The Barbican’s amazing array of spaces host theatre, dance, film and music. At the core of the music roster, performing 90 concerts a year, is the excellent London Symphony Orchestra (LSO).

There’s some jazz on the schedule here, but this two-floor club deals more is soul, R&B and hip hop these days. It’s become the first port of call for soon-to-be-huge US acts, such as Mary J Blige, John Legend and the Roots.

The Royal Albert Hall is the world’s most famous stage. Commemorating its 150th anniversary in 2021, it has hosted the A-Z of names from Albert Einstein to Zucchero. It usually hosts almost 400 events even year – from rock, pop and classical music, to dance, films, Cirque du Soleil and even tennis.

This former BBC theatre is a great mid-sized concert venue, holding 2,000 standing or 1,300 seated. The sound is decent (with the exception of the alcove behind the stalls bar) and the staff are lovely.

The O2 arena is home to the world’s most popular music, sport and entertainment events, and so much more. The O2 arena opened in 2007 and in 2019 celebrated it’s 25 millionth ticket sold, alongside being awarded by Billboard as the Venue of the Decade.

The 62,850 capacity stadium opened in April 2019 and is a major landmark for the city and local area.  As well as being the home to the Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, this world-class venue is set to have an exciting year, hosting its first music concerts and welcoming the like of Lady Gaga and Guns N’ Roses.

The much-admired National Theatre is a cultural landmark: no theatrical tour is complete without a visit to this modernist building. The three auditoriums offer a choice of several productions in a single week.

Purpose-built in 1998 on the site of the original 17th-century theatre of the same name, this dazzling complex is home to an impressive line-up of local and international performances. In addition to the main theatre, the smaller Lilian Baylis Studio offers smaller-scale new works and works-in-progress.

This art deco theatre has a rich musical theatre history, having hosted Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard and Love Never Dies and more recently Kinky Boots and Waitress. It is currently home to Back to the Future: The Musical.

The Gillian Lynne Theatre made history in 2018 when it became the first West End venue to be named after a woman, Dame Gillian Lynne. Home to smash-hit sensations including Cats, War Horse, School of Rock the Musical and is home to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new musical, Cinderella.

The London Palladium has been the home of variety for over a century, and to this day delights audiences with its array of acts. Michael McIntyre, Madonna and Dita Von Teese have all graced this world famous stage as well as blockbuster musicals and the annual Pantomime.

The Other Palace is a lively, inventive place; one where bold new ideas are explored, imaginations fired, and the talents of our next-generation of theatre-makers are encouraged, nurtured and celebrated.

London’s creative conservatoire, Trinity Laban is a world-leading organisation for music and contemporary dance education, and the only one of its kind in the UK. Based in the Old Royal Naval College at Greenwich and the Laban building in Deptford, the talented students give regular public performances and recitals.

Expect a superb range of shorts, rarities, double bills and seasons alongside new international releases at this great cinema, which also has a buzzing café, and a decent basement bar.

Cineworld at The O2 is London’s biggest cinema (on the number of seats) with a number of exciting ways to watch a movie. From extreme cinema in 4DX, to a whole night out in one with VIP, the huge Superscreen, or 270-degree ScreenX – you can choose how you want to watch your favourite films.

This neoclassical gem was built in 1847, but Lord Norman Foster’s glass-roofed Great Court wasn’t added until 2000. Star exhibits at the museum include ancient Egyptian artefacts – the Rosetta Stone on the ground floor, mummies upstairs – and Greek antiquities, including the Pantheon sculptures and objects from all world cultures.

This neoclassical gem was built in 1847, but Lord Norman Foster’s glass-roofed Great Court wasn’t added until 2000. Star exhibits at the museum include ancient Egyptian artefacts – the Rosetta Stone on the ground floor, mummies upstairs – and Greek antiquities, including the Pantheon sculptures and objects from all world cultures.

The Museum tells the story of London and its transport system over the last 200 years. 19th century horse-drawn buses, the world’s first Underground railway, early red double-decker buses and famous designs of the Tube map form part of its collection.Exhibitions and galleries look at the link between transport and the growth of modern London, while the Hidden London in-person and virtual tours let visitors discover a secret side of the London transport system and its disused Tube stations.

A cathedral to the Victoria passion for knowledge. As well as the fabled dinosaurs, there are millions of plants, animals, fossils, rocks and minerals. To enter the dramatic Earth Galleries, you pass a giant suspended globe and twinkling image of the star system.

St Paul’s Cathedral, with its iconic dome, is England’s architectural masterpiece and place of national celebration. Enter and explore the Cathedral Floor, Crypt and the famous Whispering, Stone and Golden Galleries with their breathtaking views. Included are touch-screen multimedia guides and scheduled guided tours to join.

Tate Modern’s cavernous Turbine Hall is used to jaw-dropping effect for large scale, temporary installations. The permanent collection draws from a deep reservoir of modern and contemporary art and features works from Matisse,  Kapoor, Bourgeois, Shonibare and the Guerrilla Girls’.

The V&A’s grand galleries contain four million pieces of furniture, ceramics, sculpture, paintings, posters, jewellery and metalwork from across the world. There’s an incredible collection of Italian Renaissance sculpture, along with home-grown treasures such as the Great Bed of Ware, Canova’s Three Graces and Henry VIII’s writing desk.

Experience the public dramas and private lives of Henry Vlll, his wives and children with a day immersed in the Tudor world at Hampton Court Palace. Admire Henry’s Great Hall, explore the infamous Haunted Gallery and Tudor kitchens. Discover the spectacular baroque State Apartments built for William lll and Mary that rival the great palaces of Europe and enjoy the never-ending vistas, courtyards, ornamental gardens and parkland designed to impress all those that visit.

Experience the intimate Kew Palace, home of George lll and Queen Charlotte. Explore Queen Charlotte’s Cottage, a rustic country retreat in the grounds of the gardens and admire the spectacular view from the 163ft tall Great Pagoda. Kew reflects the personal and domestic life of the Georgian kings and queens for much of the 18th century. Today, the interior of this atmospheric palace tells the powerful story of George lll, his mental illness and the members of his family who lived and died there.

The Cutty Sark is the world’s sole-surviving tea clipper, celebrated for her record-breaking passages around the globe. Guests can come aboard and experience what it was like to sail this much-loved national icon. A new audio guide at Cutty Sark has been added to enhance the visitor experience by bringing the story of the ship to life. The guide is available in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese and Russian. The audio guide is included in the cost of entry and takes about an hour to explore all levels of the ship.

The National Maritime Museum is the largest museum of its kind in the world. It appeals to visitors of all ages and is a great addition to any itinerary in Greenwich. The museum is free to visit with the exception of guided tours and special exhibitions.

Buckingham Palace is recognised around the world as the home of His Majesty The King, the focus of national and royal celebrations. Queen Victoria was the first sovereign to rule from Buckingham Palace in 1837 and transformed what was a relatively minor royal residence into a grand stage for state occasions, a symbol of the British monarchy and a national monument. She introduced a number of innovations to the Palace and added the iconic East Front with its famous balcony, which visitors to London love to see and take a photo in front of.