Natural History Museum - What's on this holiday season🎄

 

Explore all we have going on this holiday season, from our loveable animatronic T. rex modelling our new exclusive Christmas jumper designed for this year to our special festive events. We can’t wait to celebrate the season with you and spread the Christmas cheer! Book tickets Shop the Christmas jumper December Silent Disco Make waves on the dance floor and curate the soundtrack to your night at our silent disco this December. Choose your side as three DJs do battle over separate wireless channels, playing the very best songs, new and old. Don a headset and party the night away in our spectacular Hintze Hall. Members enjoy discounted tickets Book tickets Shop our Christmas collection Our festive range of goodies even includes popular board games, including Monopoly and a special dinosaur-themed Guess Who? Plus, check out our dazzling dino decorations to deck your home with, perfect for spreading the festive cheer. There’s something for everyone on your list to enjoy! Members enjoy 20% off products Shop now Visit Space: Could Life Exist Beyond Earth? before it blasts off There’s only a few months left to experience our space exhibition, so don’t miss out! You can touch a piece of Mars, wrap your hands around a fragment of the Moon, smell other planets, see what scientists believe could be out there and so much more besides. ★★★★ "An elegant and illuminating exhibition" Time Out Members enjoy unlimited, free entry Book tickets Experience Our Story with David Attenborough Our Story has just been extended due to popular demand! Witness the birth of our planet as the walls and floor around you fill with spectacular footage of the natural world. Watch our human story unfold from our earliest beginnings to the tipping point when we began to influence the world around us. This spectacular new 360° experience, told by master storyteller Sir David Attenborough, is not to be missed! Members enjoy 50% off Book tickets

Christmas plants and flowers: The traditions and science of festive flora For many people, Christmas is a time for decorating trees, hanging up wreaths and kissing under the mistletoe. But have you ever wondered where these botanical traditions come from? ’Tis the season for our experts to highlight the stories and science behind some of our most festive flora. Read more

Opera Holland Park - Final tickets remaining for our carol concert 🔔

 

Final tickets remain for our annual carol concert at St Mary Abbots, Kensington   Join us for an uplifting evening of carols, choral performances, and festive warmth, featuring our principal soloists, the Opera Holland Park Chorus, and the All Saints Catholic College Schola Cantorum.   Sing alongside the OHP Chorus to favourites like Once in Royal David's City, O Little Town of Bethlehem, and Hark! the Herald Angels Sing.  You'll also hear renditions of Eric Whitacre's Lux Arumque, Jonathan Dove's The Three Kings, a beautiful arrangement of In dulci Jubilo and "Evening Prayer" from Hansel and Gretel.    Plus, our principal soloists Madeline Boreham and James Cleverton, will treat you to beautiful versions of White Christmas, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and more.   When: Saturday 6 December, 7pm Where: St Mary Abbots Church, High Street Kensington Tickets: Starting from just £20, all tickets include a festive post-show drink to toast the season.

Book now >

Meet the soloists and conductor

Madeline Boreham Soprano ‘One to watch’, Madeline Boreham is an ENO Harewood Artist and 2nd place winner at the 2024 Kathleen Ferrier Awards, originally from Northamptonshire. She recently performed 7 shows as Mimi in La bohème with ENO while covering, making her house and role debut. Previous to this, she was a Young Artist at Opera Holland Park, singing the role of Mother in Hansel and Gretel, and will return in 2026 to perform the role of Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte. James Cleverton Baritone Baritone James Cleverton has appeared in principal roles at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, English National Opera, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Scottish Opera, Welsh National Opera, Opera North, Opernhaus Zürich, Salzburg Festival, Theater St Gallen, Opéra de Rennes and the major UK opera festivals. He will return to Opera Holland Park in 2026 reprising his role as the White Rabbit in Will Todd's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

John Andrews Conductor For OHP: Il segreto di Susanna / Pagliacci 2024, The Merry Widow 2020, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland 2013.  John Andrews is a renowned conductor who's worked with top UK orchestras, including the BBC Symphony and Royal Scottish National Orchestra. He's won the BBC Music Magazine Award three times and has a reputation for reviving neglected musical masterpieces. Andrews is Principal Guest Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra and Artist-in-Association with the English Symphony Orchestra. His upcoming projects include releases featuring Granville Bantock and Avril Coleridge-Taylor, and performances with the BBC Concert Orchestra and Manchester Camerata.

