Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park is closed, Christmas at Kew Gardens has finished for another year, the Christmas markets have shut up shop, and the Christmas lights along Oxford Street have been switched off.
If you too are feeling the back to school blues then don’t worry, there’s still lots of things to do in London in January. Although traditionally considered the quietest time of the year, January in London still delivers plenty of fun.
The first month of the year tends to be fairly quiet in terms of visitor numbers so if you plan to visit London – or if you live here – then now is a good time to see some of the city’s most popular attractions and famous London landmarks such as Buckingham Palace or the Tower of London and the Crown Jewels without the crowds.
If the weather plays ball and your visit coincides with a clear day then January is also a great time to take a spin around the London Eye.
Museums are always a good idea, particularly if you’re faced with rainy days and cold weather.
We’re always big fans of London’s free museums such as the British Museum and the Tate Modern but smaller museums such as the Museum of Brands and the Postal Museum are also good options. Now is also a good time to see some of the popular exhibitions such as Naomi in Fashion at the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington without the crowds.
In central London, Covent Garden is always fun to visit with children and Borough Market is a great place to spend an afternoon.
If you’re looking for things to do in London that don’t cost much money then take a look at our guide to the best free things to do in London with kids.
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January 2025 dates for your diary
Table of Contents
- The New Year’s Day Parade takes place in central London on January 1st.
- The London Art Fair takes place 22 – 26 January.
- The excellent production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream plays at the Barbican until January 18.
- The London International Mime Festival is back from 11 January with a packed calendar of workshops and shows featuring everything from dance to puppetry.
- Start planning your next adventures (outside of London) at the Adventure Travel Show taking place 11 and 12 January
- Be aware that the annual No Trousers Tube Ride takes place on 12 January with members of the public navigating the London Underground minus their trousers. Want to take part? Simply meet at the meeting point in Chinatown and follow the crowds. Trousers should be kept on until you enter the tube and underwear is a non-negotiable!
- The London Short Film Festival takes place from 17 to 26 January including two family-friendly movies to enjoy
Our highlights for January in London (2025)
Can’t decide what to do? The following are our top picks for things to do in the month of January in London.
- Set your alarms for Wednesday 8 January at 10am when tickets go on sale for April tours of Big Ben.
- Beat the cold nights with a trip to Canary Wharf for its Winter Lights Festival.
- Monster trucks meets some of the most famous Hot Wheels toys in this raucous Glow-N-Fire monster truck rally for families.
- Take part in your favourite game show at Taskmaster: The Live Experience
- Corteo, the latest show from the incredible Cirque du Soleil, opens at the Royal Albert Hall on 9 January
- Opening on 28 January is a new musical, Scissorhandz, a musical parody tribute to Tim Burton’s character Edward Scissorhands.
The best things to do in London in January
From an old Cirque du Soleil favourite and a new exhibition at the Postal Museum to a new creative outpost in east London, there’s plenty to keep families busy this month in London.
Corteo at The Royal Albert Hall
The long-running Corteo by the Canadian circus group Cirque du Soleil returns to the Royal Albert Hall this month with a never-seen-before seating arrangement that splits the grand hall in half. Corteo runs from 9 January to 3 March.
Hot Wheels Monster Truck Live: Glow-N-Fire
What happens when monster trucks meet some of the most famous Hot Wheels toys in the world including Mega Wrex™, Tiger Shark™ and HW 5-Alarm™? A raucous monster truck rally like no other. This Glow-N-Fire rally takes place over three days at London’s O2 and is fun for all the family.
K Craft Studio
Promising lots of (potentially) messy and colourful fun is the recently opened K Craft Studio in east London. Choose from a variety of Korean-inspired workshops including candle making, floral arrangements, soap making, and Moru Doll crafting. Various dates and times available for each workshop and prices start from £25 depending on which activity you choose.
Scissorhandz
Opening on 28 January, Scissorhandz is a musical parody tribute to Tim Burton’s character Edward Scissorhands produced by produced by the iconic Michelle Visage and *NSYNC’s Lance Bass. Expect lots of singalong favourites from the 90’s and 00’s. The show opens on 23 January and is recommended for children aged 12+.
Lunar New Year
This year the Lunar New Year falls on 29 January and this year it’s the Year of the Snake. Celebrations in London typically take place as close to the day of the Chinese New Year as possible although exact dates are yet to be confirmed. Expect a lively parade, free stage performances and plenty of tasty Chinese food to take place in Chinatown and around Trafalgar Square.
Soil: The World at our Feet at Somerset House
Somerset House’s new exhibition explores the important role that soil plays in our world.
Top writers, artists and scientists from around the globe have been invited to take part in this unique exhibition and to try and get visitors to think of soil as something much more than just dirt. Quite how family-friendly the exhibition will be remains to be seen but the exhibition promises multimedia and moving artworks so hopefully there will be enough to keep kids engaged.
Soil opens on 23 January.
Ballet Shoes at the National Theatre
You’ve still got time to see this adaptation of Noel Streatfield’s 1936 classic Ballet Shoes about three adopted sisters who go to stage school. Showing at the National Theatre, this story of friendship, growing up and being true to yourself runs until 22 February.
