Spending this winter in London? Or simply looking for some fabulous things to do during this icy season? Well, luckily for you, I’ve handpicked the best of everything the busy UK capital has to offer over the next couple of months. From Cate Blanchett at the National Theatre to feminist topless raves, there are so many fabulous things to do in London this winter.
So, when does winter start this year? Most people in the UK go by the astronomical seasons, which change slightly every year. This really surprised me when I first moved to London as I was used to the very structured meteorological seasons that set winter in the Northern Hemisphere as 1st December – 28th February every year. However, having lived now lived here for over a decade, the astronomical seasons definitely make more sense and this year the winter season in London will run from (today!) Friday 21st December 2018 to Wednesday 20th March 2019.
Winter in London is by far the most difficult season to endure. Consistently cold, wet and grey, there’s also no big calendar events after Christmas and New Year’s Eve to keep you going through this dark season. However, that doesn’t mean fabulous things aren’t happening across. In fact, it’s the best time of the year to really enjoy indoor activities, with some fantastic theatre, exhibitions and cinema. Plus, no matter what everyone says about “dry Jan”, the first month of the year is one of the busiest for clubbing. I mean, what else you going to do when it’s gloomy outside? So pull on your sparkliest shoes and make the most of the season with these fabulous wintery things to do in London.
💃 Fabulous things to do in London this January
🎩 Fabulous things to do in London this February
👯 Fabulous things to do in London this March
🎉 Fabulous New Year’s Eve parties in London
🎨 Fabulous exhibitions in London this winter
🎭 Fabulous theatre and live performance in London this winter
🌟 Fabulous musicals in London this winter
🎥 Fabulous pop-up cinemas in London this winter
💃
Fabulous things to do in London this January
Cate Blanchett makes her National Theatre debut
Rumour has it that Queen Cate was originally lined up to play Gillian Anderson’s role in All About Eve (see below) when this new play, When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other, came her way. Having previously performed on the London stage at the Barbican and the Albery Theatre, this will be the first time she has appeared at the National Theatre. The bad news is that this very experimental play (that sounds quite kinky) is showing in their Dorfman Theatre, which only has 400 seats. The tickets were all sold by a ballot in November, so you can’t buy any in advance – but you can still call the theatre each day for returns. Worth a try, I think.
🎭 Click here for more fabulous theatre in London this winter.
📅 16th January – 2nd March 2019
📍National Theatre, Upper Ground, Lambeth, London SE1 9P
The poetry of your dreams
What better way to spend the darkest days of the new year than exploring your dreams through poetry? This six-week course, A Manual For Dreaming Women, is led by Rachel Long (who also founded Octavia, a poetry collective for women of colour) and takes place at the Southbank Centre. The course includes research trips to libraries and galleries in addition to exploring the works of poets like Audre Lorde and Anne Carson.
📅 Starts 14th January 2019
📍Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, Lambeth, London SE1 8XX
Vault Festival returns
Describing itself as “London’s biggest, boldest and bravest arts and entertainment festival”, this epic 8-week extravaganza sees more than 2,000 performers take part in over 400 shows. The Vault Festival highlights are too many to number even here, but some fabulous choice picks include comedy from Josh Glanc and The LOL Word, shows like Pramkicker and Tilda Swinton Answers an Ad on Craigslist and a Valentine’s riot from Shotgun Carousel (the LGBTQ and female-led company behind Divine Proportions).
🎭 Click here for more fabulous live performance in London this winter.
📅 23rd January – 17th March 2019
📍Vaults Theatre, Leake St, Lambeth, London SE1 7NN
Get THICC and juicy
Just what you needed to start 2019: a queer body-positive club night that’s for everyone. Yes, THICC is not just a night for beautiful boys like this but anyone femme-presenting as well. Hosted by reigning Sink The Pink queen, Grace Shush, you can expect juicy go-go dancers, pop up drag shows, sweet treats and DJs such as the truly fabulous TETE Bang.
