LONDON WEEKEND BREAKS - London Nightlife

London is known the world over for its nightlife and depending upon your age and inclination that can cover anything from cutting edge dance clubs to theatre shows, downtown jazz clubs, the opera, bars and pubs, or a night time riverboat cruise.

The truth is that London simply has it all. London is one of the world's premier cities and that is why it makes a perfect weekend break destination for any age, and for both party goers and clubbers, or those seeking a more cultural evening's entertainment.

So here is a quick guide to what you can do and experience to fill a London evening and maximize your London weekend break's night time enjoyment.

Night clubs and DJ bars

With nightclubs like The Ministry of Sound, The End, Heaven, Fabric, Funky Buddha and Egg, London can rightly claim to have some of the hottest nightspots on the planet. Many of these nightclubs actually act as blue prints for the superclubs found across the Med who take the original London clubs as their inspiration.

All of these clubs have massive sound systems, state of the art lighting effects and large, or multiple, dance floors and they are filled to overflowing at weekends. The fun rarely gets going before midnight, but partiers can continue to have a good time until the sun comes up the following morning.

But entertainment for those who want to dance is not restricted to the nightclubs. London also has a wide selection of DJ bars and pubs offering live music. Some of these venues offer a more intimate atmosphere than the nightclubs and they may also play niche dance sounds.

There is also a near unlimited number of regular pubs and bars making London ideal for stag and hen weekends as well as parties of every kind.

Some of the better known London bars include, Rockwell, The Long Bar, Zander, Kingly Club and Boogaloo, but the list could go on and on. If you want the night time experience of your London weekend breaks to rival that of the daytime, then get out on the town and check out some of the city's nightlife.

London rock concert venues

London has always hosted the biggest rock and pop bands and this continues to be the case.

In order to find out who is playing you need to check with the local box offices, but with venues like Koko (the former Camden Palace), Hammersmith Palais, the Royal Albert Hall, the London Arena, the Garage, the Marqee Club and the Queen Elizabeth Hall, there is always something going on.

There are also numerous smaller halls and performance venues making live music a constant feature of London's active nightlife.

London Opera and Ballet

Ballet and opera lovers have a real treat in store if they visit the city on a London weekend break. London has a number of opera houses and theatres that regularly host operas and ballets including, The Royal Opera house, Sadler's Wells Theatre, The Coliseum and New Wimbledon Theatre.

Typical examples of classical events that can be enjoyed may include, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Manon and some more of the more contemporary performances like Edward Scissorhands and Aida.

If you have an interest in classical music or entertainment of any kind, then the following venues (large and small) may also offer performances that may be of interest to you.

Wigmore Hall, The Barbican Centre, The Royal Festival Hall, Cadogan Hall, St. Martin-in-the-fields, The Royal Opera House (Covent Garden), Blackheath Halls, The Hackney Empire, Lauderdale House, Kings Place, The Old Royal Naval College and Upstairs at the Gatehouse.

Checking box offices (online) is the easiest way to find out what is available and to make bookings and reservations.

West End shows, musicals and theatrical productions

We have pages specifically dedicated to London's theatre land and the zones around Drury Lane where many of the blockbusters and lesser known stage productions can be seen.

Please refer to these pages in the left hand index menu and the menu to the top of the page.