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Easter bank holiday weekend is really early this year, landing on March 25.
To help you plan for the Easter weekend and see in the first bank holiday of the year – we’ve brought together some of the best events in London.
Open air events
The Passion of Jesus in Trafalgar Square. Image via Wintershall Players
Trafalgar Square provides the atmospheric backdrop for The Passion of Jesus, the story of his last days on earth.
The vast cast of the Wintershall production, including a donkey and horses, will don authentic costumes to produce realistic scenes of the crucifixion and resurrection.
While around 10,000 people are expected for each show on Good Friday (12pm and 3.15pm), the play will also be shown on giant screens so you should get a good view of the actors (free but donations are welcome).
The Passion of Jesus in Trafalgar Square. Image via Wintershall Players
Easter sporting events
The Boat Race
Oxford v Cambridge (c) The BNY Mellon Boat Race
The most iconic rowing competition in the world takes place on Easter Sunday this year, with the light and dark blues battling to be kings and queens of the Thames.
You can join the watching crowds on banks of the 4.2 mile Boat Race course between Putney and Mortlake.
In the men’s race, current holders Oxford trail Cambridge by 79 wins to 81, while in the women’s fixture Oxford are on a three-win streak.
We’ve put together a guide to the best riverside pubs if you fancy having a pint while you watch the rowing (Women’s race 3.10pm, men’s 4.10pm – free to watch)
The Good Friday Meeting
The Good Friday Meeting
From rowing to cycling – another historic race (older than the Tour de France) will see the best riders pedal their way round the Olympic site at Lee Valley VeloPark.
The Good Friday Meeting will see stars from Team GB appear as part of their Rio preparations – don’t miss the 15k Golden Wheel scratch race at the finale (tickets from £22).
Things to do with the family for Easter
V&A Museum of Childhood
Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate with The Clangers. Courtesy Smallfilms & Four Corners books
The Museum of Childhood always puts on a full programme of Easter events in Bethnal Green. This year, you can watch some animated classics back to back at the Easter Weekend Small Films Marathon.
Bagpuss, The Clangers and Ivor the Engine are among the Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate creations getting a rare airing (Friday-Sunday 2pm to 4pm).
Bagpuss. Courtesy Smallfilms & Four Corners books via V&A
Horniman Museum and Gardens
The Easter Fair returns to the gardens. Hop around the grounds with the Horniman Bunny and take art in the Easter egg hunt, there’s also street food and drink available and the Farmers’ Market is there on the Saturday (Free. Sat-Sun: 10.30am to 4.30pm).
You can also visit their new exhibition, Dinosaurs: Monster Families (now until October 30. Tickets from £7 *concessions available).
Horniman Easter Fair (c) Sigal Suhler Moran
Museum of London
Both branches of the MofL have Easter events taking place. In Docklands, take your kids along for storytelling on the Saturday and invent some watery gadgets on the Sunday (both free).
In the City location you can learn how to make a bridge like Brunel on the Saturday, while on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday you can make a printing press like the traditional ones in Wapping.
Battersea Park Zoo
Meerkats with Easter eggs at Battersea Park Zoo
Easter Egg shaped animal feeding – kids can help the keepers shape the animals food (Mar 25, free with entry) or you can follow the Easter Egg Trail and see which animals have some special eggs in their enclosures (Mar 25-28. cost £1.50 + usual entrance fee)
Southbank Centre
The Wondercrump World of Roald Dahl takes you on a journey to discover the writers inspiration for his famous stories and iconic characters.
Suitable for ages 7 to 12, there is also an interactive exhibition to explore after the tour (Fri-Mon: 10am to 6pm – every 15 mins. Tickets from £10: Book here).
Bank of England Museum
Follow the trail around the museum to find the hidden Golden Egg (kids come away with a chocolate egg) before having a go at creating an Easter animal mask (Mar 29 to April 8. Easter events and entry to the museum free).
London Designer Outlet
It’s all about the superheroes this Easter with plenty of free activities for kids in Wembley Park – adults of course can get some shopping in at the same time. (Mar 25-28, 11am to 4pm daily, Free)
See the spring flowers
Camellia japonica ‘Middlemist’s Red’. Image via Chiswick House and Gardens
Camellias, Crocuses, Daffodils and Magnolia are among the flowers blooming in March – here’s our guide to finding Spring flowers in London.
Hampton Court Palace
The gardens of King Henry VIII’s favourite palace already have a mysterious maze, thousands of trees and plants and a record-breaking grape vine, however debuting at Easter is a brand new family garden.
The Magic Garden, created by Chelsea award winning landscape architect Robert Myers, has been built in His Majesty’s former Tiltyard. It includes mythical beasts, battlements, towers and a secret grotto – all inspired by tales of Royal yore.
Royal Academy
Claude Monet, Nymphéas (Waterlilies), 1914-15 – Portland Art Museum, Oregon. Museum Purchase: Helen Thurston Ayer Fund © Portland Art Museum, Portland, Oregon
Painting the Modern Garden; Monet to Matisse shows how art imitated nature, using the most important painter of gardens as its focal point – Monet.
