Morning, London! Happy Thursday. And happy St George's Day (England's national day in case you missed that school class). Today is also Shakespeare's birthday. Two for the price of one.

Hope everyone is settled back in after the holidays. Those who went back last week, we see you. Bleary-eyed but upright. Those who had a bit longer, welcome back to reality.

The sun is out and the forecast is looking fab. Good timing because the London Marathon is this Sunday. 50,000 runners, fancy dress, and someone attempting the whole thing in medieval armour. We heard from quite a few of you who are running. Good luck. You're all slightly mad and we respect it enormously.

Oh, and the Tube is on strike today. Silver lining: you might finally hit those 10,000 steps. Or there's always a Lime bike.
Right. Let's go.

🏃 Fancy the London Marathon? 2027 Ballot Is About to Open. If watching this year’s runners has you thinking “I could do that”… the 2027 ballot opens Apr 24 and closes May 1. Over a million people applied last year, but there’s talk of a two-day race, which could mean more spots. Full story

🌸 A New Queen Elizabeth II Garden Opens in Regent’s Park. A brand new memorial garden dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II opens in Regent’s Park on Monday Apr 27, marking what would have been her 100th birthday. It sits just off the Broad Walk, on the site of a former plant nursery. Full story

🚆 A 180-Year-Old Station Is Getting a Proper Upgrade. Lea Bridge station, first opened in 1840, is finally getting a long overdue refresh. Plans include a new ticket hall, cycle hub and other upgrades on the line between Tottenham Hale and Stratford. Took nearly two centuries, but as they say, better late than never. Full story

We're excited to welcome back our friends at The Place, whose family programme has quickly become one of our favourites in London.

This May half-term they're bringing evim [my home], a dance-theatre show for young children inspired by the 13th-century Sufi poet Rumi and the whirling dervishes.

Three wanderers search for a sense of home through movement, music and a bit of magic. It's non-verbal and sensory, so it works beautifully for little ones who aren't quite ready for dialogue-heavy theatre.

"If light is in your heart you will find your way home." – Rumi

It had a very strong run of reviews earlier this year and is a lovely gentle introduction to dance for ages 2-7. 40 minutes with no interval, plus a 10-minute stay and play at the end. Limited availability (for real).

📍The Place, Euston WC1H
🗓️ May 23rd (Sat)
More info

📖 North London Book Festival @ Alexandra Palace
Date & Loc: Apr 23–26, Wood Green N22
Michael Rosen, Onjali Q Raúf, Simon Mole and more at Ally Pally: readings, panels, workshops and signings. Children's events and a Waterstones bookshop on site.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

👶 Laaaunch! @ Polka Theatre
Date & Loc: Apr 23–26, Wimbledon SW19
A sensory theatre show designed just for babies, with music, movement and plenty of space to wriggle around.
Age: 0–12 months | Price: from £26 | Info

🧩 REPLAY: Relaxed @ Southbank Centre
Date & Loc: Apr 23-25, Southbank SE1
A calmer, recycled playground where kids can explore, build and play at their own pace. Smaller sessions, softer lighting, and a bit less chaos than your average soft play.
Age: 6 months–11yo | Price: from £7.50 | Info

🎤 David Bowie: You’re Not Alone @ Lightroom
Date & Loc: Apr 23–Oct 10, King’s Cross N1C
An immersive Bowie experience with huge visuals, rare footage and plenty of iconic moments. Less “kids event”, more “cool parents drag them along”.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £25 | Info

🎪 Rollercoaster by Wes Peden @ artsdepot
Date & Loc: Apr 24 (Fri), North Finchley N12
A one-man circus show with juggling, colour, and just enough chaos to keep everyone locked in.
Age: 5+ | Price: from £15 | Info

😴 Mr Sleepybum's Dream Machine @ OSO Arts Centre
Date & Loc: Apr 24–25, Barnes SW13
Mr Sleepybum can't dream, so he builds a machine to fix that. Slapstick, sketches and silliness: dinosaurs, robots, car chases and the world's largest blanket. Award-winning interactive show for young kids.
Age: 3–8 | Price: from £15 | Info

🎬 Mary Poppins @ The Garden Cinema
Date & Loc: Apr 25–26, Covent Garden WC2
A proper classic. Flying nannies, chimney sweeps and songs you’ll still be humming on the way home.
Age: 5+ | Price: Pay what you can | Info

