As London starts to blossom and we emerge from the winter slump. Central London Alliance brings opportunities for you to embrace the romance of the city for Valentine’s Day. In addition, we welcome in the Chinese New Year, with a vast array of exhibitions, events and experiences to keep you busy throughout the month.
Revel in the portfolios of great artists, with Philip Guston at the Tate Modern and Frank Walter at the Southbank Centre, or explore the intersection of art, literature, and activism at the British Museum. Indulge in the power of love with a theatre cocktail experience for two at Moonshine Salon Theatre, or learn to make chocolate with Melt. Discover what’s on in London in February from the carefully curated selection below.
Art and culture in London
Chinese New Year in London
Welcome in the year of the dragon with the largest Chinese New Year celebration outside of Asia in London’s China Town. Immerse yourself in the parade starting on Charing Cross Road at 10.15am, or catch dances, acrobatic, and opera performances on the main stage in Trafalgar Square. As night falls, there will be fireworks to mark the end of the Year of the Rat.
Join the celebrations on 11th February.
This & That at Barbican
Witness the immersive and playful performance style of New York-based performers, Phil Soltanoff and Steven Wendt at This & That. Combining shadow puppetry, animation, and projection, with atmospheric sounds and live music, they explore the universe and its people. Marvel as cowboys, disco dancers, as pianists emerge from the shadows, and embark on a journey of life, love and loss.
This & That is on at the Barbican from Tuesday 13th February to Saturday 17th February. Tickets are £18.
Artists Making Books: Poetry to Politics at the British Museum
Books are not what you think of when you imagine an artist’s work, but in Poetry to Politics the British Museum showcases a range of artist-made books. From the start of the 20th century artists, activists, and poets have collaborated to create whole worlds of experience, in book form (what Indian artist Nalini Malani describes as ‘a carrier of experience’).
‘Artists Making Books: Poetry to Politics’ is on at the British Museum until 18th February. Entry is free.
MCN Motorcycle Show
For those with a passion for the two wheeled vehicle, the MCN Motorcycle Show will highlight the latest bikes, gear, and accessories. Through a series of incredible live action stunts (including from motorcycle racer Jorge Martin), to expert talks and workshops, the show offers a thrilling glimpse into the world of motorcycling. MCN Motorcycle Show is on at London ExCel from 16th to 18th February.
Book tickets for £25 here.
London Fashion Week
Experience the future of British fashion at London Fashion Week 2024, running from 15th to 20th February. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, renowned designers will unveil collections that hold a spotlight to London as the world leading cultural capital of fashion. Find its final schedule, including Burberry, Emilia Wickstead, Ahluwalia, and Richard Quinn here.
Ballet Nights at Lanterns Studio Theatre
Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of Ballet Nights. Delight in uniquely compered and curated evenings of classical, neo-classical, and contemporary dance, where each performance is presented intimately, without compromise. Secure your tickets for the captivating shows on February 23rd and 24th, 2024, featuring artists from the English National Ballet and Royal Ballet at Lanterns Studio Theatre in London, and revel in the mesmerizing spectacle titled “Our Story Continues”.
Philip Guston at Tate Modern
Uncover the work of celebrated abstract painter, Philp Guston, with the first retrospective of his work in the UK in nearly 20 years. Canada-born Guston lived through the social and political upheavals of the 50s and 60s, painting the turbulent world around him in abstract representations of racism in America and wars across the world.
See ‘Philip Guston’ at the Tate Modern until 25th February. Adult tickets are £20; child tickets are £5; members go free.
Frank Walter: Artist, Gardener, Radical at the Garden Museum
Drift away to the Caribbean island of Antigua with visual artist Frank Walter’s work. In over 100 paintings and sculptures (created in Walter’s ‘castle on a hill’ studio), explore the plants and landscape of the island through the lens of Walter’s quest to reconciliate his descendance from enslaved persons and plantation owners with finding peace in returning to agriculture.
Frank Walter: Artist, Gardener, Radical is on at the Garden Museum until 25th February. Tickets are £14; friends of the Garden Museum go free.
Zineb Sedira: Dreams Have No Titles at Whitechapel Gallery
Interweaving her own biography and activist films from 1960s and 1970s France, Algeria, and Italy, Zineb Sedira transforms the Whitechapel Gallery into a series of film sets. Find sculptures and photography in one room, and in another a full-scale gallery, set to mimic the artist’s very own Brixton living room. Blurring the boundaries between fiction and reality, Sedira explores the joy of collective experiences, while sending an important warning about the reality of unfulfilled emancipatory dreams.
Dreams Have No Titles is on at Whitechapel Gallery from 15th February until 12th May. Tickets start at £12.50.
