Choose from a variety of exciting cultural experiences this season.
The sun has returned to London. As flowers bloom and temperatures rise, it's the ideal time to get back into the city and explore all it has to offer. Enjoy a range of activities including blockbuster art exhibitions, mega music festivals and world-class sporting events. Here are the best things to do in London in the spring.
Dress Codes Exhibition at Kensington Palace
A new exhibition at Kensington Palace will display royal fashion that hasn't yet been seen by the public. Items from the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection will be shown, which contains 10,000 objects from a period of 500 years. Some of the pieces have been worn by the likes of Diana, Princess of Wales, Queen Elizabeth II, and even Queen Victoria. The exhibition will run from 13 March to 30 November, and tickets are priced at £24.70 per adult.
GO: Visit www.hrp.org.uk for more information.
Eid in London
Celebrating Eid in London means choosing from an overwhelmingly large variety of options. Stay in luxury hotels like The Clermont in Charing Cross, or dine in exquisite restaurants like Dishoom, Hoppers or Jamavar. For a greater sense of community and relaxed family fun, join in on the festivities at events such as The Mayor of London's Eid in the Square festival in Trafalgar Square.
GO: Visit https://www.visitlondon.com for more information.
Grand National
The Grand National horse race is back from 3 to 5 April at Aintree Racecourse in Merseyside. Tickets vary in price, depending on which day you attend, but a few dates have already sold out, so be sure to snap yours up soon. If you'd rather watch the races from the comfort of your own home, it will be broadcast live in full by the BBC and Talksport.
GO: Visit www.grandnational.org.uk for more information.
London Marathon
The London Marathon will take place on 27 April and has become an annual and inspiring sport event in London's calendar since the first one in 1981. The 26.2-mile course will start from Blackheath and end in Westminster and will start at 9.30am. If you want to watch the marathon, it will be broadcast live on BBC One, BBC Two and BBC iPlayer, or head into the city to watch it in person and cheer on the runners.
GO: Visit www.londonmarathonevents.co.uk for more information
London Soundtrack Festival
Do you know your John Williams from your Hans Zimmer soundtracks? The first-ever London Soundtrack Festival runs from 19 to 26 March, and takes place at BFI IMAX. The event celebrates music from film, television and games. Join talks by David Cronenberg and Howard Shore, and guest appearances from Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant and Scissor Sisters' Jake Shears.
GO: Visit https://londonsoundtrackfestival.com for more information.
London Zoo Lates
On Fridays from 7 June to 26 July, 6pm to 10pm, London Zoo is hosting adults-only evenings for a more peaceful visit to see the animals. Explore the wildlife, attend talks and grab a bite at the Wild Bites street food market surrounded by relaxing music and exciting animals. Tickets are priced at £19.50 only and are on sale now.
GO: Visit www.londonzoo.org for more information.
Premier League
The Premier League is currently running with the final taking place on Sunday 25 May. London has a great lineup of lively bars and pubs to watch the games in this year, from The Tokenhouse in The City to The Alexandra in Clapham. Head over to your local watering hole to join UK football fans for some (not-so) friendly competition, grab a drink and start yelling at the TV with your friends. Alternatively, if you'd rather watch the games at home, Sky Sports and TNT Sports will be broadcasting the games all season.
GO: Visit www.premierleague.com for more information.
RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Running from 20 to 24 May, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show will showcase intricate floral designs and state-of-the-art horticulture. The best designers will display their gardening take on cityscapes while acknowledging themes of environmentalism and sustainability. Tickets are priced at £45.85 to £89.85 per adult and usually sell out quickly, so early booking is advised.
GO: Visit www.rhs.org.uk for more information.
Roundhouse Three Sixty
The Roundhouse is launching a new festival, Roundhouse Three Sixty. Running from 1 to 30 April, it takes place in the cool Camden venue. The event brings together club nights, live music, spoken word and podcasts. Highlights range from a celebration of Donna Summer, with performances by Katy B and Le Gateau Chocolat on 10 April, to the Roundhouse Poetry Slam on 24 April.
GO: Visit www.roundhouse.org.uk for more information.
Sadler's Wells East
Located in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, Sadler's Wells East is scheduled to open in February. The venue will celebrate diverse dance forms, including ballet, kathak and street. The inaugural show is Jasmin Vardimon's NOW from 5 to 8 March. Upcoming shows include Carlos Acosta's Ballet Celebration and Aakash Odedra's Songs of the Bulbul.
GO: Visit www.sadlerswells.com for more information.
Soho Theatre Walthamstow
Curtain up at Soho Theatre Walthamstow. Opening in early 2025, the theatre is a glorious regeneration project. The EMD Cinema and Walthamstow Granada have been redeveloped and aim to create a local theatre with a national profile. The venue is home to 1,000 seats and will showcase local and international cabarets, comedy, and theatre.
