Rosie Hewitson

It’s the first weekend of July is here and it’s a special one for the city. The crown jewel in the city’s Pride Month celebrations will be making its rainbow-hued return on Saturday when crowds will dance, march and party their way through central London for the Pride Parade. It’s free to join, plus look out for a wealth of after-parties and celebrations happening across London for the occasion.   More theatrical treats are in store for us this weekend, as a surprisingly clever and funny adaptation of the iconic 90s film ‘Mrs Doubtfire’ hits the stage at Shaftesbury Theatre and ‘Dear England’, The National Theatre’s mediation on the nature of football hits the back of the net thanks to top-notch playwright James Graham.  Missed out on Glastonbury? Head to Crystal Palace Park instead where punk legends Iggy Pop, Blondie and Buzzcocks will be wreaking havoc at Dog Day Afternoon Festival. Or hit up the last weekend of the National Theatre’s River Stage which will be culminating with rap battles, dance crews and steel pans as Hackney Young Producers take over the programming.  Art fans will also be pleased to hear that the National Portrait Gallery has re-opened after a three-year refurb and the V&A’s latest block-buster exhibition is here, celebrating the ‘Diva’ in all her glory. Still in need of some more inspiration? Check out our roundups of the best new theatre or book yourself a table at one of the city’s best restaurants or bars.  What are you waiting for? Get out there!RE

The final days of June are upon us, but the first weekend of July is nigh and it’s a special one for the city. The crown jewel in the city’s Pride Month celebrations will be making its rainbow-hued return on Saturday when crowds will dance, march and party their way through central London for the Pride Parade. It’s free to join, plus look out for a wealth of after parties and celebrations happening across London for the occasion.   More theatrical treats are in store for us this week, as a surprisingly clever and funny adaptation of the iconic 90s film ‘Mrs Doubtfire’ hits the stage at Shaftesbury Theatre and ‘Dear England’, The National Theatre’s mediation on the nature of football hits the back of the net thanks to top-notch playwright James Graham.  Missed out on Glastonbury? Head to Crystal Palace Park instead where punk legends Iggy Pop, Blondie and Buzzcocks will be wreaking havoc at Dog Day Afternoon Festival. Or hit up the last weekend of the National Theatre’s River Stage which will be culminating with rap battles, dance crews and steel pans as Hackney Young Producers take over the programming.  Art fans will also be pleased to hear that the National Portrait Gallery has re-opened after a three-year refurb and the V&A’s latest block-buster exhibition is here, celebrating the ‘Diva’ in all her glory. Still got gaps in your diary? Make the most of the longer days, warmer evenings and occasional spots of sun at London’s best parks and green spaces or be getting an eyefu

Second only to Christmas as the funnest holiday of the year (although we’re fans of Bonfire Night too), Halloween has so much more going for it than trick-or-treating. Kids love dressing up, pumpkin carving and spooky outfits are practically mandatory at this time of year – many of the below family-friendly events encourage guests to don fancy dress and scary masks.  Whether your children are dog lovers, disco babes, pumpkin pickers or even trainee witches, there are loads of wicked things to do in London for them this Halloween. And as All Hallows’ Eve falls right at the end of half-term this year (Monday October 31 2022), once the festivities are over, you can pack the kids back off to school with green-tinged hair and faint traces of ghoulish face paint on their cheeks. Happy Halloween!  RECOMMENDED: Our complete guide to Halloween in London for everyone.

After last year’s somewhat half-hearted celebrations, this year's Halloween – which falls on Sunday, October 31 2022 – promises to be bigger, badder, spookier and more spine-chilling than ever before. There’s plenty of fright-filled fun to be had throughout October, whether you want to watch horror films on the big screen, join a lantern-lit ghost tour, learn all about London’s Magnificent Seven graveyards, carve pumpkins, or let your synthetic wigs down over themed cocktails at a seasonal pop-up. So when you’re after something strange in your neighbourhood, who ya gonna call? Time Out London, that’s who! We might not be so great at ghost-busting, but we’ve got everything else covered this ‘scary szn’ with our whopper list of the very best Halloween events in London for 2022. RECOMMENDED: Your ultimate guide to Halloween in London

