Music venues are in dire straits: V&A show asks how we can help May 28, 2026 As the V&A opens its Lost Music Venues exhibition, James Balmont asks we can save the grassroots institutions under threat A trip to the V&A often conjures up images of great Renaissance sculptures, haute couture and centuries-old tapestries – but those patronising the Kensington institution this summer will find something very different. In Lost Music [...]
The Lakes Distillery launches a new limited-release single malt May 28, 2026 The Lakes Distillery has earned a reputation for award-winning, exceptional English whiskies, taking home four gold medals for its Galáxia, Isadora, and Decadence expressions, as well as The One Fine Blended Whisky in 2024. In 2025, the distillery built on this record with the launch of its first permanent style of sherry-led whisky, Signature. It [...]
Inside the radical festival uniting the left and right May 27, 2026 How The Light Gets In – the philosophy festival which returns to London this September – is the best of the 2026 festivals, and offers an unrivalled opportunity for human connection ★★★★★ Picture the scene: Jeremy Corbyn and Reform UK’s head of policy are kicking back together in a field in Wales. Admittedly, they aren’t [...]
Sunshine spritzes! The best rooftop bars in Kensington and Chelsea May 27, 2026 Heatwave chic is now a thing (you heard it here first). So prepare your finery, as we’re off to West London: here are the best rooftop bars in Kensington and Chelsea to book to impress your Square Mile mates. It comes following our recent guides to rooftop bars in the Square Mile and our guide [...]
English wine has moved up a notch – here’s why May 26, 2026 English wine is on the up, from Kent’s new Wine Garden of England collective to the Surrey Hills Wine Week. How English counties are racing to establish distinct regional identities English wine is considered a collaborative rather than a competitive industry. The feeling was “a rising tide lifts all ships” as our wines began to [...]
Porsche Cayenne Coupe Turbo Electric: a super-powered SUV May 26, 2026 Tim Pitt drives the new Porsche Cayenne Coupe Electric in flagship Turbo guise. Can a 1,156hp family SUV make any sort of sense? The SUV coupe is a curious species. Less roomy and practical than a traditional, upright SUV, yet less dynamic and stylish than a coupe, it seems to be the worst of all [...]
Tom Aikens finds his Muse May 26, 2026 From Norwich to London to Paris, Tom Aikens is serving his life in food, but does the conceit live up to the eat, asks Carys Sharkey Walking through the corridors of Norwich catering college, Tom Aikens knew he was exactly where he wanted to be. After “underperforming superbly” at school alongside his twin Robert – [...]
Will Sky Garden pick up a coveted Toast the City award? May 26, 2026 We have launched the Toast the City awards 2026 and throughout the year we’ll be speaking to some of the nominees. Today we caught up with Sky Garden director Monika Kowalewska-Kheir. To nominate your favourite Square Mile spots for the 2026 awards, from bars and restaurants to galleries and green spaces, visit the Toast the City website here. [...]
Jinkx Monsoon’s Judy Garland musical proves drag is serious art May 22, 2026 Jinkx Monsoon’s Judy Garland musical, review and star rating: ★★★★★ Death Drop the Musical cautiously welcomed people back to the theatre in December 2020 with one major claim to fame: that it would be the first all-drag musical. Six years ago, that felt progressive. The musical was good, but it played to drag tropes: it was [...]
This shocking West End play is like Netflix’s Adolescence but live May 21, 2026 Equus play review and star rating: ★★★★ If a psychological drama about a teenager with an erotic fixation on horses sounds controversial, imagine how the idea landed 53 years ago. Peter Shaffer’s Equus is still platforming taboo-breaking conversations around mental health 53 years after its world premiere, which is probably more a criticism of our [...]