Along with Monet’s epic Agapanthus Triptych, shown together as the artist stipulated, you’ll also see masterpieces by Renoir, Cezanne, Pissarro, Manet, Sargent, Kandinsky, Van Gogh, Matisse, Klimt and Klee among the 120 pieces of art (Sat-Thurs: 10am to 6pm, Fri: 10am to 10pm. Tickets from £16. Book here)
Easter Music festivals
Rave of Thrones
Rave of Thrones: Ser Loras Tyrell
Dance your head off (not literally) at the Rave of Thrones in true Westoros style at Bankside Vaults.
Taking to the decks will be Hodor (Kristian Nair) along with Ser Loras Tyrell (Finn Jones) against a a backdrop that includes a castle seige light show and plenty of Dothraki warriors, citizens of Dorne and Unsullied to dance with (Easter Sunday, Tickets from £20. Book here).
London International Ska Festival
North London is hosting the creme of the Ska scene for its annual Easter weekender, with Bad Manners performing their 40th anniversary show (Thur-Sun: Book tickets here).
Got to a beer festival
The Craft Beer Co
The Craft 100 Beer Festival
The biggest pub beer festival in London returns to Clapham for the bank holiday weekend.
The Craft 100 Beer Festival has free entry and no tokens, you just choose from the 100 beers available and pay by card or cash.
Featured breweries include Beavertown and Brixton Brewery, alongside some great kegs from the likes of Evil Twin and Cantillion.
Liberty Cheesesteak will be cooking up a storm with their authentic Phili Cheesesteaks (Thursday, March 24 to Monday, March 28).
Take afternoon tea
We’ve already put together a list of the some of the best afternoon teas in the UK for you to try over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.
The Fan Museum
The Orangery at The Fan Museum
The Fan Museum in Greenwich is well known for their tea, but this is an extra special Easter Sunday Tea at The Orangery (£12pp).
It’s also their 25th Anniversary, and an excellent excuse to see some of the finest fans in their collection.
ArcelorMittal Orbit
Head over to Stratford for an afternoon tea experience on Bank Holiday Monday. You’ll have traditional tea on the first floor of the Podium Bar & Kitchen, before heading up to the top of the giant Orbit where you can look over London with a glass of Prosecco (12pm to 5pm, £40pp).
ArcelorMittal Orbit
Street Food
Southbank Centre Market
This foodie market is making a return on Good Friday, and is open across the Bank Holiday weekend. Expect the usual artisan produce (Fri: 12pm to 8pm, sat: 11am to 8pm, Sun-Mon: 12pm to 6pm).
Easter cocktails – down the hatch
If you like your cocktails on the sweet side, then you’ve got a week to discover them on the annual Regent Street Easter Cocktail Hunt (Friday, Mar 18 to Sunday, March 27).
14 of Regent Street’s bars and restaurants will offer their own selection of unusual Easter themed cocktails, watch out for the Heddon Street Kitchen’s Honey Bunny or the Crème Egg Mojito at Bentley’s Oyster Bar and Grill to give you a head start.
Bentely’s Oyster Bar & Grill Creme Egg Mojito
If you want to try some pre-Easter cocktail pairing, Barrio Soho has created a Rum and Chocolate Easter tasting for Monday, March 21. El Dorado is providing the rum, while Rococo Chocolate is helping with the sweet stuff at this special event (£2o – book here).
The Cocktail Trading Company Brick Lane has recently opened and you can try their Eggsperimental Cocktail Cup (1 part breakfast brandy, 1 part peach & blood orange, a few leaves of fresh tarragon & 2 parts sparkling wine) this Easter.
Take a walking tour
A springtime wander through the streets of London might be in order this Easter, and you can learn about all things Art Deco over the bank holiday weekend.
Tour guide, Yannick Pucci has three different Art Deco tours (Art Deco in the Strand, Sat: 26, Art Deco in Bloomsbury, Sun 27 & Art Deco in the West End, Mon 28) to choose from, and he promises to uncover the secrets behind some very famous buildings.
If you’d like to learn about other parts of the city, have a read of our best London walking tours to give you a steer.
Art Deco Walk (c) Yannick Pucci
Or go on a day trip
If you fancy escaping from the city – check out our 50 day trip ideas from London – you can discover some new places by car or by train.
Head down to the seaside town of Margate, its less than two hours by train, and visit one of the oldest pleasure parks in the world.
Dreamland (which reopened in 2015 after a major refurbishment) has plenty of nautical-themed events taking place over the Easter period – for the whole family to enjoy, including a special Pirate school (Friday, March 25 to Sunday, April 10).
Dreamland Park entrance © Dreamland-Margate
Essential information for Easter Bank Holiday 2016 in London
For all the latest news and travel, visit the Transport for London website.
If you’re planning on spending more than a day in London, then we have plenty of places to stay.
Remember to check out the weather forecast – If the sun has its hat on you could make time for a bank holiday booze-up in one of these London beer gardens or if the weather is less kind, we have a plenty of ideas for things to do in London when it rains.
Source: lastminute.com