📅 25th January 2019
📍Hangar – London Fields, 2-18 Warburton Rd, London E8 3FN
➡️ facebook.com
Bake yourself the perfect wife
After its sold-out run at the National Theatre last summer, Home, I’m Darling is about the fetishization of the domestic goddess is transferring to the West End this winter. Starring Katherine Parkinson from The IT Crowd, this dark comedy is by the writer of Posh, Laura Wade, so you can expect it pretty unsettling in it dismantling of the idea of the perfect wife and marriage.
🎭 Click here for more fabulous theatre in London this winter.
📅 26th January – 13th April 2019
📍Duke of York’s Theatre, St Martin’s Ln, London WC2N 4BG
📷: Fiery Angel
Pour yourself a cup of ambition
The movie that launched everyone’s favourite karaoke song is coming to the London stage. With music and lyrics by Dolly Parton herself, 9 to 5 will be running the Savoy theatre through till the end of summer with 90s girl group Eternal star Louise Redknapp in the lead role (which is Lily Tomlin’s role of Violet btw – not Jane Fonda or Dolly’s role). Don’t expect this to become one of those musicals that run forever though – based on the lukewarm reception to it in the US, it is likely to only be onstage for 6 months. So, if you really want to see it, I recommend you get your tickets now.
🌟 Click here for more fabulous musicals in London this winter.
📅 29th January till 31st August 2019
📍Savoy Theatre, Savoy Ct, London WC2R 0ET
A divine comedy
If you’re yet to encounter this boisterous Bristolian comedian, then book your tickets now for Jayde Adams’ new show, The Divine Ms Jayde. The award-winning diva is bringing her Edinburgh Fringe show to the Soho theatre in Jan/Feb for a nine-night run.
🎭 Click here for more fabulous live performance in London this winter.
📅 31st January – 9th February 2019
📍 Soho Theatre, 21 Dean St, Soho, London W1D 3NE
📷: @sohotheatre
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Fabulous things to do in London this February
Do you disco?
With a line-up that includes Horse Meat Disco, The 2 Bears and Cassius, La Discothèque promises to be one of the most amazing dance-all-night kind of parties on this February. Plus, one of the godfathers of Chicago’s house music scene, Derrick Carter, is headlining the party – making this one of the best tickets you can score this winter. It is nearly sold out, so grab yours now.
📅 1st February 2019
📍Printworks London, Surrey Quays Rd, London SE16 7PJ
➡️ facebook.com
It’s going to be a bumpy night
Even though Cate Blanchett was originally scheduled to play the lead (but ditched it for the National Theatre – see above), I’m actually more excited about Gillian Anderson taking the lead role in All About Eve. Teamed with Lilly James from Mamma Mia 2, this will no doubt be one of the best things you will see this winter.
🎭 Click here for more fabulous theatre in London this winter.
📅 2nd February – 11th May 2019
📍 Noël Coward Theatre, 85-88 St Martin’s Ln, London WC2N 4AP
📷: @sfpofficial
Designer of dreams
The Dior exhibition at the V&A will be one of the biggest exhibitions in London this year so make sure you nab your tickets asap for it. Encompassing the French fashion designer’s entire career and its impacts on shaping fashion both then and now, this retrospective Dior: Designer of Dreams will be an amazing opportunity to view some seriously glamorous gowns.
🎨 Click here for more fabulous exhibitions in London this winter.
📅 2nd February – 14th July 2019
📍Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL
➡️ vam.ac.uk
📷: Cecil Beaton
Lose your mind
I’m a little obsessed with the Liza Minelli+Pet Shop Boys 80s electro version of Losing My Mind from this Sondheim musical, Follies – and its campy storyline too. Set in a theatre that will be torn down the next day, a group of former chorus girls get together to reminisce about the old days when they were glamorous young ‘follies’. This is a return of the musical’s 2017 revival at the National Theatre (with a slightly different cast – so no Imelda Staunton now sadly) so it’s probably the last chance you’ll get to see it.
