What: Diwali on the Square 2011 in London
When: 31st October 2011 (annual)
Where: Trafalgar Square, Westminster, London, WC2N 4J

Everyone are invited to get involved with spectacular Diwali celebrations in the heart of London at Diwali on the Square, bringing Diwali to Trafalgar Square in an extravagant cultural event.

The Festival of Lights
Diwali will transform Trafalgar Square with vibrant Diwali celebrations, including traditional light displays and colourful Diwali decorations. Open to all, the event promises to light up Trafalgar Square in traditional Indian style, with displays and food stalls catering to all tastes.

Music and dance
As well as lights and decorations, a full programme of performances feature at Diwali on the Square including a mixture of traditional and contemporary music and dance. This year's highlights include the chance to take part in a traditional circular dance known at the garba accompanied by live music from the Trafalgar Square stage.

Visiting Diwali on the Square 2011 in London:

Cost: Free

Time: 2pm - 6.30pm

Age Restrictions: N/A

Nearest Underground Stations:
Charing Cross Tube (2 minutes)
Leicester Square Tube (4 minutes)

When: Every August Bank Holiday Monday and the day beforehand
Where: Notting Hill, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

Originally a local affair for west London's homesick Caribbean community, this has evolved into Europe's biggest street party. Carnival sets London on fire in a blaze of Caribbean spirit as extravagantly costumed dancers, calypso and soca musicians, giant soundsystems and steelbands are joined by over a million revellers of all ages. Don't miss out.

When: Every June/July
Where: Wimbledon, South West London SW19

Watch as it happens as world-famous tennis titans and Goliath's David battle it out under the new Wimbledon centre court roof. Will Nadal hit it again? Can Roger Federer reclaim lost glory? Is it the Brit Murray's time to bag the most coveted price? That's for you to find out so don't miss the excitement.

What: Bonfire Night London, Fireworks
When: 5th November 2011
Where: London, United Kingdom

Bonfire Night in London, also called Guy Fawkes Night or Fireworks Night in London, is a long-established London festival dating back 400 years ago. On the 5th November and the subsequent weekend, several venues and parks across the capital will come alive with fireworks and bonfires at the early night.

Spectacular firework displays entertaining the thousands who flock to see your likeness turn to ash at such places as Battersea Park, Alexandra Palace, Roundwood Park, Victoria Park, Clapham Common, Streatham Common, Wimbledon Park, Morden Park, Barking Park, Blackheath, Blackheath, Crystal Palace Park and Kingston.

On Bonfire Night in London, people create the dummy of Guy Fawkes and burn it on a top of a bonfire, accompanied by beautiful fireworks filling the sky.

Don't miss the spooky celebration - Bonfire Night - Festival 2011 in London!
Visiting Bonfire Night - Festival 2011 in London:

Cost: Free to £10

Time: Various

Age Restrictions: N/A

Nearest Underground Stations:
Clapham South Tube (10 minutes)
Clapham Common Tube (12 minutes)

What: World Travel Market 2011 in London
When: 7th - 10th November 2011
Where: ExCeL London, One Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London E16 1XL

World Travel Market 2011 in London Excel is a must for everyone in the considerable travel and tourism industry. The show will present a huge variety of destinations and industry sectors to the UK and global travel experts. At World Travel Market in London Excel, you will be able to know about cutting-edge developments in the industry, represent your company, make business contacts and derive loads of benefits for your business.

World Travel Market in London Excel will have international event management representatives, trade associations, accommodation providers, airlines, entertainment providers, travel agencies and leading exhibitors from around the world. The show will feature a series of interactive seminars targeting the most recent issues affecting the travel and tourism industry. World Travel Market in London Excel will generate a large amount of business and unparalleled networking opportunities.

Last year World Travel Market in London Excel welcomed over 50,000 travel professionals from more than 187 countries and this year the show expects even more.

Visiting World Travel Market 2011:

Cost: TBA

Time: 7th - 9th November 10.00 - 18.00
10th November 10.00 - 17.00

Age Restrictions: Under 16 will not be admitted.

Nearest Underground Stations:
Canning Town Tube (21 minutes)

What:   London Jazz Festival 2011 in London
When:  11th - 20th November 2011
Where: Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, South Bank, London SE1


London Jazz Festival 2011 is going to present a series of landmark cultural and arts events across London for the successive 19th year.

If jazz is dead, someone forgot to tell the thousands of performers and fans who flock to the annual London Jazz Festival. Now in its 19th year, the 10-day festival returns to the capital with a flamboyant programme which reflects the varied roots of our great city - and celebrates the 110th anniversary of Louis Armstrong's birth. The many Southbank venues lead the way, but there will be shows (more than 250 of them!) throughout London, including old favourites the Royal Albert Hall and the Barbican Centre, jazz stalwarts Ronnie Scott's and 606 Club, newly recognised exhilarating enterprises such as The Forge and Artsdepot, and even some restaurants. The organisers habitually attract some top rare performers and blend them together with both newcomers and mainstays of the British jazz scene - from stars of the American jazz tradition to key players of the European scene and free musical thinkers. Given the obsessive nature of ardent jazz fans together with the small venues, tickets often sell out straight away so be sure to check a full programme and ticketing information.

