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The Late Edition

London's evening edition. Independent, updated daily.

GuidesRewritten every year

London guides: Halloween, fireworks, Christmas and the rest

One page per annual London event, kept at the same address and rewritten every year with confirmed dates.

Some London events come round every year and deserve a page that is written properly once and then kept honest, rather than a news story that goes stale in a fortnight. These are those pages.

Each one keeps the same address from year to year. Six to eight weeks before the dates we rewrite it, confirm every listing with the venue, and put the new year on it. If a guide still shows last year’s dates, that is a bug, and you should tell us.

Coming up

Next on the calendar
  1. Mon 17 August to Sun 13 SeptemberLondon Theatre Week: what it is and how to get the cheap seats
    Tickets from £15, £25 and £35 to more than ninety London shows, twice a year. When it runs, how the bands work, and why the cheapest tier goes first.
  2. Sat 12 to Sun 20 SeptemberOpen House London 2026: how it works and the buildings worth queuing for
    12 to 20 September 2026, hundreds of buildings, all free. Ballot, pre-book and walk-up explained, and the openings we would queue for this year.
  3. Wed 16 September to Sun 1 NovemberFrieze week in London 2026: the fairs, the free sculpture park and the gallery nights
    Frieze London and Frieze Masters, 14 to 18 October in Regent's Park. What costs money, what is free, and the week of openings around it.
  4. Thu 17 to Mon 21 SeptemberLondon Fashion Week: what the public can actually get into
    17 to 21 September 2026. The shows are invite-only, but the City Wide Celebration is not. What is open to anyone, what costs nothing, and where to stand.
  5. Fri 16 October to Sun 1 NovemberHalloween events in London 2026
    Ghost tours, the after-dark trails, the late museum openings and the club nights, with the dates that sell out first. Rewritten every year.
  6. Tue 20 October to Tue 10 NovemberDiwali in London 2026: Trafalgar Square, the temples and the fireworks
    Diwali on the Square is Sunday 25 October, free. Diwali itself is 8 November. The temples to visit, and which firework displays are Diwali ones.
  7. Sun 1 to Sun 8 NovemberBonfire Night fireworks in London 2026
    Every London firework display worth crossing town for, which nights they actually happen on, what they cost, and where to stand for free.
  8. Sun 1 November to Thu 24 DecemberCandlelit concerts in London: what they are and what they cost
    The Candlelight series, the free church recitals and the December carol services, with prices and the difference between them.
  9. Mon 2 November to Sun 10 JanuaryLondon Christmas lights 2026: switch-on dates and the walk that sees them all
    When Oxford Street, Regent Street, Carnaby and Covent Garden switch on, how long they stay up, and a ninety-minute route past every one of them.
  10. Mon 2 November to Mon 4 JanuaryLondon Christmas markets 2026: dates and the ones worth going to
    Southbank, Covent Garden, Leicester Square, London Bridge, Kingston and Greenwich, with opening dates as they confirm and the best time to go.
  11. Sat 7 November to Mon 11 JanuaryIce skating in London 2026: every Christmas rink and when they open
    Somerset House, Hampton Court, Alexandra Palace, Battersea Power Station and the new Leicester Square rink, with dates, the one that has closed, and the year-round rinks that are better ice.
  12. Sun 15 November to Thu 31 DecemberChristmas in London 2026: what to book, what is free, and the days themselves
    The shows and concerts to book in October, the free things that need only a coat, and what actually happens on Christmas Day and the week after.
  13. Thu 19 November to Sun 3 JanuaryHyde Park Winter Wonderland 2026: dates, tickets and when to go
    Open 19 November to 3 January. How the free entry works, the one-pound off-peak days, what is worth the money and the days to avoid.
  14. Thu 24 to Mon 28 DecemberBank holiday weekend in London: what to do, what is open, what is closed
    Rewritten before every bank holiday. Next: Christmas, Friday 25 to Monday 28 December 2026, then New Year. What is open, the transport works and the weekend list.
  15. Thu 31 December to Fri 1 JanuaryNew Year's Eve in London 2026: fireworks tickets, free views and what else is on
    The midnight fireworks are ticketed. How and when to get one, where the free views really are, and the nights indoors that are better than the river.
