Vibrance festival to light up City evenings this January January 21, 2026 The City of London’s built environment – its streets, squares and landmarks – reflects nearly two thousand years of change and reinvention. Between 17:30 and 20:30 on January 29 and 30, the City will transform once more, with the award-winning Guildhall Production Studio presenting a brand-new – and free – festival of light and sound – [...]
Make your lunch break count: free learning and culture in the City January 21, 2026 Setting a New Year’s resolution is one of those time-honoured traditions. Indeed, it’s a ritual that can be traced some 4,000 years to the ancient Babylonian times, with citizens celebrating the New Year during a 12-day festival called Akitu. One common New Year’s resolution was the return of borrowed farm equipment. While our goals may [...]
Leapmotor B10 review: Electric SUV majors on value for money January 20, 2026 Leapmotor caused a stir last summer by being the first car company to launch its own EV grant. The announcement came within days of the UK Government announcing the official Electric Car Grant. Interest in the new Chinese brand duly surged an incredible 2,675 percent, and its C10 large electric SUV quickly sold out. Now, [...]
Giant film review: Pierce Brosnan grips in this underrated boxing drama January 20, 2026 Giant film review with Pierce Brosnan, world premiere at the London Film Festival: ★★★★ Speculation about Pierce Brosnan returning to James Bond seems less outrageous after watching Giant, in which the 72-year-old plays variously-aged versions of the same boxing trainer. In the younger scenes, with flat cap pulled down and pouting like a champ, squint [...]
Saipan film review: this football World Cup movie is ‘unmissable’ January 20, 2026 Saipan follows the story of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy and his very public fallout with captain Roy Keane in the weeks and months heading towards the 2002 World Cup. It arrives in UK cinemas this weekend. Film review and star rating: ★★★★ Even by football fan standards, the feud between former Republic of Ireland manager [...]
The London hotel in the heart of hip, creative east January 20, 2026 Bethnal Green’s town hall opened in 1910, and one hundred years later, the building was turned into the eponymous Town Hotel Hotel. Edwardian meets Art Deco architecture at this striking London property, celebrating its 15th anniversary. Modern art and proximity to creative East attracts an international cultural crowd. WHAT’S THE VIBE? Surprisingly low-key for a [...]
Top London restaurants to visit in January 2026 January 19, 2026 Despite record restaurant closures in the capital, brave souls continue to open new ones. But as tempting as it is to visit the latest hotspot or search for new trends you should never ignore the iconic restaurants in our city. Some classic London favourites I have visited recently include The Maine, Bob Bob Ricard City, [...]
Why The Ivy is a bastion of hope and quality during a bleak month January 19, 2026 The start of the year is an especially tough time for hospitality as people watch the pounds when it comes to both their wallets and weight. This kind of abstinence is even more of a travesty in London, a city packed with the most incredible restaurants, with a rich history of social eating and drinking. [...]
BfI Flare festival turns 40: everything we know as LGBTQ film event returns January 19, 2026 London was one of the first cities in the world to host an LGBTQ film festival. The London Gay & Lesbian Film Festival first took place in 1986 at the National Film Theatre, which has since been renamed as the BFI Southbank. The event provided vital representation and helped legitimise queer storytelling as a genre. [...]
Ariana Grande tickets for London musical ‘could easily go over £300’ January 16, 2026 “Dynamic pricing” has forced some West End ticket prices as high as £400 – will Ariana Grande’s new production of Sunday in the Park with George cost as much as an all-inclusive break in the Med? While some figures including Andrew Lloyd Weber have criticised dynamic pricing – the act of putting prices up in [...]