London's vibrant nightlife

London’s clubbing scene is the stuff of legend. Any night of the week you’ll find packed venues playing house, disco, techno, hip-hop, funk jazz and r’n’b.

While other superclubs have come and gone, the cavernous Fabric in Charterhouse Street goes from strength to strength; Fridays offer the riotously eclectic FabricLive, while Saturdays descend into techy, minimal deep house territory. Under the arches of London Bridge, Cable has an impressive line-up on the decks; look out for nioght runs by the we fear silence crew. In Shoreditch, East Village boasts the likes of Carl Craig and Derrick Carter on its bill; and some of London’s finest promoters mastermind the club nights at XOYO. The Vauxhall area is the epicentre of hedonistic gay culture; the Royal Vauxhall Tavern is well known for Saturday’s queer performance night, Duckie.

A visit to London is incomplete if you don’t see a West End show. You’ll always find blockbuster musicals such as Rock of Ages, Billy Elliot, Chicago, Ghost, Matilda, or the long-running Les Miserables. For new plays and rising talents head to Chelsea’s famously radical Royal Court Theatre. In Covent Garden the Donmar Warehouse is another place to catch shows before they hit the big time. Kevin Spacey’s role as artistic director of the Old Vic ensures a sprinkling of big-name stars at the grand Victorian theatre.

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