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What's On In LondonSuggested Itineraries, Things To See and Do in London. Following the Suggested Itineraries section is a guide to annual events in London, What's on in London, when and where, together with useful links to further information. You will also find interesting and useful information in 151 Things to do in London and in our past newsletters. Suggested ItinerariesHere are some suggestion about how you could spend your time in London. You will be hard pressed to do all of these things in the time available, and you may enjoy your visit more if you leave some things out or plan to spend more time in London. Most of these attractions can be researched from our links page.
3 day visit 4 day visit 5 day visit 6 day visit Longer London and Paris What's On In LondonA selection of events and attractions in London. What's On In London - January 2009 1- 25 January 2009 - Somerset House Ice Rink. The highly successful ice rink at Somerset House is open again this year. During the day, the ice rink is the perfect family attraction with skating lessons and guides to aid inexperienced skaters. Once darkness falls, the rink is illuminated with flaming torches and special architectural lighting. The Courtyard is dominated by a magnificent 40ft-high Christmas tree. More details 9-18 January 2009 - The London International Boat Show. One of London's most popular exhibitions with hundreds of exhibitors from around the world displaying all the best in boats, equipment and holidays - and some spectacular features. More details. What's On In London - February 2009 6 February 2009 - Queen's Accession Gun Salutes. Queen Elizabeth came to the throne (aged 25) on 6 February 1952, the date when her father King George the Sixth died. The anniversary of the Queen's accession is heralded by a 41 gun royal salute fired by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery in Hyde Park at 12:00 noon and a 62-gun royal salute fired by the Honourable Artillery Company at the Tower of London at 1:00pm. More details. What's On In London - March 2009 15 March 2009 - St Patrick's Day Parade and Festival. London's Irish community have always celebrated St Patrick's Day in the traditional manner, with church services, music, dancing and plenty of Guinness and whisky. In recent years, the capital has also hosted a major weekend celebration - the UK equivalent of parades in New York and Chicago. There's also a stage in Trafalgar Square with live performances, and a variety of food and craft stalls. More details. 20 March - 13 April 2009 - The Ideal Home Show at Earl's Court Exhibition Centre is a showcase for the very latest in creativity and innovation from the best designers. Reflecting the issues affecting the current generation of home owners and renters, the EDF Energy Ideal Home Show will offer effective solutions to inspire visitors to learn to make the most of the homes they’re in, reduce their cost of living and offer simple, creative ways to cut their carbon footprints. More details. 29 March 2009 - The 155th Boat Race. World famous sporting event between Oxford and Cambridge, first held in 1829. The 4 ¼ mile Thames course from Putney to Mortlake is over three times as long as the Olympic course. This is as British a sporting occasion as you will ever see as the two university crews battle it out to the roars of the crowds lining the river banks. The race will start at 3:40pm. More details. What's On In London - April 2009 26 April 2009 - The Flora London Marathon is one of the great sporting events of the year. The 26-mile race through the streets of London attracts runners from all over the world, as well as those running for fun or charities. More details. 21 April 2009 - 41 gun royal salute to mark the real birthday of The Queen (rather than her "official" birthday which is in June). Fired by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery in Hyde Park at 12:00 noon and a 62-gun royal salute fired by the Honourable Artillery Company at the Tower of London at 1:00pm. More details. 23 April (Shakespeare's Birthday) - 10 October 2009 - Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Sam Wanamaker's faithful reconstruction of the Globe Theatre was opened by HM the Queen in June 1997. Here you experience Shakespeare's plays in the round and in the open air - just as it was over 500 years ago - a unique experience! The theme this year is "Young Hearts" and they will be performing Romeo & Juliet, Troilus & Cressida, As You Like It and Love’s Labour’s Lost. Public booking opens on Monday 14 February 2009. More details. What's On In London - May 2009 19 - 23 May 2009 - The Chelsea Flower Show. This is one of the events of the year – not just for garden enthusiasts but for socialites and anyone who loves beautiful things. See the very best in modern garden design, themed gardens, extravagant plantings, plus outdoor furniture and greenhouses. On the last day, there’s the opportunity to buy some of the magnificent exhibits. Tickets are on sale NOW. More details. 25 May - 12 September 2009 - Regents Park Open Air Theatre. Regent's Park has a long association with drama, there have been performances in the park since 1900, although this theatre wasn't erected until 1932. The Open Air Theatre is a particular favourite for productions of Shakespeare plays. With a capacity of over 1000 this venue is also popular for musical and theatrical performances. A delightful and informal venue, it's ideal for families. This year's productions include Much Ado About Nothing, The Tempest, The Importance of Being Earnest and Hello, Dolly. Public booking opens on Monday 9 February 2009. More details. 