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And seemingly in the blink of an eye, 2025 slowly draws to a close. What awaits us next year, in 2026? Will we start the year with new habits and new mentalities to take into the new year? Or will we keep on keeping on, and bring the spirit of 2025 into 2026? Find out how to kick off the year with a bang, with our guide to the best things to do in London in January 2026. What will you make of the new year?
Photo: Madison
New Year’s Eve is perhaps the most anticipated ocassion of the year – and it’s almost upon us! Whether you’re planning to sit down to a sumptuous dinner, party it up high in the sky, or get down and dirty at a late-night bar, London is full of opportunities to ring in the New Year in your own unique style.
Need some inspiration? Check out our guide to the most spectacular New Year’s Eve plans in London here.
2. Check out the New Year’s Day Parade
Photo: Travers Lewis via Shutterstock
Westminster will be overrun with yet more festivity and celebration shortly after we’ve all staggered home from the NYE parties, as the New Year’s Day Parade takes to the streets. This year, the parade, which is the biggest of its sort on the planet, will celebrate with a special 40th Anniversary event. Kicking off at 1pm on January 1, “[more] than 8,000 performers from across the globe will bring the capital alive with marching bands, cheerleaders, dazzling dance groups, giant balloons, stunt displays, heritage vehicles, and show-stopping floats from London’s boroughs”.
Find out more about the London New Year’s Day Parade here.
Credit: David Parry/PA Media Assignments
A trail of twelve uniquely-designed Snoopy sculptures has been winding its way around Fleet Street Quarter since the area’s Christmas lights turned on back in November. The art trail, which features individual takes on Snoopy resting atop his iconic kennel, is in place until January 16. Act fast to find them all, before Snoopy disappears from the capital.
Find out more here.
Take on the new year with a whole new perspective on things, thanks to the reality-bending experiences at London’s Paradox Museum. Inside, you’ll find a world where “nothing makes sense yet everything feels real”. Rooms will turn upside down, gravity will cease to exist, and you’ll walk away wondering, ‘How on Earth did they do that?’
Find out more and grab tickets here.
5. Give the planet a breather and go vegan
Credit: Mallow
For many, January is a time to reconsider habits and try out lifestyle and dietary changes for personal and environmental good. One such change is giving the vegetarian or vegan diet a go. Fortunately, London is full of veggie and vegan dining spots, making the change easy for even the most hardened foodies. Here are a few of our favourite vegetarian, vegan, and plant-based restaurants in the capital:
🌿 Mallow
🍴 Tendril
🌮 Club Mexicana
🌱 Mildreds
🥢 Facing Heaven
🔥 Holy Carrot
6. Grab some treasures from the Giant London Flea (January 11)
Credit: Giant London Flea
One of London’s most beloved and enormous pop-up flea markets returns to Stratford this January. Dropping down at the Olympic Park on January 11, visitors can browse “unique finds, furniture, unexpected oddities, and much more.” And with over 150 traders, comprising vintage home decor and preloved bargains, you’re sure to fall in love with something at the Giant London Flea!
Find out more here.
Robbie Williams x Moco Museum: Marc Roses
London has no shortage of museums and galleries, but Moco – aka the Modern, Contemporary And Digital Art Experience – still manages to stand out thanks to its jaw-dropping collection. Pieces here come from legends of the art world, such as Warhol and Banksy. Heck, there’s even a special exhibition of art from chart-topping singer Robbie Williams. Yes, that Robbie Williams!
Find out more about Moco and grab your tickets here here.
8. Go dry for January
Kitchen Table. Credit: Marcus Cobden
If you’re turning over a new leaf this January and giving Dry January a go, you’ll be pleased to know that London is full of options for you. Whether you’re opting for non-alcoholic beer at your local pub or heading to a unique alcohol-free venue, there’s plenty of choice in the city. Here are some venues to check out to support you in your goal:
🍺 The Lucky Saint – a special pub from the eponymous alcohol-free beer producers.
🍹 Club Soda – a tasting room and shop with over 150 low- and no- drink options.
🍸 Kitchen Table – enjoy two Michelin-starred dining with a ‘soft’ drinks pairing.
🍹 Dishoom Permit Room – check out their Teetotal Tipples, you can still enjoy a (sober) negroni here!
🍸 Nipperkin – an intimate cocktail bar hidden underground with a ‘Dry Season’ menu featuring local and seasonal ingredients.
🍹 Equal Parts – a neighbourhood bar with a Zero Proof menu that rivals the alcoholic options.
Credit: Ice Rink Canary Wharf
Christmas may be over, but some of London’s ice rinks will still be frozen in place for a bit longer. Head on down for a spin across the ice at one of these ice rinks in London:
⛸️ Hampton Court Palace – open until January 4
❄️ Skate at Leicester Square – open until January 4
🧊 Glide At Battersea – open until January 4
⛸️ Skate at Somerset House – open until January 11
❄️ Ice Rink Canary Wharf – open until February 22
🧊 Alexandra Palace ice rink – open all year round
Check out more London ice rinks here.