These days, it seems like every American you know is in Europe. You look at your social media scroll and may feel twinges or even deluges of FOMO. But it might be that your wallet isn’t quite ready for an international trip, or maybe you weren’t able to update your passport in time, or you just aren’t ready for that long of an airplane ride. Whatever the reason you’re staying stateside, we’ve got you covered with this list of U.S. cities that look like European ones. Check out the quaint spires, the red roofs, the half-timbering, the windmills, the cobblestone walkways … all the things that fool your eye into thinking you’ve crossed international waters. And if your Instagram game is good, you could even fool people into thinking you’re over there. RECOMMENDED: The 10 most underrated beach towns in America

Britons, the wait is over. Gone are those long, dark, chilly winter months... summer is finally here. This year the UK summer is as good as it’s ever been and there’s loads of stuff to keep you busy, from dazzling flower displays to music-festival season. But summer also means the return of another truly great thing: waterparks. Of course, many waterparks are indoors and so have plenty of appeal all year round. But there’s something special about them in the sunniest months. As soon as UK weather turns even remotely balmy, that’s a good enough excuse to stick on some swimwear, bust out the rubber ring and blow up yer armbands. And while there are few thrills quite so pure as ginormous wave machines, mega-slippy slides and hectic splash pools, waterparks are also simply very pleasant places to chill out, beat the heat and have some fun. So without further ado, here are the 12 best waterparks in the UK. Don’t forget your towel (or trunks, for that matter). RECOMMENDED:🏊 The best outdoor swimming pools in the UK🚗 The best road trips in the UK🪂 The best extreme outdoor activity breaks in the UK🚴 The most beautiful bike trails in the UK🏖️ The most stunning hidden beaches in the UK🏊 The best waterparks in London

June 2023: Ask any Londoner and they’ll tell you there is no feeling like spending summer in the capital. From alfresco theatre and rooftop cocktail spots to balmy evenings hanging out in lush parks and making a splash in a lido, summer in the city is pretty sweet. June is the official start of summer. But, in London it also marks the epicenter of festival season, the return of outdoor film screenings and street parties. Here’s how to make the most of those long, hot (hopefully) summer days. No matter what your vibe, tastes or interests, there is always something to do in London. When the sun’s out, London’s parks turn into leafy social clubs, restaurants dust off their outdoor seating and fountains erupt from dusty concrete squares and suddenly the city air is filled with alfresco theatre.  Whether you want to see cutting-edge art exhibitions, iconic attractions, secret spots, world-beating theatre, stunning green spaces, it’s all here and you can probably fit all this in and more still barely feel like you’ve scratched the surface of the city. And that’s before you factor in all those historic London pubs, the latest must-visit restaurants and vibrant LGBTQ+ venues. And if you need somewhere to stay? Check out London’s best hotels or Airbnbs. This London bucket list (curated by our editors and always hotly debated in the Time Out office) is a good place to start because exploring this city can be a little daunting. There’s something for everyone here, but you need to know w

Got a few hours to kill today? You’re in luck. London is one of the very best places on the planet to be when you find yourself with a bit of spare time. In this city, you’re never too far away from a picturesque park, a lovely pub or a cracking cinema where you could while away a few hours. And on any given day, you’ve got a wealth of world-class art shows, blockbuster theatre and top museum exhibitions to choose from if you’re twiddling your thumbs.  And while London has a reputation for being pricy, it’s also one of the best places in the world to find fun things to do on a budget, whether that’s a slap-up meal that won’t break the bank or the wealth of free attractions across town.  Whatever you feel like doing today, you can guarantee that London has the answer. Here are just a few suggestions of our favourite things on right now. Don’t forget that you can also check out our area guides and Love Local pages if you’re after something in your immediate vicinity.  You have absolutely no excuse to be bored in London ever again! RECOMMENDED: Find even more inspiration with our round-up of the best things to do in London this week.

