Spring in London
Your cultural agenda for April, May and June 2026...
Few cities inspire quite like London, especially when its friendly tangle of leafy streets and garden squares comes alive in the spring sunshine. Whether you’re drawn to the intimacy of a West End play (see C.S Lewis' Shadow Lands), the creativity of contemporary art showcases (catch The Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy or Schiaperelli at the V&A), or the atmosphere of open-air events (don't miss London Open Gardens and Kew Garden's Outdoor Cinema), our seasonal round-up promises to unearth something different for newcomers and locals alike.
Shadowlands at Aldwych Theatre
until 9th may
Don’t miss Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey, Paddington, Twenty Twelve) starring in the much-anticipated story of C.S. Lewis at the West End's Aldwych Theatre. This moving play, directed by Rachel Kavanaugh, explores the writer’s journey from an academic to a man transformed by devotion, love, and loss.
Book in for a delicious pre-theatre dinner at Brasserie Max at Covent Garden Hotel, just a 10-minute walk from Aldwych Theatre. Opt for two or three courses, including a glass of sparkling wine for just £35 or £40 per person.
49 Aldwych, London WC2B 4DF
London Open Gardens Weekend
6 & 7 june
Not many visitors (nor Londoners) are lucky enough to gain entrance to the city’s famed garden squares, but once a year, for one weekend only, more than a hundred hidden green spaces across the capital are opened to the public. Explore community gardens, rooftop sanctuaries (including our rooftop garden at Ham Yard Hotel), open-air hideaways and smart city havens, from the Barbican to Ladbroke Square.
One of our favourites has to be Inner Temple Garden (pictured above). It's one of London's oldest gardens, having been cultivated since 1195.
The Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition
16th june - 23rd august
A hotly anticipated annual event on the city’s calendar since 1769, the Summer Exhibition is a delightfully democratic survey of contemporary artistic talent, spanning both emerging and celebrated artists across multiple mediums. The world’s oldest open submission exhibition (enabling anyone to enter their work for consideration), it’s renowned for its eclectic content and a joyful approach to curation and display.
Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD
Khao-Sō-i London
open now
The city’s melting pot of cultures has created a dynamic food scene that reflects nearly every corner of the globe. On our radar this season is this latest opening, named for one of Northern Thailand’s most beloved noodle broth dishes. Chef Win’s version elevates his family’s much-guarded recipe, passed down over 40 years, with a signature dish featuring 32 hand-selected spices.
9-10 Market Place, London W1W 8AQ
Lucian Freud: Drawing into Painting
until 4th may
Explore the works of one of the UK’s foremost figurative painters via this comprehensive exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. Focusing on Freud's lifelong preoccupation with the human face and figure from the 1930s to the early twenty-first century, it's a thoughtful celebration of drawing in all its forms – from pencil, pen and ink to charcoal and etching.
Make the most of the gallery's late opening hours on a Friday and Saturday (until 9pm) and combine your visit with dinner at Brumus at Haymarket Hotel - just a 5-minute stroll away.
St. Martin's Pl, London WC2H 0HE
Summer Jazz Series 2026
13th may - 19th july
If you’re a jazz aficionado, don’t miss the London Summer Jazz Series, which sees a host of global established and emerging talent taking to the stage across a number of atmospheric venues across the city, from Chelsea’s Cadogan Hall to Islington’s Union Chapel. Hosted by the team behind the EFG London Jazz Festival, highlights include singer-songwriter Emeli Sandé at the Barbican on 6th June.
Those heading to Cadogan Hall can make a trip of it with a stay at Number Sixteen Hotel in nearby South Kensington. Enjoy the hotel's verdant garden at the peak of its summer glory.
Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art
6th april - 8th september
Renowned for her daring collaborations with artists such as Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau, Elsa Schiaparelli is noted for having turned fashion into a surreal expression of imagination. In this, the UK’s first exhibition spotlighting the designer, the V&A pays homage to one of the industry’s most daring visionaries, exploring the tension between couture and creativity.
Combine your trip with a decadent Afternoon Tea in the Library or Drawing Room at Knightsbridge Hotel. Mere moments from Harrods, Harvey Nichols and the boutiques of Sloane Street, you'd be hard pushed to find a better spot for a day of shopping and fashion.
Cromwell Rd, London SW7 2RL
Outdoor Cinema at Kew Gardens
18th - 21st june
Nothing says summer in the city more than viewing a classic film on the big screen in the open air. Kew Gardens (a must-visit, with 50,000 living plants across its gardens, trails and conservatories) also plays host to a series of outdoor screenings. Choose from classics, like Dirty Dancing, to family favourites, including Wicked for Good.
The Lion Gate, Richmond, TW9 2DF
Treasure House Art Fair
24th - 30th june
Held at the Royal Hospital Chelsea at the height of London’s summer season each year, this fair brings together a curated blend of art, antiques and design from seventy of the world's foremost galleries and dealers. And fans of Firmdale won’t have to look far in search of a sense of home-from-home: this year, we’ll be bringing pop-up versions of Brumus, Refuel and Oscar to the fair, so that visitors can pause their treasure hunting for relaxed dining and drinking.
The Royal Hospital, South Grounds, London SW3 4SR
V&A East Museum
opens 18th april
The long-awaited sister venue to the V&A East Storehouse opens this spring with a landmark exhibition, The Music is Black: A British Story, exploring the impact of Black creativity on British music and culture from 1900 to the present day. The opening also marks the launch of a new festival designed to take place every summer in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, celebrating the area’s cultural institutions, from the London College of Fashion to the BBC Music Studios.
East Bank, 107 Carpenters Rd, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, E20 2AR
Header image credit: Temple Gardens, part of the London Open Gardens Weekend | Photo: Claire Takacs