From New Meta to F1 Arcade: seven world-class gaming venues in London
London is home to more than just an incredible arts district and world-class gourmet experiences. The city also hosts a vibrant gaming scene for players of all ages, types and persuasions. From retro arcade experiences to futuristic VR events, there’s something for just about everyone. From New Meta to F1 Arcade, let’s take a look at the top gaming and entertainment spaces London has to offer!
London is home to more than just an incredible arts district and world-class gourmet experiences. The city also hosts a vibrant gaming scene for players of all ages, types and persuasions. From retro arcade experiences to futuristic VR events, there’s something for just about everyone. From New Meta to F1 Arcade, let’s take a look at the top gaming and entertainment spaces London has to offer!
Platform Shoreditch
Not all gaming and entertainment spaces in London are designed with multi-play in mind, but Platform Shoreditch accommodates even larger groups just fine. The venue is ideal for co-op play and even has food on offer for customers. Located in one of the trendiest areas of the city, just steps away from shopping, dining and a whole host of other entertainment options, Platform Shoreditch provides visitors with a perfect way to spend the day. Note that the open-plan layout is ideal for social interaction, but can be less conducive to immersive solo-play experiences.
The Four Quarters
Located in Peckham and amply supplied with craft ales on tap, The Four Quarters is an excellent gaming option for adult fans of retro titles. This particular gaming space features exclusively arcade games. If you’re hoping to play the latest RPG with your friends, in other words, this probably isn’t the space for you. However, if you’d like to relive your glory days and hang out in a well-appointed and popular arcade during the day, The Four Quarters is likely a perfect pick. There’s even a club area and basement bar available on the weekend!
Bounce Farringdon
Bounce Farringdon is situated in Holborn Circus, just a quick walk from Chancery Lane tube station. This massive venue presents players with more than 1,000 square metres of pure entertainment. The biggest draw here by far is bespoke ping pong, but that’s not all you can enjoy. Once you’ve had your fill of the 17 bespoke ping pong tables, you can head over to the restaurant and cocktail bar and recharge.
Draughts Waterloo
Located under Waterloo Station in the famous Leake Street, where graffiti is legal and promoted, Draughts Waterloo is a unique gaming space with more than 1,000 board games on offer. You won’t find digital gaming opportunities here, but we think that’s what makes it such an incredible venue. Why not spend a relaxing evening offline while enjoying retro gaming with your friends? Draughts Waterloo has craft beer, good food for everyone (including vegans and vegetarians), and a passionate team dedicated to showing guests an amazing time.
Sandbox VR
Visiting Sandbox VR is like taking a step into the future. This large venue offers exclusively VR play with groups of up to six in mind. Players don haptic feedback suits upon entry and enter one of the provider’s ‘experiences’. These are fully immersive games that allow you to see and physically interact with your group while being transported to haunted houses, alien moons, zombie apocalypses and even bustling pirate ships. You won’t find another gaming space like this in London. If you’re looking for a high-quality VR experience, there’s no better option than Sandbox.
F1 Arcade
Have you ever wished that you could dive into the glamorous world of Formula One without the risk of injury or cost of entry? F1 Arcade has 60 full-motion racing sims along with extensive food and drink options for any time of the day. The venue even accommodates private events, with the on-site customer care team ready to help create experiences ranging from semi-private areas of the venue to full-venue hire.In addition to the food and beverage options we mentioned earlier, F1 Arcade also hosts watch parties for the year’s biggest F1 events.
Funland Games Arcade
Funland Games Arcade is another great support for classical gaming but a refreshing amount of variety located in Bloomsbury West London that provides an array of retro and modern arcade games for you to explore. A venue that explores traditional arcade favourites is one that should not be passed up on especially with the huge variety of classic games on offer in that genre such as classic arcade machines, roulette online & many other genres of arcade games to explore and these great venues.
New Meta Gaming Arena
New Meta Gaming Arena has it all. Console fans can find the latest and greatest builds with extensive gaming catalogues, for example, while PC players can bunker down with high-end gaming stations for intense play sessions. This venue is great for solo players as well as groups, and offers private and semi-private rooms for a modest increase in cost. It even has streaming capabilities, allowing players to share their experiences with anyone tuning into their streams. For a comprehensive gaming experience, it’s hard to go wrong with New Meta.
Sarah Coulson is Senior Curator and Publications Lead at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, where she has spent years shaping exhibitions that explore the relationship between contemporary practice, place and public experience. She is the curator of YSP’s current landmark exhibition, Hold to This Earth…
Nestled in the heart of New York, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s current exhibition, The Face of Life: Modern Portraits, features 80 portraits that capture the rapid transformations and shifting identities of the 20th century. The exhibited artists include Marsden Hartley, Gino Severini, Otto Dix, Max Beckmann, Leonora Carrington, Elizabeth Catlett, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, René Magritte, Henri Matisse, Joan Miró, and others…
Pierre Huyghe at the Fondation Beyeler, Switzerland, is on view until 13 September 2026…
Hospital Rooms is celebrating its 10th anniversary by launching a special public sale of limited-edition contemporary art posters, with funds supporting the charity’s work transforming NHS mental health hospitals across the UK. The 10 Posters for 10 Years campaign features artwork created by some of the world’s leading contemporary artists, including Jeremy Deller, Antony Gormley, Beatriz Milhazes, Yinka Shonibare, Anish Kapoor, and Grayson Perry…
Jemma Appleby has been announced as the winner of the prestigious £35,000 Charles Wollaston Award at the Royal Academy of Arts’ Summer Exhibition 2026…
Gallery view of the Summer Exhibition at Royal Academy of Arts.Photo: © David Parry/ Royal Academy of Arts
FLO London spoke with Chris McCabe, Head of the National Poetry Library and the programmer behind many of the festival's events, to hear his thoughts on the evolution of poetry, platforming young poets, and celebrating the life and legacy of poet Benjamin Zephaniah.