Opera Holland Park

Transport for London - Your weekend travel advice

 

Transport for London

Weekend travel information   Dear Mr Grantham, If you're out exploring London this weekend, there are lots of ways to get to your destination. The information in this email could change, so please check before you travel or use TfL Go to plan your journey.

London Underground

Bakerloo Bakerloo line Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 November No service between Queen's Park and Harrow & Wealdstone Use alternative Tube services or local bus routes. Additional bus routes 718 and 720 will run. This is due to Network Rail maintenance work.

Northern line The following closures are due to track work. Friday 28 into Saturday 29 November No Friday Night Tube service between Hampstead and Edgware from 01:30 until 02:45 Use Tube services or local/replacement bus routes. Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 November No service between Golders Green and Edgware, including during Friday and Saturday Night Tube Use Tube or rail services, or local/replacement bus routes.

London Overground

- - - Lioness line Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 November No service between Euston and Watford Junction Use Tube services or local bus routes. Additional bus routes 718 and 720 will run. This is due to Network Rail maintenance work.

- - - Mildmay line The following closures are due to Network Rail maintenance work. Thursday 27 November No eastbound service from Willesden Junction to Stratford after 23:00 Use Tube or Lioness line services, or local bus routes.  No westbound service from Stratford to Camden Road after 23:45 Use local bus routes.  Monday 1 until Thursday 4 December No westbound service from Camden Road to Willesden Junction after 23:45 each night Use Tube or Lioness line services, or local bus routes. Tuesday 2 until Friday 5 December No southbound service from Willesden Junction to Shepherd's Bush until 06:15 each morning Use local bus routes.

- Windrush - Windrush line The following closures are due to Network Rail track work. Thursday 27 November No service between New Cross Gate and Crystal Palace/West Croydon after 23:30 Use Tram services or local bus routes. A Southern Railway replacement bus will depart from London Bridge to Streatham Hill (via Crystal Palace) at 23:58, and to East Croydon (via Norwood Junction) at 00:35. Sunday 30 November No service between Surrey Quays and Clapham Junction Use Tube and rail services, or local bus routes. Rail replacement buses will run between Canada Water and Clapham Junction.

Elizabeth line

The following closures are due to track work and Network Rail maintenance work. Sunday 30 November No service between Paddington and Ealing Broadway until 07:45 Use Tube services or local bus routes. Trains will not stop at Woolwich until 10:00 Use DLR services to Woolwich Arsenal and local bus routes. Reduced service between Paddington and Maidenhead/Heathrow Monday 1 until Wednesday 3 December Reduced service between Paddington and Maidenhead/Heathrow after 22:00 each night Trains will not stop at Acton Main Line, Hanwell and West Ealing after 22:30 each night.

DLR

The following closures are due to signal testing and essential maintenance works. Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 November No service between Bank/Tower Gateway and Canning Town/Lewisham Use Tube, Elizabeth line or national rail services, or local bus routes. Rail replacement buses will run between Westferry and Canning Town, Westferry and Island Gardens, and Canada Water Bus Station and Lewisham. No service between Canary Wharf and Stratford Use the Jubilee line, or local/replacement bus routes.

Buses and roads

Bus journeys will be affected by the following changes over the weekend. We expect to run a good service, but buses may be delayed, diverted or stop short of their normal destination.

