London never stops innovating. And 2025 is no different with many events scheduled, new museums and great restaurants to try. And from April 2nd, to enter the United Kingdom you will need the Eta (Electronic Travel Authorization), a document that can be requested online at least a week before departure, a bit like the Esta in the US.
A new V&A opens
Two years after the reopening of the Young V&A comes the next phase of plans for the iconic Victoria & Albert museum. In the May 2025, V&A East Storehouse opensa brand new headquarters within the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Purpose-built to house more than 1,000 archival pieces from the museum’s collection, which includes more than 250,000 objects and 350,000 books, the warehouse promises to offer a look behind the scenes to show how a museum goes about cataloging artefacts, from kits football boots and Glastonbury festival ephemera to a collection of samurai swords. And for enthusiasts the new museum will house the David Bowie Centrea huge archive of over 80,000 objects related to the music icon.
The London Eye turns 25
The iconic London Eye celebrates its 25th birthday with a series of events and activities in 2025. The famous Ferris wheel, which offers unique views over the city, will host special commemorative events and experiences – a perfect time for visitors to hop on edge and from there observe the city
Lots of music in Shoreditch
London hosts many music festivals every year but this year something new is coming from 2 to 7 June. The first European edition ofSXSW. The well-known festival born in Austin, Texas, famous for having discovered new talents in recent years, from Dua Lipa to Billie Eilish, arrives in London, at various venues in Shoreditch, including Shoreditch Town Hall and the Village Undergroundbringing along the hottest new artists from around the world for more than 70 musical events. In addition to the on stage events, the festival is also famous for its panels with 420 conferences which will delve into the most important issues concerning the music market, in the commercial, technological fields and more. And there will also be 250 film screenings, including many international premieres. The line-up has not yet been announced, but will be revealed in the coming months.
An icon of classic catering returns
2025 is also the year of the reopening of a place that has marked the history of classic English dining in London. In fact it reopens Simpson’s in the Strand. Owned by the Savoy hotel, part of the Fairmont group, it reopens in 2025 under the leadership of Jeremy King, co-founder of the hospitality empire, Corbin & King, and founder of the new business group, Jeremy King Restaurants. Simpson’s in the Strand first opened its doors in 1828 as a café and chess club, becoming a restaurant 20 years later and one of the first in the UK to win a Michelin star in 1974. The restaurant was renowned for its traditional British cuisine, with roasts served on silver platters and carved at the table on impressive trolleys. His unrivaled, authentic old-world “Englishness” endeared him to literary luminaries such as Charles Dickens, political figures such as Winston Churchill and stars such as Laurence Olivier and Audrey Hepburn, making it a favorite hangout for all of them. Now it is aiming for a new generation of Londoners and gourmands.
Big events: for those who love rugby
The final of the will be held next October in London Women’s Rugby World Cup at Twickenham Stadium. A unique opportunity to see the best teams in the world compete for the title live in one of the temples of this much loved sport in the UK. Fans from all over the world are already ready to go, so tickets must be purchased in advance.
Big events: for those who love sumo
This opportunity that arrives in the city is decidedly original. If you visit London in October you could attend the meetings of Grand Sumo Tournament in its second edition outside Japan, at Royal Albert Hall. A rare opportunity, outside the country of the Rising Sun, to see this ancient fighting technique and its great champions live. More than 40 athletes will compete over 5 days. Tickets will be available from spring.
photo credits Irina Boersma
True innovation at the table comes from here
London has always been a city of great restaurants. One above all has been attracting more and more interest in recent years, so much so that today with its 2 Michelin Stars and many international awards it has become an unmissable destination for those who want to understand where the great restaurant industry of the future is going. It’s about Ikoyithe innovative venue, for two years in the new elegant headquarters of 180 The Strand signed by David Thulstrup, led by chef Jeremy Chan and partner and manager Irè Hassan-Odukale. Leave all certainties behind, you who enter, because the menu of this restaurant will surprise you with combinations of spices, ingredients and flavors that are bold and spot on, born from the intense research that chef Chan does every day and that he did for years, before opening, from self-taught as he is. Hers is a cuisine “without borders”, which rejects a single identity and does not want to be labeled, very curious about techniques and ingredients. Both the Asian origin of chef Chan and the African one of Irèare in fact present today as original inspiration but do not constitute the heart of the experience which remains personal, visionary and global. The ingredients are mostly British, thanks to direct work with selected British farmers, fishermen and producers. Chef Chan creates a visual, aesthetic cuisine that mixes ingredients like a painter uses colors on a canvas. An experience that cannot be missed on a trip to London.
The ancient buildings
No visit to London would be complete without a trip to Buckingham Palace. This year it will also be possible to visit the East wingsee the detail and craftsmanship of its artwork and architecture up close, all at a time when the Palace is not usually open to the public. These new 90-minute tours, which do not include a visit to the State Rooms, will be expert-led for groups of up to 20 people. It’s not the only news when it comes to royal palaces. In spring and only on weekends it is also open to visits St. James’s Palace. From its origins as the home of Henry VIII to its present-day status as the official seat of the British monarchy, the palace is steeped in 500 years of royal history. The tour also includes the Throne Room and chapel where Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were married and where Prince George and Prince Louis were christened.
Alessandra Gesuelli