Our master guide to what’s on in London
If you want to meet new people in London, the easiest thing to do is just to leave the house. One of the most wonderful things about living in a vibrant, cultural and exciting corner of the world is that there’s always something worth writing home about going on within a 20 minute tube ride.
But how do you find out about the best events? Here’s a fool-proof guide to see what’s on so you can make the most of what the city has to offer.
There’s a lot of information here so we recommend you bookmark this page for a rainy day, and share it with anyone in London looking for a great day or night.
Websites
Time Out
It’s a magazine too, in case you haven’t yet noticed. Time Out has pretty extensive listings for whatever type of activity you’re after, and you can easily search by category and area. Bonus points for their never-ending lists of restaurant and bar niches, area spotlights and random things you think you’ll never have to search.
Londonist
Editorial focus on specific events, as well as weekly (and sometimes daily) ‘free and cheap’ London guides. Best for discovering more about the city while you search for what to do — with serious homage paid to culture, history and the secrets that pave these streets.
All In London
Daily and weekly listings available, as well as news stories on the latest need-to-know events updates and a directory that gives you inspiration for every occasion.
Secret LDN
Not so much about London’s secrets anymore, but still a useful guide to the city with a great sense of humour. Read some of their listicles to start to get in the real spirit of being a Londoner.
The Culture Trip
Art, food, travel and culture is how this site sells itself. Monthly listings as well as specialist guides in and within travelling distance of London — all with those who appreciate finer things in mind.
The Metropolist
The new kid on the block when it comes to listings, The Metropolist is billed as the one for discerning urbanites looking for the next cool thing to do — before it’s cool. Best for pop-ups, partnerships and one-off events.
London On The Inside
Run by a collective of London enthusiasts, there’s always something new to inspire you here. Told with their trademark humour — this is London for Londoners.
Apps
Dojo
Get the app and know about what’s cool near you, usually before many other people do. Still relatively new and growing every day, Dojo treat you like a friend. A great newsletter, too.
Yplan
Discovery and booking all in one place with this app — with curators working around the clock to keep your schedule packed — plus a great blog to keep you in the loop.
Niche ideas
Dose
If you’re the kind of person who like to combine exercising and socialising, this is the one you need. Currently mainly in newsletter form, the name suggests an app is on the way. Half of being in London is about keeping up with trends, and ‘healthy hedonism’ is one you should know about.
Secret London
Does what it says on the tin. If you want off-the-beaten-track ideas, this is the site to you. With London’s vast history and culture and the general oddities you can find around as a result of this, take a featured walk or simply stop off at one of the spots they mention. This is a whole different type of London discovery. (Not to be confused with Secret LDN. This one has vowels.)
Breakfast London
Another one that does what it says on the tin. It doesn’t get more niche than a site focused on one meal. Search by area, type of food and more.
Tired of London Tired of Life
Based on the book with the same name, which is based on the quote with the same wording, this is a new thing to try in London every day of the year. The blog doesn’t get updated every day anymore, but with around 7 years of content there should be enough to last you!
Blogs
These might not have set out to be listings sites or magazines — but these blogs give an insight into the lives of Londoners who have been manoeuvring the city for years, ready to show you the ropes.
Love London
A personal touch coloured with London’s people and places, combined with great ideas for things to do.
Poppy Loves
A well-known lifestyle blog with the perfect balance of the author’s life, things to do, competitions and an awesome book club. Joining groups is a great way to meet people and find new places — so this is a huge bonus.
The Cultural Expose
A blog for urban adventurers, created by someone wonderful who was new to London herself, once upon a time. Enjoy a huge variety of activities with regular reviews and updates to keep you fully in the lifestyle loop.
The London Thing
This blog was meant to inspire, made up of beautiful images and insider knowledge for residents and visitors alike. Generic visitor guides don’t work for everyone — and The London Thing is a good replacement, with some fashion and beauty thrown in for good measure.
Silverspoon London
If you fancy a look at the finer options available to Londoners, this is the blog for you.
The LDN Diaries
This started off as a female-centric view of the city, complete with beauty and fashion — but now it’s evolved to having a section for men, too. Great videos as well as written blogs will guide you through the many London lifestyle choices available to you.
Still think you might be short on ideas? Some bonus ways to make sure your diary is full and you’re experiencing all that London has to offer:
Sign up to newsletters
There’s so much going on in the capital that you can receive a daily dose of invites and ideas in your inbox and still never class it as spam. Sign up to these three to get the most up-to-date knowledge every day, so you’re never left without a plan on a London evening.
Browse some ticketing sites
Sometimes if you want to find out what’s on, the best thing to do is to go straight to where you can sign up. Here are some of the ticketing sites that get you access to the broad spectrum that London has to offer. Club nights, talks, networking, fitness and wellbeing events and creative classes — you name it, you’ll find it here.
Join some MeetUp groups
MeetUp is a great place for finding people with similar interests to you, then meeting up with them to take part in activities you’ll all enjoy. It’s a great way to find fun events and fun people to go to them with: two birds, one stone.
At Zojul, we have two MeetUp groups specifically aimed at helping you make the most of London with great people.
Small Group Social Events is for events in small groups that help you make the most of the city.
Quiz With Strangers hosts a monthly quiz with a twist. Hailed as London’s Most Social Quiz Night, you’re assigned a new team each round and given the chance to meet new people and show off your knowledge.
And then there’s Zojul.
Zojul is a platform for meeting new people in London, over fun, pressure-free events organised by us and by our members.
We’d love for you to come along to one of our events and join a community of like-minded Londoners enjoying the great things the city has to offer, and making some fantastic friendships, too.
Do you have more to add? We’d love to hear! Comment below, or email hello@zojul.com, with your suggestions and we’ll keep adding to this list.