🐉 Welcome to the World @ Grand Junction
Date & Loc: Apr 25 (Sat), Paddington W2
A gentle, interactive theatre show with puppets, music and nature-inspired storytelling. Nicely paced for little ones who don’t do “sit still” yet.
Age: 0–5yo | Price: £4–£10 | Info

🦄 Last Unicorn Airways @ The Albany
Date & Loc: Apr 25 (Sat), Deptford SE8
A sensory, immersive journey “around the world” with plenty to look at and get involved in. Feels a bit like stepping into a dream.
Age: 4–9yo | Price: £9.50 | Info

🩰 The Princess and the Pea @ artsdepot
Date & Loc: Apr 25 (Sat), North Finchley N12
A classic fairy tale with plenty of dancing, costumes and just enough drama to keep little ones hooked. Short, sweet, and easy to follow.
Age: 2–11 | Price: £12 | Info

🪴 Little Green Fingers @ Fulham Palace
Date & Loc: Apr 25 (Sat), Fulham SW6
Planting seeds and learning to grow veg in the beautiful walled garden at Fulham Palace. A hands-on outdoor day for little gardeners and their grown-ups.
Age: 3–7 | Price: £20 | Info

🎬 Little Venice Film Festival – Kids Showcase @ Puppet Theatre Barge
Date & Loc: Apr 25 (Sat), Little Venice W9
Short films made by and for young people, shown on the floating puppet theatre in Little Venice.
Age: 6-12yo | Price: from £14.25 | Info

🎶 The Big Sing: Spring Gospel Concert @ Old Royal Naval College
Date & Loc: Apr 25 (Sat), Greenwich SE10
Mass gospel sing bringing choirs and vocal groups together in one of London's most extraordinary spaces.
Age: 9+ | Price: from £10 | Info

🚀 Beatrice the Amazing Astronaut @ St Marylebone Parish Church
Date & Loc: Apr 25 (Sat), Marylebone W1U
An interactive concert where kids head to space through music, singing and a bit of dancing. One for mini astronauts with energy to burn.
Age: 3–11 | Price: TBC | Info

🎭 Family Shakespeare: Pyramus & Thisbe @ The Cockpit
Date & Loc: Apr 25 & May 16, Marylebone NW8
Shakespeare, but make it chaotic. Kids help finish the play, add sound effects, and basically run the show. Expect silliness, props, and a different version every time.
Age: 5+ | Price: from £10 | Info

🏃‍♂️ London Marathon 2026!
Date & Loc: Apr 26 (Sun), across London
One of the best free days out in the city. Pick a spot, grab a coffee, and cheer on thousands of runners while pretending you might do it next year. Sunshine helps.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost

🎼 Family Sundays @ Royal Opera House
Date & Loc: Apr 26, Covent Garden WC2E
A relaxed family day with creative activities, short performances and chances to explore music, dance and storytelling inside the Royal Opera House.
Age: Families | Price: £20 | Info

🌱 Museum of Edible Earth @ Somerset House
Date & Loc: until Apr 26, Strand WC2R
An exhibition about geophagy, the practice of eating earth for health, ritual and culinary benefit.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

🎼 Echoes 11: Colours of Sound @ Royal Albert Hall
Date & Loc: Apr 27 (Mon), South Kensington SW7
Annual large-scale school music concert with choirs and orchestras from schools across the area. If your child is performing, grab tickets early.
Age: 5+ | Price: from £30 | Info

🐺 The Gruffalo @ The Radlett Centre
Date & Loc: Apr 28–30, Radlett WD7
Tall Stories' 25th anniversary tour: Mouse, monsters and woodland songs, the classic Donaldson/Scheffler picture book done properly on stage. Note: Outside London.
Age: 3+ | Price: £15.50 | Info

🥋 Karate Kid The Musical @ New Wimbledon Theatre
Date & Loc: Apr 28–May 9, Wimbledon SW19
The coming-of-age story reimagined as a musical with inventive choreography and energetic storytelling. Based on the iconic film about underdogs, balance and wax-on-wax-off.
Age: 6+ | Price: from £22 | Info

🤹 Rollercoaster @ Jacksons Lane
Date & Loc: Apr 28 (Tue), Highgate N6
Pop-punk juggling show from one of the world's best jugglers, featuring a four-metre transparent tube and a lot of electronic noise.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £18 | Info