Dust off your suitcase, set up your out-of-office, and find those swimming trunks shoved in the back of the wardrobe... There is nothing better than a well-deserved break right on home soil. Yeah, you could fly to some tropical paradise or European city, but the UK has some incredible hidden gems worthy of a staycation. We're all about celebrating the bits that make the UK great: diverse climates, lush environments, gorgeous coastlines, and good ol' pub grub. With a wealth of countryside, forests and secluded sandy beaches, there are endless opportunities to explore the country. That’s why we’ve rounded up some of the best Airbnbs in the UK for you to look at. Cuppa anyone?💕 The best romantic weekend getaways in the UK🪵 Amazing cabins and cottages in the UK🧘 The best wellbeing breaks and yoga retreats in the UK Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in every Airbnb featured, we've based our list on top reviews, hosts and amenities to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

When it comes to picking something to do in London, there's simply so much choice: world-class clubs, inspiring galleries, and mind-blowing restaurants – we’ve got the lot. The downside? Frankly, it's a lot to take in. The intrepid urban explorer can check out our ultimate list of 101 things to do in London, but here you’ll find a focused guide to south London – a vibrant area with everything from brilliant brunch spots to bustling street food markets.   From Peckham to Greenwich, Crystal Palace to Brixton, south of the river has never looked more appealing. We’re sure you’ll agree – south London has got it going on.  RECOMMENDED: The best things to do in west, north and east London  This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, click here.

‘I was born and raised in London, and I’ve always loved visiting places like the queer bookshop Gay’s the Word and the UK’s first Black bookshop, New Beacon,’ says Raye, one of the book lovers behind Bethnal Green Road’s new bookshop, The Common Press. ‘Most mainstream bookshops will [focus on minority writers for] Pride Month or Black History Month, and then, outside of those, everything kind of gets pushed to the side. There’s a lot of power in reading, so we wanted to create a space that prioritises intersectionality and all people from marginalised identities.’ The Common Press opened in August as part of Glass House, a new LGBTQ+ multidisciplinary venue that also encompasses an events space, podcast recording booths and an adjacent bar and restaurant. It may not be the only bookshop in London to exclusively sell literature by and for queer people or people of colour, but it is the first that also creates space for these people to hang out and socialise. Open from 10am until early evening every day, the bookshop also functions as a small café serving hot drinks and snacks to customers who fancy spending time there reading their new purchases, catching up with friends or getting some work done. ‘A lot of events in queer spaces are focused on drinking and nightlife. Glass House has a bar and restaurant, but we also wanted to offer something that is centred around knowledge and learning,’ explains Raye. That’s why The Common Press hopes to offer a range of events to help f

Don’t be fooled into thinking summer starts on June 21. We know what’s what and the summer fun really begins with the final May Bank Holiday, a time when we all silently agree to kiss goodbye to our sleeves and ditch our coats at the first whisper of sunshine.  We’ve been spoiled with bank holidays this month, but consider these three days off work your chance to reacquaint yourself with summer in the city. Finally, the sun is out, it’s warm enough to sit outside for longer than five minutes so whether it’s hanging out in some of the capital’s best beer gardens, cooling off with some outdoor swimming, dining out in a fabulous alfresco restaurant, exploring London’s lush green spaces or browsing one of the city’s bustling markets.  Check out our guide to the best events and things to do across London for the Bank Holiday weekend falling betweeen Saturday April 27 to Monday May 29 2023.  RECOMMENDED: Read our full guide to the bank holiday in London

Filled with choreographed fountains (1,080 water spouts, operating 8am-8pm daily, and lit in many colours at night), the square’s terracing down to the canal is populated most sunny days. No wonder: there’s a ready supply of students from Central Saint Martins, which in 2011 moved into the building behind- a sensitively and impressively converted, Grade II-listed 1850s industrial building. The square is also home to Queer Britain, UK’s first museum dedicated solely to LGBTQ+ culture and history.  Discover more great things to do in King's Cross

This globetrotting queer party has popped up at some of the world’s most famous clubs since it first launched at the Ministry of Sound in 2018. Now it’s coming to Koko for an epic Pride in London afters featuring a headline set from Maya Jane Coles alongside appearances from London LGBTQ+ party scene regulars Derick Carter and Maze & Masters. 

