Things to do in London in March 2025
March in London offers an exciting lineup of events celebrating dance, art, and music. The Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels Festival presents contemporary performances at prestigious venues like Sadler’s Wells and the Royal Ballet. Art lovers can explore several new exhibitions, including Remembering by Arpita Singh at Serpentine North, which explores Surrealism through the lens of Indian art. For something different, experience a Silent Disco at the Painted Hall or enjoy a performance by the Czech Philharmonic at the Barbican. The London Soundtrack Festival also brings film and game music to life with live performances and screenings. Here’s our guide to the must-see events in London this March.
Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels Festival
Ballet National de Marseille + (LA) HORDE, Age of Content. Image credit Gaëlle Astier-Perret.
#FLODown: The Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels Festival in London, running from 12 March to 8 April 2025, is a four-week celebration of contemporary dance featuring performances at four major venues: Sadler’s Wells, the Royal Ballet and Opera, Tate Modern, and the Southbank Centre. The festival showcases a lineup of international dance companies, including the Trisha Brown Dance Company, Ballet National de Marseille, Lyon Opera Ballet, and the Royal Ballet. This unique festival offers an opportunity to experience a wide array of contemporary dance performances across London’s most esteemed cultural institutions. Click here for the full programme of events.
Date: 12 March - 8 April 2025. Location: four major venues: Sadler’s Wells, the Royal Ballet and Opera, Tate Modern, and the Southbank Centre.
Arpita Singh: Remembering
Arpita Singh, My Lollipop City: Gemini Rising, 2005. Vadehra Art Gallery © Arpita Singh.
#FLODown: The first institutional solo show of Arpita Singh’s work, Remembering, will open at Serpentine North from 20 March 2025. The exhibition will feature a curated selection of pieces from her prolific six-decade career. Singh, who emerged in the 1960s, is known for blending Surrealism and figuration with Indian Court painting narratives, alongside abstraction, dynamic lines, and textures. Remembering will explore her full practice, showcasing a range of works from large-scale oil paintings to intimate watercolours and ink drawings, celebrating her emotional responses to social upheaval and global humanitarian crises.
Date: 20 March – 27 July 2025. Location: Serpentine North, W Carriage Dr, London W2 2AR. Price: Free.
Click here for more art exhibitions opening in London in March 2025.
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet. Matthew Ball as Romeo, Yasmine Naghdi as Juliet. © ROH, 2015. Photographed by Alice Pennefather
#FLODown: Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet returns to The Royal Ballet in March to celebrate its 60th anniversary. Regarded as a masterpiece of The Royal Ballet’s repertory, this adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic love story is set to Sergei Prokofiev’s powerful score and features Nicholas Georgiadis’ Renaissance-inspired designs. The production stars a stellar cast, including Royal Ballet Principals Francesca Hayward, Marianela Nuñez, Natalia Osipova, and Joseph Sissens, making his debut as Romeo. A live cinema relay will take place on 20 March, with encore screenings from 23 March.
Date: 4 March – 26 May 2025. Location: The Royal Opera House, Bow St, London WC2E 9DD. Price: from £9 - £180. Book now.
Silent Disco at the Painted Hall
The Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval College, will host a silent disco on 22 March 2025.
#FLODown: The Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval College, will host a silent disco, offering a unique opportunity to dance the night away under the glow of Helios. Guests can choose from three music channels featuring a mix of past and present hits, with space-themed cocktails available for purchase. The event is for adults aged 18 and over.
Date: 22 March 2025. Time: 7.30 pm - 11pm. Location: Old Royal Naval College, London SE10 9NN. Price: £45, students: £30. Book now.
Czech Philharmonic/Semyon Bychkov: Shostakovich 5 with Sheku Kanneh-Mason
The Czech Philharmonic will have a concert at the Barbican dedicated to Shostakovich with Sheku Kanneh-Mason.
#FLODown: The Czech Philharmonic will have a two-day residency at the Barbican with a concert dedicated to Shostakovich, featuring his Fifth Symphony and Cello Concerto No. 1. The Fifth Symphony, which received an hour-long ovation at its 1937 premiere, is known for its emotionally charged slow movement and triumphant yet ambiguous finale. The Cello Concerto No. 1, originally written for the legendary Mstislav Rostropovich, will be performed by Sheku Kanneh-Mason, who won BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2016 with the piece. Praised for their rich sound and refinement, the Czech Philharmonic promises a performance of extraordinary depth and intensity.