Visiting London Jazz Festival 2011:

Cost: TBA

Time: TBC

Age Restrictions: N/A

Nearest Underground Stations:
Waterloo

What: Guitar Nation Festival 2011 in London
When: 26th - 27th November 2011
Where: Wembley Stadium, Wembley, HA9 0W

Guitar Nation Festival 2011 in London Wembley Stadium is a vibrant guitar show with loads of concerts, master classes, seminars and guitar master PAs. The festival celebrates everything that is boundless about the guitar and includes a host of leading players, technicians, composers and producers.

Guitar Nation Festival '11 in London Wembley Stadium is indispensable for everyone passionate about song-writing, recording, playing, concerts, technique, hardware, production and instruments. Meet guitar maestros and learn about some of their great skills at the preeminent guitar show - Guitar Nation Live in London Wembley Stadium.

Relish a series of amazing concerts, talks and lessons at the Guitar Nation Festival in London Wembley Stadium!

Visiting Guitar Nation Festival '11:

Cost: TBA

Time: TBC

Age Restrictions: N/A

Nearest Underground Stations:
Wembley Central

What:   New Year’s Day Parade 2012 in London
When:  1st January 2012
Where: Ritz Hotel - Piccadilly - Trafalgar Square - Whitehall - Parliament Square

New Year’s Day Parade 2012 in London will fascinate thousands of performers from around the world to celebrate the parade's 25th Anniversary. The 2012 theme is 'Let Us Entertain You' and a record number of London boroughs have submitted 33 stunning entries of music, dance and theatrical performance.

Dance troupes and bands from all corners of the earth will be part of New Year’s Day Parade '12 in London. More than 10,000 performers, representing 20 countries, are scheduled to entertain at the parade. The New Year’s Day Parade in London will be humming with marching bands, cheerleaders, clowns and acrobats. Join half a million others as they experience this spectacular London parade that weaves its way along a 2 mile route through the famous London streets.

Since its foundation, the New Year’s Day Parade in London has been raising money for charities. The New Year’s Day London Parade '12 will receive a lot of media coverage. Major broadcasters, including BBC, CNN, SKY and Fox News, will cover the event.

Don't miss this fantastic opportunity to celebrate the first day of the New Year in London. Experience a spectacular 2012 New Year’s Day Parade!

Visiting New Year’s Day Parade 2012 London:

Cost: Free

Time: 12noon to 3pm

Age Restrictions: n/a

Nearest Underground Stations:
Starting near Green Park, passing Piccadilly Circus and finishing near Westminster

1st January 2012
Ritz Hotel - Piccadilly - Trafalgar Square - Whitehall - Parliament Square

New Year’s Day Parade 2012 in London will fascinate thousands of performers from around the world to celebrate the parade's 25th Anniversary. The 2012 theme is 'Let Us Entertain You' and a record number of London boroughs have submitted 33 stunning entries of music, dance and theatrical performance.

Dance troupes and bands from all corners of the earth will be part of New Year’s Day Parade '12 in London. More than 10,000 performers, representing 20 countries, are scheduled to entertain at the parade. The New Year’s Day Parade in London will be humming with marching bands, cheerleaders, clowns and acrobats. Join half a million others as they experience this spectacular London parade that weaves its way along a 2 mile route through the famous London streets.

Since its foundation, the New Year’s Day Parade in London has been raising money for charities. The New Year’s Day London Parade '12 will receive a lot of media coverage. Major broadcasters, including BBC, CNN, SKY and Fox News, will cover the event.

Don't miss this fantastic opportunity to celebrate the first day of the New Year in London. Experience a spectacular 2012 New Year’s Day Parade!

Visiting New Year’s Day Parade 2012 London:

Cost: Free

Time: 12noon to 3pm

Age Restrictions: n/a

Nearest Underground Stations:
Starting near Green Park, passing Piccadilly Circus and finishing near Westminster

What:   Trafalgar Square Christmas tree and Carols in London
When:  1st December - 5th January 2012
Where: Trafalgar Square, Central London, Westminster, London WC2N 5DS

For the last 62 years, at a special ceremony in Norway, a pre-selected 50-60 year old pine tree is felled in front of the Mayor of Oslo, the British ambassador to Norway and the Lord Mayor of Westminster. The Christmas tree is then carried by ship over the ocean to England, ultimately making its way to Trafalgar Square London.

Ornamented in the traditional Norwegian style, the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree and Carols in London Trafalgar Square is one of the best popular Christmas light displays in London; it becomes the pivotal point of Trafalgar Square as crowds gather to sing Christmas carols and make merry.

The lights on the London Trafalgar Square Christmas tree will be first lit on Thursday 1st December at 6.30pm (subject to confirmation). The lights then remain on from midday until midnight each day right through the Christmas season. The ceremony of turning on the lights is preceded by a carol service at St Martin-in-the-Fields. The Christmas tree remains in London Trafalgar Square until Twelfth Night on 5th January 2012.

