We recently gained psychic powers.
And, yes, we know what you’re thinking. You’re hoping that we didn’t waste those powers on something lame like fixing the economy or whatever, and instead put together a list of everything going on in London in 2025, including the best new restaurant & bar openings, as well as gigs, shows, exhibitions, theatre, comedy, festivals, and other cultural highlights.
Well, good news…
RESTAURANTS & BARS OPENING IN 2025
There were some real big hitters in 2024, but 2025’s already squaring up to be a winner, too. Some of the most hotly anticipated openings include a European bistro from Clove Club founder Isaac McHale; a new cocktail bar from the Discount Suit Company team; a Stoke Newington restaurant cleverly fusing Korean and French cuisine; a martini & seafood den from the Firebird founders; and the long-awaited unveiling of Covent Garden’s very own Guinness brewery. So if the current shortage has left you gasping, bask in this full rundown of restaurants & bars opening in 2025…
THE BIG EXHIBITIONS OF 2025
Wes Anderson – After the popularity of the unofficial Accidentally Wes Anderson pop-up, the American cult film-maker is getting his own official exhibition later this year. Which has a nice symmetry to it. Produced in collaboration with the man himself, The Design Museum‘s show will have unfettered access to his archives – so expect to pore over rare sketches and notes alongside original props, costumes and more. 21st November 2025 – 4th May 2026. Tickets on sale in 2025
Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style – The Design Museum will be making waves with another exhibition in the new year. Opening in March after Barbie finally jets back to her Malibu dream house, it’ll look at swim-centric design over the last century, from Pamela Anderson’s Baywatch swimsuit to Zara Hadid’s dramatic design for the Olympic Aquatics Centre in Stratford. 28th March – 17th August 2025, book now
Cartier – Magpies will want to get down to this dazzling display at the V&A, which has rummaged through the Cartier attic to dig out over 350 stunning pieces of jewellery. Opens 12th April, tickets available soon
Goya to Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Oskar Reinhart Collection – Unless you’re planning a trip to the outskirts of Zurich any time soon, this is probably your best chance to see a load of Impressionist gems that have never before been shown outside of Switzerland. We’re talking Manet’s Au Café, Toulouse-Lautrec’s Clown Cha-U-Kao and a boatload of paintings by Van Gogh and Cezanne. Courtauld Gallery, 14 February – 26th May 2025
Utagawa Hiroshige, Ferry on the Fuji River
Hiroshige: artist of the open road – The legendary Japanese woodblock artist gets his first London exhibition in over 25 years, thanks to a major loan of rare prints from an American collector. The collection spans all of Hiroshige’s interests, from Edo-era cities to sweeping landscapes and nature. British Museum, 1st May – 7th September 2025
Leigh Bowery – If you’ve already enjoyed the Fashion and Textile Museum‘s brilliant exhibition on radical 80s club fashion – all centred around the world of Leigh Bowery’s Taboo – you’ll probably be into this even more focussed retrospective at Tate Modern this year. Bowery was a genuine polymath, shifting between artist and performer, model, club promoter, fashion designer and musician, and this promises to take in all of his many talents and look at how his pioneering influence extends to art and design today. 27th February – 31st August 2025
Do Ho Suh: Walk The House – And in stark contrast to the eye-boggling extroversion of Leigh Bowery’s world, the Tate’s also hosting a meditative exhibition on the work of Korean-born, London-based artist Do Ho Suh, who constructs elegant fabric recreations of past homes as well as working in sculpture & video. 1st May – 19th October 2025
Lee Miller – Over at Tate Britain, the blockbuster show of the year focuses on the pioneering photography of Lee Miller, who started out as a model in the late 1920s before going behind the lens and capturing surrealist scenes, Egyptian landscapes and even WWII reportage for Vogue. 2nd October 2025 – 15th February 2026
See more great exhibitions on in London now
THEATRE IN 2025
Ali Wright
The Years – This “profoundly moving” memoir-play won rave reviews when it premiered at The Almeida last year, so we can all be grateful we now have another year to catch it. Harold Pinter Theatre, 24th January – 19th April 2025
The Seagull – The venerated German director Thomas Ostermeier tackles this Chekhov classic at the Barbican this Spring, with the kind of cast people will get in a right flap about – Emma Corrin, Tom Burke, and a relative newcomer to the London stage by the name of Cate Blanchett. Barbican, 26th February – 5th April