Date: 7 March 2025. Time: 7.30pm. Location: Silk St, City of London, London EC2Y 8DS. Price: £15+ £4 BF. Book now.
Click here for more classical music in London this spring/summer 2025.
Winter Sculpture Park
Darcey Fleming. (Cred. No.32) Winter Sculpture Park 2023.
#FLODown: The 4th edition of London’s free Winter Sculpture Park will open from 2 March 2025/ at the former Thamesmead golf course, a 6.5-acre site along the River Thames. This outdoor exhibition, featuring 40 artworks by 34 artists, invites visitors of all ages to explore contemporary art in a rewilded, nature-infused setting. Highlights include works by Claye Bowler, Ellie Harrison, Joseph Ijoyemi, Chloë Louise Lawrence, Chanel Vegas, Alegria Repila Smith, and others. The park will open on 1 March with performances, workshops, and music by SET Music. Click here to book tickets to attend.
Date: 2 March - 26 April 2025. Location: Outside the former Thamesmead Golf Centre, near Fairway Drive.
Robyn Orlin: We wear our wheels with pride
Robyn Orlin: We wear our wheels with pride. Image credit Jérôme Séron.
#FLODown: Robyn Orlin’s We wear our wheels with pride will be performed as part of the Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels festival at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. This vibrant “rickshaw dance” is a tribute to the spirit of South Africa’s Rainbow Nation, drawing inspiration from the Zulu rickshaw drivers of the 1970s who transported white masters during apartheid. Orlin, alongside dancers from Johannesburg’s Moving into Dance Mophatong (MIDM) company, observes this history with dance, song, and costume. The piece also features the powerful vocals of Anelisa Stuurman (Annalyzer) and composer Yogin Sullaphen’s unique musical influences.
Date: 21 March - 22 March 2025. Duration: approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes. Location: Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. Price: from £22. Concessions available. Book now.
Jasmin Vardimon NOW
Jasmin Vardimon - NOW © Tristram Kenton.
#FLODown: Jasmin Vardimon Company will perform its new production NOW at Sadler’s Wells East as part of its UK tour. The production celebrates the company’s 25-year history, revisiting iconic moments and reflecting on the ever-changing world. NOW examines imagination, art, and socio-political dynamics through Vardimon’s unique dance theatre style, with an international cast and extracts from past works like Lullaby, Park, 7734, Yesterday, and ALiCE. This performance is part of the opening season of Sadler’s Wells East, a new purpose-built theatre for dance on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Date: 5 – 8 March 2025. Duration : 1 hour 25 minutes (no interval). Location: Sadler’s Wells East, 101 Carpenters Rd, Stratford Cross, London E20 2AR. Price: from £15 + £4 maintenance fee. Book now.
Mitsuko Uchida: Beethoven & Schubert
Mitsuko Uchida. Decca / Justin Pumfrey.
#FLODown: Renowned pianist Mitsuko Uchida will perform a programme of late works by Viennese composers Beethoven and Schubert at Royal Festival Hall. Part of the Classical Season Spring/Summer 2025, Uchida, celebrated for her interpretations of Vienna’s great composers, will explore Beethoven’s contrasting Sonata in E minor Op. 90 and Schubert’s poignant final sonata, the B flat major D. 960.
Date: 7 March 2025. Time: 7pm. Duration: 1 hour and 55-minute. Location: Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX. Price: from £17 + BF. Book now.
Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award 2025
Zadie Smith. Image by Ben Bailey-Smith.
#FLODown: At the Barbican, Zadie Smith hosts an evening of readings from the shortlisted authors of The Sunday Times Charlotte Aitken Young Writer of the Year Award, the UK and Ireland’s leading prize for emerging literary talent. Spanning fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, the four shortlisted writers—announced in February 2025—will share excerpts from their work and discuss their creative process. Previous winners of the award include Sally Rooney, Jay Bernard, Raymond Antrobus, and Max Porter.