Found just a stone’s throw from Liverpool Street Station, the Bishopsgate Institute is a community learning centre that founded by educational reformer Reverend William Rogers, Rector of St Botolph's Church in the City of London in the late nineteenth century. Its Grade-II listed building was ‘erected for the benefit of the public’ in 1894, with the motto ‘I never stop learning’, and has been housing local archives and hosting talks, discussions and educational courses for adults in the area ever since.  Under the leadership of Special Collections and Archives Manager Stef Dickers, in recent years it has become best known for its sizeable archives documenting LGBTQ+ London and the city’s histories of protest and activism, having become home to the Lesbian and Gay Newsmedia Archive in 2011. This collection alone holds 350,000 press cuttings, while the photographic archives house 500,000 images, and the London collection features more than 150,000 books, pamphlets, maps and photographs of the city. Educational events at the Institute encompass everything from exercise and dance classes to creative writing courses, history talks and archive tours. 

Founded by trUst label head Saoirse and Little Gay Brother founder Clayton Wright back in 2021, queer electronic music festival Body Movements won Best New Event in Time Out’s Best of the City awards for its inaugural festival and has since established itself as a major fixture on London’s queer party scene. It returns to Hackney Wick for a fourth edition this July, with a line-up of over 30 different queer nightlife collectives taking to the stage at Colour Factory, The Yard, Crate Brewery and other warehouse venues around Queen’s Yard. Avalon Emerson, HAAi, Harry Gay, Jay Jay Revlon, Jaye Ward, Lewis G. Burton, Michelle Manetti, Nite Dykez, Octo Octa, Sad Queers Club, Saoirse, Sippin Tea, and Thempress are a handful of names on the stellar line-up for this summer’s edition. Remaining tickets are on sale here - get ’em quick!

Munch your way through dishes from the great and the good of the capital’s restaurant scene at this sprawling culinary festival in the picturesque surroundings of central London’s Regent’s Park. Dim sum hangout Dumplings Legend, beloved Sri Lankan eatery Hoppers, Time Out fave Roti King and Big Mamma’s quintet of maximalist Italian joints (that’s Gloria, Circolo Popolare, Ave Mario, Jacuzzi and Carlotta) are among the line-up of restaurants peddling plates, which start at just six quid a pop. If you’re not in a food coma by the end, there’ll also be kitchen masterclasses, chef talks and tastings to get involved with. Our advice? Have some Rennies on hand. 

After eight weeks of electrifying heats in which over 100 acts have graced the tiny stage of Haggerston queer boozer The Glory, London drag king talent show Man Up is once again heading south of the river for its 2023 Grand Finale at the Clapham Grand. Man about town Don One and Chiyo, Prinx of Provocation, will be playing hosts to the epic final showdown of Europe’s biggest drag king contest, which promises three hours of chest-binding, lip-syncing, strip-teasing artistry from the 16 finalists, before an expert panel of judges crowns the winning king, who gets to take home. Acts start at 8pm sharp, and a post-show disco will keep the party going until midnight. Hallelujah, it’s reigning men.

Londoners have gone absolutely loco for agave spirits in the last couple of years, so much so that we now have a whole festival dedicated to them in La Piñata, a two-day takeover of Tobacco Dock featuring the finest tequila and mezcal producers around. Head down to neck samples of the stuff from more than twenty artisanal brands including the likes of The Lost Explorer and Quiquiriqui, whose makers will be on hand to guide you through the various complexities of the spirits. There’ll also be talks and panel discussions offering a rich insight into the hot topics of the industry, plus bars serving up Margaritas, Palomas and Micheladas, markets, food stalls and (as the name rightly suggests), piñatas. 

Women’s football attendance records are falling left, right and centre after the Lionesses’ Euros triumphant last summer, and this Sunday will see yet another one smashed, as Emma Hayes’s formidable Chelsea team and Mark Skinner’s ascendant Manchester United side battle it out in front of a sold out Wembley crowd to decide who takes home the 2023 FA Cup trophy. Missed out on tickets to the IRL event? Head to historic Limehouse boozer The Queens Head for a viewing party hosted by trailblazing fan collective Baller FC. Expect a raucous atmosphere where all fans are welcome, and get down early if you want to take part in to take part in a game of ‘Guess the WSL player Pony Tail’, the winner of which will take home a Ella Toone ‘Buzzin Mi Head Off’ bucket hat. Let’s ’ave it!

