Must-see entertainment in London

  • Shakespeare’s Globe

    South Bank

    One of the most famous playhouses in the world, Shakespeare’s Globe will knock your theatrical socks off. This dutifully authentic reconstruction will…

  • Shot at night to capture lightstreams.

    Royal Albert Hall

    Kensington & Hyde Park

    This splendid Victorian concert hall hosts classical music, rock and other performances, but is famously the venue for the BBC-sponsored Proms. Booking is…

  • The Puppet Theatre Barge, which is permanently moored in Little Venice

    Puppet Theatre Barge

    Notting Hill & West London

    This utterly charming marionette (aka puppet) theatre can be found in a converted barge moored in Little Venice – an area as pretty as it sounds. The…

  • Bush Theatre

    Notting Hill & West London

    Located in the former Passmore Edwards Public Library building, this West London theatre is renowned for encouraging new writing. Its success since 1972…

  • 606 Club

    Kensington & Hyde Park

    Named after its old address on the King's Rd, which cast a spell over London's jazz lovers back in the ’80s, this choice, tucked-away basement jazz club…

  • Wigmore Hall

    The West End

    Wigmore Hall, built in 1901 as a piano showroom, is one of the best and most active classical-music venues in town, with more than 460 concerts a year…

  • Green Note

    North London

    Camden may be the home of punk, but it also has the Green Note: one of the best places in London to see live folk and world music, with gigs every night…

  • Prince Charles Cinema

    The West End

    The last independent theatre in the West End, Prince Charles Cinema is universally loved for its show-anything attitude. Singalongs and quote-a-longs …

  • Pheasantry

    Kensington & Hyde Park

    Currently run by PizzaExpress, the Pheasantry on King's Rd is a 19th-century building that has been a ballet academy, a boho bar and a nightclub (where…

  • King’s Head Theatre

    North London

    This stalwart pub theatre hosts new plays and musicals, along with revivals of classics. Classical music and opera are part of the mix, too. It's always…

  • Boogaloo

    North London

    ‘London’s Number 1 Jukebox’ is how Boogaloo flaunts itself: its celebrity-musician-selected jukebox playlists feature the favourite 10 songs of the likes…

  • Cecil Sharp House

    North London

    Home to the English Folk Dance and Song Society, this institute keeps all manner of folk traditions alive. Performances and classes range from traditional…

  • KOKO

    North London

    Once the legendary Camden Palace, where Charlie Chaplin, the Goons and the Sex Pistols performed, and where Prince played surprise gigs, KOKO is…

  • Ronnie Scott’s

    The West End

    Ronnie Scott's jazz club opened in 1959 and became widely known as Britain’s best, hosting such luminaries as Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald…

  • Scala

    North London

    Opened in 1920 as a cutting-edge golden-age cinema, Scala slipped into porn-movie hell in the 1970s, only to be reborn as a club and live-music venue in…

  • Royal Opera House and the Floral Hall Extension

    Royal Opera House

    The West End

    Opera and ballet have a fantastic setting on Covent Garden Piazza, and a night here is a sumptuous affair. Although the programme has modern influences,…

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    National Theatre

    South Bank

    The nation’s flagship theatre delivers up to 25 shows every year across its three venues inside this brutalist block. Even if you're not here for a show,…

  • Outside Electric Cinema, which offers a luxury movie experience

    Electric Cinema

    Notting Hill & West London

    Having notched up its centenary in 2011, the Electric is one of the UK’s oldest cinemas, now updated. Avail yourself of the luxurious leather armchairs,…

  • Wimbledon Championships

    Richmond, Kew & Hampton Court

    For a few weeks each June and July, the sporting world’s attention is fixed on the quiet southern suburb of Wimbledon, as it has been since 1877. Most…

  • Gate Picturehouse

    Notting Hill & West London

    Opened in 1911, the single-screen Gate has one of London’s most charming art-deco cinema interiors, with director Q&As and a wealth of cinema clubs,…

