the biggest burger events of the year: Richmond.

Burger Fest is taking over Richmond Athletic Ground from 12-14th June, and is a celebration of all things burger that features the wares of some of the best burger-makers in the country.

It will also see the UK Burger Championships take place, and there will of course be plenty of places to pick up a drink — including beers and cocktails — as well as burgers.

Even the most hungry can only sample so many burgers, but standard burger prices are capped at £10 max during the show.

Tickets for Burger Fest are currently on their third release, and who you’re coming with will determine which day you should pick.

There are four sessions. 4pm to 10pm slots on Friday and Saturday are for adults only. 10am to 3pm on Friday and the 12pm to 6pm Sunday sessions are family-friendly affairs.

And at the time of writing, adult tickets will set you back between £16.50 and £19.80, varying slightly based on the session you pick. Under 11s pay just £1.10 while those aged 11 to 17 pay £8.80 for entry.

Last year’s Burger Fest winner was MeatCastles, which is returning to defend its title. But there are plenty more burger-makers coming for the win, including:

• 7Bone
• Babble Hove
• Baggio Burger
• Baps Belfast
• Black Bear Burger
• Bun & Sum
• Bun X
• Chicken George x The Rib Man
• Clucking Oinks
• Dash Burger
• Dom’s Subs x Jupiter Burger
• Gurt Wings
• Hills BBQ
• Meatcastles
• Meatstop
• Please Sir One Bite
• Smash & Slide
• Smith’s of Bourton
• Strip Club Street Food
• Zephyr Burgers

One other we’d advise not missing is Black Bear Burger, which won the 2025 National Burger Awards top accolade for its miso bacon burger. The celebrated burger flingers are bringing out their Black Bear Burger Miso 2.0 for the weekend only, too.

2025’s Burger Fest took place in Signature Brew, Blackhorse Road, so this year should have a whole lot more space. Burger Fest claims it’s the “biggest burger festival” in the UK.

You’d have to travel a good long way to sample plenty of the participants usually, too. Zephyr Burgers is based in Plymouth, for example, while Clucking Oinks is from York. Suddenly Richmond doesn’t seem so far away.

• Cult creamy faves Hackney Gelato have teamed up with this London bar for boozy milkshake style cocktails

Haruki Murakami's cult 1985 novel, End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland, jumps between parallel realities, blends cyberpunk sci-fi with dream logic and somehow finds room for strange creatures, existential dread and a meditation on consciousness. It's the sort of story that feels difficult enough to explain to a mate, let alone recreate in a theatre.

Which is exactly why the Barbican's latest announcement is so exciting.

This autumn, the venue will host the European premiere of End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland, the first-ever stage adaptation of Murakami's acclaimed novel. Running from the 8th to the 11th of October, the production arrives in London following a successful run in Japan, with tickets starting from £29.

Directed by renowned French theatre-maker Philippe Decouflé and adapted by Ako Takahashi, the production follows Watashi, a human data processor whose brain is used to encrypt sensitive information for a shadowy organisation known as the System. As reality begins to fracture around him, he finds himself caught between competing worlds and hidden conspiracies that threaten everything he knows.

Leading the cast is Japanese screen star Tatsuya Fujiwara, best known for Battle Royale and the Death Note films. Fujiwara will also introduce a special screening of Battle Royale during the production's Barbican residency.

The show forms the centrepiece of a wider Murakami-focused programme at the venue. On the 11th of October, the author himself will make a rare London appearance for a conversation with theatre director Simon McBurney, alongside a reading from his latest novel, The City and Its Uncertain Walls. The event will also include a screening of Tony Takitani, the acclaimed film adaptation of one of Murakami's short stories.

The production is part of the Barbican's newly announced autumn theatre season, which also includes the UK premiere of Pam Tanowitz Dance's Pastoral and the London debut of Brazilian thriller Tom at the Farm.

It's Murakami's arrival that will likely attract the most attention. A novel long considered one of his most ambitious and surreal works is finally making the leap from page to stage, and London audiences will be among the first in Europe to see whether the impossible can actually be pulled off. Tickets go on sale on the 19th of June for the general public, whilst members can book from the 17th.

• Stranger Things: The First Shadow final London performance announced as theatre run comes to an end

The National Restaurant Awards has crowned the top 100 restaurants in the UK, and not only are 50+ based in London, the winner is too.

This year’s overall winner is Bouchon Racine, a French bistro based in Farringdon. Its menu comes from chef Henry Harris, and this spot was number five last year.

