London is one of the world’s most prestigious cities, with its biggest title being that it’s the financial capital of the world. Many see the English capital as a place to do business, rush around, and perhaps take time to see the odd architectural marvel.
Yet, London is a city that’s bustling with people looking to have fun, with there being plenty of ways to scratch the entertainment itch. As the city is so vast, you couldn’t possibly hope to see and do everything that the city has to offer in one trip.
So, we’ve narrowed down our entertainment bucket list for 2021 to some key destinations as well as ways for you to experience it in some way before making the journey there, so that you can get an idea of whether the effort will be worthwhile to you.
As seen in the movies
Cinema is one of the single largest arms of entertainment in the world, with Forbes proclaiming that the film industry made a record US$101 billion in 2019. While much of this is concentrated in the US, Great Britain has proven to be a hotspot for great content, actors, and scenic filming locations, with London often being used in the movies.
Of the many film locations dotted around London, Big Ben is, naturally, the most iconic. However, perhaps the most popular locations pertain to the nation’s most popular cinematic outing to date: Harry Potter. The film saga based on the JK Rowling often found itself in and around London, with places like Kings Cross Station commemorating its inclusion by making Platform 9 ¾, and Leadenhall Market hosting The Leaky Cauldron. In fact, the movies were such a colossal success that Warner Bros. set up The Making of Harry Potter studio tour, for which you need to book tickets in advance at WB Studio Tour.
Of course, to really get into the mood for bringing the books to life, you should probably read the fantastic novels again, with the first book being free for Amazon Kindle. It’s not all just Harry Potter, though, with the Natural History Museum, Hampstead Heath, and Notting Hill all being famous film locations dotted across the capital city.
As is commonplace across the packed cities of the world, the nightlife of London is a huge draw for residents, visitors, and tourists.
The boroughs are loaded with music venues, clubs, gaming houses, and novel points of interest that only truly come to life after dark. On the night clubs front, one stands out above all others: Fabric. It regularly hosts the world’s biggest DJs, but it’s the resident artists of Fabric that keep the crowds coming back throughout the year. While they’re all excellent, the two that really make their mark are Anna Wall, whose work can be found on Spotify, and Voigtmann, who you can find on SoundCloud, so it’s well worth checking out their work before heading down to Fabric.
If booming music into the wee hours isn’t for you, though, you can roll into the class of Empire, which is operated by the world-famous Caesars. Upholding a smart-casual dress code, it’s free to enter the casino without sign-up, granting you access to the sports bar, poker room, and lavish casino floor. The scene is one with which Londoners, and people from the UK at large, will be vastly familiar. This is because many already play these kinds of games by using an online casino like Betway to play the latest slots or poker, and to try to live casino games for the real-life croupier experience.
If you’d like to be more out and about during the night time, you could venture down to Walthamstow Central for its neon spectacular. While the London Eye is the city’s main light show attraction, God’s Own Junkyard offers something very unique with its huge assortment of neon signs. It’s easily one of the most Instagram-worthy destinations in the city, as proven by their neon-lit Instagram feed.
Fun in the fresh air
Despite being an incredibly densely populated city, London boasts many incredible parks for you to enjoy, from going on long walks to relaxing in the sun. However, they’re not strictly entertainment venues.
So, for somewhere that’s geared towards providing you with a good time, check out the Skylight rooftop at Tobacco Dock. The self-proclaimed “most imaginative rooftop” features a garden and covered booths, outdoor sports screenings, a canalside area, and lots of great games to play, including pétanque, croquet, table tennis, and shuffleboard. Croquet is the big draw, so it’s worth brushing up on your technique with the help of the Gather Together Games tutorial video.
Linking back to the strong draw of London for movies, the city is also famed for its incredible outdoor cinemas. Easily the most iconic of them all is the Rooftop Film Club, which has several screens across the city. With great food and drink, city views, comfy seating, and a program of cult hits, classics, and new releases, every movie buff has to experience one of these screenings.
So, if you’re looking for a good time in London, consider the venues above as the top entries to your bucket list.