FeaturedGet ready to explore the City of London’s rich array of ancient and modern buildings for free during Open House Festival 2026.
12.09.2026
–
20.09.2026
This article relates to April 2026. To find out about the latest events happening across the City now, you can view our What's On page to search by date and topic.
Spring has officially arrived and with the weather starting to warm up, April is one of the best times to visit the City of London.
From marvelling at blooming flowers to exploring 2,000-year-old Roman London history, here are just some of the fantastic things to see & do this April 2026 in the City.
1. Visit one of Roman London’s most fascinating remains
Beneath the curious old pathways of the City of London lies Billingsgate Roman House and Baths, a rich piece of Roman history surviving 2,000 years of building, fires and bombings and are one of Roman London’s most fascinating remains.
First built around A.D. 150 and then extended a hundred years later, it was occupied right through to the end of Roman London in the early 5th century A.D.
Public tours of the ruins take place on Saturdays between April and November and advance booking is required. This year, tours will start on Saturday 11 April 2026.
Billingsgate Roman House and Baths.
2. Enjoy Easter and spring in the City
If you’re looking for things to do during the Easter half-term holidays, we got you covered, with a number of free activities with children and others that are included in your admission entry to landmarks such as Tower Bridge.
Don’t miss the free Aldgate Egg Hunt or any of our self-guided tours. Pick up you free map from the City Information Centre and enjoy your spring adventure!
Other activities not to miss:
Letters from Londinium (Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 April), a free family day exploring the stories of Roman London, at London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE. Families are invited to explore the Latin alphabet and the origins of early Roman books. Children will craft their own stories inspired by ancient scripts found on artefacts at the site.
Roman London family walk (Thursday 9 April): whilst you’re impatiently waiting for the new London Museum opening towards the end of 2026, why don’t you join one of their guided walks? You’ll discover Roman history on this 60-minute interactive walk for children of primary school age and their families.
Moving Pictures at Tower Bridge (Tuesday 7 April and Saturday 11 April), an interactive drop-in activity inspired by phenakistoscopes – popular 19th-century toys that demonstrated one of the earliest forms of animation. Included in your visit to Tower Bridge. Tower Bridge is located just outside the City of London boundary.
3. Explore the City while cheering on the runners in the London Landmarks Half Marathon (12 April)
London Landmarks Half Marathon (LLHM) will be returning on Sunday 12 April 2026 for its 9th edition, with over 20,000 runners taking part. The event is incredibly special as it is organised by Tommy’s the baby charity, and is a 100% not-for-profit event partnering with 500+ charities. On the day there will be local music and dance acts, historical activations, free guided history tours as well as themed charity cheer stations.
Here are just some of the brilliant activations happening on the day:
- In Guildhall Yard, prepare yourself for gladiator demonstrations, centurion drilling and plenty of fun celebrating Londinium life at a Roman Reception. Plus, don’t miss your chance to grab a selfie with a gladiator.
- In London's Roman Amphitheatre you will have the chance to meet their expert archaeologist to find out everything you ever wanted to know about the Romans, and get your hands on some genuine Roman objects, found in London’s Roman Amphitheatre. Dr Andrew Lane will be on hand to answer your questions and give a unique insight into Londinium in the place where the gladiators once fought! Drop-in sessions @ 10.30 to 11.30am and 12.30 to 1.30pm.
- Listen to live music on the performance stages located within the City of London: on Queen Stage (Queen Street/Queen Victoria Street) and King Stage (King Edward Street) from London Gay Men's Choir, The Midi Music Company and lots more!
- Join a family-friendly and free guided tour on the theme ‘Fabulous Beasts and Other City Animals’ with the City of London Guides.
If you are cheering on your friends or family this year and searching for places to eat there are a variety of restaurants, cafes and bars for all tastes in the City including Zizzi, Pizza Express, Boom Bap Burger and more.
Roman reception at Guildhall Yard during London Landmarks Half Marathon in 2023.
4. Visit London’s Old Temple of Mithras (Tuesday to Sunday)
Did you know there is an ancient Roman temple, hidden underground in the Square Mile? London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE is free to visit and open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm, on Sundays from 12 to 5pm.
And to mark International Women’s Month, head to London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE for a special free late-night tour on Thursday 2 April celebrating the women who helped shape our understanding of Roman London.
Led by Sophie Jackson, a leading archaeologist from Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA), this exclusive tour explores the two excavations that defined the site — from the post-war discovery of the Temple of Mithras to the more recent digs that unearthed the Bloomberg collection of 14,000 Roman artefacts.
Inside the London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE – Photo Lizzie Fettes
5. Explore these gardens to soak up a bit of spring sun
If you’re looking to soak up the spring sun, follow our guide to the best parks and gardens in the City: why not dine al fresco on the sunken lawn at Festival Garden next to St Paul’s Cathedral, step into a secret garden in church ruins at St Dunstan in the East or visit an indoor tropical oasis at the Barbican Conservatory.