Bouchon Racine opened in 2022, and lives above the Three Compasses pub. It’s right by Farringdon station.

While the restaurant was added to the Michelin Guide in 2023, it is yet to be awarded a coveted Michelin star. But this latest gong won’t make it any easier to get a reservation at the place. It also only takes reservations 30 days in advance.

The menu changes daily, but the sample menu and an old interview with chef Harris offer an idea of what to expect.

“Indulgent and comforting, butter is without a doubt my favourite ingredient,” Harris told Food and Travel.

“It enriches dishes, protects other ingredients and lengthens flavour. When we opened Bouchon Racine I thought, I’m really going to cut back on it. That lasted about a week.”

Dishes listed on the sample menu include grilled veal chop (with butter), orzo with wild mushrooms and herbs, and confit de canard with braised mogettes.

Bouchon Racine kicks The Ritz off the top spot. That oh-so-famous, two-Michelin-star Mayfair restaurant now shares the number two spot with Somerset's Osip.

Other London restaurants in the National Restaurant Awards top 10 include Dorian, The Ledbury, Mountain, Trinity and Legado.

There were other notable awards handed out on the night too. Shoreditch’s Legado won the Opening of the Year award, while the infamous-to-some The Devonshire won Gastropub of the Year.

Planque was also the “highest climber” of the year, reaching number 11 on the top 100 list, after charting at the 91th position in 2025, 96th in 2024.

Here’s the full 100-strong roll-call from the 2026 Restaurant of the Year awards:

1. Bouchon Racine
2. Osip/The Ritz
3. Dorian
4. The Ledbury
5. Moor Hall
6. Ynyshir
7. Mountain
8. Trinity
9. Woven by Adam Smith
10. Legado
11. Planque
12. Dongnae
13. JÖRO
14. AngloThai
15. Impala
16. Opheem
17. Row on 5
18. The Devonshire
19. Humble Chicken
20. Camille
21. Kiln
22. Restaurant 22
23. Forest Side
24. Ikoyi
25. Timberyard
26. Restaurant Mýse
27. BiBi
28. Grace & Savour
29. Skof
30. Wildflowers
31. A Wong
32. Wilson's
33. Lyla
34. L'Enclume
35. The Kinneuchar Inn
36. The Dover
37. Erst
38. Restaurant Pine
39. Higher Ground
40. Henrock
41. One Club Row
42. Solstice
43. Perilla
44. The Glenturret Lalique Restaurant
45. Vraic
46. Da Terra
47. The Angel at Hetton
48. Kitchen Table
49. The Kitchin
50. Brat
51. Dogstar
52. Kol
53. Sabor
54. Tollington’s
55. Simpson's in The Strand
56. Miga
57. Lilibet’s
58. The Sportsman
59. Frog by Adam Handling
60. Maré by Rafael Cagali
61. The French House
62. The Cottage in the Wood
63. Brawn
64. Kudu
65. The Palmerston
66. Bonheur by Matt Abé
67. Winsome
68. Briar
69. Osteria Vibrato
70. Dalla
71. The Black Swan Oldstead
72. 40 Maltby Street
73. OMA
74. Updown Farmhouse
75. The Cocochine
76. Paul Ainsworth at No 6
77. Chishuru
78. The Star Inn
79. Restaurant St Barts
80. Restaurant Interlude
81. The Kerfield Arms
82. Restaurant Sat Bains
83. Bavette
84. The Seahorse
85. The Quality Chop House
86. Chez Bruce
87. Core by Clare Smyth
88. The Fat Badger
89. Fallow
90. The Muddlers Club
91. Shwen Shwen
92. Trivet
93. Inver
94. Ambassadors Clubhouse
95. Teal by Sally Abé
96. St. JOHN
97. Luca
98. Upstairs by Tom Sheppard
99. Motorino
100. Tiella by Dara Klein

• Cult creamy faves Hackney Gelato have teamed up with this London bar for boozy milkshake style cocktails

For a few weeks every summer, Victoria Park stops feeling like Victoria Park. The dog walkers, runners and picnic blankets make way for stages, sound systems and security fencing as tens of thousands descend on East London for the All Points East festival season.

It's become part of the rhythm of the city, but now the company behind the festival wants formal permission to keep doing it for years to come — and close sections of the park for the festival for longer stretches each year, too.

