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.
London’s cultural scene, a gallery or museum membership is the perfect alternative to another pair of socks. From unlimited access to exhibitions and exclusive events to discounts in shops and cafés, these memberships offer experiences that can be enjoyed throughout the year, while also supporting the vital work of arts organisations…
Your guide to London’s can’t-miss events this week, 17–23 November 2025, from Cabaret Voltaire live at ICA to Ballet Shoes at the National Theatre and The Evolution of UK Jazz at the Barbican…
Charlotte Winifred Guérard is a London-based artist and recent graduate of the Royal Academy of Arts School, where she was recognised as a Paul Smith’s Foundation scholar for her artistic achievement. Her work has been exhibited at the Royal Academy, Coleman Project Space, Fitzrovia Gallery, Messums and Palmer Gallery, and she has completed prestigious residencies including…
This week in London, you can enjoy festive ice skating, Christmas lights, jazz and classical concerts, and a range of art exhibitions. Highlights include Skate at Somerset House, Christmas at Kew, the EFG Jazz Festival, and the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize 2025…
From the 6th to the 9th of November, the leading West African art fair Art X Lagos celebrates its 10th birthday at the Federal Palace on Victoria Island. Founded by Tokini Peterside-Schwebig in 2016, the fair has become an unmissable event in the global art calendar, attracting galleries from over 70 countries and participants from 170 countries since its launch…
If you’re after something bold, queer and completely uncategorisable this November, you need to know about KUNSTY, the Southbank Centre’s brand new four day performance series running from 5-8 November 2025…
London’s most beloved Christmas activity is back. As festive cheer returns to the city, with twinkling lights and the scent of mulled wine drifting through the air, for many Londoners and visitors from further afield, nothing quite captures the spirit of the city at Christmas like strapping on a pair of skates and stepping onto the ice…
As the crisp autumn air settles over London, the iconic gardens of Berkeley Square are once again hosting one of the most anticipated gatherings in the art and antiques world: the LAPADA Fair 2025, running from 28 October to 2 November…
November is a lively time to be in London, with the festive season in full swing and the city buzzing with events. From skating at Somerset House to Christmas lights switch-ons and festive markets like the Southbank Centre Winter Market, there are plenty of ways to embrace the holiday spirit. Beyond the seasonal festivities, London’s cultural calendar is brimming with art, music, and performance…
As far as weekend getaways go, this 70-acre estate offers a peaceful country escape with all the best elements of a traditional hotel experience. Staffordshire, arguably, is not yet on the map for luxury and leisure but set in the heart of the beautiful Staffordshire Moorlands, The Tawny surely is a beacon of things to come…
Art Basel Paris returns to the Grand Palais for its second edition from 24–26 October 2025, bringing together 206 leading galleries from 41 countries and territories. Below is our guide to seven artists not to miss at this year’s edition, each presenting distinctive work through their galleries…
Art Basel Paris 2025’s Public Programme turns the city into a stage for contemporary art, placing bold, large-scale works in streets, courtyards, and cultural landmarks - all free to visit. From a dreamy opera of 30 surreal figures at Palais d’Iéna to a colossal Kermit the Frog balloon looming over Place Vendôme, here is our guide to five standout works from the Art Basel Public Programme that you simply cannot miss…
Frieze London 2025 returns to Regent’s Park with a dynamic mix of emerging and established galleries, reaffirming the city’s creative pulse. Highlights include Esther Schipper’s dreamlike works by Sarah Buckner, Gagosian’s vibrant installation by Lauren Halsey, and Pace’s meditative paintings by William Monk. From Do Ho Suh’s ethereal fabric architectures at Lehmann Maupin…
Paris launches into its own spectacular celebration of art each October, transforming the city into a hub for collectors, curators, and cultural enthusiasts. From the grandeur of Art Basel Paris at the newly renovated Grand Palais to the focused energy of Paris Internationale, OFFSCREEN, AKAA and Menart, each fair contributes something unique to the city’s vibrant art scene.
British Ceramics Biennial is back and better than ever. Running until 19 October 2025, the dynamic programme of free exhibitions, screenings, talks and events is proving a hit with both locals and critics…and just an hour and a half’s train away from London, it’s well worth a day trip…
Echoes of Migration is the flagship summit to launch new not-for-profit platform Art Voyage this autumn. Echoes of Migration officially inaugurates Art Voyage’s innovative, itinerant cultural programme…and gears us up for what is in store for the Art Voyage Biennial….
Betty Ogundipe (b. 2001) is a multidisciplinary artist of Nigerian heritage whose work explores resilience, femininity, and the power of love and resistance. Her debut solo exhibition, LOVE/FIGHT at Tache Gallery…
The V&A’s Marie Antoinette Style, sponsored by Manolo Blahnik, is being hailed as the first landmark exhibition in the UK devoted to France’s most infamous Queen of Fashion. It is a glittering journey through silk, flamboyance and legacy….
Malta is fast becoming one of the Mediterranean’s hottest destinations, offering sun-soaked beaches into October, a thriving arts and culture scene, and stunning architecture and landscapes…
This October in London offers everything from Frieze and the BFI Film Festival to Peggy Gou, the London Literature Festival, and Halloween at Kew.
From The Phoenicia Hotel and Iniala Harbour House, Valletta showcases some of Malta’s finest hotels, ranging from landmark luxury where royalty once danced to boutique hideaways filled with Maltese art…
Discover the best restaurants in Malta, where to eat, drink and enjoy authentic Maltese food and Michelin-star dining…
October is the month for art in London, thanks to Frieze and several other art fairs taking place across the city. There will be a significant programme of shows across the capital’s galleries and institutions. Notable openings include Cosima von Bonin’s Upstairs Downstairs at Raven Row, examining 35 years of work through objects, characters, and early pieces unseen for more than a decade; Wolfgang Tillmans’ Build From Here at Maureen Paley, and Arthur Jafa’s first exhibition at Sadie Coles HQ…
This week in London, explore modern and contemporary art at the British Art Fair, experience couture drama with LACRIMA at the Barbican, celebrate heritage at the Chelsea History Festival, enjoy a decade of dance with Acosta Danza at Sadler’s Wells, and step into Shakespeare’s world with Hamlet at the National Theatre…
With just 100 days to go until Christmas, London’s West End is preparing for the festive season. Carnaby Street and Covent Garden have confirmed their 2025 Christmas lights switch-on dates, signalling the start of celebrations across the capital…
Ladbroke Hall has been a fixture in Notting Hill since 1903, when it opened as the Clément-Talbot car showroom, Britain’s first purpose-built car factory. Designed to resemble an English country house, the building has since served a variety of roles, from producing military vehicles during the First World War to housing Thames Television in the 1980…
An essential guide to Ibiza, from modern art at MACE and Museo Puget, to cliffside dining at Amante and farm to table dining at Juntos House, iconic nightlife at Pacha and Ushuaïa, and serene luxury at Soho Farmhouse Ibiza…
Ibiza’s nightlife is truly legendary, known worldwide as the ultimate playground for party-goers. For decades, the island has attracted the very best international DJs and music lovers from across the globe. Here is our guide to seven of the best clubs to visit in Ibiza, starting with the absolute giants and working down to gems like Chinois…
Discover the best of London this weekend! From landmark exhibitions such as Marie Antoinette Style at the V&A and Material World at Kew Gardens, to live music and a curry festival on Brick Lane…