Creatives will be find themselves in heaven at this vast emporium by London Fields, which is filled to the brim with thousands of tubes of paint covering a wide variety of quality and prices, as well as paper of every texture and hue, tools, brushes, pens, pencils, crayons, solvents, spray paints, glues, canvases, stretchers, easels, frames and portfolios – in other words, pretty much everything and anything that arty folk might ever need, and at competitive prices too. What’s more, staff are helpful and friendly and there’s a 10 per cent discount for students, making it a first port-of-call for young artists in the making. 

If you like to drink in places where the history’s as important as the booze on offer, the Grade II-listed French House should be on your list. Charles de Gaulle used the pub as a workplace during World War II; Dylan Thomas and Francis Bacon both drank here; Fergus Henderson ran the upstairs dining room right before heading off to start St John...the list goes on.  The interior reflects both the Gallic connection and its long standing in this most exciting of London neighbourhoods. It’s small, memento-filled, and very crowded when the place is busy. You may end up joining the regulars on the pavement outside, but that’s just part of the French House experience. Food is served during the daytime only, and beer, famously, is served only in halves (a tradition that was mercifully resumed after a brief pandemic-related switch to full pints). This is Soho history. Come and drink it in. 

A new store from trendy Dutch-born eyewear brand Ace & Tate found within a brand new shopping and retail development on the corner of Borough Market. 

Proper headshots will do absolute wonders for your CV (or maybe just your Hinge profile) but hiring a photographer to do them can be a seriously pricey affair, which is why we’d recommend hot-footing it down to Ace & Tate’s new Borough Yards store this Friday. Pop down to the shop to try on some specs and you’ll get the chance to be photographed both with and without glasses. Both headshots will be emailed to you afterwards, but which one you choose is up to you. So...do glasses really make you look smarter? 

London’s LGBTQ+ scene has faced its fair share of challenges – among them: gentrification, a pandemic and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. But somehow, the city’s vibrant and defiant queer community always bounces back. In addition to some awesome LGBTQ+ clubs and bars, London has a pretty dazzling array of LGBTQ+ club nights. Here are 15 of the very best, from radical queer raves to ridiculously fun pop parties. 1. Feel It Held every Friday at London Bridge venue Omeara, this self-styled ‘queer super-party’ lives up to its billing. The genuinely diverse crowd includes plenty who like to dress up, and plenty who like to undress as the night progresses, especially in the sweaty main room. Banging house is the soundtrack there, while two other rooms are dedicated to chilled disco and pop. Brilliantly produced by London club legend Jodie Harsh and the Little Gay Brother crew, Feel It brings Berlin-style thrills and spills to south London. @feelitparty Photograph: Henri TButch, Please! 2. Butch, Please! Launched by Tabs Benjamin in 2016, this monthly club night at south London’s Royal Vauxhall Tavern celebrates the butch identity and its place in queer culture. Each party has a different theme – from ‘kinky butch’ to ‘muscle butch’ – and prides itself on being fully ‘dyke-centric’ from the performers to the door policy. It’s a space for lesbian and bi women, as well as trans and non-binary people, so don’t bring your cis male mates. @butchpleaselondon 3. Horse Meat Disco Ther

If you’ve ever tried nabbing an hour-long slot at London Fields Lido on a hot July afternoon, you’ll already know that it’s somewhat akin to trying to secure tickets to Glastonbury.  The destination of choice for east London’s outdoor swimming fanatics, London Fields’ 50-metre heated pool has become progressively more popular in recent years, welcoming more than 340,000 visitors in 2022. Now Hackney Council has proposed planned improvements to the facilities that will allow even more locals to feel the wind in their hair as they consistently fail to overtake an octogenarian in the slow lane (just me?) via the addition of a new training pool where beginners will be able to learn to swim. Photograph: Hackney Council Designed by architects FaulknerBrowns – who previously worked with Hackney Council on the nearby Britannia Leisure Centre – the proposed plans feature a 13m x 7m indoor training pool in place of the previously decommissioned paddling pool, as well as accessible toilets, a moveable floor and a viewing gallery.  The proposal for the pool extension is currently in a six-week consultation stage in which local residents are invited to have their say on the project, at the end of which a planning application will be submitted. Should this be successful, construction will begin at the end of the year and is expected to be completed by the summer of 2024.  If you’re a Hackney resident and fancy weighing in (or maybe diving in?) on the plans, you can access the online sur