  • Jazz Cafe

    North London

    The name would have you think jazz is the main staple, but it's only a small slice of what's on offer here. The intimate club-like space also serves up…

  • Donmar Warehouse

    The West End

    The 250-seat Donmar Warehouse is London's ‘thinking person’s theatre’. With new artistic director Michael Longhurst, works in progress are more…

  • English National Ballet

    London

    One of the world’s best companies, the English National Ballet is a touring ballet company. You may be fortunate enough to catch it at one of its various…

  • Almeida

    North London

    Housed in a Grade II–listed Victorian building, this plush 325-seat theatre can be relied on for imaginative programming. Its emphasis is on new, up-and…

  • Arcade game in Novelty Automation.

    Novelty Automation

    The West End

    This eccentric home-made arcade is full of coin-operated satirical machines that combine vintage seaside charm with the trials and tribulations of modern…

  • The entrance to Bridewell Theatre, which was converted from an old Victorian swimming pool

    Bridewell Theatre

    London

    This unique small theatre started in 1994 in an old Victorian swimming pool. It's run by the St Bride Foundation, which was founded in 1891 to promote the…

  • The outside of Surrey County Cricket Club, also known as The Oval

    Kia Oval

    Brixton, Peckham & South London

    Known as the birthplace of the Ashes, Kia Oval is South London’s centre for cricket and home to the Surrey County Cricket Club. Apart from Surrey matches,…

  • Outside Peckhamplex, a budget cinema in Peckham, South London

    Peckhamplex

    Brixton, Peckham & South London

    What this no-frills independent cinema lacks in interior design (the decor is… dated) it more than makes up for in charm. Loved by its locals, Peckhamplex…

  • Outside the O2 Academy in Brixton

    O2 Academy Brixton

    Brixton, Peckham & South London

    The O2 hosts club nights and gigs galore inside a 1920s art-deco theatre with a nearly 5000-person capacity. The sloped floor guarantees good views,…

  • Bridge Theatre

    South Bank

    London’s first new major theatre in 80 years, Bridge Theatre seats 900 in a cool, modern space and focuses on new productions, with the occasional classic…

  • St John’s, Smith Square

    The West End

    In the heart of Westminster, this eye-catching church was built by Thomas Archer in 1728 under Queen Anne's New Churches in London and Westminster Act …

  • Royal Court Theatre

    Kensington & Hyde Park

    Equally renowned for staging innovative new plays and old classics, the Royal Court is among London’s most-progressive theatres and has continued to…

  • Dysart Arms

    Richmond, Kew & Hampton Court

    This wonderful, almost churchlike place with stone walls and an open fire is a great pub facing Richmond Park’s Petersham entrance. Best of all are the…

  • BFI Southbank

    South Bank

    Tucked almost out of sight under the arches of Waterloo Bridge, the British Film Institute contains four cinemas that screen thousands of films each year …

  • Clapham Picture House

    Brixton, Peckham & South London

    This excellent cinema is a mainstay of Clapham, with an inspiring list of independent and art-house films, as well as mainstream Hollywood fare. The…

  • English National Opera

    The West End

    The English National Opera is celebrated for making opera modern and more accessible, as all productions are sung in English. It's based at the impressive…

  • Barbican Centre

    London

    You'll get as lost in the astounding programme as you will in the labyrinthine brutalist building. Home to the London Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony…

  • Electric Cinema White City

    Notting Hill & West London

    Located in the former home of the BBC, this very dishy deco-style cinema offers mohair armchairs, chair-side tables with lamps, and footstools. Descend…

  • Arcola Theatre

    East London

    Dalston's a fair schlep from the West End, but drama buffs still flock to this innovative theatre for its adventurous and eclectic productions. A unique…

  • Roundhouse

    North London

    Built as a railway repair shed in 1847, this unusual Grade II–listed round building became an arts centre in the 1960s and hosted legendary bands before…

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