🌟 Click here for more fabulous musicals in London this winter.
📅 12th February – 6th April 2019
📍National Theatre, Upper Ground, Lambeth, London SE1 9P
Early outsiders
Widely adored as the “photographer of freaks, Diane Arbus captured some of the 20th century’s most iconic images of those marginalised by society. This new exhibition at the Hayward Gallery takes you back to her earliest days, showcasing over 100 images from her first seven years capturing those on the fringes of New York in the late 50s and early 60s. Most of these pictures have never been exhibited in Europe, so this
🎨 Click here for more fabulous exhibitions in London this winter.
📅 13th February – 6th May 2019
📍Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, 337-338 Belvedere Rd, London SE1 8XX
📷: Diane Arbus
Category is…
If you haven’t heard of Jay Jay Revlon yet then you need to change that in 2019. The voguing sensation has been transforming London’s ballroom scene, so you won’t want to miss their Triple X ball in February. Categories include Tag Team Sex Siren in an all velvet look, Butch Queen Sexy Performance in a pyjama/lingerie look and Best Dressed in an all leather, silk or rubber outfit. Expect some serious tens across the board.
📅 16th February 2019
📍Factory 45, 44-46 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6DR
➡️ facebook.com
📷: @dcmorr
Party in your pants
If you like the idea of dancing around topless and covering yourself in all kinds of UV paint, then this party is for you. Thankfully this Brighton-based party is a stridently feminist event that is LGBTQIA inclusive, so everyone should feel comfortable taking their tops off. In fact, you’re welcome to dance around in just your pants and the £20 ticket includes coat check so you can strip down on arrival.
📅 22nd February 2019
📍Macbeth Hoxton, 70 Hoxton St, London N1 6LP
➡️ facebook.com
This realm, this England
Adjoa Andoh (from Invictus, Doctor Who and Cucumber) heads up this incredible cast of women of colour performing Richard II at The Globe this winter. Plus, not only is Adjoa wearing the ‘hollow crown’ in the lead role but she is also co-directing alongside Lynette Linton (Artistic Director of the Bush Theatre). This will be a powerful show to see as Brexit becomes official, so snap your tickets up for this now.
🎭 Click here for more fabulous theatre in London this winter.
📅 22nd February – 21st April 2019
📍Shakespeare’s Globe, 21 New Globe Walk, London SE1 9DT
📷: @the_globe
Save our queer clubs
Here’s an afternoon discussion you never thought you’d see: the British Academy and the Society for Dance Research (who sound amazing) are hosting a panel session at the V&A to explore whether enough is being done to defend and revive London LGBT+ clubbing scene. With so many clubs having closed down in recent years, and very few new ones opening up to replace them, this is a pretty timely discussion about why our queer nightlife is so important.
📅 23rd February 2019
📍Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL
Critically-acclaimed comedy
You probably know her as Lavender Brown, who has a comedic infatuation with Ron Weasley in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, or perhaps as the lesbian activist Zoe in Pride. Well, now she has her own show: a mixture of confessional comedy and DIY performance art. Sounds interesting? Well, she’s on at the Soho Theatre for a whole month so check her out.
🎭 Click here for more fabulous live performance in London this winter.
📅 24th February – 21st March 2019
📍Soho Theatre, 21 Dean St, Soho, London W1D 3NE
📷: @sohotheatre
Pushing the boundaries of surrealism
This is undoubtedly one of my top picks for this winter. I was lucky enough to see this retrospective of the American surrealist Dorothea Tanning’s work on my recent trip to Madrid and I was blown away by her work. I should admit that I have practically been a lifelong fan of hers, so it was a magical experience to see her work in real life. However, if you also like your art a mix of sensual and creepy, then you will love this exhibition too. Highly recommended.
🎨 Click here for more fabulous exhibitions in London this winter.
