Go to a party on New Year’s Day
You’ve been partying your way into 2023, and if you want to keep it up. London can help you (even though I think you’re a little crazy!)
Warehouses and clubs have many parties where you can keep the New Year’s celebrations going. Flight Club is one of our favorites. It’s a great cocktail bar with dart boards where you can grab a bite to eat and keep the party going until about 1 am.
Glam dancers, disco hits, and a tonne of glitter are all part of the renowned celebration Glitterbox at Printworks. Which puts inclusiveness and diversity at its foundation.
On New Year’s Eve, go to the Prom at The Barbican.
The New Year’s Day Prom at the Barbican Centre is a fun event with classical music and a glass of champagne included with your ticket (this isn’t like an American prom; it’s a theatre show). Classics like “Nimrod” from Enigma Variations by Edward Elgar. “Largo al factotum” by Gioachino Rossini, “Sleeping Beauty Waltz” by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. And many more will be played by the London Concert Orchestra.
Hyde Park is a great place to run or watch!
Most people make a fitness goal for their New Year’s resolutions, and London is the best place to start. The Serpentine Running Club puts on a 10K race and a 3K fun run through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens on the first day of every year. People of all ages can join, so bring your family and friends.
Perform a wintery or holiday activity
If you go to London in January, especially at the beginning of the month. You can enjoy the holiday spirit without dealing with the crazy crowds you’d find in December.
I made a list of all the Christmas-y things to do in London so you can try them all (or pick a few you like). Just like a real Londoner (spoiler alert: it’s not all about Winter Wonderland). Read Top Christmas-Themed Things to Do in London for fun ideas like ice skating, going to a Christmas Market, trying a Christmas-themed afternoon tea, and more. In January, most of these things will still be going on.
huge sales shopping
Most stores have big sales in January. So you can go check them out. If you have a specific store in mind, look online to see if they have any sales.
Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason, Liberty London, and Harrods are some of London’s most well-known department shops, so they could be a good place to start.
But we love to shop at more local stores because you can find unique items, which helps the local economy. Some of my favorite shops are in the video below. Or you can get more suggestions in my 3-Day or 6-Day London Itinerary.
Check out the London Art Fair
The London Art Fair has been held at the Business Design Centre for more than 30 years. It is the first art event of the year in the city. You can look around more than 100 modern and contemporary art galleries. You can buy your piece of art or cheaper prints to take home as a unique souvenir. There are also talks, tours, and exhibitions that have been planned. So there is a lot to see and do here.
Read Also: 22 Best Things to do in Edinburgh, Scotland
Experiencing Burns Night
Burns Night is an unofficial English holiday that comes from Scotland. It is about the poet Robert Burns, who was born on January 25, 1759, and it honors everything he did for Scottish culture. Most of the time, the celebrations include a Burns supper, where traditional Scottish dishes like haggis are served, and his works like Address to a Haggis are read. There’s also a lot of whisky in it (hey ho!
If you want to celebrate Burns Night, you can go to one of the Scottish Boisdale pubs in London, or you can go to the Ceilidh Club and dance the night away the Scottish way.
Go to the Harry Potter Studios to experience Hogwarts in the snow.
I’m not a Harry Potter fan, but I know many of you are, so go to the studio when it gets decked out for the holidays. Sets like the Forbidden Forest are covered in snow, and the enchanted Great Hall has wreaths, glands, and trees with tiny witches on broomsticks hanging from them. But the most impressive thing about Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is the long dining tables with flaming Christmas puddings and mouth-watering roast turkeys and hams with cherries stuck in them.
Visit the London Short Film Festival
An independent short film festival with a distinguished worldwide reputation, the London Short Film Festival is BAFTA-eligible. With over 5,000 submissions, they narrowed it down to 250 and 500 national and international films, including comedies, dramas, animations, documentaries, low-budget shorts, and experimental works. You can watch these movies, live music, workshops, and talks.