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If you want to see new voices and radical ideas, Camden People’s Theatre is the place to do it. The venue has been championing early-career and underrepresented artists for more than 30 years, providing mentoring, resources and the stage they need to flourish. The programme is always a real mix, featuring everything from new work to urgent political voices, Brazilian sci-fi to theatre performances in a box, and all projects are designed with accessibility in mind.
The National Theatre is a landmark for its architecture as much as the productions it puts on – the brutalist complex on the Southbank is one of London’s most recognisable buildings. The theatre company was founded by Sir Laurence Olivier, over a decade before construction of the building was completed in 1976, and it’s remained a premiere destination for actors, directors and audiences ever since. World-class productions featuring a who’s who of global talent are staged across the NT’s three theatre spaces. Since 2009, the theatre has also been broadcasting its productions in cinemas and online through the NT Live programme, making theatre even more accessible.
Perk is a fitness studio based in Stoke Newington and genuinely the most The Substance-like fitness class we’ve ever done. The studio was founded by Bahar Tafti who has worked as a trainer in LA, Australia and is now inspiring a crew of women with her buns of steel. After having less time to dedicate to different kinds of workouts, she decided to combine a number of disciplines into a one-hour session that consistently delivered results, and so Perk was born. Each signature class combines barre, resistance, cardio, plyometrics and flexibility into one high-octane full-body workout set to a soundtrack of killer tunes. The sessions target posture, muscle tone, strength, mobility and endurance, and the workouts are switched up weekly to avoid boredom and burnout.
This not-for-profit indie cinema has been screening movies for the people of Acton since 2021, following campaigning by a group of local residents to return the Passmore Edwards Old Library back to community use. There are two 60-seater theatres showing a range of indie films, world cinema, documentaries and film festivals, plus the odd blockbuster. ActOne also hosts regular events in its lounge, including music performances, quizzes, comedy and more.
This Shoreditch spot is a social wellness house where you can come to sauna, cold plunge and move your body. Whether you’re looking to sweat it out or feel the burn, there’s a suitable session for you, with the likes of HIIT, yoga, qi gong, sound baths and sauna raves on the programme. And you can continue to be nourished post-sesh by grabbing some plant-based food from Palm Greens and a botanical elixirs from the alcohol-free bar.
You couldn’t very well have a museum dedicated to the history of cinema-going without any film screenings, and that’s exactly what’s on offer at The Cinema Museum. Based in the former Lambeth Workhouse (where Charlie Chaplin entered as a child), the Cinema Museum houses a collection of artefacts (including many Chaplin-related pieces) that tell the story of cinema-going from the 1890s to today. The space hosts regular events, including screenings of classic and cult movies, film festivals, book launches, symposiums and more.
The home of independent cinema in Croydon, the David Lean Cinema is run by the community, for the community. Named after the famous, Croydon-born director, the venue, inside the Croydon Clocktower complex, was forced to close due to council cuts in 2011, but was thankfully saved by the local community and reopened in 2014. The 68-seat cinema screens a range of indie flicks, world films, cult classics and new releases, with more than 20 films playing each month.
JUMBI
Founded by Nathanael T Williams of Colour Factory and Bradley Zero of Rhythm Section, Jumbi is a celebration of the flavours and sounds of the African-Caribbean diaspora, with a high-fidelity sound system and vinyl library at its heart. You can go down to hangout with some rum cocktails, or throw some shapes at one of the weekend takeovers.
After lying empty for ten years, the Peckham Palais building (which first opened as a department store in 1867) has been turned back into a nightclub by The Night Group (the team behind Hackney’s Night Tales and Netil360). Palais is a 500-capacity club complete with a Funktion-One five-way sound system in the basement, where a mix of local and international DJs take over the decks, and cocktail bar and events space The Ballroom upstairs. Speaking about the venue, co-founder Jamie Rule said: “We’ve been developing the sound system for over a year. We wanted to create something that moves through you. With infra bass, you can feel it, not just hear it. Now we want to see what people do with the space.”