Remember that historic burial site in Euston that had to be excavated to make way for the new HS2 station? Archaeologists found all sorts of cool stuff during the four-year works, and it’s all on display now as part of a new exhibition at St James’s Church in Piccadilly.  Headland Archaeology and the Museum of London Archaeology worked on the project between 2017 and 2021, sensitively exhuming and documenting more than 30,000 bodies from the St James’s Burial Ground in the largest archaeological excavation of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century burials ever undertaken in the UK. The site’s clay-based soil means that the coffins interred there between 1789 and 1853 have been much better preserved than at other sites of a similar age. The project has proved to be unusually rich in discoveries as a result, with organic items including clothing articles and wooden coffins uncovered intact during the dig.   Photograph: Courtesy of HS2 Personal items ranging from clay pipes and pocket watches to hair combs and slippers can now be viewed as part of the ‘Stories of St James’s Burial Ground’ exhibition on display at the Sir Christopher Wren-designed church which conducted the majority of the graveyard’s burials. The exhibition also features these only-slightly-sinister cardboard models (above), scattered around the church’s pews, all of which depict real people who were buried at the site, from dressmaker and amputee Elizabeth Mercer, to businessman Charles Fortnum, a member of the

It might not seem like it given the miserable weather across the UK this week, but spring is officially just days away. The impending change of season is especially good news if you happen to live in London, because a new report has just named the capital as the most picturesque city in the world during springtime.  It’s not all that surprising, really. Sure, London might have a reputation for being a bit grey during the colder months, but its world-famous landmarks, gorgeous works of architecture and leafy green spaces really come into their own when the temperature starts to climb. From World Heritage sites like Kew Gardens and The Tower of London to the plethora of springtime flowers that bloom across the city each year, there are a shit ton of picture-perfect London scenes to post on socials. And plenty of people are doing exactly that according to the study conducted by Travelbag, who compiled data for over 170 destinations across the world based on hashtag usage on Instagram. The tourism website found that users of the photo and video-sharing site used the hashtag #springinlondon for over 100,000 posts, beating out every other major city for hashtag usage. Second on the list was Paris, with Instagram users posting 78,981 times using #springinparis, while Seattle came in at number three on the list thanks to the 24,220 posts made using #springinseattle. Here’s the top ten in full: London - 100,832 Paris - 78,981 Seattle - 24,220 Melbourne - 23,549 Chicago - 23,536 Sydne

Catherine Cohen loves a photoshoot. New York City’s favourite ‘one-woman cabaret chanteuse’ is extremely jet-lagged when she turns up at Time Out’s office less than 24 hours after landing in the city ahead of her first UK tour. Barely ten minutes later, she’s got a conspiratorial glint in her eye and a fake Martini in hand as she reclines on the leather banquettes of our local old-man boozer – shout out The Cross Keys in Covent Garden – looking for all the world like she’s just taken huge pleasure in telling an over-refreshed patron to sling their hook.  This impressively gung-ho approach to self-promotion is pretty much exactly what you’d expect if you’ve watched Cohen’s 2022 Netflix special ‘The Twist?… She’s Gorgeous’, a recording of her monthly show at NYC cabaret venue Joe’s Pub that begins with a jazz-hands-heavy musical number called ‘Look at Me’.  It also comes in quite handy when you’ve got a brand-new show to promote. After we’ve finished alarming the pub regulars, we head back to the Time Out photo studio to chat about it. Photograph: Jess Hand Hey, Catherine, welcome back to London. Let’s start with a quickfire round of London v New York.  ‘Ugh, impossible! Impossible to choose!’ And yet… subway or tube? ‘The tube is better.’ Salt-beef bagel or pie and mash? ‘What’s a salt-beef bagel?’ Is that not a really New York thing?  ‘I guess it would be more like bagel and lox.’  Right. ‘It’s okay, we can help each other. And I don’t know about pie, but I’ve had, like, ba