Date: 17 March 2025. Time: 7pm. Location: Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS. Price: £10 + £1.50 BF. Book now.
London Soundtrack Festival
The inaugural London Soundtrack Festival will take place from 19 - 26 March 2025.
#FLODown: The London Soundtrack Festival celebrates the art of film, TV, and game music across iconic London venues. Founded by Tommy Pearson in honour of composer Christopher Gunning, the festival recognises influential composers through the annual Gunning Inspiration Award, with Howard Shore as its first recipient. Highlights include performances by Hildur Guðnadóttir, Anne Dudley, and Natalie Holt, screenings of Eighth Grade and Modern Times with live accompaniment, and special events featuring David Cronenberg. With masterclasses and panel discussions, the festival aims to establish itself as a leading event for soundtrack enthusiasts and industry professionals. Click here for the full programme of events.
Date: 19 – 26 March 2025. Location: Various locations.
Women's History Month in East London
MISSING ME?—the debut live show from lifelong friends Lily Allen and Miquita Oliver will take place at Hackney Empire. Image courtesy of Hackney EMpire
#FLODown: Women’s History Month in East London, organised by Alternative Arts and Tower Hamlets Council, will take place from 1–31 March 2025, featuring a range of events across major venues such as Whitechapel Gallery, Hackney Empire, Barbican Centre, and Shoreditch Town Hall, as well as local community spaces. include art exhibitions, live performances, workshops, talks, and film screenings, with notable exhibitions showcasing artists like Abi Morocco and Citra Sasmita. Performances include Ballet Black at Hackney Empire and MISSING ME?—the debut live show from lifelong friends Lily Allen and Miquita Oliver, known for their sharp and opinionated conversations. The programme also features insightful talks on female migration history. For the full schedule, visit the Alternative Arts website.Date:
Date: 1 - 31 March 2025. Location: East London. The full programme can be found at alternativearts.org.uk.
Cardion Arts and ICA announce Cardion Nights: Queer Performance for akt
Ebun Sodipo by Matteo Stracchia, Wet Mess by Jesse Glazzard and Tom Rasmussen by Grace Pickering.
#FLODown: Cardion Arts, a new organisation dedicated to showcasing LGBTQIA+ artists in the UK, is partnering with the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in London to present Cardion Nights: Queer Performance for akt on 1 March 2025. Curated by Gemma Rolls-Bentley, the event will feature performances by Ebun Sodipo, Wet Mess, and Tom Rasmussen, alongside special guests. The night aims to celebrate queer creativity, foster community, and raise funds for akt, a charity supporting LGBTQIA+ homeless youth. Timed with Zero Discrimination Day, the event highlights the power of performance in promoting inclusivity and solidarity.
Date: 1 March 2025. Time: 7pm - 10pm. Location: Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), The Mall, London SW1Y 5AH. Price: Free (unwaged), £12 (standard ticket) £18 (ticket + akt donation). https://ica.art/cardion-nights.
Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2025
Untitled Cowboy (Acres Homes), Houston, Texas, 2022. © Rahim Fortune. Alternative Text: Black and white photograph.
#FLODown: The Photographers’ Gallery will host the 2025 Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize exhibition in March, featuring shortlisted artists Cristina De Middel, Rahim Fortune, Lindokuhle Sobekwa, and Tarrah Krajnak. Celebrating its 28th year, the prestigious Prize recognises photographers whose exhibitions or books have made a significant impact over the past year. The shortlisted projects explore themes of migration, community, family history, and cultural identity through documentary photography, self-portraiture, and performance. The winner of the £30,000 Prize will be announced in May, with each finalist receiving £5,000.
Date: 7 March – 15 June 2025. Location:The Photographers' Gallery, 16-18 Ramillies St, London W1F 7LW. Price: £10 / £7 concessions (members go free). Advance online booking: £8.50 / £6 concessions. Ticket covers entry to all exhibitions on the day of your visit. Book now.
Click here for more art exhibitions opening in London in March 2025.
AVA London
Ryojilkeda.
