Fun things to do in London in January 2024
January typically marks the return to work and routines after the Christmas break. However, London refuses to slow down, offering fantastic events to shake off those January blues. From kicking off the new year with the iconic London New Year's Day Parade to the immensely popular Winter Lights in Canary Wharf and the launch of a new music commemorating Live Aid, beat the January blues with our selection of events that promise to uplift your spirits.
New Year’s Day Parade London
London’s New Year's Day Parade. Photo by Matt Sprake.
#FLODown: London's New Year's Day Parade (LNYDP) has been a cherished tradition in London's West End for over 30 years since its inception in 1987. This annual celebration includes a lively parade with over 10,000 enthusiastic participants from around the world, the parade draws in 500,000 street spectators, while also championing London charities and raising an impressive £2 million through the London Borough Competition. Scheduled from noon to approximately 3.30 pm, the parade route winds through iconic London landmarks, including Piccadilly, Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street, Trafalgar Square, and concludes at Westminster.
Date: 1 January 2024. Location: Westminster. Website: lnydp.com.
Canary Wharf Winter Lights
Canary WharfWinter_Lights returns to London from 17 January 2024.
#FLODown: Canary Wharf's Winter Lights festival is set to return for an 11-day run in January. Now in its eighth edition, the event features an impressive collection of artworks and installations by international artists. The festival offers a mix of both new and beloved displays from previous years, all accessible free of charge. Visitors can navigate the artworks using a downloadable map. While in the area, take advantage of the final weeks of the festive period, as the Canary Wharf ice rink remains open until February.
Location: Canary Wharf. Click here to download the winter lights map. Date: 17 - 27 January 2024 and is open daily from 5pm-10pm. Price: Free.
Celebrate Veganuary
Jam Delish. © Seyi Odeyemi.
#FLODown: Veganuary, an annual challenge by a UK nonprofit, promotes veganism by encouraging a month-long lifestyle shift in January. Since 2014, it's rallied millions and in 2023 over 1,610+ new vegan options were introduced in their key campaign countries. Their advocacy extends beyond January, aiming to normalise veganism through a five-year strategy.
If you're joining Veganuary, click here for our pick of 20 Vegan restaurants to try in London in January.
Mitsuko Uchida Plays Beethoven
Mitsuko Uchida Plays Beethoven. Luca Migliore.
#FLODown: Mitsuko Uchida, acclaimed for interpreting Beethoven, returns to the Southbank Centre to performs her lively Second Piano Concerto with the Philharmonia Orchestra. This concerto, marking Beethoven's public debut in Vienna, showcases clarity and youthful grace. The evening also features Sibelius's suite inspired by Lemminkäinen, a figure from Finnish folklore. Sibelius weaves four contrasting legends, depicting seduction, otherworldly beauty, resurrection, and triumphant return.
Date: 25 January 2024. Time: 7.30pm. Location: Royal Festival Hall. Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. Price: £20 – £85.Book now.
London Art Fair
Li Chevalier, Mirage To Karol Beffa, 2022. Photography on aluminium. H39xW85. Courtesy of April Contemporary.
#FLODown: The London Art Fair returns in January, marking the start of the city's art fair calendar. Showcasing galleries in modern and contemporary art, the event features over 120 galleries, encompassing both new and established names. This year, the Fair proudly supports regional museums by hosting Charleston's exceptional collection of art, textiles, and ceramics, paying homage to influential 20th-century artists, writers, and thinkers. Curated sections like Encounters and Photo50 spotlight emerging talents, while a new section, Prints and Editions, focuses on limited editions.
Date: 17- 21 January 2024. Location: The Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street Islington London N1 0QH. Price: from £20.59. Book now.
Click here to discover art exhibitions opening in London in January 2023.
Christie’s Lates: The Mark Knopfler Guitar Collection
Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Collection will be auctioned at Christie’s London in January.
#FLODown: Christie's Lates returns on 24 January 2024, shining a spotlight on Mark Knopfler's legendary guitar collection. The exhibition features over 120 guitars and amps from Knopfler's personal collection, spanning five decades of his remarkable musical career with Dire Straits and successful solo ventures in albums and film soundtracks. This event promises an engaging after-hours experience with panel discussions, demonstrations, and the iconic melodies of Dire Straits' classics. Moreover, a quarter of the proceeds from the auction on 31 January will support charitable organisations like The British Red Cross, Tusk, and Brave Hearts of the North East.
Date: 24 January 2024. Time: 5pm – 10pm. Location: Christie's, 8 King Street . London SW1Y 6QT. Price: Entry is free. Click here to register.
Battersea Power Station Light Festival
Battersea Power Station’s annual Light festival will be returning to the riverside neighbourhood from 25th January – 25th February 2024 and will offer a more interactive experience for visitors than ever before.
#FLODown: Battersea Power Station's Light Festival returns from 25 January. Witness seven mesmerising light installations, including UK and London debuts. Engage in interactive displays like LightPiano and activities like Lightbattle III's cycling competition. Enjoy family-friendly workshops, live entertainment, and music. It's the perfect opportunity to explore the Power Station's shops, bars, restaurants, Lift 109, and The Cinema amidst the impressive light displays.
Date: 25 January – 25 February 2024. Location: Battersea Power Station. Website: batterseapowerstation.co.uk.
London Short Film Festival
The 21st London Short Film Festival arrives in London in January. Photo by Marissa Lewis.
