London’s West End has long been one of the most exciting, radical and tourist-friendly areas of Westminster. With hundreds of years of history and millions of visitors each year, the West End has a lot to offer. From Indian Afternoon tea in London to hit shows, you’ll never be bored when visiting the area.
But with such huge crowds and plenty of tourist traps, the gems of the West End can be easily missed. The best shows sometimes have limited runs and with blink and you miss them deals, you might have to do a little itinerary planning before arriving at your luxury hotel in West End London. This blog will outline some of the events and attractions you can enjoy during a trip to this historic and exciting area of Central London.
So Where Exactly Is The West End?
The West End is situated in the historic Westminster region of London and if you’ve read our previous blog about its history and development, you’ll know that it has changed a lot in the last 500 years. The West End consists of a collection of London districts that when placed together, create a collage of shopping, tourism, entertainment, restaurant and nightlife in London. These areas include Covent garden, Soho, Tottenham Court Road, Carnaby Street and Oxford Street. All these areas are easily reachable via many tube lines, with most bus services running through this busy region of London.
So now you know a little more about where the West End is in relation to the city, what is there coming up for guests of hotels near Piccadilly Circus to do here in the next few months?
Marylebone Food Festival – Till 1st Of May
The Marylebone Food Festival is a six day extravaganza in the Soho area dedicated to showcasing the best cuisine in the West End. With bars, restaurants and food shops all setting up stalls on Blandford Street, you’ll be able to sample some of the delights of the area without a reservation – although you might want to book one after tasting the delights here. Some stalls and events are free but others may be ticketed so keep an eye on the Marylebone Food Festival website for more information.
Grease Revival – May – October
Grease will be crashing back to London theatres after a 15 year hiatus. The Dominion Theatre will see the likes of Peter Andre and Olivia Moore take the stage in this 50s’ nostalgia musical that everyone will love. You can expect all the hits from the film as well as the original story spawned by the 1971 musical.
West End Flea Market – 21st May
On the 21st of May visitors in the West End can enjoy this annual market takeover in Covent Garden selling props, posters and costumes from old West End musicals that have long since left the city. This might be your only chance to grab a wand from Harry Potter, red slippers from Wicked or a puppet from the Lion King. All props and memorabilia on sale are in aid of Acting For Others, an umbrella charity made of 14 distinct performance based charities all with their own remits.
Get Up! Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical – Till January 2023
Having started in October 2021 at the Lyric Theatre, Get Up, Stand Up! is the official Bob Marley musical, having gained the rights to his entire musical catalogue. Exploring the revolutionary reggae musicians life and story, Get Up, Stand Up! Is kitted out with extraordinary performers, musicians and sets that recreate the lives and atmosphere of one of the most important artists of the 20th century.
My Fair Lady – From 25th June
Taking place at the London Coliseum, My Fair Lady will be seeing a London transfer from its hit run on Broadway. The first revival of this famous musical for 21 years, My Fair Lady follows the story of Eliza Doolittle, a cockney flower seller as she takes language lessons to become a high society woman. Adapted from the 1913 play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw, My Fair Lady has itself been adapted into films and shows such as Trading Places and Pretty Woman. My Fair Lady then, is an incredibly influential musical that’s suitable for all ages.
Life Of Pi – Till September
Taking place at the Delfont Mackintosh Theatre, the Life Of Pi has been on stage since late last year and was recently nominated for 9 Olivier Awards. Adapted from the best selling novel by Yann Martel, Life Of Pi is a wondrous tale of survival, wild animals and nature, all performed using puppetry, special effects and beautiful, state of the art sets and visuals. Experience the adventure live in London’s West End and see what the hype is all about.
To Kill A Mockingbird – Ongoing
Taking place at the Gielgud Theatre, To Kill A Mockingbird was adapted for stage by Aaron Sorkin and has seen sell-out runs on Broadway before its transition to the West End. adapted from the bestselling Harper Lee classic, this adaptation stars Rafe Spall as the enigmatic lawyer Atticus Finch until August 13th.
London Pride 2022 – July 2nd
For drag acts, club nights, parades and plenty of costumes, London Pride is one of the most rip roaring dates in the London Calendar. After a few years off due to COVID, pride returns to the West End and will bring back a message of inclusivity, fun and music to the streets of Soho
100 Club Shows
For something a little different in the West End area, this historic music venue brings the best alternative and emerging music acts to Oxford Street every week. Made famous by bands such as The Clash and the Sex Pistols during the punk era of the 70s’, the next month alone will see the likes of William Duvall, Jonathan Bree and even a Blondie tribute act rock the best stage on Oxford Street.
Comedy And Cabaret At The Soho Theatre
The Soho Theatre is teeming with exciting events over its three stages every night of the week. Even if you’re just a guest of discount hotels in the West End who’s just popped in for a drink at its bustling bar, you’ll likely end up buying a ticket for one of the Soho Theatre’s anarchic comedy, theatre and cabaret shows. May will see the likes of upcoming comedian Jordan Brookes, Chris Redd and new writing from emerging international theatremakers.