#FLODown: AVA London returns in 2025 with a dynamic three-day and night programme featuring keynote lectures, masterclasses, live shows, raves, and networking opportunities. The event will take place across iconic London venues, including The British Library and The Standard in King’s Cross by day, with club shows at HERE @ Outernet and EARTH Hackney by night. Attendees can experience a variety of sessions, including keynotes from Underworld, FKA Twigs, and horsegiirL, along with masterclasses from industry experts like Ski Oakenfull and Tom Elmhirst. AVA will also explore topics like queer culture in clubbing, sustainability in music, and career development through panels and workshops. With a focus on the intersection of music, culture, and technology, AVA London offers a platform for professionals, creatives, and curious minds to engage with industry leaders and the future of music.
Date: 20 - 22 March 2025. Locations: The British Library, The Standard in King’s Cross, HERE @ Outernet and EARTH Hackney.Price: from £30 - £191. Book now.
Last chance to see
The Passenger
Dan Milne & Robert Neumark Jones. The Passenger. Image credit Steve Gregson.
#FLODown: The Passenger, a world premiere adaptation by Nadya Menuhin, based on Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz’s novel, is currently playing at London’s Finborough Theatre. Directed by Tim Supple, it tells the intense story of Otto Silbermann, a Jewish businessman fleeing Nazi persecution after the Kristallnacht. Written in 1938, the novel was rediscovered decades later, becoming a global sensation. The adaptation stars Ben Fox, Eric MacLennan, Dan Milne, Robert Neumark Jones, and Kelly Price. March will be the final chance to see the play, which runs until 15 March 2025.
Date: 10 February - 15 March 2025 . Location: Finborough Theatre, 118 Finborough Rd, London SW10 9ED. Duration: 90 minutes no interval. Price: from £20. Concessions available. Book now.
Orchid Festival 2025
Orchids at Kew Gardens, celebrating the remarkable biodiversity of Madagascar. © RBG Kew.
#FLODown: Kew Gardens’ annual Orchid Festival will end in March. This year’s festival celebrates the vibrant flora and fauna of Peru, transforming the Princess of Wales Conservatory with displays of the country’s diverse landscapes. Highlights include lush orchids, alpacas, flamingos, large-scale photography by Peruvian artist Mariano Vivanco, and murals by Lima-born Gisella Stapleton. An orchid aviary and sculptures of endangered plants, such as the Queen of the Andes, are also featured. It’s well worth a trip to Kew Gardens before it ends.
Date: 1 February - 2 March 2025. Location: Princess of Wales Conservatory Kew, Richmond, London, TW9 3AE. Price: from £20. Book now.
Collect Art Fair 2025
Left to right: Chaise Bergère, Agnès Debizet, represented by Galerie Melissa Paul; An expanded fragments: Blue oriental, Minyeol Cho, represented by Siat Gallery; Seom/ Island 4001, Park Sung-wook, represented by Lloyd Choi Gallery; Prism Side Table, Angus Ross, represented by Contemporary Applied Arts (Photograph: Jake Curtis, Styling: Alex Kristal).
#FLODown: Collect Art Fair returns for its 21st edition at Somerset House, running through to March, offering a final chance to experience over 400 living artists from 40 international galleries. New participants from Taiwan, Switzerland, and Cyprus join the fair, presenting contemporary craft and design that pushes the boundaries of traditional mediums. The fair will feature exquisite works in ceramics, glass, furniture, art jewellery, and more, with pieces priced from £500 to over £50,000. With just one weekend to explore, it’s the perfect opportunity to kick-start a creative month.
Date: 28 February - 2 March 2025. Location: Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA.Price: from £23. Book now.
Season of Love at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Image courtesy of Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
#FLODown: March marks your final chance to experience the Theatre Royal Drury Lane’s Season of Love celebrations. Until 2nd March, indulge in the limited edition Regency Afternoon Tea paired with Taittinger Prestige Rose, available exclusively at this iconic West End theatre. The afternoon tea features a romantic selection of desserts, including a vanilla passionfruit cake with a gold chocolate cupid, complemented by personalised love poems from the Taittinger Sonneteers on selected dates. You can round off the romantic experience by seeing the Shakespearean comedy Much Ado About Nothing, starring Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell, running until 5 April 2025.
Location: Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Catherine Street, London, WC2B 5JF.
