LONDON WEEKEND BREAKS - Special Events

This page is used to list any special events or unusual performances that are not part of London's typical tourist and entertainment schedule. London weekend breaks can be enhanced by the inclusion of an unusual or infrequently experienced event like an exhibition or a special performance.

Here is a list of some of the events taking place in London in late 2010. Many of these events will have a Christmas or seasonal theme and can be combined with a day's shopping in England’s retail capital. Items connected with Christmas have an asterisk before them.

Burn the floor – 21 July to 14 September (Shaftsbury theatre)

London drum show – 4 to 5 September (Olympia)

Myths and Monsters – 13 to 15 September (Horniman museum)

The Deep – to 5 September (Natural History museum)

Speciality food fair – 5 to 7 September (Olympia)

Into the woods in Regents Park – to 11 September

Mayor's Thames festival – 11 to 12 September

Victoria and Albert Art and Love – to 31 October (Queens gallery)

Enchanted palace exhibition – March 2020 to January 2012 (Kensington Palace)

National home improvements show – 1 to 3 October

Turner Prize – 5 October to 2 January 2011

London music show – 8 to 10 October

Sci Fi London – 14 to 16 October

RunFest 2010 – 16 to 17 october

Ballroom dancing – 21 October

* Spirit of Christmas Fair – 3 to 7 November

* Natural History museum ice rink – 4 November to 16 January

The wine show – 12 to 14 November

Masterchef live – 12 to 14 November (Olympia)

The Wine show – 12 to 14 November

London Jazz festival – 12 to 21 November (numerous venues)

Lord Mayor's show 13 November

Skate at Somerset house – 10 November

* Trafalgar Square Christmas – 2 December to 3 January

* Great Christmas Pudding race – 4 December

AEGON tennis masters – 30 November to 5 December

King's College Choir – 20 December

* Midnight Mass – 24 December (St Paul's cathedral)

* New Year's Eve fireworks – 31 December

East End Wednesdays – 5 June to 4 February

More

Additionally, other Christmas events for London 2010 include -

Winter Wonderland - Hyde Park’s annual celebration of Christmas featuring an ice rink, a circus, food market and numerous other attractions.

Spirit of Christmas Fair (held at Olympia) - ideas for everything connected with the home and celebrating Christmas.

Christmas lights at - Oxford Street, Bond Street, Regent Street and Marylebone Street.

Christmas festivals and fairs – held at various times and in various locations across the city.

Christmas and seasonal shows, fairs and food fairs - these events can be found in venues from the Southbank Centre, and the Royal Albert Hall to the Barbican and St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Trafalgar Square Christmas tree and carols event.

Following Christmas there is a traffic free shopping day on Saturday the 27 December when all cars and non essential vehicles will be kept out of the West End.