My Master Builder – It’s Ewan McGregor! Back in the West End! And if you need any further convincing, the phrases ‘in a new play inspired by Ibsen’ and ‘directed by Michael Grandage’ should do the trick. Wyndham’s Theatre, 17th April – 12th July 2025
Oedipus – Assuming you’re not Oedipus-ed out after the critically acclaimed adaptation starring Mark Strong and Lesley Manville last year, this new take on the 2,450 year old legend seems worth a look too. This version comes from the brilliant Ella Hickson, and stars Oscar winner Rami Malek and Olivier winner Indira Varma. The Old Vic, 21st January – 29th March 2025
Elektra – Not to give you a complex or anything, but you could double up on murderous Greek epics when Brie Larsen takes on the role of Elektra this year. Duke of York’s, 24th January – 12th April 2025
Here We Are – Stephen Sondheim is universally considered to be one of the greatest musical masterminds of all time, and he’s still pulling in rave reviews – even after passing away in 2021. His final, slightly unfinished opus is finally getting staged at the National this year, with a stellar cast (featuring Rory Kinnear and Jane Krakowski) and a plot fusing two surrealist films by Spanish-Mexican director Luis Buñuel. National Theatre, 23rd April – 28th June 2025
Here We Are
Inside No. 9: Stage/Fright – When one door closes, another one opens – and although you can’t peek Inside No. 9 on telly any more, creators Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton have penned a brand new stage version. It opens in January, and they’ll be treading the boards themselves. Wyndham’s Theatre, 18th January – 5th April 2025
Unicorn – Olivier award-winning writer Mike Bartlett has won huge acclaim for plays like ‘Cock’ and ‘Bull’ over the years, with a reputation for getting right into the bones of relationships and human interactions. His brand new play, Unicorn, is going to be equally provocative by all accounts, starring Stephen Mangan, Erin Doherty and Nicola Walker. Garrick Theatre, 4th February – 26th April
Manhunt – With a slew of gongs to his name from Critics’ Circle to Olivier awards, Robert Icke’s basically completed directing. So his first foray as a solo playwright should prove pretty interesting – especially when it tells the true story of the manhunt for fugitive Raoul Moat. Royal Court, 28th March – 3rd May 2025
The Score – What’s The Score? Glad you asked. It’s only the transfer of a critically acclaimed new play, starring machiavellian Succession patriarch Brian Cox as Bach, locked in a political showdown in the 18th century Prussian court. Trevor “Les Mis” Nunn directs. Theatre Royal Haymarket, 20th February – 26th April 2025
My Neighbour Totoro – We can all breathe a collective sigh of relief, because the RSC’s big-hearted, magical, blisteringly successful adaptation of the beloved Studio Ghibli film is returning for a third run in 2025. Gillian Lynne Theatre, 8th March – 2nd November 2025
Hercules – Whether this Hercules will be zero or hero remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt that this all-singing, all-dancing musical based on the Disney film (and, you know, ancient Greek myth) is a big deal. Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 6th June 2025 – 28th March 2026
Clueless – Technically, this is a musical adaptation of a movie adaptation of a Shakespeare play. So it seems only right that this cult 90s flick get the West End treatment this year, with the film’s director & screenwriter, Amy Heckerling, on book, and KT Tunstall writing the music. Trafalgar Theatre, 15th February – 14th June 2025
See more great theatre shows on in London now
COMEDY IN 2025
Ok, so a lot of big names like Peter Kay, John Bishop, and Paul Chowdhry have all sold out their 2025 London gigs already… but there are still plenty of tasty bits to fish out of London’s comedy stew this year:
Bill Bailey: Thoughtifier – The musician, comedian and honorary member of the Society of Crematorium Organists is kicking off 2025 with an impressively long run at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, featuring all-new material inspired by the charming ineptitude of humans in an increasingly technological world. 28th December – 15th February 2025
Stewart Lee vs The Man-Wulf – Britain’s 41st best stand-up comedian returns with a brand new onslaught of highly conceptual material that’s far too good for you, as he ruts with the spectre of lazy, increasingly far right arena-packing stand-up. Southbank Centre, 5th-13th July 2025
Katherine Ryan: Battleaxe – The Canadian comedian is coming back to the stage swinging, riffing on family life in her ‘battle-axe era’, her role in whistleblowing Russell Brand’s predatory behaviour, and a whole Q&A section with the audience. Palladium, 6th-8th March and 10th-12th April 2025