It’s a crisp, sunny Monday lunchtime in late October and a spontaneous round of applause has erupted from the astroturf pitches above Hoxton’s Britannia Leisure Centre.  For the past hour or so, a low hum of excitable chatter has been punctuated only by the periodic thwack of footballs against walls. Forty-odd amateur players, from a host of local women’s teams, stand around doing keep-ups and taking turns to fire off shots at a goalkeeper on the far end of the pitch. But now Lioness Chloe Kelly is here, giving a meek wave as she steps onto the turf, and everyone is cheering like it’s July 31 all over again.   Five months earlier, the reaction of even the most ardent of women’s football fans to the arrival of the England forward might have been a little more muted. But that was before 23 million Brits tuned in to watch her punt the ball over the line in the 110th minute of extra time at this summer’s Women’s Euros Final, securing the Lionesses’ first ever major trophy in front of a record-breaking Wembley crowd.  That was before her instantly iconic celebration – pausing just long enough to check that the goal would stand before whipping off her shirt and helicoptering it overhead, sports bra on full display – or an equally memorable post-match interview where she ran off with the microphone mid-sentence to join her teammates in an ecstatic rendition of ‘Sweet Caroline’.  In short, that was before the 24-year-old from Ealing became a household name literally overnight.   Comi

Transport for London is fast becoming one of English football’s most sought-after signings. First, north London club Arsenal collabed with TfL on that tasty little Piccadilly line training kit. Then there was the bus route named after Euros-winning west Londoner Chloe Kelly. And now, England and Chelsea forward Raheem Sterling has gone and released a pair of London bus-inspired football boots. The Brent-raised footballer collaborated with his boot sponsor New Balance on the signature ‘Route to Success’ design, which features a pattern based on a fabric moquette found on London buses in the 1990s. The recently revived design is one that Sterling knows well from the countless hours he spent travelling across London with his older sister to attend training at QPR’s academy five times a week during his youth.  Photograph: New Balance ‘Three buses to get to training: 18, 182 and 140. I’ll never forget those numbers,’ the four-time Premier League winner tweeted about his journey. ‘No matter what, my big sister Lakima with me every single day. My latest boot is dedicated to her and all those moments we shared together.’ The 79-cap England star debuted the design in Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday, and the Furon 7 boots are on sale now for £220. We’d suggest pairing them with some Elizabeth Line socks. Stunning. Everything you need to know about October’s London train and Overground strikes. Tube cleaners and other low-paid workers will get free travel on TfL.

After 70 years on the throne, the sad announcement was made on Thursday September 8 that Queen Elizabeth II, the UK’s longest-serving monarch, had died at the age of 96.  The announcement has set off a series of carefully planned official events, marches and memorials. Plans are currently being put in place for her state funeral, which will take place on Monday September 19. She will be the first British monarch to have her funeral at Westminster Abbey since 1760 and her coffin will lie in state for five days beforehand (Wednesday September 14 to Monday September 19) in Westminster Hall where the general public will be able to walk past the coffin to pay their respects.  As well as changes to strike action and transport services, many major events will be postponed and landmarks closed as a mark of respect on Monday September 19. Here’s a list of all the major London events and landmarks that will be closing and cancelled on the day of the Queen’s funeral. Museums and galleries  Alfred Waterhouse’s Romanesque cathedral of nature, the Natural History Museum, will be closed all day on Monday September 19, as will its neighbour the Science Museum. The art world also pays its respects on Monday, The National Gallery, Tate Modern and Tate Britain all closed too.  Tourist attractions Queen Elizabeth II was a patron of London Zoo. As a mark of respect, the London landmark and its Whipsnade sister site announced that both will close on Monday. ZSL said in a statement: ‘Her passion f

Craft brewing monolith BrewDog announced yesterday that it is closing three of its 24 London bars as a result of rising energy costs, with another further three locations closing nationally.  The brewery’s Dalston, Farringdon and Old Street branches are the London locations that will shut down permanently, with BrewDog chief executive James Watt explaining that ‘It was going to be simply impossible to get these bars even close to financial viability in the foreseeable future. We had no choice but to close them.’ ‘Costs are rising to such a degree... that these very difficult decisions have to be made,’ the multinational’s founder said in a scathing LinkedIn post criticising ‘zombie government still intent on this bizarre leadership farce instead of getting to grips with the kind of challenges that will result in more business casualties than the pandemic’. The BrewDog closures come just days after executives from six of the UK’s biggest pub chains and breweries – Greene King, JW Lees, Carlsberg Marston’s, Admiral Taverns, Drake & Morgan and St Austell Brewery – signed an open letter to the government warning of the catastrophic effect that the energy crisis will have on the industry and calling for financial support to help businesses and venues survive after energy bills have risen more than 300 percent in some cases.  Watt confirmed that BrewDog employees affected by the closures have been offered roles at nearby locations, which the company was able to do ‘due to the stre