Pig Heart Boy at the Unicorn Theatre
The beautiful novel by Malorie Blackman about a boy who needs a heart transplant has been brought to life at the Unicorn Theatre. For ages 9 – 13, Pig Heart Boy runs from 26 January until 22 February.
Battersea Power Station Light Festival
Bringing welcome colour to the dark winter days is the free light festival at Battersea Power Station. With eight light art installations placed inside and outside the former power station, the Light Festival will illuminate this slice of the River Thames from 23 January to 23 February.
REPLAY: A Limitless Recycled Playground at the Southbank Centre
This hugely popular free popular returns to the Southbank Centre and invites kids and their grown-ups to build your own worlds, invent your own games and play with repurposed materials.
REPLAY opens on 21 January and runs until 1 June.
Tulips & Peacocks Family Day at the William Morris Gallery
Design and make your own piece of embossed metal art at the William Morris Gallery this month. Inspired by the gallery’s current exhibition, William Morris & Art from the Islamic World, kids can get crafty with a stylus and a lightweight metal sheet to create a raised 3D design to take home.
This family-friendly drop-in activity takes place on 18 January from 1pm to 4pm. No booking needed.
Jumping Buses at Tower Bridge
Inspired by the true story of the Number 78 bus and the day it jumped over Tower Bridge, this family activity invites kids to make their own paper bus to take home. Jumping Buses is a free, drop-in vent (included with your ticket) that takes place on Saturday 11 January between 10am and 4pm.
Hogwarts in the Snow
Harry Potter fans still have time to visit Hogwarts in all its winter wonderland glory. Hogwarts has been decorated for the festive season with Christmas trees in the Great Hall, wreaths and a dusting of snow. The last day for Hogwarts in the Snow at Warner Bros studio is January 19.
Skate at Somerset House
It’s not quite time to hang up your skates, Somerset House (arguably one of the best ice skating rinks in London at Christmas) is open until 12 January.
Versailles: Science and Splendour at the Science Museum
Discover how the opulent Palace of Versailles in Paris became a major site for scientific thinking durn gate 17th and 18th centuries. From Louis XV’s rhinoceros to the world’s most famous watch designed for Marie Antoinette, this engaging exhibition offers an immersive and interactive new look at France’s most famous palace.
Winter Lights at Canary Wharf
The free Winter Lights Festival at Canary Wharf is the perfect antidote to the colder months. Enjoy glowing installations, lively illuminations and some much needed colour from 21 January until 1 February.
The festival takes place around the streets, docks, squares and malls of Canary Wharf. A free map of the installations is available to download here. The light trail is open from 5pm – 10pm daily.
Ice rink at Canary Wharf
One of the best places to brush away the January blues is at Canary Wharf. Not only is the neighbourhood decorated with dozens of colourful light installations, its ice rink is open until February 23 so you have plenty of time to get your skates on. The park is located in Canada Square Park.
Family Events at The British Library
There’s a host of fun family events for kids at the British Library this month. For under 5s there’s a Royal Storytelling workshop taking place on 17 January at 9.45am and at 11am.
Lunar New Year celebrations are taking place on Sunday 26 January as well as workshops where you can learn calligraphy and make your own foam snake to celebrate the Year of the Snake. Tickets are free but must be booked in advance.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Ongoing at the Natural History Museum is the annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition showcasing some of the world’s best wildlife photographers as they capture “the natural world in all its fragility and diversity”. The 100 photographs on display are always amazing.
Although the NHM itself enjoys free entry, you do need to purchase tickets for the exhibition. The Wildlife Photographer of the Year runs until 29 June 2025.
Mars in the Painted Hall
See marvellous Mars hanging in the equally breathtaking Painted Hall this month. Luke Jerram’s beautiful installation measures 7m in diameter and features detailed NASA imagery of the planet’s surface recreated to scale.
Mars will be on display in the Painted Hall of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich until 20 January.
Make it: Fashion at the V&A
Unleash your inner fashion designer at the V&A’s monthly family workshop taking place this month on Saturday 25 January. Inspired by the museum’s collection and exhibitions, children are invited to explore textiles and fashion and to design their own fashion prints.
There are three 90-minute fashion workshops to choose from. The 10:30am workshop is for children aged 5-7, the 1pm is for ages 8-10 and the 3pm is for ages 11-13.
Tickets are £20 for one adults and one child. Extra adult and children can be added for £10 each.
Create! Studio for families: Squeeze at the Young V&A
Head to the Young V&A on Saturday 11 January for creative family fun. The theme for January is ‘Squeeze’ and will be led by artist Emily Hopkins. Kids aged 4+ are invited to make and play with salt dough and to create a squishy sculpture.
The event takes place from 11am to 4pm and tickets cost £4-6.
Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Get lost in space at the National Maritime Museum this month with the Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition, showcasing the world’s greatest space photography of glittering stars, shimmering galaxies, fiery suns, sliver moons and more awesome astronomical events.
