February can be a tough month: all the cold and none of the Christmas, but let London help you along with some gin, pancakes and Chinese New Year celebrations!
Sadler’s Wells Sampled | Feb 2nd – 3rd | Angel | £5
Start the month with something creative. For a measly £5 you can get standing prom-style tickets for performances including all kinds of fantastic dance! Enjoy world-class ballet, street dance and hip-hop, all from the best performers in the country. The event is designed to tempt people in, so you can try workshops, sign up to classes and enjoy free shows from 6pm, even if you don’t get tickets to the main events.
Event Listing: https://londoncheapo.com/events/sadlers-wells-sampled/
Votes For Women Centenary Exhibition | Feb 2nd – Jan 2019 | Barbican | Free
2018 marks 100 years since the movement of the 1918 act that gave some women in the UK the right to vote. You can see key pieces from the individuals and groups who fought for this, including the hunger strike medal worn by Emily Pankhurst and posters from the time. The central piece is a specially commissioned film which focuses on the stories of some of the lesser known suffragettes and the contemporary relevance of the militant campaign.
Event Listing: https://londoncheapo.com/events/votes-women-centenerary-exhibition/
Recommended London Accommodation
Chinese New Year Children’s Day | Feb 11th | South Kensington | Free
Take the little ones along to the V&A for a day celebrating the traditions of the Chinese New Year celebrations. There will be workshops including Chinese Opera Mask making, costumes and calligraphy. Performances of traditional and modern instruments and dance will be held and the whole event is free of charge.
Event Listing: https://londoncheapo.com/events/chinese-new-year-childrens-day/
Parliamentary Pancake Race | Feb 13th | Westminster | Free
An annual pancake-flipping relay race fought out between the Lords, MPs and Parliamentary Press teams. This is a great event that helps raise awareness for the organising charity Rehab. Watch as usually sensible members of parliament abandon all sense of respect and battle to be the winner! You know it’s going to be a good race when it specifies that pans cannot be used as a weapon…
Event Listing: https://londoncheapo.com/events/parliamentary-pancake-race/
Inter-Livery Pancake Race | Feb 13th | Westminster | Free
Watch as those traditionally involved in the making of pancakes compete for a frying-pan trophy by racing across Guildhall Yard in traditional dress and fancy dress. Organised by the Poulters (egg suppliers), the event employs the skills of a variety of liveries—clockmakers time it, gunmakers fire the starting pistol, glovers provide the white gloves worn by racers, the fruiterers provide lemons and the cutlers provide the forks!
Event Listing: https://londoncheapo.com/events/inter-livery-pancake-race/
Flippin’ Good Fun Pancake Race | Feb 10th – 13th | Greenwich | Free
If you want to get in on the action yourself, here’s a race you can sign up to compete in! Taking Place on the 10th (Saturday) and the 13th (Tuesday)—teams of four can register for free to compete for medals. All who enter will receive a free pancake and stalls at the market will be selling pancakes throughout both days. Fancy dress is optional and proceeds will go to The Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice.
Event Listing: https://londoncheapo.com/events/flippin-good-fun-pancake-race/
Fall in Love With a Stranger | Feb 14th | Hoxton | Free
Perfect for anyone who is looking for love this Valentine’s Day and wants a cute story for the parents that isn’t a Tinder cover-up. This event is based on the theory of Mandy Len Catron. The idea is that there are 36 questions you can ask a stranger to fall in love with them, divided into three increasingly probing sections. Hopeful romantics simply fill in a questionnaire and the team does their best to make matches from the entries. Those who are selected will meet their prospective partner on the night and proceed to ask the 36 questions designed to lead to love.
Event Listing: https://londoncheapo.com/events/fall-love-stranger/
Bardeblah | Feb 15th | Balham | Free
An unusual night of discussion and debate, Bardeblah involves a controversial topic, two teams and an audience encouraged to get involved. The event involves a suspension of judgment and has a Valentine’s theme, so be prepared to think over the views of others and challenge your preconceptions!
Event Listing: https://londoncheapo.com/events/bardeblah-balham-bowls/
Gin Festival | Feb 16th – 18th | Shadwell | £15
Gin is the new top tipple in the UK, no longer the ruin of London town, you can sample the best new flavours and classic drinks at this festival on the tobacco docks. There will be over 100 different gins to try and they cater to all levels of expertise, so don’t worry about being uninformed! Watch masterclasses, talk to industry experts and drink the night away (responsibly!).
Event Listing: https://londoncheapo.com/events/gin-festival/
Chinese New Year Celebrations | Feb 18th | Charing Cross | Free
Celebrate in style with Chinese food stalls, performances, displays and workshops in London’s Chinatown to welcome in the year of the dog. This event will include craft stands, and businesses will be making an extra decorative effort for the events, so bring your warmest jacket and camera too. The festival highlight is definitely the largest dragon and lion procession in Europe!
Event Listing: https://londoncheapo.com/events/chinese-new-year/
Magic Lantern Festival | Until Feb 26th | Chiswick | £10 -£16
See London in a whole new light with this impressive display of illuminations that’s only in its second year. You can explore the beautiful gardens of Chiswick House with illuminated trails celebrating the year of the rooster. Displays include a 15m creation of the London Houses of Parliament and there will be international street food, as well as an ice bar!
Event Listing: https://londoncheapo.com/events/magic-lantern-festival/
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