We’re always wanging on about Yard Sale Pizza at Time Out. And they’re not even bribing us with free slices or anything (although if you’re reading this, Yard Sale, it wouldn’t hurt to send a couple of 18 inch-ers to the Time Out office one lunchtime, just sayin’.) The East London gang just happen to be really flipping good at making pizza pies – good enough that you, the London public, crowned them the winner of our inaugural Clash of the Slices competition a few months back – and keep launching dream #collabs (YSP x Dom’s Subs, YSP x Off Menu, YSP x Four Legs) that make even us jaded journos think ‘that sounds quite sick to be fair.’ Now, hot on the heels of a restaurant pop-up with Top Cuvée, they’ve only gone and launched a competition with beloved Vicky Park music festival Field Day, which celebrates its fifteenth anniversary in August with a banging line-up that includes the likes of Daniel Avery, Peggy Gou, Floating Points, Kraftwerk 3D, Heléna Star, Erol Alkan and The Chemical Brothers. Here’s the deal: over the course of June, ten golden stickers will be affixed at random to the bottom of ten Yard Sale pizza boxes. Anyone who finds them will bag some serious swag, including a pair of VIP tickets to the festival, a £100 festival bar tab, £50 to spend on pizzas and loads of swanky merch from both brands.  All you’ve gotta do to be in with a chance of winning all this is order a takeaway pizza between now and 6 July (or when stocks last… so the sooner the better.) Obvio

Abba. Jedward. Bisexual Italian glam rockers maybe or maybe not doing lines under the table. Australia, for some reason. The Eurovision Song Contest truly has it all. The 2022 edition takes place in Turin this weekend, and with London’s bars, cinemas and nightlife venues able to host proper screenings for the first time since 2019, it’s likely to be bigger, camper and more fun-filled than ever. To help you make the most of the occasion, we’ve rounded up the best screening events happening across the city. The smart (and morally aware) money is on Ukrainian rap group Kalush Orchestra this year, of course. Head to Bethnal Green’s famous drag queen-hosted screening Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club is doing its rowdy and irreverent Eurovision screening party. In the main space, drag performers will be hosting a ‘shout-a-long, dance-a-long and boo-a-long’ screening of the song contest complete with ‘Wogan-worthy off-the-cuff commentary’. You have been warned. Downstairs, you’ll find more subdued screenings in two other rooms for those who’d prefer not to miss a single note. Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club. 7pm-2am. From £8. Tickets available on the door.  Scream for your favourites while stuffing your face with fancy cheese After a more sophisticated Eurovision soirée? Hit London Art Bar’s wine and cheese event, where you can gobble a load of proper fancy fromage while cheering on Kosovo or Finland. Guests are encouraged to come in costume with flags in hand, and tickets include

Excellent news, Londoners It’s the fifth of the fifth today, which means Cinco de Mayo celebrations are happening all across the city. Cinco de Mayo, for the uninitiated, is a holiday marking the anniversary of the Mexican army defeating the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862 during the Mexican-French War. But it’s also a great excuse to feast on Mexican food and smash a couple of margaritas, something which us gringos are more than happy to do at the slightest opportunity. And to help you do just that, we’ve rounded up five cracking Cinco de Mayo events happening in London over the next few days.  Practise your Spanish at a Mexican mezcal tasting Fancy brushing up on your Español? This Cinco de Mayo celebration is a great way to learn a few key phrases. Language class Stripey Spanish is hosting a night of mezcal-fuelled fun where you’ll get to try a selection of artisanal varieties of the agave spirit from small Mexican producers. And you’ll also learn a variety of alcohol-related Spanish phrases in the process, which — let’s be honest — are probably some of the key parts of the language to master if you’re ever going to head off on a Mexican holiday. The event is suitable for beginners and all with up to 6 months of learning. And if you mess up, everyone will just blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol. The Impact Hub, EC1V 8BR. Thu 5 May. £30. Tickets available online here. Hear some mariachi magic while feasting on enchiladas Covent Garden barbecue restaurant temper is put