AEG Presents, which has run All Points East in Victoria Park since 2018 and launched LIDO festival last year, has applied for planning permission that would allow it to use parts of the park for up to 75 days a year over the next six years.

Before visions of a permanently fenced-off park start circulating, the reality is a little more complicated.

According to the planning documents, pointed out by The Standard, AEG expects to occupy sections of Victoria Park for around 66 days annually. The 75-day figure includes additional wiggle room for things like bad weather delaying build or breakdown schedules. Crucially, the company insists this isn't an attempt to expand the festivals themselves.

Organisers say the application is largely a result of a legal headache that has rippled across the UK's festival industry over the last year.

Following a High Court challenge involving festivals in Brockwell Park, it was ruled that the 28-day rule covering temporary events also includes the days spent building and dismantling festival sites. Previously, many councils and organisers had worked on the assumption that only the days open to the public counted.

In other words, festivals that have operated in much the same way for years are suddenly having to seek planning permission.

AEG argues that's exactly what's happening here. Its application states there will be no increase in capacity, no major expansion and no significant change to how either festival operates. This year's plans remain broadly familiar, with All Points East returning across two August weekends, LIDO taking place over the Bank Holiday period and a community-focused programme filling the gap in between.

While organisers might see this as a paperwork exercise, some locals clearly don't.

A Facebook group called Protect Victoria Park has already begun encouraging residents to formally object to the plans before the 8th of July deadline. The group's argument is simple: Victoria Park is one of London's most attractive and heavily used green spaces, and spending large chunks of summer behind event infrastructure is too high a price to pay.

The reaction has been predictably split.

Some commenters have backed the campaign, arguing that public parks should remain public for as much of the year as possible. Others have taken a more pragmatic view, pointing out that festivals bring jobs, tourism, major artists and culture to the area. One commenter perhaps summed up the middle ground best, writing: "Both can coexist with the right management."

Few people would argue that Victoria Park hasn't become one of London's premier festival destinations. Equally, few people would argue against the fact that it's one of the capital's best parks. The challenge is finding the balance between the two.

For now, Tower Hamlets Council has the final say. With tickets already on sale and festival season edging ever closer, both organisers and campaigners will be watching closely.

While everyone loves a festival and a good time, they also quite like having somewhere to walk the dog.

• 10 places to watch the 2026 World Cup in London (even if you’re not an England fan...)

Pitchfork is taking over a bunch of London’s top music venues later this year for the Pitchfork Music Festival London, and the first (massive) wave of acts has been announced.

A few names that jump out at us immediately include The Avalanches, Jacob Alon, Actress, Tortoise and Psychedelic Porn Crumpets. You can check out the full list of announced acts below, but let’s deal with some of the key Pitchfork Music Festival London details first.

The festival runs from 2nd November to 8th November this year, and tickets go on sale later this week on 12th June at 10am.

Pitchfork has partnered up with DICE for ticketing, and tickets are sold per event — with pricing varying by act and venue.

For example, you’ll pay £43.04 for a ticket to The Avalanches at the Roundhouse or £27.25 for ear at The Cause on 5th November. All ticket costs have been published over at DICE already, so have a look.

If you’re here for a real festival flavour, the Dalston Takeover on Saturday 7th November is want you want. This day of music begins at 6pm, and sees Pitchfork take over EartH, Shacklewell Arms, The Victoria, Cafe OTO and St Matthias Church. Doors open at 4:30pm.

Tickets for the Dalston Takeover cost £42.11, and it’s headlined by Psychedelic Porn Crumpets.

Remarkably, it has been 20 years since the first Pitchfork Music Festival. The London edition began in 2021 — this year’s is its sixth edition.

Here’s the full list of announced concerts, as published by the fine folk at Pitchfork:

Monday, 2nd November at MOTH

• Horse Jumper of Love
• Jawdropped
• Hammok

Tuesday, 3rd November at MOTH 

• Greg Mendez
• Asher White
• villagerrr

Tuesday, 3rd November at KOKO

• The Radio Dept
• Ana Roxanne
• A Good Year

Wednesday, 4th November at Hackney Empire

• Jacob Alon
• Paulie Swan

Wednesday, 4th November at Hackney Church

• Tortoise
• Bill Orcutt
• Dagmar Zuniga

Wednesday, 4th November at KOKO

• Aja Monet
• Keiyaa
• Momoko Gill

Wednesday, 4th November at OSLO

• MGNA Crrrta
• Daine

Wednesday, 4th November at EartH Hall

• Los Thuthanaka (In The Round)
• Joshua Chuquimia Crampton

Thursday 5th November at the Cause

Ear

Thursday 5th November at Village Underground

• Lido Pimienta
• Amore
• Ms Ray

Thursday 5th November at EartH Theatre

• Actress
• KMRU
• Joy Guidry

Thursday 5th November at MOTH

• Colin Miller
• Told Slant
• H. Pruz
• Elijah Wolf

Friday 6th November at ICA

• Olof Dreijer
• Fauzia
• Cutouts

Friday 6th November at MOTH 

• Kiwi Jr.
• Alien Boy
• Bleary Eyed

Friday 6th November at Roundhouse

• The Avalanches & Friends

Saturday 7th November

• 60 juno
• Bloodsports
• Cootie Catcher
• Flawed Mangoes
• Flooding
• Hiding Places
• Ideasforconversations
• Jordan Patterson
• Lots of Hands
• Mandy, Indiana
• Maria BC
• Midwife
• MX Lonely
• Psychedelic Porn Crumpets
• Robber Robber
• Sell Everything
• Sundots
• Superfan
• Swapmeet
• TURNSPIT
• Victoryland
• Working Men’s Club

Saturday 7th November at Roundhouse

• Noname
• Georgia Anne Muldrow
• Cleo Reed
• Kaicrewsade

Sunday 8th November at Royal Festival Hall

• Hania Rani

• Wimmy Road Boyz author Sufiyaan Salam picks his 6 favourite road trip stories

Stranger Things ended on Netflix earlier this year, and now we know when its theatrical show will wind down in London, too.

Netflix has announced Stranger Things: The First Shadow will close in London’s West End on 27th December, 2026. It will have run for just over three years by that time. Its first public show was staged on November 17th, in 2023.

Not seen Stranger Things: The First Shadow yet? Tickets for most shows are plentiful, suggesting it may indeed be time for the theatrical run to come to an end, although you’re still looking at a hefty premium to get remotely decent tickets.

You’ll pay up to £275, plus fees, for the very best seats on weekend performances. As we crawl our way to December, and further from the Stranger Things finale, we wouldn’t be surprised to see a few more last-minute ticket deals appear for the show, though.

Stranger Things: The First Shadow is set decades before the events of the main show, but as it’s the origin story of the series’s key villain figure, you’ll want to have seen up to Stranger Things season four, for maximum impact.

Broadway run ends soon, too

This theatrical take on the Netflix property has received plaudits for its technical elements, and its blockbuster-grade use of sets. Many reviews were pretty positive about the more substantive aspects of the show too, although this side of its reception was a little more mixed.

Stranger Things: The First Shadow runs to around three hours, including an interval.

The show is also currently playing in the US, at New York’s Broadway Marquis Theatre. That run is ending too, on 3rd January 2027.

“When the legendary Stephen Daldry first came to us with the idea of making a Stranger Things play, we were stunned — both by the fact that Stephen wanted to do this, and that he believed it could work. And boy, did it work,” Stranger Things creators the Duffer brothers said in a statement.

More recently, they have put their name to The Boroughs, another supernatural thriller from Netflix — this time set in a retirement village. Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews are the show creators, though, with the Duffers acting as executive producers.

Last year we heard the duo had signed an exclusive deal with Paramount to produce new shows and movies, although we’re yet to hear what’s actually coming from that deal.

• Stranger Things is over — here are nine things to fill that Vecna-shaped abyss

• Wimmy Road Boyz author Sufiyaan Salam picks his 6 favourite road trip stories

If there was ever proof that Wimbledon has more to offer than two weeks of tennis and … that Windmill museum, Wimbledon BookFest's newly unveiled 2026 programme is it.

Leading the charge is bestselling novelist Maggie O'Farrell, who tops a line-up packed with literary heavyweights, cultural commentators and household names set to descend on south-west London this October.

The Hamnet and The Marriage Portrait author, currently promoting her brilliant new book Land, will be among the headline attractions when the festival returns from 15th to 25th October this year, alongside Matt Haig, Elif Shafak, Robert Harris, Caitlin Moran, Marina Hyde, Meera Syal, Mary Beard and many others.

For O'Farrell fans, the appearance is likely to be one of the hottest tickets of the festival. Few contemporary writers have achieved her rare blend of critical acclaim and mainstream popularity, with the Oscar-winning movie adaptation of Hamnet bringing a whole new audience to her sublime work.