Credit: Matt Crockett
If you’re after a cheeky evening out, full of mischief, circus acts, and risque outfits (or no outfits at all), be sure to hustle on over to a Sabrage performance this January. This live performance blends circus performance with burlesque and cabaret. And be prepared for “a seductive, high-octane night of vintage glamour, jaw-dropping circus-theatre, and all-night revelry”. It’s funny, sexy, silly, seductive, and even at times jaw-dropping.
Find out more and grab your tickets here.
11. Marvel at the Canary Wharf Winter Lights Festival (January 20 – 31)
Sign, by Vendel & De Wolf – Photo Credit: Matt Alexander/PA Wire
The Canary Wharf Winter Lights festival will return in 2026 for its 10th edition, lighting up London with dazzling displays. In 2026, they’re theming the festival around “DREAMSCAPE”, which will see “Canary Wharf [transformed] into a landscape of discovery and possibility.”
Keep an eye on the official website to find out more, here.
Candlelight at Central Hall Westminster
If you fancy settling into a stunning setting to hear some of your favourite music in a unique way, be sure to head to one of these Candlelight Concerts in London. In breathtaking environs, surrounded by 1000s of flickering candles, you’ll be swept up in the majesty of the music. Performances range across everything from classical music to movie scores, classic rock, and chart-topping pop artists.
Candlelight: Hans Zimmer’s Best Works
–
4.64
·
20 December, 2025 9:00 PM
Central Hall Westminster
From £21.00
Candlelight: Tribute to The Weeknd
–
4.69
·
3 January, 2026 9:00 PM
Southwark Cathedral
From £22.05
Candlelight: Tribute to Coldplay & Imagine Dragons
–
4.63
·
Royal Pavilion
From £30.98
Candlelight: Ed Sheeran Meets Coldplay
–
4.7
·
Central Hall Westminster
From £21.00
Candlelight: Magical Movie Soundtracks
17 January, 2026 9:00 PM
Southwark Cathedral
From £28.35
See the full list of Candlelight Concerts in London here.
13. Jump around at a top London gig
Credit: Supplied
London’s music scene is one of the best in the world, with venues that range from intimate clubs for new acts to enormous arenas for chart-topping music superstars. Soak up the unmissable atmosphere of a live gig at one of these performances this January:
🎸 Biffy Clyro (January 14) – The O2
🎶 Hilary Duff (January 19) – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
🎧 Dijon (January 22 – 23) – O2 Academy Brixton
🎤 Fantastic Negrito (January 22 – 23) – 229
🎸 Tommy Emmanuel (January 23 – 24) – Cadogan Hall
🎵 All Time Low (January 24) – The O2
🎧 Kofi Stone (January 28) – O2 Forum Kentish Town
🎤 Mon Rovîa (January 29) – O2 Forum Kentish Town
🎶 Jason Derulo (January 31) – The O2
14. Wander around the London Art Fair (January 21 – 25)
Photograph by Sam Frost ©2025 – www.samfrostphotos.com
The London Art Fair returns to, you guessed it, London this January with “a curated selection of leading Modern and Contemporary galleries from the UK and around the world.” Visitors can see (and even purchase) works by the likes of Francis Bacon, Tracey Emin, and more. There will even be never-before-exhibited pieces on display from The National Trust’s collection of surrealist and post-war abstract works.
Gilbert & George FUNKY, 2020. 118 ⅞ x 174 13/16 in (302 x 444 cm). © Gilbert & George
As always, there’s plenty going on in London’s art and exhibition scene – from exciting new shows to displays you’ll want to catch before they’re gone. If you’re after some culture to kick off the new year, here are our picks of the top London exhibitions to check out this January:
EXHIBITIONS OPENING IN JANUARY
❤️ Hawai’i: a kingdom crossing oceans (January 15 – May 25): British Museum- artefacts, royals, and never-before-seen-in-the-UK objects commemorate 200 years since Hawai’ian monarchs visited the UK for the first time.
🩶 Richard Avedon: Facing West (January 15 – March 14): Gagosian – “rare prints from the photographic series ‘In the American West’ (1979–84), including works that have not been shown since their debut in 1985.”
🩵 Jessica Rankin (January 28 – March 7): White Cube – solo exhibition of the New York-based artist’s embroidered paintings and works on paper.
💜 Julia Phillips: Inside, Before They Speak (January 31 – April 19): Barbican – sculptures and drawings that combine the biological and industrial worlds to explore human connection.
EXHIBITIONS CLOSING IN JANUARY
🩷 Gilbert & George: 21ST CENTURY PICTURES (Ends January 11): Hayward Gallery – over 60 of Gilbert & George’s larger-than-life artworks fill the walls in this career retrospective.
💛 Emily Kam Kngwarray (Ends January 11): Tate Modern – Aboriginal art from artist Emily Kam Kngwarray, shown in Europe for the first time.