  16. Tue 19 to Sat 30 JanuaryCanary Wharf Winter Lights: free light art in January
    Free, after dark, and the best reason to be in London in January. Dates, the three main sites, and the evening to avoid.
  17. Sat 6 to Sun 21 FebruaryChinese New Year in London 2027: the parade, Trafalgar Square and Chinatown
    The Year of the Goat begins on 6 February 2027. The parade, the stage, where to stand, where to eat and how to avoid the crush.
  18. Fri 26 to Mon 29 MarchEaster weekend in London 2027: the four days, what is open and what to book
    Good Friday 26 March to Easter Monday 29 March 2027. An early Easter, which means blossom in the parks and engineering works on the trains.
  19. Sat 24 to Sun 25 AprilThe London Marathon: how to enter, and where to watch it
    Race day is Sunday 25 April 2027. When the ballot opens, the ballot odds nobody mentions, and the six places on the course actually worth standing.
  20. Sat 1 May to Thu 30 SeptemberOutdoor cinema in London 2027: rooftops, parks and how to pick a night
    The season runs May to September. Rooftop screens, the touring park and palace cinemas, the free ones, and the difference between a good night and a cold one.
  21. Sat 26 June to Sun 4 JulyPride in London 2027: parade route, times, stages and the night after
    Expected Saturday 3 July 2027. Where the parade goes, where to stand, the free stages, the Soho street party and how to get home.
  22. Fri 16 July to Sat 11 SeptemberBBC Proms 2027: dates, how to get in for under a tenner, and what is on tonight
    Mid-July to the second Saturday in September at the Royal Albert Hall. How promming works, which nights to book and which to queue for, rebuilt daily in season.
  23. Sat 28 to Mon 30 AugustNotting Hill Carnival 2027: dates, which day to go, route and how to get there
    Sunday 29 and Monday 30 August 2027, confirmed. Family day or main day, what time it starts, where the sound systems are and which stations will be shut.
  24. Dates to comeLondon in April: what is on
    Blossom, the Marathon, and the first evenings worth staying out for.
  25. Dates to comeLondon in August: what is on
    The city empties, and Carnival fills it again.
  26. Dates to comeLondon in December: what is on
    Everything at once, and then a very quiet week.
  27. Dates to comeLondon in February: what is on
    Short, cold, and better than its reputation.
  28. Dates to comeLondon in January: what is on
    The cheapest month and the emptiest, which is the point.
  29. Dates to comeLondon in July: what is on
    Wimbledon, the Proms, and the city at full volume.
  30. Dates to comeLondon in June: what is on
    The longest days, and the month with the most on.
  31. Dates to comeLondon in March: what is on
    The month London comes back outside.
  32. Dates to comeLondon in May: what is on
    Two bank holidays and the season starting properly.
  33. Dates to comeLondon in November: what is on
    Fireworks, then the lights go on.
  34. Dates to comeLondon in October: what is on
    Frieze, Halloween, and the clocks going back.
  35. Dates to comeLondon in September: what is on
    The best month, and hardly anyone says so.
  36. Dates to comeMuseum lates in London: which nights each museum opens late
    The National Gallery every Friday, Tate Modern and the V&A on the last Friday, the Science Museum on the last Wednesday, and the rest, with this month's dates underneath.
  37. Dates to comeStage times in London: when the headliner actually comes on
    Doors, support times and curfews at Wembley, the O2 and BST Hyde Park, and where to find the real times for a specific show.
  38. Dates to comeThe Night Tube: which lines run, what times, and where it stops short
    Friday and Saturday nights, five lines and the Windrush, midnight to half five. The gaps in the network are the part people get caught by, so they are listed here.
  39. Dates to comeWhere to watch football in London, and how to get in
    The London venues that advertise showing live sport, with addresses and how they handle big fixtures, plus the finders that tell you who has your specific match.

Earlier this year

Rewritten before they come round again
  1. Fri 10 July to Sun 30 AugustLondon festival stage times: All Points East, Wireless and the rest
    Gates, curfews, last entry and the walk to the station for London's big park festivals, plus where the official stage times appear and when.