From the Caribbean to Coventry: Plotting the Rise of 2 Tone at London’s Barbican Music Library
For fans of The Specials, ‘From the Caribbean to Coventry’ charts 2 Tone’s journey all the way from France and Belgium after the Great War, to 1980s Coventry. Looking at the influence of Caribbean immigration on British Youth Culture, the exhibition delves into music, fashion, architecture, art, and literature. It includes contributions from fans and faces of the 2 Tone world, including lead singer of The Bodysnatchers, Rhoda Dakar.
Visit ‘From the Caribbean to Coventry’ at the Barbican Music Library for free until 25th May. Find out more here.
Get active
Cancer Research UK London Winter Run
Finally cross off your New Year’s resolution by joining Cancer Research UK’s 10k Winter Run through the heart of London. Not only will you kick start your fitness goals, but you will also take part in an infamous that has already raised £5.7 million for life-saving cancer research. You’ll start in Trafalgar Square and run past landmarks like the Gherkin and St Paul’s Cathedral, ending at Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.
Find out more and join the event here.
Ice Rink Canary Wharf
If you’re feeling the post-Christmas blues, Canada Square Park is host to their ice rink and winter wonderland until 24th February. In efforts to make skating accessible for everything, Ice Rink Canary Wharf also offers wheelchair friendly skating, with its next dedicated wheelchair session being on Tuesday 20th February. Carers go free.
Book tickets for skating at Ice Rink Canary Wharf here.
Valentine’s Day in London
Chocolate making for two at Melt
For the sweetest Valentine’s Day possible, indulge in the luxury of chocolate with one of Melt’s chocolate making classes. Embrace the healing powers of chocolate at ‘Hot Chocolate & Hedonism – a Hyyge Heaven’, where you’ll learn the power of simple pleasures and mastering the perfect hot chocolate, or ignite all of your senses with ‘The Power of Pleasure with Mystical Chocolate’, where you’ll make your own box of chocolates with sensory flavours and oils to take home.
Browse Melt’s chocolate making courses here.
Dinner for two at The Vegan Brasserie
Eating vegan doesn’t have to stop with Veganuary – treat yourself to a romantic dinner for two at The Vegan Brasserie. Nestled in the heart of Victoria, the brasserie offers a vast menu of vegan cuisines, from vegan aubergine parmigiana, to a traditional thali Indian platter, or funghi pizza. Finish off with a warm apple and cinnamon crumble, or a warm chocolate brownie.
Book here.
Find your unique scent at The Perfume Studio
True love is about allowing your partner to embrace what makes them unique, so what could be more romantic than creating your partner a scent that reminds you of them? The Perfume Studio offers an experience where you get the chance to blend your own custom perfume, learning from perfume stylists how to create a signature scent. You’ll even get to take your fragrance home with you on the day, and you can do the class alongside afternoon tea – if you choose.
Experiences start at £49 per person.
Valentine’s Afternoon Tea Sightseeing Bus Tour
Enjoy the landmarks of London from atop a London Routemaster bus, as you enjoy a Valentine’s Afternoon Tea from Brigit’s Bakery. While you enjoy your selection of sandwiches, cakes, and scones, you’ll pass some of London’s most iconic sites, from Big Ben to the Royal Albert Hall. Add a bottle of champagne to make the experience extra romantic.
Book the experience here from £45.
Luxury Spa Day at Adamo Spa
Treat yourself and your loved one to a relaxing day out at Adamo Spa. In the midst of busy Tower Hill, be scrubbed, massaged, cleansed and manicured to a state of calm. Choose from massages, facials, or manicures, or commit to be pampered with their Pamper Package, including a 50-minute Swedish massage, a 30-minute facial by Caudalie, and a glass of bubbles with chocolates and strawberries.
Prices start at £39.
Book here.
Moonshine Saloon Immersive Theatre and Cocktail Experience
If you’re looking for something other than the standard dinner and drinks this Valentine’s Day, immerse yourself in this theatre and cocktail experience at Moonshine Saloon. Live your life as outlaws together in the Wild West of London’s Liverpool Street, where you’ll channel your inner bootlegger by smuggling in bottles of ‘illegal’ alcohol. After a trip to the tailor’s (to ensure you look the part) you’ll enjoy your bespoke cocktails while you enjoy a game of cards or dice and get to know the local characters.
Tickets start from £37, find out more here.
Romantic Escape at Tower Suites by Blue Orchid
Whisk your special someone off for a romantic getaway overlooking the Tower of London at Tower Suites by Blue Orchid. Arrive to a luxurious suite, where you’ll be greeted by a complimentary chilled bottle of Champagne and a personalised by the in-house patisserie. Revel in the romance of Valentine’s Day in a romantic candlelit three-course dinner, and return to your room to find rose petals scattered on your bed. The next morning you’ll be offered a continental breakfast for two, before exploring London. Spa treatments are 20 per cent off with the Romantic Escape package.
Rooms start at £393, book here.