London NightLife

London NightLife information

Music

Classical Music and Dance London's favourite classical music venue for over a century, the magnificent Royal Albert Hall comes into its own during the Proms season (Jul-Sep) though concerts are held here throughout the year. Home to the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the ornate hall concentrates on classical performances, but big name rock and jazz artists sometimes play here too. Kensington Gore, SW7. Tel: +44 (0)20-7589-8212. The imposing concrete of the Barbican Centre disguises an excellent programme of music, dance and theatre; home to the London Symphony Orchestra and the English Chamber Orchestra. Silk St, EC2. Tel: +44 (0)20-7638-8891. The cavernous Royal Festival Hall by the river was built for grand choral works and symphonic events but can be an expensive venue. South Bank Centre, SE1. Tel: +44 (0)870-401-8181. Another key venue for classical entertainment is Sadler's Wells in Islington. It hosts a varied and ambitious programme of events throughout the year, that includes ballet and contemporary dance and theatre alongside music. Rosebery Ave. Tel: +44 (0)870-737-7737. If you want to catch some free performances, the Royal College of Music holds lunchtime concerts at 13h00 during term time. Prince Consort Rd, SW7. Tel: +44 (0)20-7589-3643. Rock & Pop London's major music venues attract an endless stream of touring bands and popular acts from all over the musical spectrum from jazz to rap. Travel south to the Brixton Academy for one of London's finest live music venues, alternating between big-name performers and club-nights. 211 Stockwell Rd, SW9. Tel: +44 (0)20-7771-3000. One of West London's top venues is the Shepherds Bush Empire which hosts quality bands and musical acts. Shepherds Bush Green, W12. Tel: +44 (0)20-8354-3300. There is always a lively spread of up-and-coming artists playing the pubs and smaller venues. Try down-to-earth Borderline (Orange Yard, off Manette St, W1. Tel: +44 (0)20-7534-6970) for guitar-based rock, pop and country-tinged music, or the ICA (Institute of Contemporary Arts, The Mall, SW1. Tel: +44 (0)20-7930-3647) for more quirky, arty performances appealing to an achingly trendy crowd. Jazz The Jazz Café (5 Parkway, NW1. Tel: +44 (0)20-7916-6060) is a slick venue with a mixed programme, ranging from big band outfits to soul divas. World-famous Ronnie Scott's (47 Frith St, W1. Tel: +44 (0)20-7439-0747) is a smoky and, yes, jazzy venue that has hosted a fine pedigree of jazz greats.

West End Shows and Theatre

London's West End is one of the world's leading centres for contemporary theatre and musicals. Long-running Andrew Lloyd-Webber productions such as "Phantom of the Opera" are always a favourite, while "Les Miserables" has been playing to packed houses for over a decade. Performance musicals such as Stomp have been resident on the Strand for years. Theatre includes the classic and official world's longest-running play "The Mousetrap" (currently at the St Martin's Theatre) as well as the latest contemporary works by modern English playwrights such as Patrick Marber or Michael Frayn. For Shakespeare there is no better place than the reconstructed Globe, on the south bank of the Thames just along from the National Theatre, which also hosts big budget classic productions from the Royal Shakespeare Company. If you don't want to tackle anything too heavy the Reduced Shakespeare Company performs the Complete Works of William Shakespeare in a hilarious hour-and-a-half show at the Criterion on Haymarket, just off Piccadilly. If you'd rather scream than laugh the Woman in Black continues to haunt theatres in the city, and is undoubtedly the most terrifying production on any stage in the world. There are more theatres than it is possible to list. Most are centred on Piccadilly, Charing Cross Road and along Shaftesbury Avenue (the "Theatre District"), but there are others around Covent Garden and along the Strand. Other shows may be held at out-of-centre locations, in Victoria or Hammersmith for example. A good current listing guide like Time Out or your ticket agent should tell you how to most easily get to your venue. Ticket prices vary depending on seat quality and booking outlet - expect to pay upwards of GBP35 for a good seat, while GBP10 will often be enough to get you into a matinée. Except for premières or in the first few months of a big show, you can get tickets for most productions from the theatre box office, right up to the time the curtain rises. Reputable ticket agents include Ticketmaster (Tel: +44 (0)870-400-0700). You can also get half-price tickets for same day performances at the TKTS ticket booth in Leicester Square.