30 May 2009 - The Queen's Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour). First rehearsal – Major General's review. This is a colourful ceremony and parade with music, pageantry and the massed bands and troops of the Household Division, to celebrate the official birthday of Her Majesty The Queen. The parade starts at 11.00am. and lasts approximately one hour. This is the first rehearsal with the Major General commanding the Household Division taking the salute. Tickets (free) are available to the public - applications before 28 February 2009. More details. What's On In London - June 2009 2 June, 10 June and 13 June 2009 - Royal Salutes to mark Coronation Day, the birthday of The Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen's official birthday. A 41 gun royal salute fired by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery in Hyde Park at 12:00 noon and a 62-gun royal salute fired by the Honourable Artillery Company at the Tower of London at 1:00pm. More details. 2 June - 8 August 2009 - Opera Holland Park, another much loved London institution. Opera Holland Park performances take place under a large, futuristic, "big top" canopy; you may need a coat on a colder evening but at least you are guaranteed to be dry! It's informal, ideal for families, and fun - everyone brings a picnic to eat in the park in the dinner interval. It's affordable and the opera is good too! This year the productions are: Donizetti's Roberto Devereux, Humperdinck's Hänsel und Gretel, Puccini's La Bohème, Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld, Verdi's Un ballo in maschera and Janácek's Kat'a Kabanovà. Tickets on sale from 6 April - book quickly, the tickets go fast! More details. 3, 4, 9, 10 & 11 June 2009 - Beating Retreat is a musical spectacle of sound and colour. On two successive evenings (3rd & 4th) London's famous Horse Guards Parade resounds to the stirring sounds of the Massed Bands of the Household Division as they perform the ceremony of Beating Retreat - one of the major spectacles in the capital's ceremonial calendar. The event starts at 6:30pm with the salute being taken by Her Majesty The Queen or another member of the royal family. The Massed Bands of the Royal Marines will perform the same ceremony on the 9th, 10th & 11th. Tickets available from 1 April 2009. More details. 4 - 14 June 2009 - Olympia International Art & Antiques Fair. Held at the height of London's Summer Season, the Summer Olympia Fair is the most comprehensive and one of the most respected events in the international art and antiques calendar. Over 250 international and UK exhibitors presenting thousands of the very finest works of art and antiques, there is nothing to compare with the Olympia International Art and Antiques Fair. The fair attracts thousands of private buyers, discerning curators, interior designers, and devotees from all over the world. More details. 6 June 2009 - The Queen's Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour). Second rehearsal – The Colonel’s Review. As above with the Household Division’s Colonel of the Regiment taking the salute. Tickets (about £10) are available to the public - applications before 28 February 2009. More details. 6 June 2009 - Derby Day. The Derby is a race for three year olds run at Epsom. It is one of the oldest - and greatest - horse races in the world. More details. 8 June - 16 August 2009 - The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition is the world’s largest open submission contemporary art exhibition, with a tradition of showcasing work by unknown and emerging artists alongside that of more established names. The Summer Exhibition attracts about 9,000 paintings, sculptures, photographs, drawings, prints and architectural models. Many of the works are for sale - they range in price from under £100 for a limited edition print to many thousands for major oils and sculptures. More details. 13 June 2009 - The Queen's Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour). The real thing with The Queen taking the salute. Tickets (about £20) are available to the public - applications before 28 February 2009. More details. 16 - 20 June 2009 - Royal Ascot. Royal Ascot is the world’s most famous race meeting, steeped in history that dates back to 1711, it's not just about racing but fashion and style too. The Royal Family - big racing fans - drive from Windsor each day in open horse-drawn carriages to watch a varied programme of high quality racing. More details. 19 June - 9 July 2009 - City of London Festival. A series of concerts held around the city of London. The Festival reaches its climax with a performance of Bruckner's great 9th Symphony with Valery Gergiev conducting the London Symphony Orchestra in St. Paul's Cathedral. More details. 22 June – 5 July 2009 - Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships. This is the only remaining Grand Slam Lawn Tennis tournament to be played on grass. It attracts top players from all over the world. Tickets are allocated by ballot - applications must be sent by post prior to 31 December - but there are always a small number available on the day by queuing at the All England Club. More details. What's On In London - July 2009 17 July - 12 September 2009 - The BBC Henry Wood Promenade Concerts. One of the worlds great music festivals, these concerts began over 100 years ago so that everyone would have access to quality classical music - even today there are low-priced tickets for each of the 70+ performances, held in the historic Royal Albert Hall. Details of concerts are announced in early April. More details (when available). 