London

Birkbeck Institute for the Moving Image

BIMI

Cinema owned by Birkbeck, University of London, featuring screenings and lectures. Most events are free but pre-booking is advised.

Bloomsbury Theatre

Theatre owned by University College London staging both student and professional productions. Broad range of performances.

Changing of the Guard

Each morning between May and July at 11:30AM the guard changes outside Buckingham Palace. The rest of the year, the guard changes on alternate days, weather permitting. A board is placed outside the palace in the morning to say whether the Changing of the Guard ceremony will take place or not. There is no charge to view the Changing of the Guard—simply turn up and stand at the fence in front of the Palace, but it is worth getting there early to ensure a good view, particularly when the weather is fine.

May-Jul 11:30AM daily; for other times, see website·Free

Cineworld Haymarket

Slightly off the main area for cinemas and entertainment around Leicester Square and Theatreland this cinema offers projections of recent movies on three large screens.

Conway Hall

Theatre and concert hall. Home of the National Secular Society and the South Place Ethical Society: often hosts lively debates on religion, politics and secularism.

Curzon Mayfair

Retro 1970s decor, a relaxing bar area and comfortable seating combine with a great art-house billing, easily one of the best cinemas in London.

Dominion Theatre

A large London theatre that tends to show mainstream blockbuster-type musical productions.

Electric Cinema

A restored cinema boasting all leather armchairs (most with footstools) and a bar in the theatre - this is definitely a Notting Hill experience. The Electric shows a wide range of films from cinema classics, cult and independent films, to regular Hollywood blockbusters. They also have the Electric Scream session, specifically for parents with screaming babies! Ticket prices vary depending on how fancy your seat is. More expensive than a normal cinema but a fun experience.

English National Opera

A little easier to get tickets here than it is at the Royal Opera House but still difficult for the most notable productions. Look for last minute availability and off peak performances.

Florence Nightingale Museum

Tells the story of the Lady with the Lamp. Various family events, including art workshops. In the grounds of St. Thomas' Hospital.

Go Boat

8-person boat hire for self-drive journeys around London canals.

£55

Gresham College

Founded in 1597 as London's alternative higher education institution to Oxford and Cambridge, Gresham College continues to provide free public lectures every week during term time. Most lectures require no booking, with wonderful speakers delivering lectures on a wide range of interesting topics.

Gresham College

Attend free public lectures, in Barnard's Inn Hall (mostly, but other venues are used as well), renowned historic Inn of Court featured in Charles Dickens' Great Expectations.

London Mathematical Society

Based on Russell Square, they give lectures and exhibitions, for those numerically inclined.

London Palladium

Famous old London music hall whose boards have been trodden by many legendary names. These days it shows mostly blockbuster musical productions for the masses.

London School of Economics

LSE hosts a prestigious public lectures programme, which is nearly always free to attend, but may require a ticket in advance for a lecture by a Head of State or Nobel Prize winner.

Usually free

London Underground Tours

Guided tours that cover the tube's 150-year-history in two hours, including its construction, design and social history. Meet at the Sherlock Holmes Statue.

Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat (and bank holidays): 11AM·Adult: £20, Child (under age 12): £12, Senior (60+): £12

Lord's Cricket Ground

The home of cricket, Lord's usually hosts two international five-day Test matches each summer (which sell out), as well as limited-overs One Day International and Twenty20 cricket. It's the usual stadium for Middlesex County Cricket Club, who were relegated in 2023 and now play in Division Two of the County Championship - these games last 3-4 days. Also here are London Spirit men's and women's teams playing in The Hundred short game. Lord's houses the Marylebone Cricket Club Museum, with a vast collection of cricket memorabilia - tours are usually available daily except on match days.

Menier Chocolate Factory

Restaurant, theatre, gallery and bar. This small theatre adjacent to Borough Market has done spectacularly well with revivals of musicals, including Sunday in the Park with George and A Little Night Music both by Stephen Sondheim and which ran in the West End and on Broadway.

Namco Funscape

Entertainment centre including an amusement arcade, bowling alleys, ping pong tables, pool tables and bumper cars.

Daily 10AM–midnight

Odeon Leicester Square

Includes the Odeon Mezzanine and Odeon West End. This particular Odeon is famous for its red-carpet film premieres.

M-F until 5PM £5-6.50; M-F after 5PM £10; Sa Su £11

Old Vic Theatre

One of the oldest theatres in London, once under the artistic direction of Kevin Spacey. Kevin Spacey has been the artistic director here since 2003 receiving considerable media attention and starring in a number of the shows himself. Great for something a bit different, and further up the cut you can check the Young Vic which focuses on productions of a younger generation.

Paddington Central

Sheldon Square

Checkout constantly changing events at the Paddington Central development with the amphitheatre in Sheldon Square, or visit for the food, shopping and atmosphere.

Peacock Theatre

Owned by LSE, and part of their campus, this theatre is leased to Sadler's Wells as "Sadler's Wells in the West End".

Booking Mon-Fri 8AM-7PM, Sat 10AM-5PM

Prince Charles Cinema

The cheapest and in some ways most interesting cinema in the area. They screen the latest films, and also have an interesting selection of foreign and art house films. They often have theme nights. Get hold of the program at the door or on the internet and consider buying the discount-granting yearly membership if you plan to come back a few times.

New release: M-F matinees £5-9; evenings, weekends, bank holidays £9.50-12; repertory: £6-10

Puppet Theatre Barge

A floating puppet theatre on a converted barge. Varied schedule of performances.

Putney Arts Theatre

Comes recommended for anyone interested in anything to do with theatre. They run drama courses for adults and children and around eight shows a year are produced by adults and children alike. Putney Theatre company offers opportunities for anyone interested in any type of theater work from acting to writing to set design. Group 64 is the youth drama group for kids, they run weekly classes, holiday projects but also put together shows.

Queens Ice and Bowl

Queens is an entertainment centre with 50,000 sq ft of activities including ice skating, 12 lanes of ten pin bowling, karaoke rooms, bar, food and video games.

Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

During the summer, a perfect afternoon can be had by taking a picnic in Regent's Park followed by seeing a production at the Theatre.

Royal Opera House

One of the world's great opera and ballet venues. Peak time tickets are like gold dust and it is very unlikely that a casual visitor will be able to obtain one. However, at least 65 tickets per performance are held off for on-the-day in person sales from 10AM, and tickets are sometimes available for off peak (especially matinee) performances and can be surprisingly affordable. Check the website or at London ticket agencies. Whilst there's no formal dress code for attending a performance, dressing smartly is advised. Casual styles (jeans, trainers) may get you disapproving looks from other attendees.