What to do in London in January

What happens after Christmas in London? The start of a new year brings tons of exciting things to do in London in January. While the festive decorations come down, the city still has plenty to offer. But in all honesty, it’s not as colorful as what you see in December.

Continuing festive activities include Hogwarts in the Snow and ice skating in several locations across London. The curling club at Coal Drops Yard offers a bright and fun activity in January that makes the short periods of daylight a little more tolerable.

For those who love culture, the Royal Opera House hosts an inspiring line-up of shows. My favorite monthly cultural events are candlelight concerts. Of course, they continue to perform at iconic venues in January.

Whether you’re a Londoner or a visitor, you can find the city’s most intriguing deals for the month. In this list of things to do in London in January, you’ll discover New Year’s Day activities, ways to enjoy the winter chill with outdoor events, pubs that offer cozy experiences even during dry January, and much more!

You’ll find things to do in London in January organized below by:

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Things to do in London in January: Candlelight concerts

I have attended several of these concerts and highly recommend them for date nights, special occasions like birthdays or just a fun night out! You can read more about my first experience at the Tribute to Coldplay. I also attended the Taylor Swift tribute, the Hans Zimmer candlelight concert and the Christmas movie soundtracks.

This month

• Candlelight New Year Extravaganza, January 1
• Tribute to the Weeknd, January 3
• Tribute to AR Rahman, January 10
• Tribute to Justin Timberlake, January 17
• Magical Movie Soundtracks, January 17
• Hip-Hop on strings, January 24
• A tribute to Fleetwood Mac, January 24

Current concerts

• Rhapsody in Blue by candlelight, January 16 to March 20
• Ed Sheeran meets Coldplay, January 16 to May 23
• The best works of Hans Zimmer, January 16-June 13
• Tribute to the Beatles, January 23-31
• Queen vs ABBA January 23-February 14
• Film scores January 29-April 30

SEASONAL ACTIVITIES

January in London can be a bit gray. Sometimes it can snow. So if you’re visiting London at this time, keep an eye on the forecast! You will find that certain outdoor activities are very popular. However, this is a better month to enjoy events happening indoors for obvious reasons.

January Events

• New Year’s Eve Balls at the Barbican
• New Year’s parade
• Serpentine New Year Races
• Bankside Twelfth Night Celebrations, January 4
• Hogwarts in the snow until January 18

• Canary Wharf Winter Lights Festival, January 20-31
• London Art Fair, January 21-25
• London Short Film Festival, January 17-26
• Curling club at Coal Drops Yard until March 2

ice skating

• Slide at Battersea Power Station until January 4
• Hampton Court Palace until January 4
• Skate at Somerset House until January 11
• Canary Wharf until February 22

Royal Opera

• Christmas until January 5
• The Nutcracker until January 5
• Tea & Visit until March 15
• Architectural tour until March 15
• Behind the scenes tour until March 31

Afternoon Tea: Things to do in London in January

January is the perfect time to enjoy a themed afternoon tea. This is one of my favorite British traditions. While the special programs you see launched just for the holiday season are fun, sometimes you’re in a rush to get through them because of all the other Christmas events going on.

Although it’s usually a month to cut calories, if you have room for a treat, afternoon tea in January can make a rainy day the perfect time to catch up with a friend.

National Gallery Highlights Tour and Afternoon Tea

• Immerse yourself in masterpieces created by renowned artists like Leonardo, Monet and Van Gogh
• Treat yourself to an afternoon tea experience at the National Gallery Restaurant, Ocher
• Must be booked for a group of 2 people

Themed teas

• Elf Afternoon Tea at the Waldorf Hilton
• Jurassic Afternoon Tea, The Ampersand Hotel
• Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea in Sanderson
• Peter Pan Afternoon Tea at The Shard
• Secrets & Spies Afternoon Tea at Raffles

Things to do in London in January: Upcoming shows and exhibitions

Royal Albert Hall

• Cirque de Soleil OVO 9 Jan-1 Mar
• Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in concert from April 30 to May 9
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in concert from September 25 to 27
• Black Panther in concert on October 9
• Home Alone 2: Lost in New York in concert on December 12

Museums

• Marie Antoinette Style at the V&A Museum until March 22
• Hawai’i: A Kingdom Crossing the Oceans at the British Museum from January 15 to May 25
• Samurai at the British Museum from February 3 to May 4

IMMERSIVE Experiences

Read this article for a full list of current activities Immersive experiences in London.

Cozy pubs for dry January

In January, many London restaurants, pubs and bars offer mocktails and Dry January specials. So they are always worth a visit.

Below is a list of pubs in London that are fantastic for their atmosphere. These are pubs that we often visit after work or when we are out and about during the day.

Cozy pubs in London

• Churchill weapons
• The dove at Hammersmith
• The Holly Bush in Hampstead
• The Spanish Inn, Hampstead
• The ship and the shovel
• The May flower
• The Trafalgar Tavern in Greenwich
• The market porter at London Bridge
• Thomas Cubitt in Belgravia
• The Company in Holborn
• The Bull and the Last at Highgate

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