📅 27th February – 9th June 2019
📍Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG
➡️ tate.org.uk
📷: @minkaguides
👯
Fabulous things to do in London this March
An evening with Angela Davis
Activist, educator, scholar, and politician. Angela Davis has been at the forefront of the civil right movement since the 1960s and is appearing at the Southbank Centre’s World of Women festival on International Women’s Day this year. What could be more amazing and empowering than seeing this legendary woman speak (on any day but especially this one)?
📅 8th March 2019
📍Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, Lambeth, London SE1 8XX
📷: Getty/Bettmann Archive
Have an Old Fashioned with a dash of masculinity
Cocktails and women in excellent menswear… that’s about all you need to know for this event. Hosted by Wotever World, the Female Masculinity Appreciation Society is an evening ideally suited for any women who love to don a suit or a baseball cap – and for anyone who loves women who dress this way too. I’m excited that this night has now moved north of the river to the LGBT+ pub, The Apple Tree, as its swish setting is ideally suited to a cocktail evening with such aplomb.
📅 9th March 2018
📍The Apple Tree, 45 Mount Pleasant, London WC1X 0AE
➡️ facebook.com
Ballet at the Barbican
I went to one of this acclaimed dance company’s shows a few years ago and was blown away by both the choreography and the performers. This double bill at the Barbican brings together two very different narrative pieces with a stunning cast of black and Asian ballet dancers. Plus, Barbican members can watch the dance class before the Saturday show, which would definitely be an amazing addition for any ballet fans.
🎭 Click here for more fabulous live performance in London this winter.
📅 14th – 17th March 2018
📍Barbican, Silk St, London EC2Y 8DS
🎉
Fabulous New Year’s Eve parties in London
The Bacchanalian immersive dining experience, Divine Proportions at The Vaults, are throwing a special NYE party complete with shows, dinner and fireworks. I went along to see the show in November and loved it, so this should be an unforgettable way to greet 2019. 📷: @minkaguides
30th December 2018
- §10.36 (Chapter 10) NYEEE @ Bloc
- SorryNotSorry’s Giggly Glam Girly New Years Eve Eve @ Dalston Superstore
31st December 2018
- Savage Disco NYE 2018 @ Metropolis Strip Club
- Hangar NYE: Horse Meat Disco x Honey Soundsystem @ Hangar London Fields
- Oval Space x The Pickle Factory Presents: NYE Double Venue Party @ Oval Space
- E1 & Percolate: NYE w/ Floating Points & Daphni @ E1 London
- Little Gay Brother’s Naughty New Year @ Bordello
- She N.Y.E @ She Soho
- Just May Does The Millennium @ K Hole
- New Year’s Eve 2018 Hosted By Diane Chorley @ Soho Theatre
- Mariah & Friendz: New Year’s Eve! @ BGWMC
- The Glorious NYE Party! @ The Glory
- Divine Proportions NYE + Fireworks @ The Vault
- Big Gay Songbook – A Groovy NYE Songfest @ The Glory
- New Year’s Eve with Sink The Pink @ Skate at Somerset House
- Moon and Mischief on New Year’s Eve @ Bush Hall
- Push The Button’s Huge NYE Party 2018 @ Popworld London
- Homostash NYE – All-Stars edition @ D Superstore
- New Year, New Queer! @ VFD
- NYE Pyjama Party @ The Apple Tree London
- Knickerbocker does NYE! with Lucy McCormick @ The Yard
1st January 2019
- Horse Meat Disco NYD Gymkhana @ Eagle
- Adonis ALL DAY New Years Day @ The Cause
- Annual New Years Day LOL-Over #4 @ The Glory
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Fabulous exhibitions in London this winter
I caught the Dorothea Tanning retrospective (opening at the Tate Modern in February) when I was in Madrid in November and it was incredible! Really recommend catching this exhibition when it opens. 📷: @minkaguides