There’s a distinctly international flavour to this year’s line-up too, with writers appearing from Turkey, Ireland, South Asia and South Korea. The festival also continues partnerships with both the Lahore Literature Festival and Seoul WOW Book Festival.

One of the standout events will see Elif Shafak making one of the first public appearances following the publication of her new novel, In One Brief Moment All Eternity. The Turkish-British author returns to Wimbledon following the selection of The Island of Missing Trees as the 2026 Merton Big Read title.

Beyond the big-name authors, the festival blurs the boundaries between literature, entertainment and live performance — music fans can look forward to appearances from Guy Garvey and Rachael Stirling, while the Chineke! The orchestra will deliver live performances as part of the programme. The storytelling platform Seanchoíche and The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast will also host events at the festival.

Bargain tickets for younger readers

As Wimbledon BookFest approaches its 20th anniversary, organisers are placing particular emphasis on younger readers. The festival has announced a new £10 Under 30s ticket scheme for visitors aged 16 to 29, while expanding its schools programme as part of the National Year of Reading.

A major new initiative, the Merton Big Read for Schools, will see every Year 8 pupil in the borough receive a copy of the graphic novel adaptation of Lord of the Flies. The festival has also appointed its first Children's Laureate, acclaimed young adult author Nathanael Lessore.

“Wimbledon BookFest’s 2026 programme continues our commitment to showcasing diversity of voices and storytelling, connecting communities and offering places for open conversations,” Festival director Fiona Razvi said.

“London is the crossroads of culture, and we are so pleased to include so many writers from across the world in our autumn programme.

‘In the National Year of Reading, it seems more important than ever to have spaces that showcase the value of shared storytelling, that can nourish the soul and offer much needed social connection.”

For tickets and more info, visit wimbledonbookfest.org.

• Wimmy Road Boyz author Sufiyaan Salam picks his 6 favourite road trip stories

It’s a World Cup summer, which means we once again unite as a nation in the hope that England's men's team can finally end the years of hurt. It’s also that time to get weirdly invested in the fortunes of underdog nations or seeing whether Messi still has the legs to guide Argentina to a fourth World Cup.

If you’re not wedded to seeing how the team with the three lions on their shirt progresses, and quite like the idea of watching Brazil in a sea of yellow, we’ve picked 10 spots around the capital where you can watch the World Cup with supporters from other nations competing to beat England to that Jules Rimet trophy...

1. The Garden Vauxhall

6 South Lambeth Place, Vauxhall, SW8 1SP
Whether you’re hoping Mexico is the co-host to go the furthest in the competition or you want to join London’s contingent of Ecuadorian supporters, The Garden Vauxhall is giving its beer garden a full Latino makeover. Along with showing live matches (including the early morning kick-off ones), there’ll be Latino street food to soak up cocktails with, and DJs on hand to amp up the celebrations when Neymar scores a worldie. It’s also worth mentioning that there are areas to take cover if the British summer does its usual and rain interrupts play.

2. Nordic Bar

25 Newman St, London W1T 1PN
The clue is in the name. This is a place to join Norwegian and Swedish supporters, with the Fitzrovia spot just a few minutes walk from Tottenham Court Road station. The Nordic Bar invites you to watch the World Cup like a viking with bookings and walk-ins welcomed. You can look forward to enjoying a pint of Thor’s Piss Lager, dining on Swedish meatballs and swapping a pint glass for a viking horn. Doors will remain open at 2am to cover any games kicking off later in the evening too.

3. Gold Coast Bar & Restaurant

224 Portland Rd, London SE25 4QB
Head south of the river and you’ll find a place where Ghana’s World Cup hopes are the priority. You can knock back a bottle of Ghanian beer and it won’t take long for that food aroma to hit you and have you grabbing a menu. Tuck into some nyma choma or some yam balls. Gold Coast is offering entry packages for the World Cup, which gets you some food, your first drink and entry. There’ll also be DJs and giveaways to get you in the mood to get behind the Black Stars this summer.

4. A Toca

341 Wandsworth Rd, London SW8 2JH
This restaurant is roughly ten minutes walk from Stockwell or Nine Elms underground stations and one for the Portugal fans, and maybe the Cape Verde ones as well. You can fill up on Francesinhas, grilled meat or tackle the tapas menu, then slump back and take in the action on the big screens. You will need to book a table to secure your viewing and eating spot.