Opera

The English National Opera (St Martin's Lane, WC2. Tel: +44 (0)20-7632-8300) and the Royal Opera House (Bow St, WC2. Tel: +44 (0)20-7240-1200) are the key venues for opera lovers. While the National Opera is "olde worlde" London, the Royal has revived the elitist traditions of opera with its exorbitant seat prices and formal dress code. Tourists often see it as all terribly English. In summer, the Royal's largesse extends to a live telecast of performances on the big screen in Covent Garden.

Cinema

Right in the centre of the city, Leicester Square is thronged with the largest cinemas in the UK. Blockbuster movies dominate the show list, and ticket prices can be steep (up to GBP11). Premiere nights are the biggest draws as the red carpet is rolled out for Hollywood's major stars, and even the odd Royal trip to the movies. One of the best of the independent cinemas, the National Film Theatre (South Bank. Tel: +44 (0)20-7928-3232) has a mixed programme of art-house and foreign-language films and loyal audiences. The Curzon Soho (99 Shaftesbury Ave, W1. Tel: +44 (0)20-7734-2255) and its sister the Curzon Mayfair (38 Curzon St, W1. Tel: +44 (0)20-7495-0500) are also a popular choice for lovers of art-house cinema. The IMAX cinema in Waterloo is a great experience that transports you almost within the movie. 1 Charlie Chaplin Walk, SE1. Tel: +44 (0)870-787-2525. The Prince Charles Cinema just off Leicester Square has a winning combination of London's cheapest cinema prices (from GBP3), art house/cult classics and Friday night participation movies such as the Rocky Horror Picture Show and the strudel-sweet classic Sound of Music. 7 Leicester Place. Tel: +44 (0)20-7494-3654.

Nightclubs

A long-established clubbers' Mecca, London has everything from big-name DJs to highly individual underground clubs. Each area of the city has its own club flavour worth seeking out, and the scene moves swiftly as the celebrity circuit with its paparazzi entourage tends to drop nightspots and pick up new ones as regularly as it changes its taste in music and fashion. To keep up with the latest fads you have to be wealthy, well dressed and in the know. Thankfully there are some places that still let mere mortals enter their hallowed halls. The West End and Soho are the most popular central areas for a night out, with a great many late night pubs and bars to choose from - ranging from Piccadilly's massive Trocadero centre, with its seemingly countless bars spread across half-a-dozen floors, to the exclusive portals of Chinawhite or the Elysium Lounge. Hoxton and Shoreditch, a bit further from the centre to the north-east, has in the last few years gained a reputation as the place to go out in, with a range of trendy bars such as Home and Blue, and late night clubs that try to pretend thay have a gritty feel, but are in fact as gentrified as West End hotspots. People who fancy things genuinely earthy, perhaps cut with a bit of punk, should try the nightlife in Camden - but take care where you wander. The best club nights are hopelessly over-subscribed, you either have to obtain tickets well in advance or be prepared to queue if you want to hear the hottest DJs at the most popular venues in town. If you're serious about your clubbing then you should check listings carefully, there is genuinely something for everyone going on somewhere in London, pretty much every night of the week. If you're more of a casual clubber then you'll always find somewhere where you can dance the night away. *Fabric From new kid on the block to leader of the pack on the London club scene, it's been an interesting few years for Fabric since it opened in 1999. It has matured somewhat, but still has the energy of its early days, and doesn't seem to be diminishing in popularity. Although there are plenty of pretenders to its crown, Fabric is still consistently named top club in the capital. Gay night, DTPM, held on Sundays. 77a Charterhouse St, EC1. Tel: +44 (0)20-7336-8898. *Trendy Shoreditch's current favourite club, Herbal has just the right blend of warehouse cool and moneyed clientele that is an inevitable recipe for success. Celebs think they're getting back to the roots of clubbing, while Joe Public is happy to rub shoulders with the British movie stars and children's TV presenters who seem to permanently inhabit clubs like this. It's fantastic. 10 Kingsland Rd, E2. Tel: +44 (0)20-7613-4462. *Ministry of Sound is the mega-club that invented the entire concept - and now it's killed it off, relaunching itself as a more laid-back super-lounge. Genuinely needing no introduction it still has the capacity to pack the crowds in every Friday and Saturday night. Big name DJs play for big name VIPs, and a host of paying customers. If you're looking for a big night out, and can afford time to recover the next day, then look no further. 103 Gaunt St, SE1. Tel: +44 (0)20-7378-6528. *Salsa! does exactly what the name implies. Live bands or a DJ spins salsa and merengue music, which gets the admittedly quite talented crowd strutting their stuff. Lessons are available for beginners, but single girls be warned, brylcreamed Latin lotharios constantly circle the dance floor looking for partners. They are usually more interested in themselves than their dance partner so you're not in real danger apart from perhaps a bit of nausea. 96 Charing Cross Rd, WC2. Tel: +44 (0)20-7379-3277. A massive club with a central location, Sound can't really go wrong. There's nothing too clever, just a roster of dancefloor-pleasing pop, and an enthusiastic if young crowd of revellers who want to have a good time, and invariably do. 10 Wardour St, W1. Tel: +44 (0)20-7287-1010.