- Black Mirror: Art as Social Satire @ Saatchi Gallery ~ till 13th January 2019
- Night and Day: 1930s Fashion and Photographs @ Fashion & Textiles Museum ~ till 20th January 2019
- Ribera: Art of Violence @ Dulwich Picture Gallery ~ till 27th January 2019
- Modern Couples: Art, Intimacy and the Avant-garde @ Barbican ~ 27th January 2019
- Klimt / Schiele @ The Royal Academy ~ till 3rd February 2019
- Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt @ V&A ~ till 24th February 2019
- Time Out 50: 50 Years, 50 Covers @ Museum of Brands ~ till 3rd March 2019
- The Last Tsar: Blood and Revolution @ Science Museum ~ till 24th March 2019
- Staging Jackson Pollock @ Whitechapel Gallery ~ till 24th March 2019
- Sophia Al-Maria: BCE @ Whitechapel Gallery ~ till 28th April 2019
- Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams @ V&A ~ 2nd February – 14th July 2019
- Diane Arbus: In The Beginning @ Hayward Gallery ~ 13th February – 6th May 2019
- Dorothea Tanning exhibition @ Tate Modern ~ 27th February – 9th June 2019
🎭
Fabulous theatre and live performance in London this winter
Having toured this show around the world (well, Australia at least), Le Gateau Chocolat and Jonny Woo are back at the Soho Theatre with a night of showstopping celebration and desecration. Expect musical duets like you’ve never heard them before and some very fabulous costumes. 📷: Soho Theatre
- Hot Gay Time Machine @ Trafalgar Studios ~ 27th November 2018 – 5th January 2019
- Divine Proportions @ The Vaults ~ till 12th January 2019
- When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other @ National theatre ~ 16th January – 2nd March 2019
- Vault Festival 2019 @ The Vaults ~ 23rd January – 17th March 2019
- Home, I’m Darling @ Duke of York’s Theatre ~ 23rd January till 13th April 2019
- Jayde Adams: the Divine Ms Jayde @ Soho Theatre ~ 31st January – 9th February 2019
- Black Is the Color of My Voice @ Trafalgar Studio Two ~ 5th February – 2nd March 2019
- All About Eve @ Noël Coward Theatre ~ 2nd February – 11th May 2019
- Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch — Since She – Dimitris Papaioannou @ Sadler’s Wells ~ 14th-17th February 2019
- Richard II @ Globe Theatre ~ 22nd February – 21st April 2019
- Jessie Cave 2019 UK Tour @ Soho Theatre ~ 24th February – 21st March 2019
- Fortune Feimster @ Soho Theatre ~ 4th-9th March 2019
- Sex Shells @ Soho Theatre ~ 7th-9th March 2019
- Le Gateau Chocolat & Jonny Woo: a Night at the Musicals @ Soho Theatre ~ 11th-23rd March 2019
- Jinkx Monsoon & Major Scales: The Ginger Snapped @ Leicester Square Theatre ~ 12th-23rd March 2019
- Ballet Black: Double Bill @ Barbican ~ 14th – 17th March 2019
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Fabulous musicals in London this winter
I went to see Everybody’s Talking About Jaime last winter as a birthday treat from my friend Lucy and it was fantastic! I’m not normally a fan of new musicals but it was really well put together – and very fab! 📷: @minkaguides
- Kinky Boots The Musical @ Adelphi Theatre ~ till 12th January 2019
- Company @ Gielguld Theatre ~ till 30th March 2019
- Follies @ National Theatre ~ 12th February – 6th April 2019
- Tina: The Musical @ Aldwych Theatre ~ till 20th July 2019
- 9 to 5 the Musical @ Savoy Theatre ~ 29th January 29 till 31st August 2019
- Everybody’s Talking About Jamie @ Apollo Theatre ~ till 28th September 2019
🎥
Fabulous pop-up cinemas in London this winter
The stunning Rivoli Ballroom is regularly turned into a pop-up cinema (complete with red velvet seats), showing a bunch of seasonally-inspired films. 📷: @croftonparkpictures
- Rivoli Pop-Up Cinema (showing Pretty Woman, Ghost and more) @ Rivoli Ballroom ~ till 15th March 2019
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