5. Tia Maria

126 S Lambeth Rd, London SW8 1RB
Pull on something yellow and make your way to South Lambeth to the Brazilian bar and restaurant known for its live music (that does like to stick on the football as well). The food and drink menu has everything from Fejioda to Caipirinhas and aims to give you a bit of Brazil — minus the weather, sadly, and definitely the beaches. If you like your drinking or eating spots lively and want to get swept up in the sights and sounds of the nation that’s lifted that trophy five times already, this is a place to be.

6. De Hems

11 Macclesfield Street, W1D 5BW
One of the most iconic images of any World Cup is when the Orange Army makes it to the tournament. Expect a flood of orange to descend on this Dutch cafe and bar just a short walk from Covent Garden underground station. You’ll need to book a spot with confirmed viewings of the Netherlands’ three group stage matches. There’s an extensive drinks menu and plenty of small plates and larger ones to tuck into here as well. It might also be a spot to find Curaçao supporters as this will be the Dutch Caribbean island’s first ever World Cup appearance.

7. The Maple Leaf

41 Maiden Ln, London WC2E 7LJ
Canada is co-hosting this year’s tournament, so if you want to join fellow Canadians and root for the team nicknamed the Canucks, this is the best-known Canadian-themed bar in London. There’s poutine on the menu, you can sip on Canadian beers and get distracted by the sports memorabilia as you wander to the toilets. They’ve got 14 screens to stare and shout at, so you should have no problem finding a prime spot to watch the action.

8. Munich Cricket Club

Tower Hill location - 9 Crutched Friars, London EC3N 2AR
Don’t be confused by cricket in the name, as the Bavarian-themed Bierkeller is a hot spot for German Bundesliga football action and will also be a place to see how the national side fare. All of Germany's matches will be shown here letting you sink steins of beer, and feast on bratwursts with offers available if you’ve turned up in a big group. Along with its Tower Hill location, you can also have a Germanfest at Munich Cricket Club locations at Canary Wharf and Victoria.

9. The Volley

211 Old St, London EC1V 9NR
The East London pub dedicated to football has become a hub for French domestic football viewing and should be a prime spot to watch Mbappe and company try and make it to the final... and be on the right side of the result this time. There’s plenty of screens dotted around including private ones, craft beers aplenty and unlike most pubs, it takes its pre-match and half-time grub a little more seriously.

10. Club 360

Unit 10, The High Cross Centre, Fountayne Rd, London N15 4QN
Scottish scran spot Auld Hag is hosting a World Cup fan zone for the Tartan Army where all three of Scotland’s group games will be shown. They’ve got a license until 6am if you want to keep drinking through the night and there’ll also be plenty of food including Auld Hag’s morning rolls and pies. It’s a ticketed event if you want to join the Tartan Army and you’ll need to get to Club 360 in North London, which is about a five minute walk from Tottenham Hale station.

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Camden’s most iconic grassroots venue is making a comeback. After a decade away, Barfly will officially reopen on the 22nd of June, reclaiming its iconic name and returning to the heart of Chalk Farm Road.

For anyone who spent nights in Camden during the 90s and noughties, Barfly was an accomplished proving ground for up and coming acts. With a mere 200-capacity room, it's where future arena acts sharpened their teeth long before the stadium tours and Brit Awards arrived. Coldplay, Adele, Muse, Ed Sheeran, The Cure, The Killers, The Libertines, Kasabian, Biffy Clyro, Jamie T and My Chemical Romance all passed through its doors between 1996 and 2016.

It was also the type of venue where ridiculous stories became part of the mythology. Ed Sheeran once played four shows in one night there in 2011. Frank Turner apparently holds the record for most performances on the Barfly stage. If you were tipped as “the next big thing” in British music, chances are someone dragged you to Barfly at some point to see if you really were up to scratch.

To launch the new era, it's fitting then that Frank Turner will headline a special reopening show, bringing things full circle for an artist whose history with the venue runs deep.

Turner first played Barfly in 2001 with his band Million Dead, before later returning as a solo artist for a string of packed-out performances, including his first ever sold-out solo show there in 2006.

A vital lifeline for live music

The venue’s return comes at a time when grassroots music spaces across the UK are under serious pressure from rising costs, redevelopment and shrinking margins. New owners Propaganda Independent Venues, Dan Ickowitz-Seidler, Richard Buck and Camden music figure Chris McCormack, say the relaunch is as much about preserving cultural history as it is reopening a club.