Gay nightlife

It comes as no surprise that London has an active gay and lesbian scene with a great choice of clubs and bars to choose from. The majority of these are accumulated around the district of Soho, and in particular along Old Compton Steet, in the city's West End. For listings of what's on, pick up a copy of the Gay Times, qx or the London Official Gay and Lesbian Guide (the latter is produced by - and available free of charge from - the tourist office). As far as clubs go, there really is something for everyone - here are just a couple of the mainstays of the scene: Billed as the most famous gay nightclub in the world, Heaven has been going for more than two decades, and continues to entertain its mixed clientele of gay, straight and extroverted people. Although you can pitch up pretty much as you are, and still enjoy the night, many regulars go that extra mile, and when they say that anything goes - it usually does. The Arches, Villiers St, WC2. Tel: +44 (0)20-7930-2020. Another old favourite, G-A-Y at the Astoria is a regular night of fun and frolics held several times a week including Fridays and Saturdays. The popular club night appeals to a predominantly young - and fairly posey - crowd of gay men and lesbians, on occasion attracting big name live acts on stage. Astoria nightclub, 157 Charing Cross Rd, WC2. Tel: +44 (0)20-7434-9592. Just behind the Astoria, the Ghetto is an altogether more down-to-earth affair attracting a fun-loving, unpretentious crowd every Friday and Saturday night. Falconberg Court, W1. Tel: +44 (0)20-7287-3726.

Comedy

Many of the world's great comedians cut their teeth at London's many comedy clubs, and international comedians regularly come to the city with their latest shows. Major stars of the circuit such as Eddie Izzard, Steve Coogan and Ben Elton play to packed out theatre venues when on tour (check press for details) but there is always a range of performances at the smaller more intimate venues to provide a few laughs any day of the week. Quality stand-up and good food can be found at the Comedy Café (66 Rivington St, EC2. Tel: +44 (0)20-7739-5706), while Jongleurs at Camden Lock (Chalk Farm Rd, NW1. Tel: +44 (0)870-787-0707) is a purpose-built venue with a strong line-up - it also has branches in Bow and Battersea. A good midweek bet is the Canal Café Theatre (Delamere Terrace, W2. Tel: +44 (0)20-7289-6056) as is the legendary Comedy Store (Haymarket House, 1 Oxendon St, SW1. Tel: +44 (0)870-060-2340), regarded as the birthplace of alternative comedy.