Always useful

True whenever you read them
  1. Any time Activity bars in London: darts, shuffleboard, mini golf and bingo
    Competitive socialising, which is the industry's word for a bar with a game in it. What each one actually is, roughly what it costs, and which need booking.
  2. Any time Bars and pubs open near me: how late London actually drinks
    Which parts of London are still serving at one, which stop at eleven, and how to get home. An honest answer to a search that usually gives you a map.
  3. Any time Beaches near London: the closest, the sandiest, and the ones you can reach by train
    Which coast is actually nearest, which beaches are sand rather than shingle, and the train times that decide whether it is a day out or a trek.
  4. Any time Bottomless brunch in London: how it works and what it costs
    The time limit, the drinks that count, and the rules nobody reads until the waiter takes the glass away.
  5. Any time Brick Lane: the market, the bagels and the day to go
    Sunday is the answer to almost every question about Brick Lane. What is on, what is open the rest of the week, and where the good bagel queue is.
  6. Any time Carnaby Street: what is there now, and when it is worth going
    The Soho shopping street that made the Sixties, what it actually is today, and the one time of year it is genuinely worth a special trip.
  7. Any time Crossrail Place Roof Garden: the free garden on top of a station
    A covered garden above the Elizabeth line at Canary Wharf, free and open daily, planted along the line of the Prime Meridian.
  8. Any time Date night in London: ideas that are not just dinner
    Cheap, late, indoors and outdoors, sorted by what kind of evening you are actually trying to have.
  9. Any time Day trips from London by train: castles, cities and gardens
    Where you can actually get to and back in a day without a car, how long each takes, and which are worth the fare.
  10. Any time Dog friendly pubs in London: how to find one that actually is
    Most London pubs take dogs and almost none advertise it clearly. The rule of thumb, the areas, and how to check before you walk there.
  11. Any time Free museums in London: the full list, and what still costs money
    The national museums are free to walk into and always have been. Which ones, what the paid exhibitions are, and the free late openings worth planning around.
  12. Any time Free things to do in London: the ones that are actually free
    No ticket, no minimum spend, no catch. Museums, viewpoints, music, markets and gardens, and the handful that need a free booking.
  13. Any time Immersive experiences in London: what they are and which are worth it
    Digital art halls, walk-through theatre and the ticketed Instagram rooms, sorted by what you actually get for the money.
  14. Any time Kids activities in London: free, indoor, and half term
    What actually works with children in London, what it costs, and the indoor options for the day the weather turns.
  15. Any time Leadenhall Market: what to know before you go
    The Victorian covered market in the City, free to walk through, closed at the weekend, and standing on the site of the Roman forum.
  16. Any time London venues that have closed: what we have lost, and when
    A record of the rooms that have gone, with dates and what actually happened. Updated as closures are confirmed.
  17. Any time London victory parades: how they work and where to stand
    When a London club or an England team wins something, a parade follows within days. How it gets announced, the routes that get used, and how to actually see it.
  18. Any time London walks: the long routes, the canal, and the ones you can do after work
    The waymarked routes that ring the city, the towpaths that cut through it, and how far each one actually is.
  19. Any time Rooftop bars in London: the free ones, the booked ones, and the seasonal ones
    Where to drink with a view, what you need to book, and which rooftops cost nothing at all.
  20. Any time St Dunstan in the East: the bombed church that became a garden
    A ruined Wren church in the City, planted as a public garden, free and open daily. The best fifteen minutes in London, and how to have it to yourself.
  21. Any time Stargazing in London: meteor showers, dark spots and where to actually look
    The Perseids, the Geminids and the rest, plus the handful of places inside London where you can genuinely see something.
  22. Any time Sunset views in London: the free ones, ranked by effort
    Where to watch the sun go down over London without paying for it, plus the one view protected by an Act of Parliament.
  23. Any time The Bermondsey Beer Mile: which day, which order, and how far it really is
    A chain of brewery taprooms in the railway arches south of Tower Bridge. Mostly a Saturday, longer than a mile, and better done backwards.
  24. Any time Things to do near me: a London answer, by area and by tonight
    If you are in London, this is the honest version of a near me search: what is on today, what is free, and how to narrow it to your own bit of the city.
  25. Any time Weekend trips from London by train: where to go for one night
    Places worth an overnight rather than a day out, with the real journey times and which are worth booking ahead.

Each guide keeps the same address every year and is rewritten six to eight weeks before its dates, with every listing confirmed with the venue. How we choose what goes in.