Jazz Emu: Knight Fever – Mash up the awkward physicality of Jamie Demetriou’s character in Stath Lets Flats and the musical comedy stylings of Bo Burnham, throw in a synth-clarinet and a pseudo-Scandi accent, and you have something that maybe comes marginally close to the unique species that is Jazz Emu. 1st March 2025
Lou Sanders: No Kissing In The Bingo Hall – If you’re a fan of comedy that’s simultaneously “deep” and “dumb”, you’ll enjoy this new hour from circuit veteran Lou Sanders, who’s tackling the small matter of ‘being human’. EartH, 23rd May 2025
Mo Gilligan: In The Moment – You’ll recognise Mo from shows like The Lateish Show, That’s My Jam and The Masked Singer. Actually, you probably won’t recognise him from that. And now the multi BAFTA-winning comedian is going on a world tour in 2025, with just one in-demand date at the O2. 31st May 2025
Maisie Adams: Appraisal – Does being named as an answer on Pointless mean you’ve made it, or you’re still miles off? Adams brings her effortless warmth to a new stand-up show looking back on the first five years of her comedy career, with some impressive crowd work acting as a warm-up to her own set. 6th March 2025
Nick Mohammed is Mr Swallow: Show Pony – Is it a bird? Is it a pony? No, it’s a critically lavished stand-up comedian back with a brand new show that examines everything from ‘not having his own sitcom’ to critical race theory. Richmond Theatre, 16th-17th May 2025
Chloe Petts: How You See Me, How You Don’t – After two acclaimed sell-out shows, comedian and former Head Girl Chloe Petts is back with a brand new show that bares all. Figuratively speaking. Soho Theatre, 13th-25th January 2025
Sophie Duker: But Daddy I Love Her – A Taskmaster champion and Funny Women’s Best Comedy Writer award-winner, Sophie Duker has an excellent track record when it comes to comedy. And her latest show, fresh from the Fringe, has received glowing reviews – expect an ‘intentionally unhinged’ hour of storytelling and occasional singing. Bloomsbury Theatre, 9th May 2025
GIGS AND FESTIVALS IN 2025
Dua Lipa – The multi-Brit Award-winning, multi-Grammy Award-winning artist brings her Radical Optimism tour to Wembley Arena in June, probably with ambitions of breaking the Richter scale record made by Swifties last year. 20th & 21st June 2025
Robbie Williams – Fresh off the back of his upcoming biopic, Robbie Williams will be performing (in human form) at the Emirates in June. 6th & 7th June
Guns ‘n’ Roses – Don’t cry: tickets are still available for the one-night-only Wembley gig of the veteran rock ‘n’ rollers in June. 26th June
BST Hyde Park – London’s fortnight-long festival returns in summer 2025, and tickets are already moving fast for headliners like Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter and, um, Hugh Jackman. 27th June – 13th July 2025
SXSW London – Austin’s festival of music, tech, film and – well, pretty much every other industry you can think of – has launched the success of everyone from Billie Eilish to Airbnb. And now it’s coming to Europe for the first time with SXSW London. It’s eye-wateringly pricey, but you’ll get to hear from some of the world’s biggest movers and shakers in their respective fields, as well as apply to showcase your own talents. Shoreditch, 2nd – 7th June 2025
Lido – This brand new festival will be touching down in Victoria Park in early June, and it looks like it’ll be reviving Brat summer with headliners like Charlie XCX, Jamie XX, Sampha and more TBA. 7th, 13th & 14th June 2025
Latitude – Famed for its pink sheep, beautiful woodland scenery and for showing that UK festivals can indeed count as a family weekend away, Suffolk’s Latitude is a winner for all ages. And the 2025 line-up already includes Sting 3.0, Basement Jaxx, Fatboy Slim, Snow Patrol and Elbow. Henham Park, Suffolk, 24th-27th July 2025
Field Day – Having recently made its grand homecoming to Victoria Park, Field Day is now getting ready for round 18. The music is geared towards the dancey crowds, with a line-up featuring Peggy Gou, Jungle and James Blake. 24th May 2025
Mighty Hoopla – Brockwell Park’s pop-tastic glittery extravaganza returns with a line-up of pure 00s icons: expect appearances from Ciara, Daniel Bedingfield, Jamelia and The Artful Dodger, backed up by performances by drag collectives and queer cabaret stars like The Cocoa Butter Club, the Pecs Drag Kings and Kinky Kabaret. 31st May – 1st June
Lloyd Winters
Kaleidoscope – Ally Pally’s annual bash sees 10,000 revellers take over the sprawling hilltop leading down from the palace. And they’ve already announced some amazing headliners for 2025, including Faithless, Goldie and Eats Everything. 12th July 2025