27 July - 3 October 2009. Annual public opening of The Houses of Parliament. Visitors will be able to see the historic building, including the Chambers of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The tour includes: Queen's Robing Room - Royal Gallery - Prince's Chamber - House of Lords Chamber - Peers' Lobby and Corridor - Central Lobby - Commons Corridor and "No" lobby - House of Commons Chamber - St Stephen's Hall - Westminster Hall - New Palace Yard. Tours take about 75 minutes. Tickets will be on sale from March 2009. More details. What's On In London - August 2009 1 August - 27 September 2009. Annual public opening of State Rooms at Buckingham Palace, The Queen’s official residence in London. If you are in London at this time, a chance to see these magnificent rooms and the palace gardens is a chance not to be missed. More details. 4 - 8 August 2009. The Great British Beer Festival. The Great British Beer Festival has celebrated 30 years of being Britain's biggest and best beer festival. Also known as the Biggest Pub in the World, the festival plays host to a some 450 beers and real lagers from the UK and around the world. More details. 22 - 24 August 2009 - Notting Hill Carnival - Europe's biggest street party; after Rio de Janeiro it's the second largest in the world. The festivities started as a local affair set up by the West Indian immigrants of the area and has become a full-blooded Caribbean carnival, attracting millions of people from all around the world. There are scores of massive 'sound systems', many spectacular floats and steel drum bands. Additionally, to keep you well fed, there are hundreds of stalls lining the streets selling all sorts of food and drink including Caribbean specialities. Saturday is the Steel Bands day, on Sunday there's the Children's Parade and the Main Parade is on the bank holiday Monday. More details (when available). What's On In London - September 2009 12 & 13 September - The Thames Festival celebrates London’s river with amazing open air arts, pyrotechnics, illuminations, river events, street theatre, massed choirs and music. More details. 19 & 20 September 2009 - London Open House. Some 650 varied buildings - from government buildings to private houses and apartments - normally barred to the public, are opened on an entirely free basis. This is a wonderful opportunity to see some of the capitals architectural gems normally hidden from public eyes. More details. What's On In London - October 2009 14 - 29 October 2009 (dates to be confirmed) - London Film Festival. This is Europe's largest public film event, screening 280 films from 60 countries and includes a selection of some of the best films from around the world. More details. What's On In London - November 2009 5 November 2009 - Bonfire Night. Bonfires are lit and there are fireworks displays all over London (and the UK) to commemorate the Gunpowder Plot, an attempt to blow up James I and his Parliament. The plot's most famous conspirator, Guy Fawkes, ("The Guy") is burned as an effigy. Although the official anniversary is on the 5th, bonfires and firework displays start up to 2 weeks before and go on for a week after the actual date. More details. 14 November 2009 - The Lord Mayor's Show. The inauguration of the new Lord Mayor of the City of London. The first Lord Mayor's Show was held in 1215 when King John's Charter stipulated that the new Lord Mayor must swear an oath of allegiance to the King and also to literally 'show' himself to the people. Since then only major disasters such as the Black Death have stopped the Show. The Lord Mayor's procession winds through nearly 800 years of London's history, marching unscathed through everything from the black death to the blitz. From 1422 and for centuries after, it travelled down the River Thames - hence the term 'floats', and there followed a time when the Lord Mayor rode on horseback. Since 1757 however, Lord Mayors have travelled in the famous ceremonial gold coach. In the 21st century, it's a day out for half a million people, with 3 million more watching on the BBC. More details. 16-22 November 2009 The Winter Fine Art & Antiques Fair at Olympia is a long-standing, glamorous annual event and is the only fair of this calibre at this time of the year - one of the best quality, serious antiques fairs in London. More details. November 2009 (date to be confirmed) State Opening of Parliament. The State Opening of Parliament marks the start of the parliamentary session. It occurs when Parliament reassembles after a general election, and each subsequent year it is normally in November. It's the main ceremonial event of the parliamentary year, attracting large crowds, both in person and watching on television. The Queen drives in state from Buckingham Palace to Westminster. Before the State Opening, the cellars of the Palace of Westminster are to this day searched by the Yeomen of the Guard - a precaution dating back to the Gunpowder Plot of November 1605. More details. 18 November 2009 - 24 January 2010 (dates to be confirmed) - Somerset House Ice Rink. The highly successful ice rink at Somerset House will open again. During the day, the ice rink is the perfect family attraction with skating lessons and guides to aid inexperienced skaters. Once darkness falls, the rink is illuminated with flaming torches and special architectural lighting. The Courtyard is dominated by a magnificent 40ft-high Christmas tree. More details What's On In London - December 2009 December 2009 - London's Christmas Lights. London's famous shopping streets, Regent Street, Oxford Street and Bond Street are all magically lit for the festive season. December 2009 - Traditional Christmas Pantomimes. Enjoyed by children and adults alike, the Christmas pantomime is an integral part of an English Christmas. |
Open top bus tour