GO: Visit https://sohotheatre.com for more information.
Six Nations
The Six Nations rugby tournament is back again this year, and as usual, it promises to be a roaringly fun time. The games will be on most weekends until 15 March, so if you want to watch them in person, be sure to snag tickets to those held in Twickenham Stadium in London. Alternatively, head to one of your local sports pubs with some friends, grab a pint and get cheering for your team.
Go: Visit www.six-nations-guide.co.uk for more information.
St Patrick's Day
St Patrick's Day is always a fun day out, and you don't necessarily have to be in Ireland to partake in the festivities. The Mayor of London's annual St Patrick's Day Festival will take place on Sunday 16 March, with the annual parade marching from Hyde Park Corner to Whitehall. The celebrations will include Irish food, dancing and music, and as the parade ends in Trafalgar Square, you can then watch the programme of acts on the main stage, organised by the London Irish Centre. The event is free to attend and runs from 12pm to 6pm.
GO: Visit www.london.gov.uk for more information.
Tate Britain's The 80s: Photographing Britain exhibition
The Tate Britain's new exhibition, The 80s: Photographing Britain, is on from now until 5 May, and showcases powerful images in one of the UK's most important decades. The exhibition will display pictures from a diverse group of photographers against the backdrop of the miner strikes, the AIDS crisis, country-wide gentrification and more social movements. Tickets are priced at £20 per person.
GO: Visit www.tate.org.uk for more information.
Theatre in London
All of London is a stage, thanks to the incredible number of theatres in the capital – there are more than 100 and counting. If you want to catch a star on stage, this year's highlights include: Brie Larson in Elektra from 24 January to 12 April, Cate Blanchett in The Seagull from 26 February to 5 April, Brian Cox in The Score from 25 February to 26 April and Corbin Bleu in The Great Gatsby from 11 April to 7 September.
GO: Visit https://www.visitlondon.com for more information.
Tutankhamun: The Immersive Exhibition at Excel Centre
Running from 28 March to 29 June, the Excel Centre in Royal Victoria will be hosting an immersive exhibition all about the history of Ancient Egypt. Perfect for an educational family day out, it will include projections, a 360-degree VR experience and a free-roaming augmented reality metaverse room. A waitlist is now available for tickets. Visitors under 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult, and children under three years old can go for free.
GO: Visit https://tutankhamunexperience.com for more information.
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is currently running, with the final taking place on 31 May. It is one of the most prestigious football tournaments in the world, and the most prestigious club competition in all of European football. If you'd like to watch the Champions League live, look no further than Sports Bar & Grill in Farringdon or Canary Wharf for ultimate HD screening or Vine in Kentish Town for some good food alongside the games. If you'd rather watch the games at home, TNT Sports will be broadcasting the games all season.
GO: Visit www.uefa.com for more information.
Usher at the O2
Global sensation and singer Usher will be touring this year, and will be performing for several dates in London. The Usher: Past Present Future tour will be his sixth concert tour, and is in support of his ninth studio album Coming Home. The tour started on 20 August 2024 in Washington D.C., and will end on 7 May 2025 in London. After an almost 10 year break from touring in the UK, he'll be singing at The O2 from 29 March to 7 May, but be sure to book your tickets soon as almost all of his London dates are sold out, with waitlists already active.
GO: Visit www.usherworld.com for more information.
V&A's Cartier Exhibition
Running from 12 April to 16 November, the V&A South Kensington will be hosting a major exhibition, displaying more than 350 objects showing the evolution of Cartier. Highlights of the collection include: jewels, watches, clocks and historical gemstones. Tickets are priced at £27 per person on weekdays, and £29 per person on weekends.
GO: Visit www.vam.ac.uk for more information.
V&A East Storehouse
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford is set to welcome V&A East Storehouse. Scheduled to open on 31 May, it will span four floors and bring together more than a quarter of a million objects. At its heart, it gives you the chance to go behind the scenes and explore untold stories. In September, the David Bowie Centre opens with more than 90,000 items, which range from handwritten lyrics to instruments. In spring 2026, the V&A East Museum will open in the park.
GO: Visit www.vam.ac.uk for more information.
Wandsworth Borough of Culture
This year, Wandsworth is The Mayor's London Borough of Culture, meaning that this April, celebrations will take place all around the borough to showcase what makes the area so special. Festivities will include a Fringe festival in June, a heritage festival in July, a Tooting food festival and many other artistic and cultural activities both indoors and outdoors. Head to their website to browse the events calendar, and attend any of the exciting events coming up this year.
GO: Visit https://welcometowandsworth.com for more information.