Boomtown – Held in the Winchester wilderness every August, the Boomtown experience involves fairytale villages, giant storybook-like stages, heavy metal moshes in a dystopian hangar and secret dance parties in the woods – all with an immersive storyline running throughout the weekend. You might even have time to see the likes of The Sex Pistols, Sean Paul and Boney M. Matterley Estate, 6th-10th August 2025
All Points East – Spread over three days in East London’s leafy Victoria Park, All Points East wins major points for a) easy travel, and b) impressive line-ups, with this year featuring sets by Barry Can’t Swim, RAYE and The Maccabees. 22nd – 24th August
OTHER CULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS
V&A East Storehouse – The V&A’s new venture is like the lovechild of a museum and a library: instead of going to look at what other people think you’ll find interesting, you can rock up and request to see any item from their 500,000 strong archive, from Bowie costumes to samurai swords. Stratford, opens 31st May 2025 (Bowie Centre opens 13th September 2025)
Elvis Evolution – Elvis lives! At least in virtual, holographic form, at this new tech-infused immersive experience. Part museum, part gig, part themed party, you’ll get to see the life of The King unfold in front of your eyes through a mix of tech and live performance, before getting all shook up at the afterparty. ExCel Waterfront, 1st June – 28th September 2025
Sadler’s Wells East – London’s most creative dance theatre is making the graceful leap into East London, with a second state-of-the-art venue in Stratford. The place opens in February with a dynamic line-up of shows ranging from gothic ballet to dancing on skateboard, all kickstarted by a huge voguing party led by Vicki Igbokwe-Ozoagu. Opens 6th February 2025
Soho Theatre Walthamstow – Aaand slightly further north, another central London institution strikes out with the opening of Soho Theatre’s first outpost. Renovations are currently underway in the striking art deco cinema they’ll call home, and you can expect a typically varied – and high-quality – programme of comedy, cabaret and new writing. Opens early 2025
The Camden Highline – Fuggedahbout other city parks constructed on elevated railway tracks – Camden should be getting one of its own this year, should the team manage to secure the funds. And it sounds pretty ambitious, with woodlands, tree canopies and viewing platforms dotted along the disused mile-long track stretching from Camden to King’s Cross… Opens sometime in 2025
The Museum of Shakespeare – There’s much ado about this new museum coming to Shoreditch this year, built on the very site where some of the bard’s plays were first performed. And this won’t be a dusty old doublet and hose affair – the museum’s being put together with help from experiential wizards Bompas & Parr, who are hoping to immerse you in the sights, sounds and indeed smells of 1598… Opens sometime in 2025
SPORTING EVENTS IN 2025
The Grand Sumo Tournament – Sumo contests of this scale only happen six times a year in Japan, and this is only the second time they’ve ever taken place anywhere outside of Japan. So, put simply, this is a big deal. Royal Albert Hall, 15th – 19th October 2025
Wimbledon – The public ballot for tickets has already closed, which is 15-love to organised people. But you can still join the time-honoured tradition of queuing (/camping) outside the grounds in the hopes of netting a random ticket on the day. And isn’t that, like, the real Wimbledon experience? 30th June – 30th July 2025
The London Athletics Meet – Hundreds of highly-trained athletes from around the world will be descending on the London Stadium this summer for the world’s biggest one-day extravaganza of track and field events. Better limber up your mouse-clicking finger now. 19th July 2025
Women’s Rugby World Cup – Tickets have sold out faster than ever before for 2025’s global tournament, but there’s still a chance to get your name down when the final batch go on sale on 25th February. Just know that the Twickenham fixtures are in the highest demand, especially for the final showdown. 22nd August – 27th September 2025
ICC World Test Championship Final – The top eight international cricket teams will be duking it out over February and March before the grand final takes place this summer at Lord’s Cricket Ground. And you can bet they’ll be going all-out… 11th – 15th June 2025
Big Summer Kick Off: Harlequins v Gloucester Rugby – The Cherry and Whites tackle the Quins on their home turf – while you tackle the huge food offering, the funfair rides, the pop-up bars, the inflatable obstacle course, the live bands post-match, and the epic pre-match performance (last year was headlined by Jess Glynn). Twickenham Stadium, 10 May 2025 – tickets on sale 28th December
Want to know what was good last year? Check out our pick of the best of 2024