January 2025: If you’re anything like us, the last couple of weeks have been a blur of festive cheeseboards, daytime pyjamas, endless glasses of Prosecco, back-to-back sitcom reruns and a seemingly never-ending supply of Lindor choccies.
So if you’re struggling to remember what day it is, we’re sorry to have to report that the Crimbo Limbo is over, New Year’s Eve has been and gone, and we’ve arrived at everyone's least favourite month of the year. January gets a pretty bad rep, what with the depleted bank accounts, freezing temperatures and general post-Christmas malaise that it usually entails, but we promise it isn’t all bad.
For one thing, January is the ideal time to discover London on a budget and without the crowds. From discounted theatre tickets to cheap meal deals, all sorts of tasty offers are available this month to entice you out of the house during the coldest and darkest days of the year.
If you’re committing to a month of sobriety or a punishing new exercise regime as part of a New Year health kick, London has your back here with this too. The city is home to countless excellent sports clubs and fitness classes, plus dozens of glorious parks and spectacular walking routes, and there’s arguably nowhere that better caters for the sober and sober-curious.
Of course, if you’d rather just settle in by an open fire at one of the city’s cosiest pubs instead, then there’s absolutely no judgement from us! However you’re planning to spend January, we hope it’s the start of a very happy 2025.
No matter what your vibe, tastes or interests, there is always something to do in London. Whether you want to see cutting-edge art exhibitions, iconic attractions, secret spots, world-beating theatre, stunning green spaces, it’s all here and you can probably fit all this in and more still barely feel like you’ve scratched the surface of the city. And that’s before you factor in all those historic London pubs, the latest must-visit restaurants and vibrant LGBTQ+ venues. And if you need somewhere to stay? Check out London’s best hotels or Airbnbs.
This London bucket list (curated by our editors and always hotly debated in the Time Out office) is a good place to start because exploring this city can be a little daunting. There truly is something for everyone here.
And if you want to know what’s happening in London, like, right now, check out things to do in London this week and things to do in London this weekend. After a few days pottering about in the capital, you’ll be more than ready to reel off Dr Samuel Johnson’s famous quote: ‘When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.’
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Start planning a great year: here’s our roundup of the 25 best things to do in 2025
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