💚 Harland Miller at the Design Museum (Ends January 25): the Design Museum – a free exhibition og the artist’s ‘Letter Painting’ series of typography-inspired paintings.
16. Catch a bite-sized flick, or seven, at the London Short Film Festival (January 23 – February 1)
Image: @londonshortfilmfest, via IG
Calling all cinephiles, fancy adding a whole bunch of films to your Letterboxd in just a handful of days? Then you don’t want to miss the London Short Film Festival. Across 10 days, the festival will take over London’s cinemas to show 100s of short films. 300 works will be screened, “from new voices, acclaimed directors, and underground discoveries drawn from the archive”.
17. Celebrate the works and life of Scottish poet Robert Burns (January 25)
Credit: Landmark London
January 25 is Burns Night, the perfect ocassion to don your tartan and drink all the whisky you want to celebrate the birthday of the poet Robert Burns. A Scottish icon, Burns – affectionately nicknamed Rabbie Burns, the Ploughman Poet and the Bard of Ayrshire – is widely considered the national poet of Scotland. Head to these spots to celebrate the acclaimed poet:
🥃 Bethnal Green’s The Sun Tavern is partnering with ABERFELDY on a special one-day-only cocktail menu, alongside free haggis canapés from Deeney’s, and an evening of whisky, poetry and music.
📯 A special Bagpipe Pub Crawl will take celebrants on a tour of three West London pubs, guided by a live bagpiper.
🥃 Acclaimed family-run restaurants Galvin La Chapelle and Galvin Bistrot & Bar are serving elevated and comforting Burns Night menus that highlight each venue’s unique character.
📯 The Great Central Pub, in The Landmark London, is treating diners to a taste of Scotland and tradition with their special Traditional Scottish Fare menu for Burns Night.
🥃 Soho’s Sussex restaurant will host the Gladwin Brothers’ legendary Burns Night celebrations on Saturday, January 24, with whisky cocktails, a two-step highland fling, a live bag-piper and more.
Image: @earnestonstage & @sfpofficial, via IG
London’s theatre scene is the stuff of legend – for good reason! But that doesn’t mean its heyday is over. Indeed, the West End remains the ultimate destination for boundary-breaking, genre-defining performances. Check out these shows this January:
NEW OPENINGS
🎶 Black Is The Color Of My Voice (Opens January 12): Duchess Theatre – a play “[inspired] by the life of Nina Simone, and featuring many of her most iconic songs performed live.”
🧠Arcadia (January 24 – March 21): The Old Vic – the same country house sees two similar stories of genius unfolding, separated by two centuries.
✍️ The Rat Trap (January 28 – March 14): Park Theatre – jealousy plagues a married couple, a novelist and a playwright, as one achieves success.
🚶➡️ The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (January 29 – April 18): Theatre Royal Haymarket – the novel of the same name gets adapted into a joyous musical about a man who walked out the door and didn’t stop walking.
😂 I’m Sorry, Prime Minister (Opens January 29): Apollo Theatre – a classic British satire concerning itself with doublespeak, cancel culture, and Latin.
ENDING SOON
🚇 COCKFOSTERS (Ends January 3): Southwark Playhouse Borough – two strangers take the Piccadilly Line across London on an unforgettable journey.
🤣 The Importance of Being Earnest (Ends January 10): Noël Coward Theatre – the National Theatre’s sold-out production transfers to the Noël Coward Theatre with a star-studded cast.
🪄 Coven (Ends January 17): Kiln Theatre – a women-led musical set during the witch trials of 1612 in Pendle.
📜 Othello (Ends January 17): Theatre Royal Haymarket – the Shakespearean tragedy of love, jealousy, betrayal, and rage.
🧛♂️ Dracapella (Ends January 17): Park Theatre – a madcap comedy featuring vampires, real estate agents, acappella covers and terrible puns.
🎩 Top Hat (Ends January 17): Queen Elizabeth Hall – Southbank Centre – a golden-age story of a Broadway star moving to London to open his new show, based on the classic film starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
💞 End (Ends January 17): Dorfman Theatre – the final play in David Eldridge’s trilogy, following on from the events of Beginning and Middle, exploring love, relationships, and final chapters.
🩰 The Red Shoes (Ends January 18): Sadler’s Wells – follows “one girl’s dream to be the greatest dancer in the world”.
💔 Monument (Ends January 23): Royal Court – “a Welsh farming community, torn apart by tragedy, gathers to debate a planned memorial.”
🐅 Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (Ends January 31): Young Vic (Main House) – Iraqis, Americans, and tigers alike search for meaning in Baghdad in the wake of US military action.
19. Keep exploring this wonderful city
Photo: Jakub Barzycki via Shutterstock
That’s not all! The team here at Secret London has been busy writing about all kinds of other places and events. Why not add some of these to your January to-do list?
More things to do inspiration…
😁 Fab and FREE things to do in London
🚶♀️ The VERY BEST London activities you need to try at least once
📆 The best things to do in London this weekend