London news · 23 October 2026
London New Year's Eve Fireworks 2026: Tickets Go On Sale Today at Noon
The first batch of tickets for London's New Year's Eve fireworks display goes on sale at midday on Friday 23 October, with prices from £20 for Londoners and up to £55 for non-residents across six Thames-side viewing zones.
Full List of London Tube and Train Closures for the Weekend of 24–25 October
Most of the District line is suspended all weekend, with the Circle, Elizabeth, Mildmay, Windrush and Waterloo & City lines also facing disruptions on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October 2026.
Pokémon Is Opening Its First Permanent Store Outside Asia — in London
The Pokémon Company announced on 22 October 2026 that London will become home to its first permanent retail store outside Asia, set to open by 2029, ending years of sold-out pop-ups that required multi-hour queues.
'The History Boys' Is Returning to London's West End for the First Time in 20 Years
Alan Bennett's acclaimed play The History Boys will return to the West End at the Theatre Royal Haymarket from April to July 2027, directed by Nicholas Hytner in a new reworking, with tickets going on sale on 23 October 2026.
Free Punk Exhibition Celebrating Women Who Shaped the Genre Opens in London Today
God Save the Queens, a free exhibition dedicated to female punk icons including Poly Styrene, Siouxsie Sioux and Debbie Harry, opens on 23 October at the Museum of Youth Culture in King's Cross as part of the wider Up Yours! festival.
South London Favourite Theo's Pizza Is Opening a Third Branch in Peckham
Beloved south London pizzeria Theo's will open at 285 Rye Lane in Peckham on 6 November 2026, with half-price soft-launch nights before the official opening — its third site after Elephant & Castle and Camberwell.
Six Free Things to Do in London This Weekend: Diwali, Punk Art, Storytelling and More
Time Out London rounds up the best free weekend activities for 23–25 October, led by a 200-dancer Diwali party in Trafalgar Square on Sunday, a punk-female-icons exhibition and a literary storytelling festival.
'Becoming America': A Free Exhibition on Science and Independence Opens at the Science Museum
The Science Museum in South Kensington opens its free exhibition Becoming America: How Science Shaped a Nation on 23 October 2026, featuring a rare surviving copy of the Declaration of Independence and running until April 2027.
MCM London Comic Con 2026 Opens at ExCeL for Three Days of Cosplay, Panels and Gaming
MCM London Comic Con returns to ExCeL London on 23–25 October 2026 for its autumn edition, bringing celebrity guest meet-and-greets, cosplay competitions, panel discussions and video gaming to east London during half-term.
TfL's Crumbling Underground Is Costing Londoners 800,000 Hours Every Week
The London Assembly's Budget and Performance Committee warned on 21 October 2026 that a £6.5 billion asset renewal backlog — with 42% of Underground track in 'very poor' condition — is already costing passengers more than 800,000 lost hours every week.
Lord Mayor Revives 400-Year-Old Thames Barge Journey Ahead of November Pageant
The City of London announced on 21 October 2026 that incoming Lord Mayor Bronek Masojada will revive the historic ceremonial barge journey down the Thames from Westminster on the morning of the Lord Mayor's Show on 14 November, the first such flotilla since 2017.
Will London's Older Residents Have Somewhere to Live with Dignity?
The London Assembly Housing Committee convened on 22 October 2026 to examine whether London's ageing housing stock can support the city's one million residents aged 65 and over, with a projected surge of 336,000 more Londoners aged 80-plus by 2050.
London Assembly Warns City's Heritage Buildings Face a Notre Dame-Scale Fire Risk
The London Assembly Fire Committee warned on 20 October 2026 that 823 fire incidents near heritage sites were recorded in London in 2025 — 19 resulting in casualties — and called for urgent action to reconcile fire safety standards with historic preservation.
Five Free October Half-Term Activities for London Families: From a New Museum Gallery to Pokémon Trails
Time Out London published a half-term guide on 21 October highlighting five free family activities available during the school holidays, including the newly reopened Nature and Us gallery at the Natural History Museum and a free Pokémon space trail at the Science Museum.
London Literature Festival Opens at Southbank Centre This Weekend
The London Literature Festival launches on Saturday 25 October at Southbank Centre, offering a packed programme including the Hackney Indie Press Fair, National Poetry Library readings and workshops for aspiring writers at Newington Green Meeting House.