Each evening, organised carol singers and passers-by congregate around the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree to sing heartfelt renditions of traditional and more modern Christmas carols. If you're lucky, you'll find the choir of nearby St Martin-in-the-Fields Church taking the lead at the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree and carols in London. On Sunday 6th December (subject to confirmation), a dedication service for the crib at St Martin-in-the-Fields takes place, including a torch-lit parade from the church to the Christmas Tree in London Trafalgar Square.

Visiting Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree and Carols London:

Cost: TBA

Time: 12noon - 12mignight everyday

Age Restrictions: N/A

Nearest Underground Stations: Charing Cross Tube

What: London 2012 Olympics Games
When: 27 July-12 Aug 2012

In 2012, we'll welcome millions of people to London and the UK for an unforgettable experience.

Find out about our plans for ticket sales, getting around London and how we're making sure the Games are safe and secure.

Along with lots of excitement and an incredible atmosphere, the Games will bring thousands of visitors. This means the transport system will be very busy – so you should start thinking now about how you’re going to travel to your event.

LOCOG and the ODA are committed to ensuring that London 2012 is everyone's Games, with services and facilities to meet all accessibility requirements
 

What:  City of London Festival 2012
When:  24th June - 27th July 2012
Where - Various: Mansion House, Stationers' Hall, Merchant Taylors' Hall and St Paul's Cathedral, intimate City churches, Guildhall Yard, Paternoster Square, New Street Square and more

The City of London Festival 2012 is a main climax of London's cultural calendar. Held every summer, this London festival enlivens the special structures and unique spaces of the City. St Paul's Cathedral, churches, squares and other areas are decorated with diverse, creative and inventive schemes ranging across film, music, visual arts and other media.

The City of London Festival '12 is a fantastic contribution of free cultural events. You can listen to live jazz, see a special exhibition or watch a street-theatre surrounding by iconic landmarks. There are more than 100 free outdoor events every year and about 50 ticketed concerts.

The City of London Festival was founded in 1962 to rejuvenate the cultural life in the city. Today, the London festival is booming, popular with Londoners and foreign visitors alike. Widely broadcast by the BBC and publicised in the press, the City of London Festival '12 promises a great time for every kind of art-lover.

London Festival amuses and revives the City's workers, residents and visitors with special events and world-class artists in beautiful surrounds. There is no better chance to get to know London. Don't miss the City of London Festival '12 this summer!
Visiting City of London Festival 2012:

Cost: Various. Many events free.

Time: Various.

Age Restrictions: N/A

Nearest Underground Stations:
Various (depending on venue)

What:   The Mayor's Thames Festival 2012 in London
When:  8th - 9th September 2012
Where: Southbank Centre, Banside and Embankment, Lambeth, London, SE1 8XX

This festival in London offers exciting activities at numerous locations, including the River Thames, docks, bridges, riverside walkways and public spaces. Over a weekend, people will enjoy an attention-grabbing free London festival that celebrates the city, River Thames and the invigorating cultural life of London, attracting thousands from all over the world.

An agenda to increase interest in river-focused activities will be carried-out at The Mayor's Thames Festival '12 in London, with more than 300 schools taking part. Public involvement will be at the heart of various activities; visitors will experience a fine choice of street arts, performances, carnival, pyrotechnics, illuminations, art installations, river events, exhibitions, music and dance, massed choirs, circus, food and feasting at The Mayor's Thames Festival in London.

A city centre party will result in road and bridge closures and will allow culture to spread across the capital. The Mayor's Thames Festival '12 in London is a highly active event, inspiring you to get involved in its interesting activities. The Thames festival will present a fantastic sequence of events containing thousands of dancers and other artists in daytime and night-time with an awe-inspiring night carnival feel.

Around are many children-oriented activities as well as an thrilling race on the Thames in which more than 300 oared boats - startling with rare styles, like the Viking Dragon Boats - vie to win. The high point of The Mayor's Thames Festival '12 in London is a multi-coloured Night Procession, including a huge number of costumed performers gathered at the north and south banks of the River Thames, followed by a thrilling fireworks show, lighting up the whole sky with the festival's colours.

Visiting The Mayor's Thames Festival '12:

Cost: Free

Time: TBC

Age Restrictions: N/A

Nearest Underground Station: Waterloo Tube

What: Open House London 2012
When: 22nd - 23rd September 2012
Where: Various important buildings in London
 
This is a city-wide celebration where the doors of hundreds of great buildings are opened to the public for free. A truly powerful idea, Open House London lets people appreciate the depths of London's architecture and culture.

All types and periods during Open House '12 in London: The ideal event for architecture enthusiasts.

London Open House '12 lets you fully experience the structures, places and neighbourhoods that make London great. The hidden areas where London lives, works and plays will be thrown open for Open House London.

Singular themes will be compiled for Open House London '12 for those that wish to focus on specific styles or periods.

An exceptional chance to get under the skin of London's incredible architecture, Open House London should not be missed!

Visiting Open House London '12:

Cost: Free

Time: TBC

Age Restrictions: N/A

Nearest Underground Stations: Various