Inside, the revived Barfly will mix old-school nostalgia with a few upgrades. There’ll be a Wall of Fame packed with archive images from the venue’s history, a vinyl listening bar inspired by Tokyo’s famous audiophile spots, and even a 1959 AMI jukebox identical to one once owned by Amy Winehouse. The main room’s sound system and lighting rig have also been upgraded, while the downstairs bar is being redesigned to shift from daytime pub to late-night club space.

The real appeal is simpler than that: Barfly is one of those venues people talk about with almost irrational affection. Anyone who spent some time in Camden during this time would talk about the place with a mystique, and if you never had the chance to go, you felt like you were missing out.

Tickets for the Frank Turner reopening show go on sale from 9am on the 15th of June, with access via sign-up through Barfly Camden. Given the venue only holds around 200 people and nostalgia is a powerful drug, they’re unlikely to last long.

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

If Glastonbury isn't quite your thing and you'd rather spend a festival weekend stuffing your face with hot-sauce covered poultry than standing in a muddy field, London Wing Fest has you covered.

Returning to the London Stadium from the 24th to the 26th of July, the self-proclaimed world's largest chicken wing festival is gearing up for its biggest event yet. More than 500,000 wings will be served across the three-day celebration, with 50 traders descending on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to compete for some of the most coveted awards in wing culture.

Now in its 12th year, Wing Fest has evolved from a niche food event into one of London's most unusual summer festivals. At its heart are the World Chicken Wing Awards, where restaurants, street food vendors and BBQ teams battle for titles including Best Buffalo Wing, Best BBQ Wing and Best Wild Wing.

Among those competing this year are returning Wing Fest favourites Poor Boys and Mexican Seoul, alongside newcomers Mollis, the Nottingham restaurant from the Michelin-starred team behind Alchemilla. They'll be joined by established names including FOWL, Peck Peck, Gurt Wings and El Pollote.

Away from the food, organisers have packed the schedule with live music, DJs, axe throwing, fairground rides, arcade games and bourbon masterclasses. The Beavertown Stage will host everything from garage and drum and bass to blues, jazz and rock, while the Chicken Shed Stage will feature live-fire cooking demonstrations and BBQ masterclasses.

For anyone who enjoys making questionable life decisions in public, the infamous Lava Wing Challenge is also returning. This year's version features what organisers claim is the hottest sauce in Wing Fest history, measuring more than 15 million Scoville units.

Participants who survive the ordeal will be competing for a £500 cash prize, although the real reward is probably keeping their taste buds intact.

Meanwhile, the festival's legendary wing-eating competition will once again see competitors attempt to consume eye-watering numbers of wings in the shortest possible time, all in pursuit of wing-eating glory.

Tickets are on sale now, with prices starting from £33. Standard and Early Entry tickets include access to all live entertainment, competitions, rides and games, along with a Wing Fest trucker hat. VIP guests will also get access to exclusive food offerings from Wingmans and Big Kid Ice Cream that won't be available elsewhere on site.

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Bright summer evenings are a basically nature’s antidepressant, and The National Gallery will soon sync up better with them to let you make greater use of the season.

At the moment, The National Gallery closes up at 6pm, bar Fridays. But from 3rd July to 31st August we’ll get an extra hour of art browsing. It will stay open until 7pm Saturday through to Thursday, while the usual 9pm late opening on Friday will remain.

This window, a nod for those without kids, covers almost the entire school Summer holiday period. So if you’d rather avoid those family crowds, think about attending earlier in July ahead of that season.

Last entry is typically 15 minutes before closing, but to even make a dent in the permanent collection without running through its halls you’ll need at least an hour. And as ever, entry to the National Gallery is free.

The National Gallery’s current lone paid exhibition features works from Spanish painter Francisco de Zurbarán — his first major exhibition in the UK, despite having died well over 350 years ago.

“From the rind of a lemon to the timeless gaze of a saint, he finds an intensity in the ordinary. Strong light and deep shadow bring real faces, soft fabrics, fresh fruit and flowers to life. His paintings unite stillness, focus and faith,” reads the description. This exhibition is on show until 23rd August.

Alongside the permanent collection, which offers a tour through hundreds of years of art and painting history, The National Gallery is also displaying Take One Picture.

This is a freebie exhibit of works by children from 35 UK primary schools. Their brief: make something inspired by Canaletto’s A Regatta on the Grand Canal, an absolutely detail-packed painting that depicts an annual Venice regatta, a painting that is itself part of the gallery’s permanent collection.