With new openings and seasonal menus across the capital, July is the perfect time to explore London’s restaurant scene. From Italian favourites and Lebanese cooking to Japanese dining and neighbourhood wine bars, here are seven restaurants we think should be on your list this month…
Newly opened in Notting Hill, KINZ is quickly gaining attention for its warm Lebanese hospitality, striking setting in a restored former bank building and, well-executed cooking…
The neighbourhood of Queen’s Park gained a gem of a restaurant when Italian restaurant Casa Felicia opened in October 2025 on the bustling Salusbury Road, the main artery of this delightful neighbourhood.
Anastasia Blackman is a Ukrainian-born American artist based in London…
Lucy Ash is a British-Canadian artist whose work is concerned with creating visibility and shifting perception of the LGBTIQ+ community. Lucy’s practice is to develop a series of paintings at a time, enabling an in-depth exploration around specific themes…
London enters a peak season of cultural activity in July , with festivals, live music, sport, exhibitions and outdoor events taking place across the capital…
A major exhibition of British sculptor Lynn Chadwick has opened at Houghton Hall in Norfolk. Presenting over 30 works, this is the largest show of the artist in over two decades. It has been curated by Pangolin London and we speak with Gallery Director Polly Bielecka to learn more…
The Courtauld Gallery, opens the first exhibition devoted to Barbara Hepworth’s lifelong fascination with colour. Alexandra reviews the landmark show…
James Turrell’s largest Skyspace ever created within a museum has opened at ARoS Aarhus Art Museum in Aarhus, Denmark…
Every summer, Shakespeare in the Squares embarks on a tour of London’s garden squares to bring one of the Bard’s iconic plays to life. Now in its tenth year, its 2026 production of ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’ is a joyful celebration of music, storytelling and community…
Zurich Art Weekend returns from 12–14 June 2026, bringing together more than 70 museums, galleries, foundations and independent art spaces across the city…
London Gallery Weekend returns from 5–7 June 2026 for its sixth edition, bringing together 120 galleries across the capital for three days of exhibitions, performances, talks and special events. Here is our pick of art exhibitions to see during London Gallery Weekend…
June sees the return of several summer staples, such as the Serpentine Pavilion and the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition, alongside Meltdown Festival at the Southbank Centre, curated this year by Harry Styles. London Gallery Weekend also returns, with more than 120 galleries across the city taking part…
The 61st Venice Biennale opened on 9 May 2026 in Venice, with this year’s edition shaped around In Minor Keys, a curatorial theme conceived by the late Koyo Kouoh. The Biennale once again transforms Venice into a sprawling international exhibition, with more than 80 national pavilions taking over the Giardini, the Arsenale and sites across the city. Sofia, our arts contributor, picks her five standout national pavilions from this year’s edition.
Masaki Sugisaki is the Executive Chef at Dinings SW3 in London, where he is known for his contemporary interpretation of Japanese cuisine shaped by both traditional training in Japan and years of experience in the UK. His cooking bridges cultures, seasons, and philosophies, drawing equally on heritage techniques and the possibilities offered by British produce…
South African abstract artist Zach Zono is known for his expressive, gestural paintings that blur the line between instinct and structure. Currently presenting works throughout Rosewood London as part of his Artist Residency…
Major institutional announcements and landmark cultural investments this week highlight the evolving landscape of contemporary art and public culture across the UK and beyond, from Nan Goldin’s long-awaited return to London to Rene Matić winning one of photography’s most prestigious prizes…
The theme for the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, In Minor Keys, and its artists, were selected by Cameroonian curator Koyo Kouoh. The final form of the exhibition, however, was realised by a committee following Kouoh’s death in 2025…
The prestigious Turner Prize continues its tradition of spotlighting groundbreaking creativity with the announcement of its 2026 shortlist. Revealed by Tate Britain, this year’s nominees, Simeon Barclay, Kira Freije, Marguerite Humeau, and Tanoa Sasraku…
The Hayward Gallery has announced a major solo exhibition by acclaimed American artist and activist Nan Goldin titled You Never Did Anything Wrong. Opening on 24 November 2026, the exhibition marks Goldin’s first institutional UK show since 2002…
A guide to the key London art school degree shows in 2026, with confirmed dates to help you plan visits between May and July…
Mark Perkins is Executive Pastry Chef at Rosewood London, where he has played a central role in shaping the hotel’s pastry programme for more than two decades. With over 30 years’ experience in luxury hospitality, he is recognised for his highly creative, art-led approach to patisserie, particularly through Rosewood London’s celebrated Art Afternoon Tea series…
The Barbican Centre has unveiled its Outdoor Cinema 2026 programme, returning to the Sculpture Court this August with eleven nights of open-air screenings beneath the London skyline….