Londonist

Your weekly roundup of Londonist news and features.

Imberbus: Ride Vintage London Buses Over Salisbury Plain This August

THE bus event of the year?

Kew's Palm House To Close For Five Years

Major refit for the early Victorian structure.

Open House Festival 2025: Which Buildings Are Open? Which Need Booking?

First details of this year's architecture fest.

Dazzling Yellow PYO Sunflower Farms And Fields Near London: Summer 2025

The 2025 sunflower season is expected to be short, so be quick.

Anyone familiar with the A23 running through Streatham Hill will recognise it as a hectic scene.

The major road is plagued by badly-placed crossings, limited room for bikes, vehicles flying out of side roads, and buses crawling along at a snail's pace. It's also an accident hot spot; 72 collisions took place in the 36-month period up to 31 October 2024, resulting in injuries to 75 people. As former Streatham residents, we can also personally attest to the somewhat threatening nature of the road.

Looking for a lido or in need of an outdoor pool in London? As the weather heats up, these swimming pools and ponds across the capital become very popular for cooling off, so we recommend booking in advance where at all possible. And if the weather's not quite so warm? Plenty of London's outdoor pools are heated. Read on to plan your next al fresco dip.

Looking for things to do in London throughout the month? Check out 100+ Marvellous Things To Do In London This May.

All week

COLOR THEORIES: Visual design enthusiast Julio Torres is at Soho Theatre with his show Color Theories, which offers a glimpse into the inner lives of the colours in the rainbow, through a lens of surreal humour. 12-17 May

Where can I find a good beer garden in London? Look no further than our map.

Sitting outdoors with a good, honest pint is one of the timeless joys of London. Fortunately, our city is blessed with hundreds of al fresco drinking spaces, from tiny roof terraces to sprawling gardens. Land value being what it is, you're most likely to find the biggest beer gardens the further out you go, although there are plenty of beauties in the inner suburbs. And here's a teaser: can anyone think of a zone 1 beer garden with grass?

Pour the wine and break out the bunting — Eurovision is back!

After a widely-boycotted Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden, last year, the glitterfest is taking place in Basel, Switzerland in May 2025. At time of writing, Israel, the reason for many boycotts and protest last year, is taking part again this year, despite calls from countries including Slovenia, Finland and Spain demanding for Israel to be excluded.

Long bank holiday weekend ahead of you and looking for things to do in London to fill the time? Take a gander at our suggestions below for activities in the capital and beyond, whatever the weather and whatever your budget.

Note: it's worth checking the opening hours of places mentioned here, as they sometimes do odd things (or close completely) over bank holiday weekends — and check public transport too, as bank hols are a favourite time for engineering works.

Cultural bank holiday ideas

All weekend

RANJIT SINGH: In its final weekend is Ranjit Singh: Sikh Warrior King, the current exhibition at the Wallace Collection which explores the life of great Sikh leader Ranjit Singh (1780–1839). 100 items, including jewellery and weaponry, demonstrate how his leadership led to a golden age of trade and arts, and a formidable army. Until 20 October

London's bonfire night fireworks are among the best in the country — and this year they're back with a bang. Accompanying the explosive entertainment are funfair rides, cockle-warming grub, and various other festivities. Here's our guide to firework displays and bonfire night events across London on and around 5 November 2024 (which, FYI, falls on a Tuesday this year).

Firework displays in central London

For obvious reasons, there aren't that many firework displays and bonfire night events in central London... but there is one, and best of all, it's free:

For more from London's art world, sign up for our new (free) newsletter and community: Londonist: Urban Palette.

"Emma Haworth was the first artist I fell so in love with that I knew I had to take her home. I wanted her world in my house." So says Caitlin Moran, in the foreword to a new collection of Haworth's meticulous works.