Thursday 27 until Sunday 30 November Events at entertainment venues, stadiums and local areas Key events taking place include: Thursday 27 November ExCeL Centre - exhibition event (10:00 until 16:30) Olympia London - multiple exhibition events (10:00 until 17:00) Hyde Park - commercial event (10:00 until 22:00) Kew Gardens - cultural event (16:30 until 22:00) The O2 - music event (18:30 until 22:30) The Royal Albert Hall - performance event (19:30 until 22:00) O2 Brixton Academy - music event (19:00 until 22:30) Hammersmith Apollo - music event (19:00 until 22:30) O2 Forum Kentish Town - music event (19:00 until 23:00) Camden Roundhouse - music event (19:00 until 23:00)  Friday 28 November Olympia London - multiple exhibition events (10:00 until 17:00) Hyde Park - commercial event (10:00 until 22:00) Clapham Common - cultural event (12:00 until 23:00) Kew Gardens - cultural event (16:30 until 22:00) The O2 - music event (18:30 until 22:30) Drumsheds - music event (19:00 until 03:00) O2 Brixton Academy - music event (19:00 until 22:30) Indigo O2 - music event (19:00 until 23:00) O2 Forum Kentish Town - music event (19:00 until 23:00) Camden Roundhouse - music event (19:00 until 22:00)  The Royal Albert Hall - performance event (19:30 until 22:30) Saturday 29 November Olympia London - multiple exhibition events (10:00 until 17:00) Hyde Park - commercial event (10:00 until 22:00) Wembley Arena - performance event (11:30 until 15:00, 17:30 until 23:00) Drumsheds - music event (13:00 until 22:30) Gtech Community Stadium - Brentford football match (15:00 until 17:00) The New Den - Millwall football match (15:00 until 17:00) Hammersmith Apollo - performance event (15:00 until 19:00) Kew Gardens - cultural event (16:30 until 22:00) Wembley Stadium - England Women football match (17:30 until 19:30) The Royal Albert Hall - music event (18:30 until 21:00) The O2 - music event (18:30 until 22:30) Indigo O2 - music event (18:30 until 22:30) O2 Forum Kentish Town - music event (19:00 until 23:00) Camden Roundhouse - music event (19:00 until 22:00)  Alexandra Palace - music event (19:30 until 22:30) Tottenham Hotspur Stadium - Tottenham Hotspur football match (20:00 until 22:00) Sunday 30 November Olympia London - multiple exhibition events (10:00 until 17:00) Hyde Park - commercial event (10:00 until 22:00) Wembley Arena - performance event (11:30 until 15:00, 17:30 until 23:00) Selhurst Park - Crystal Palace football match (12:00 until 14:00) London Stadium - West Ham football match (14:05 until 16:05) The Royal Albert Hall - music event (14:30 until 17:30) Stamford Bridge - Chelsea football match (16:30 until 18:30) Kew Gardens - cultural event (16:30 until 22:00) The O2 - music event (18:30 until 22:30) Indigo O2 - music event (19:00 until 23:00) Hammersmith Apollo - comedy event (19:00 until 22:30) O2 Forum Kentish Town - music event (19:00 until 23:00) Increased footfall and traffic levels are expected before and after each event, with some venues implementing local road closures to safely manage pedestrian and vehicle movements. Travelling to Wembley Stadium or Wembley Arena Due to planned Network Rail engineering works, Wembley Central station will be closed. There will be no Bakerloo line service between Queen's Park and Harrow & Wealdstone, and no Lioness line service between Euston and Watford Junction.  If you're travelling to/from the Wembley area, use either Jubilee line or Metropolitan line services to/from Wembley Park station. Please note there will be a managed queuing system to enter Wembley Park station between 19:15 and 20:45 to prevent overcrowding, and Wembley Park station will be extremely busy. Allow more time for your journey.  Saturday 29 November Central London From 12:00 until 17:00, a march will take place from Piccadilly to Whitehall. Road closures will be in place. Expect an increase in pedestrians in the area.

Santander Cycles

The following docking stations are suspended this weekend:  Victoria Rise, Clapham Common Pont Street, Belgravia - until Tuesday 9 December BBC White City, White City - until Saturday 20 December

Find out how to hire a Santander Cycle. See the latest update on docking station availability.