Winter · London
London in winter: park walks and indoor culture
A winter gig at The O2 calls for a day of sharp cold and warm interiors. Short daylight hours mean you should front-load the morning with open space, then retreat indoors as the afternoon fades. This route starts with a bracing walk across a royal park before moving towards Trafalgar Square for art. As dusk falls, you pass entertainment squares and theatres, finishing by the river where resident orchestras play, setting the tone for the evening's show.
- 5 stops
- Whole route in Google Maps ↗
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morning
Hyde Park
Start the day with cold air across 350 acres of Grade I-listed green space. This royal park forms the largest link in a chain stretching past Buckingham Palace to St James's Park. Walk along the edge of the Serpentine lake to wake yourself up before heading indoors.
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afternoon
National Gallery
Retreat from the chill into Trafalgar Square's major art museum, established in 1824. The collection holds over 2,300 paintings spanning from the mid-thirteenth century to 1900. Find a quiet room to study the older works and warm your hands before the afternoon light disappears.
Free entry · Hours: Sa-Th 10:00-18:00; Fr 10:00-21:00 (check before you go) · Map ↗ · Website ↗
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afternoon
Leicester Square
Originally a gentrified residential area for tenants like painter Joshua Reynolds, this pedestrianised square shifted to entertainment in the late eighteenth century. Look for the Empire cinema, a converted nineteenth-century theatre now used for film premieres, as you cross the West End.
Hours: sunrise-sunset (check before you go) · Map ↗
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dusk
London Coliseum
Opened on Christmas Eve in 1904, this St Martin's Lane building was designed by Frank Matcham as a luxurious family variety theatre. It now operates as the home of the English National Opera. Look at the exterior details of what was built to be the people's palace of entertainment.
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evening
Royal Festival Hall
Cross the river to this 2,700-seat venue on the South Bank, the first post-war building to receive Grade I listing. Step inside the home of the London Philharmonic Orchestra to warm up, taking in the Thames before heading east to The O2.
Hours: Mo-Tu 10:00-18:00; We-Su 10:00-23:00 (check before you go) · Map ↗ · Website ↗
Dinner before the show
Closest picks to The O2, from our venue guide.
- 01 min Banana Tree Restaurant · indonesian, vietnamese, malaysian, thai
- 01 min Maracuyá Restaurant
- 02 min Jimmy's World Restaurant
Good to know
- Wear thick layers that you can easily remove once inside the heated venues.
- Check the cloakroom situation at The O2 before bringing a heavy winter coat.
- Daylight fades early in the afternoon, so prioritise outdoor stops for the morning.