🎨 Clay Workshop (11–16 yrs) @ Leighton House
Date & Loc: May 2 (Sat), Kensington W14
Hands-on pottery session with a visiting ceramicist. Expect messy hands, actual skills learned, and something to take home that isn’t just another drawing.
Age: 11–16 | Price: £10 | Info

🌾 The Enormous Turnip @ Puppet Theatre Barge
Date & Loc: May 2–3, Little Venice W9
A gentle, playful retelling of the classic folktale with a magical twist, told with puppets on a barge in Little Venice. One weekend only.
Age: 3–8 | Price: £12 | Info

🔢 Mathmagics! @ The Royal Institution
Date & Loc: May 2 (Sat), Mayfair W1S
David Hall's interactive maths show at the Royal Institution: facts, tricks and stories spanning centuries. Works on the maths-lovers and the maths-avoiders alike. Selling out quite quickly but new tickets being released.
Age: 6–17 | Price: from £10 | Info

✏️ Tom Gates @ The Radlett Centre
Date & Loc: May 3 (Sun), Radlett WD7
Liz Pichon's bestselling books on stage: illustrations come to life, live music and hilarious performances. For fans and families.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £17.50 | Info

🌿 Go Green Fest @ Fulham Palace
Date & Loc: May 3 (Sun), Fulham SW6
A laid-back spring festival with gardening bits, eco crafts and plenty to keep kids busy outdoors. Expect mud, plants, and at least one “can we grow this at home?” moment.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £3 | Info

🎭 MakeBeth @ artsdepot
Date & Loc: May 3 (Sun), North Finchley N12
Shakespeare, but with cardboard crowns and kids running the show. A playful take on Macbeth where they help build the story as it goes.
Age: 7–11 | Price: from £13.75 | Info

🚂 Starlight Express @ Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
Date & Loc: until May 3, Wembley Park HA9
Andrew Lloyd Webber's show on wheels, seen by 20 million people worldwide. Trains race around the audience, big pop and rock anthems, entirely bonkers and a great time.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £95 | Info

🎲 Board Game Night @ Rose Theatre Café
Date & Loc: May 7 (Thu), Kingston KT1
Tables full of games, zero prep required. Just turn up, pick something, and try not to fall out over Monopoly.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

🎩 I Want My Hat Back Trilogy @ Little Angel Theatre
Date & Loc: Until May 9, Islington N1
All three of Jon Klassen's hat books on one stage — a bear who lost his hat, a fish who stole one and two turtles who found one. Wry, funny, perfect.
Age: 3-6yo | Price: £13.50 | Info

🐱 Toto The Ninja Cat and the Great Snake Escape @ Little Angel Theatre
Date & Loc: May 17–Jul 19, Islington N1
Dermot O'Leary's bestselling children's book comes alive with music, laugh-out-loud fun and extraordinary puppetry. Toto is almost completely blind but has incredible ninja skills and a big heart.
Age: 5+ | Price: £13.50 | Info

💫 evim [my home] @ The Place
Date & Loc: May 23, Euston WC1H
A gentle, sensory dance show inspired by Rumi and whirling dervishes. Think music, movement and a bit of magic as kids explore the idea of “home” in a very calm, slightly hypnotic way.
Age: 2–7 | Price: £10–£14 | Info

📚 The Fairy Tale Fan Club @ British Library
Date & Loc: May 26 (Tue), King’s Cross NW1
Richard Ayoade + fairy tales is already a strong combo. Expect funny twists on classic stories, live readings, and plenty of “wait… what happened after?” moments.
Age: 8+ | Price: £12 | Info

🧚 Fairy Tales @ British Library
Date & Loc: until Aug 23, King's Cross N1C
The British Library opens a fairy tales exhibition with books, original illustrations, theatre costumes, puppets and pop-ups.
Age: 3-10yo | Price: £11.50 | Info

🎧 V&A East Opening @ Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
Date & Loc: ongoing, Stratford E20
A brand new museum opening with free galleries and a big first exhibition on 125 years of Black music in Britain. Worth checking out early before the crowds fully catch on.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

🙏 If this makes your week a bit easier, pls think of two parents who'd love it, or drop it in a WhatsApp group. Takes 20 seconds. Please don’t ignore me 😂.
Appreciated, kind Londoner!

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