Opened by the same crew behind Brilliant Corners and Giant Steps, Om is one of the best new clubs in town. Boasting a 6am licence on Fridays and Saturdays, it does extended sets and interesting line-ups. Both the soundsystem and the vibes (the dancefloor is for dancing, not Instagramming) are on point, and the cocktails are good value too.
Named after pioneering lesbian filmmaker Dorothy Arzner, The Arzner is London’s first and only LGBTQ+ cinema. Opened on the site that used to house the Kino Cinema in Bermondsey, The Arzner showcases new releases and iconic films that have influenced queer cinema over the years, as well as spotlights underrated or forgotten titles. There’s also the monthly SPECTRA Shorts programme that celebrates queer storytelling from emerging and independent filmmakers.
V&A EAST STOREHOUSE
Part of the new V&A East in Stratford, the V&A East Storehouse is a 16,000 sq. m space that’s been purpose-built to house over 250,000 objects, 350,000 library books and 1,000 archives. It’s also home to the David Bowie Centre, where you’ll find 90,000+ archive pieces – from rare photographs and handwritten lyrics to self-portraits, stage costumes and design sketches – revealing the artistry behind Bowie’s legendary career. Museums typically have just 3% of their collections on display at any one time, so the Storehouse seeks to change this, allowing everyone to discover thousands of pieces of history and culture that would otherwise have been hidden away. That means you can view hundreds of years of treasures for free, seven days a week.
Dominic Hicks began The Nickel, “home to the most subversive, bewildering, sensational, fearless, sublime, shocking, transgressive, death-defying, psychedelic, psychotronic, bizarre, rebellious, baffling, degenerate cinematic treasures – from the silent era to the digital age” as a series of pop-up screenings, hosted everywhere from The Cinema Museum to the Garden Cinema. After smashing a crowdfunding campaign, he secured a permanent site for the cinema dedicated to B-movies, exploitation films and alternative filmmaking on Clerkenwell Road. Head in to the 37-seat cinema to watch a varied programme of grindhouse, arthouse and rare movies, mainly on film but also VHS and digital, and buy posters, merch, movies, books and soundtracks from the shop.
Consisting of a 40-seat theatre, a library that runs to over 26,000 titles, and a cafe-bar where you can access the collection of films and books, Close-Up is the most comprehensive independent film resource in London. The programming showcases films that helped shape the art of cinema and there are regular events featuring filmmakers presenting their works. The extensive library includes early cinema, classics, world cinema, documentaries, experimental films and rare films exclusive to Close-Up. The book collection is just as impressive, covering film theory, criticism, history, biography and periodicals, with film journal Vertigo available on the online archive.
If you’re into discovering new music and stumbling across something you’d likely not find any other way, Cafe OTO is the venue for you. A cafe by day, where you can pick up coffee, pastries, books and records, by night Cafe OTO plays host to creative and adventurous music that’s decidedly outside the mainstream. Dalston has built up a cool collection of jazz bars and this remains one of the best.
Craving some new ink? Look no further than The London Social, the city’s finest fineline tattoo studio. With locations in Angel, Soho and Notting Hill, the stores are home to some of the world’s most accomplished tattoo artists. You can book ahead but, if you’re feeling spontaneous, walk-ins are also welcome. Plus, each month the resident artists whip up a fresh selection of flash designs, which means you’ll never be short of inspo for your next tat.
Karaoke is without a doubt one of the *most* fun things you can possibly do. And when it comes to karaoke in London, Lucky Voice is an absolute no-brainer. With state-of-the-art private karaoke rooms, over 11,000 songs to choose from (and the option to make a playlist before you arrive), delicious themed cocktails and an extensive food menu, a good time is 100% guaranteed at Lucky Voice. Plus, the group has plenty of karaoke venues dotted all across town, including Holborn, Islington, Liverpool Street, Soho and Waterloo, so you’ll never have to travel too far to start singing your heart out.
Candlelight Concerts is all about creating multi-sensory music experiences in beautiful locations, like Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church, around London that aren’t normally used to host concerts. Concerts feature music from the likes of Harry Styles, Amy Winehouse, Hans Zimmer, Fleetwood Mac and Ennio Morricone performed live by pianists and string quartets set against a backdrop of hundreds of candles.