#FLODown: The 21st London Short Film Festival shines a spotlight on diverse filmmakers and creatives across a ten day event at various independent cinemas in the capital. Featuring 500 chosen films from over 5000 submissions, the festival offers a range of new dramas, documentaries, comedies, and animations, alongside industry events like Q&As and speed-pitching sessions. Cash prizes are awarded to UK and international short films, offering connections to BAFTA opportunities. It's a great chance to enjoy quality cinema and discover emerging filmmakers.
Date: 19 – 28 January 2023. Location: Various throughout the city. Website: shortfilms.org.uk.
Burns Night Feasting at Barge East
Barge East will be hosting a Burns Night Feast in January.
#FLODown: Celebrate Burns Night at Barge East in Hackney Wick, paying tribute to Scotland's cherished poet, Robert Burns. Enjoy an evening of social dining, poetry, and live music aboard their historic barge on 24, 25, and 26 January 2024. Boarding begins at 6.30 pm, followed by service at 7.30 pm, promising a delightful night of festivities.
What is Burns Night?
On 25 January 1759, Robert Burns, celebrated as Scotland's National Bard, was born. His legacy lives on through Burns Night, a commemoration featuring special suppers, dancing, and the iconic reading of Burns's Address to a Haggis.
Date: 24 - 26 January 2024. Location: Barge East, River Lee, Sweetwater Mooring, White Post Ln, London E9 5EN. Price: £55pp Wednesday Night, £59pp Thursday and Friday. Book now.
Just For One Day at The Old Vic
Just For One Day will open at The Old Vic on 26 January 2024. Photo by Julio Cesar Mercado.
#FLODown: Get ready for a journey back to the Live Aid concert with the musical Just For One Day at The Old Vic. This show focuses on the pivotal day of 13 July 1985, where music brought the world together. Featuring songs from Bob Dylan, The Police, David Bowie, The Who, U2, Queen, Elton John, Paul McCartney, and more, the musical tells various people's stories from this iconic event. Plus, 10% of ticket sales will support The Band Aid Charitable Trust.
Date: 26 January - March 2024. Location: 103 The Cut, London SE1 8NB. Price: From £13 - £70. Book now.
Artists In Residence at the Barbican
Artist in Residence at the Barbican will shine a light on a 70-years of London's evolving landscape.
#FLODown: Barbican Cinema kicks off 2024 celebrating artists’ films through contemporary and rarely seen archive works in Artists in Residence. The series offers a 70-year journey through London's evolving landscape, captured in moving images. Delve into the city's transformation—exploring artists' studios, shared living spaces, and iconic pubs. Witness artists' reactions to the shifting urban landscape alongside the culture industry's dynamic response, reflecting on embrace, rejection, and struggle. Each programme encapsulates London's changing neighbourhoods and spaces, intertwining artists' perspectives with the industry's narrative.
Date: 22 January – 15 February 2024. Location: Barbican Centre Silk Street London EC2Y 8DS. Click here for artist events.
The Mayfair Antiques & Fine Art Fair
The Mayfair Antiques & Fine Art Fair. Photo by Giallo.
#FLODown: The Mayfair Antiques & Fine Art Fair will take place at London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square from 11 -14 January 2024. With around forty distinguished exhibitors, primarily from esteemed associations like The British Antique Dealers' Association and LAPADA, the fair offers a diverse range of high-quality art and antiques. Visitors can explore and acquire period furniture, exquisite sculptures, paintings, jewellery, ceramics, clocks, Asian pottery, rugs, vintage watches, and a variety of rare and decorative objects.
Date: 11–14 January 2024. Location: The London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square, Duke Street, London W1K 6JP. Price: Free if you register. £10 on the door. Website: mayfairfair.com.
Family Ties – The Schumanns and The Mendelssohns
Natalia Ponomarchuk, conductor will perform in Family Ties – The Schumanns and The Mendelssohns at he Queen Elizabeth Hall.
#FLODown: The London Philharmonic Orchestra will showcase the intertwined musical heritage of the Mendelssohns and Schumanns at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. Through their performance, they'll highlight how musical genius ran through the families. Conductor Natalia Ponomarchuk will lead the journey from the Mendelssohns' Berlin home to the atmospheric Scottish landscapes, while pianist Alexander Melnikov delves into the relationship between Clara and Robert Schumann. Their devotion to music, art, and each other will be on display, creating a rich tapestry of love, friendship, and imagination within the music.
Date: 19 January 2024. Time: 7.30pm. Location: Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, London SE1 8XX. Price: £15 - £49. Book now.
Final festive celebrations
Ice skating at Somerset House. © MTotoe.
#FLODown: There's still time to make the most of the festive season and glide across the ice, as many ice skating venues remain open during the first and second weeks of January.
Click here to discover which rinks will continue to welcome skaters throughout January.
Art exhibitions closing in January
Sarah Lucas, Bunny 1997. Private collection © Sarah Lucas.
#FLODown: London bids farewell to several compelling art exhibitions this month. From a thought-provoking display at Dulwich Picture Gallery, challenging misconceptions about artist Peter Paul Rubens' portrayal of women, to a journey through the illustrious career of British artist Sarah Lucas. Additionally, an impactful exhibition narrating the story of Black British fashion from the '70s to the present day at Somerset House will end in January.
Click here to explore our comprehensive guide to the art exhibitions concluding in London this January.
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