Sports

Football has become England's largest cultural export, and English teams are passionately supported all over the world. Book in advance and visit one of London's hallowed grounds for a live game. Arsenal (Highbury. Tel: +44 (0)20-7704-4040), Chelsea (Stamford Bridge. Tel: +44 (0)870-300-1212), Spurs (White Hart Lane. Tel: +44 (0)20-8365-5100), Fulham (Loftus Rd. Tel: +44 (0)870-442-1234) and Charlton (The Valley. Tel: +44 (0)871-226-1905) are London's current top five teams. Ticket availability varies greatly according to opposition and current team success (or lack thereof). If you love cricket or are intrigued by the game's arcane rituals, a visit to Lord's - the spiritual home of the sport - is a must. As well as hosting first-class matches and test cricket, Lord's houses the MCC Museum which offers an invaluable insight into the venerable history of the sport. Open for visitors' guided tours 10h00, 12h00 & 14h00 (except match days). Tel: +44 (0)20-7289-1611. Tube: St Johns Wood.

Experiences

Hang around Buckingham Palace to see some of the unique rituals of the monarchy. The Changing of the Guard is always a draw for tourists. The new guard, consisting of bearskinned and red coated soldiers, marches to the palace from the barracks further down the mall accompanied by a martial band. The old guard then ceremonially hands over the duty of guarding the monarch before marching back down the mall. The Changing of the Guard occurs daily at 11h30 in summer, and every other day through winter. Hyde Park Corner on weekend mornings hosts impassioned speakers indulging in various diatribes fuelled by the self-righteous air conveyed by standing on a soapbox. It is a good-natured atmosphere provided no one takes it too seriously. The speakers' enthusiasm is greatly subdued during the winter months of December to April. Tube: Marble Arch. For a taste of England in days of old when knights were bold, head for the Medieval Banquet in Ivory House near Tower Bridge. You'll be treated to the full Middle Ages experience, from the four-course banquet at trestle tables complete with foaming jugs of ale and wine, and live entertainment designed to transport you back to medieval times. Hit the price tag for a GBP5 discount on the price of your banquet fare.

Special Events

January On New Year's Day, there's an enormous parade through the centre of the city in the middle of the day, featuring around 10,000 performers, and attracting hordes of spectators. April Far more than a sports event, the Flora London Marathon is the longest street party in the world and is regarded as the most prestigious of the world's "big city" marathons. If you're not amongst the 30,000 runners, then the bands, pubs and entertainment that line the route still make coming out to support the runners a worthwhile way to spend an afternoon. June/ July There is something to suit everyone at the City of London Festival held during June and July. As well as music ranging from jazz and roots to classical and contemporary, there are theatre, dance, literature and visual arts events during the three-week programme. Every July London's gay and lesbian community holds a Pride march along the streets of the city centre, followed by a raucous Mardi Gras party held in one of the central parks. August The Notting Hill Carnival is Europe's largest street festival. Over a million people take to the streets during the end of August bank holiday for this festival of music, dance, drama and food. The parade is the highlight of the celebrations, with colourful floats and flamboyant dancers, to the beat of a few hundred different rhythms. Be warned: the Carnival is not for the claustrophobic and keep tight hold of your belongings. November Bonfire Night is held across Britain on November 5 (or the nearest weekend) each year, in order to celebrate Guy Fawkes's ill-fated 1605 attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Domestic displays of fireworks in people's back garden mean the air is filled with smoke, light and noise, but for the best visual displays you should head for one of London's major public spectaculars. Battersea Park is the most renowned display, attracting thousands of spectators - Primrose Hill affords a spectacular view. Alexandra Palace also holds a good show, with an indoor funfair, ice rink and other attractions to keep you entertained. December Christmas is big business in London and nowhere is this more evident than along Oxford Street and other central shopping areas which are packed with shoppers and adorned with festive lights (which are switched on back in November). There are several outdoor ice-skating rinks in the city, most of them open throughout December and most of January. Somerset House on the Strand (WC2) is one of the most central and scenic - and therefore often gets booked up a long time in advance. Otherwise, try the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich (SE10) - a little further out, but equally atmospheric. London doesn't indulge in public New Year's Eve festivities as much as some cities in the world - many people celebrate in pubs and clubs or at home. However, with Big Ben as the backdrop, naturally thousands of people are keen to come to hear the most famous clock in the world chime out the old year and in the new on December 31, and fireworks often light up the Thames.