#london-parade

#london-parade

Originally known as Sneads Court on John Rocque's map of London in 1746, the area was wider and more of a courtyard than an alley. Over time, it was renamed Hertford Place and later Yarmouth Mews as the neighborhood evolved into larger hotels and grand houses.

The parade is slated to step off at 2 p.m., with thousands of pipers, dancers and spectators expected to pack a roughly ten-block route.

The design is both innovative and beautiful, meeting the ambition and sensitivity required for an international gallery commission. It is respectful of the Sainsbury Wing galleries and the approach to the public realm and roof garden creates a generous presence, enhanced by trees and greenery.

Thousands of runners took part in the London Landmarks Half Marathon in central London, with participants including club runners, charity fundraisers, celebrities, and first-time entrants.

The changes will see 87 apartments built across three blocks as part of Phase Five of the development, instead of 20 townhouses developer Qatari Diar originally asked for.

Celebrated architects Foster + Partners, known for iconic structures like the Gherkin, have been selected to design the Queen Elizabeth II memorial in St James's Park, collaborating with heritage specialists and artists.

Art UK has taken it as its mission to digitally unite one million artworks from 3,500 institutions. This free-to-all portal connects everyone with the UK's public art collections.

The tulips gained fame in 1912, when it was widely reported that a tulip with four distinct blooms on one stem had been spotted at the palace, and the following year, it was reported that the palace had its best display in many years.

Polanski told the crowd: Go back to your communities, to the community centres, to your trade unions, to your friends, to your neighbours. We must organise in our communities. Local elections are coming in just a few weeks' time, he added. We will defeat hate. It's time to make hope normal again.

The theme of this year's festival was 'Roots' in celebration of the centuries-long facets of Irish identity woven into modern Irish society. Stretching from Parnell Square in the city's north side to Kevin Street on the south, 12 large floats and 10 marching bands consisting of 3,000 people in total meandered through the parade route flanked by onlookers from home and abroad.

The Chinese New Year has been marked with a colourful parade in central London featuring, dancing, music and dragons. It marks the start of the Year of the Horse, which began on 17 February. The first day of the Chinese New Year falls on the new moon which appears between 21 January and 20 February every year. The London parade began in Trafalgar Square before moving up Charing Cross Road to Shaftesbury Avenue and then into Chinatown.

We gravitated towards the Blue Ball as teenagers, not because they served underage drinkers. They didn't. And we could only afford to drink lime and soda anyway. No, we loved this place because it had (drumroll) two bars. So we were not only cool enough to go down the pub (never to the pub, strictly down the pub or, better still, down the Blue), but we even had our own bar.

Getty Images Footfall in London's West End reached its highest level since 2020 over the 2025 festive season, new figures show. The Heart of London Business Alliance (HOLBA) said visitor numbers in December were up 19% on the same month in 2024 across its central London district. The area, which includes Piccadilly, Leicester Square and Haymarket, also recorded longer visits, with people staying an average of 42 minutes more than in December 2024.

But saving up doesn't mean resigning yourself to weekends full of nothing. Especially in London. Sure, there are countless things in the city that can very easily tempt you to part with your cash, but there are also plenty of art exhibitions, cultural festivals and annual gatherings happening this weekend that are completely free of charge. Even if you're not trying to be money conscious right now, they're worth your time.

But at the end of this month, there's a brand new festival arriving to inject some colour into the financial district. 'Vibrance' will light up Roman ruins, medieval churches and secret gardens across the Square Mile on Thursday January 29 and Friday January 30 from 5.30pm until 8.30pm. Created by Guildhall Production Studio, it brings together more than a dozen artworks and live performances by emerging artists from Guildhall School of Music & Drama.

The UK summer may not always play ball, as anyone who's woken up inside a damp tent in a muddy Glastonbury field can attest to, but our festival programme always delivers.