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London: Things to do and Events in April London Marathon Photo: Malcolm Murdoch 22nd April 2018 Whether you fancy running yourself, or watching and supporting others, the London Marathon will get you into the running spirit. The marathon takes place all over central, east and south London with major road closures all across the city from approximately 07:00 to 19:00. Charges apply to enter the Marathon. Running places are balloted and this year they sold out over 6 months in advance. Spectators do not need a ticket. St. George’s Day Celebrations 2018 date to be confirmed (speculation: 22nd April 2018) St. George, the patron Saint of England, is celebrated every year in Trafalgar Square. The event is free to attend and usually involves food stalls serving traditional English fare, free activities and shows, and activities for kids too. St. George’s Day is celebrated on 23rd April yearly, but dates for the annual celebration on Trafalgar Square have not yet

London: Things to do and Events in March Photo: Garry Knight St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations 16th to 18th March 2018 Although, St. Patrick’s Day is on the 17th March each year, it is traditional for the large celebrations in London to be held on a Sunday. The day celebrates one of the patron Saints of Ireland, and is a national holiday in that country. The Sunday is the day of the big St Patrick’s Day Parade in London, with floats, marching bands from across the UK, sports clubs and Irish dancing schools. The London St Patrick’s Day Parade follows the same route as the aforementioned New Year’s Day Parade. On Trafalgar Square, there will be Irish food on sale, as well as music and traditional dancing. There are also usually children’s activities. Boat Races 24th March 2018 Two different boat races take place along a 4.25-mile (6.8km) stretch of the river Thames. The “Head of the River Race” takes place from Mortlake to Putney. Over 400 crews of eights t

London: Things to do and Events in February Chinese New Year Image: Paul (Flickr) 18th February 2018 Although Chinese New Year itself is on the 8th February in 2016, the celebrations will be held on the subsequent weekend.  You can celebrate the start of the Year of the Monkey all around the West End with events held on Trafalgar Square and Chinatown from 10:00 to 18:00. London’s Chinese New Year celebrations are the largest outside Asia, with parades, performances and fireworks.  At 10:00 a large lion parade makes its way from Trafalgar Square to Chinatown; from 12:00 onwards stage performances are held; and at 17:20 the grand finale begins as dancers and acrobats take to the stage, and pyrotechnics illuminate Nelson’s Column.

London: Things to do and Events in January New Year’s Day Parade 1st January 2018 Over 10,000 performers take to the streets of London on New Year’s Day to celebrate in style. Having been performed yearly since 1987, this is now a big international event with over 600,000 spectators present every year and a TV audience of over 300 million worldwide.  The parade route usually starts in Berkley Street (by Green Park), makes its way up to Piccadilly Circus, turns down Haymarket, goes around Trafalgar Square, down Whitehall, and ends in Parliament Square by Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Admission is free. Local roads around the parade route are usually closed to traffic from 04:00 to 18:00 on this day. 

London: Month-by-Month Events Guide Source: London and Partners London always has something interesting and different going on whenever you visit. Here is a month by month list of some the events throughout the year.  Whether it is Chinese New Year, St. Patrick's Day or Guy Fawkes Night you will undoubtedly find many unique events during your visit to this amazing city. January 2018 February 2018 March 2018 April 2018 May 2018 June 2018 July 2018 August 2018 September 2018 October 2018 November 2018 December 2018

London: Save Money on Guided Tours Hop On, Hop Off bus tours are a great way to understand the layout of the city and learn about its history. However, we would not use them to get between attractions as they often use indirect routes. Once you have understood where everything is, and have enjoyed the commentary, swap to public transport to make the most of your time in London. Big Bus Tours , The Original Tour , Golden Tours and London City Tour are the four big operators. The first two listed are the biggest. Haggle with ticket agents to get the best price, and purchase the shortest ticket length (generally 24 hours). Although the second day may “only be £5 more”, the tube and London Buses can get you around for a similar price for a day, and much more quickly. Many of these companies sell their tickets as 24, 48 and 72-hour tickets. However, you should be aware that the last tours usually depart between 16:30 and 19:00 depending on the season. The 12-hours they ar