The National Gallery memberships that grant you access to as many exhibition visits as you like start at £68 a year.

• The best exhibitions in London this Spring: From Seurat to Sci-Fi

Live in London and can’t afford the fortune it costs to stay in Edinburgh during the festival? The Camden Fringe is the next best thing.

The Camden Fringe runs from 3rd August to the end of that month, and its full line-up of events was recently revealed.

More than 400 events make up The Camden Fringe, which touches on comedy, theatre, dance, magic and more. Its events also spill out way further than Camden, with featured venues across central London.

As Edinburgh festival, which also takes place during August, will have bogarted many of the biggest names in comedy, don’t dig into the line-up expecting to see many TV-bothering stand-ups. But there’s an awful lot of stuff here. Many of the shows are also on for just a day or two, rather than running throughout August.

Picking a few random events from the calendar, we came up with Most Rare’s production of King Lear at Clarence Hall, on 17/21st August at £15 a pop. Or there’s dark comedy theatre production Sorry I Can’t Come Into Work. My Cat Died. from KC Thomas at the Museum of Comedy on 21/22nd August, and £10.25 a ticket.

For something a bit lighter, head to Aces and Eights for A Dinner with the Sluts, a comedy night from Laura Moss & Amelia Fritz. It’s on a handful of times throughout the month and costs £7 a ticket.

You could easily spend a couple of hours rifling through the Camden Fringe’s shows, but the official site lets you filter by day and venue. That’ll save a bit of time.

The Camden Fringe takes place across 38 venues including Shortlist favourites like the Hen & Chickens Theatre, the Phoenix Arts Club and The Bill Murray. And as tickets are booked on a per-event basis, there’s zero pressure to dig in any more than your schedule allows.

The Camden Fringe has now been around for 20 years, its first run having taken place in 2006.

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Robotaxis have been one of those "coming soon" technologies for what feels like forever, but Londoners are now one step closer to actually hailing one.

Uber has opened an interest list for its upcoming partnership with autonomous driving company Wayve, giving users in the capital the chance to register ahead of the public launch of self-driving rides in London.

From the 8th of June (today), users can opt into Uber's autonomous vehicle preference through the app, increasing their chances of being matched with a Wayve-powered vehicle once the service launches. The rollout marks a major milestone not just for Uber, but for the UK tech sector too, with Wayve's self-driving technology having been developed and trained on British roads.

Unlike many autonomous vehicle companies that rely heavily on pre-mapped routes and tightly controlled operating areas, Wayve has taken a different approach. The "AV2.0" system uses AI that learns from real-world driving experience in a way that more closely resembles human drivers, allowing it to adapt to unfamiliar roads, changing weather conditions and new environments without relying on detailed HD maps.

That flexibility has already seen the technology tested across more than 500 cities worldwide, but London remains its spiritual home. The company has been navigating the capital's famously chaotic streets since 2018, arguably one of the toughest environments on the planet for autonomous driving technology. If a self-driving car can survive a busy afternoon around Soho or negotiate a delivery van parked across half a lane in Camden, it can probably handle most things.

At launch, riders will be transported in all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles fitted with an array of cameras and radar systems that provide full 360-degree awareness of the world around them. The experience inside the vehicle has been designed specifically for autonomous journeys, with interactive displays allowing passengers to view routes, manage their ride and access support if needed.

Importantly, despite the autonomous technology, the first phase of the rollout won't be fully driverless. A licensed operator will remain behind the wheel — even if they're not touching it — while the service is introduced, with totally driver-free operations expected further down the line as regulations and public confidence continue to develop.

The move is part of a much bigger plan. Uber first invested in Wayve back in 2024, with ambitions to deploy self-driving vehicles across multiple global markets. Since then, the partnership has expanded significantly, including a recent collaboration with Nissan and plans to launch autonomous services in more than ten cities worldwide.

For London, though, it feels like another sign that autonomous vehicles are edging out of the realm of tech demos and sci-fi clicks into everyday life. Whether you're excited about the future or simply curious to see what a driverless Uber feels like, the opportunity to find out may not be far away.

To join the interest list, users simply need to update the Uber app and head to Account > Settings > Ride Preferences > Autonomous Vehicles. Once live, autonomous rides will be offered at the same price as standard UberX, Uber Comfort and Uber Electric journeys, with passengers free to opt out if they'd prefer a human driver.

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