This month you will be able to see City Gardens and green spaces bursting with colourful flowers including perfect pink cherry blossom in Aldgate Square and other locations (early April); creamy-pink magnolias in St Mary Aldermanbury Garden (early April), and bright red and pink tea peonies in Cleary Garden (from mid April). With 180 green spaces across the City, there’s a wide range of places to explore and relax.
Cleary Garden © City of London Corporation
6. Attend one of these free Gresham College lectures
Gresham College has been providing free, public lectures since 1597 when Sir Thomas Gresham founded the college to bring the ‘new learning’ to Londoners. Most lectures take place at Barnard's Inn Hall. This month, you can attend:
Music of the Mind (Wednesday 15 April): this lecture explores whether music is a fleeting illusion—or the key to understanding the mind itself. It is hosted by Professor Milton Mermikides, Gresham College's Professor of Music. Taking place at LSO St Luke's is located on Old Street, outside the City of London boundary.
The Dictionary City: Londoners and the Oxford English Dictionary (Thursday 16 April). This lecture by Professor Sarah Ogilvie, author of The Dictionary People, tells the fascinating stories of some of the hundreds of Londoners who helped create the world's largest English dictionary.
The Science of Puppetry – How Real Can They Be? (Thursday 23 April): in this joint lecture, Gresham Professor of Physic Robin May and renowned designer/model maker/puppet builder Steve Allen (The Jim Henson Company, Gerry Anderson Entertainment, Puppets Marionettas) discuss the science that goes in to bringing puppets to life, what our interactions with puppets mean for our understanding of human emotions, and how we may be able to use puppets to help tackle some of society’s most pressing challenges.
Photo GCShutter
7. Head to the iconic Leadenhall Market for its Weekend Markets (Saturday 11 and Sunday 19 April)
On Saturday 11 April, SoLo Craft Fair will see a carefully selected independent artists and makers set up their stalls on the cobbled walkways of Leadenhall Market.
And on Sunday 19 April, the Vintage Furniture & Flea Market will bring mid-century furniture, antiques, retro homeware, lighting, rugs and one-off pieces that add character and unique flair to homes.
While you're visiting the market, you can refuel between stalls with a growing mix of restaurants, cafés, pubs and wine bars open across market weekends. Markets open from 12 to 5pm, entry is free.
Leadenhall Market's Weekend Markets
8. Visit the exquisitely restored Barts North Wing
Home to the magnificent historic interiors of the Great Hall and Hogarth Stair, designed by architect James Gibbs as part of his redesign of St Bartholomew’s Hospital in the 1730s, Barts North Wing can be visited for free every Monday and Tuesday, and the first Sunday of every month.
You can also join a guided tour (£10) on Friday 6 April (first at 10am and second one at 1pm) or on Tuesday 14 April at 10am. Find all events at Barts North Wing.
The Hogarth Stair at Barts North Wing. Photo © Matthew Andrews
9. Explore the free temporary exhibitions at the Hypha Galleries
Located in the unmissable post-modern building at No 1 Poultry, the three Hypha Galleries offer a programme of free, monthly exhibitions until September 2026. You can visit until 18 April:
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead (Gallery 1): envisioning the possibilities of animal resistance against human abuse, this exhibition invites audiences to consider the lives of animals as sentient beings capable of communication, organisation and even vengeance. Wednesday to Saturday, 11am to 6pm.
Metafictions of Post-Post-Postmodern (Gallery 2): curated by Louis Pohl Koseda, the recent Christie’s Award winner, the show features over 20 groundbreaking new artists living and working in London. Deconstructing the City of London’s physical, public, market architecture artists engage with postmodernist deconstruction theory, the philosophical approach developed by Derrida. Wednesday to Saturday, 12 to 7pm.
Wicked Painting (Gallery 3): bringing together eight emerging artists whose work traverses personal mythology, dark humour, the monstrous, and the liminal, the exhibition the layered meaning of “wicked” – at once alluring and transgressive, potent and possessed. Thursday to Sunday, 12 to 6pm.
Promotional Poster for the 'Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead' exhibition
10. Choose one of the daily guided walks by the City of London Guides
Every day of the week, the official City of London Guides organise fascinating themed tours, from Roman London to riverside wanderings or exploring Secrets and Symbols of the City!
Most of the daily walks start from the City Information Centre, just south of St Paul's Cathedral.
The City Information Centre located by St Paul's Cathedral.
11. Don’t miss these other exhibitions happening in the City
Jock McFadyen with Jem Finer: Underground (and Surface) Exhibition at Guildhall Art Gallery: step into the sensory world of London’s Tube in Guildhall Art Gallery's immersive exhibition by Jock McFadyen RA and Jem Finer of The Pogues. Open daily, 10am to 5pm.
Londoners on Trial: Crime, Courts and the Public 1244-1924 at the London Archives. From the medieval period to modern times, London’s history has been filled with the stories of criminals, victims and law enforcers. In this exhibition at The London Archives, you will examine how the growing city was governed, and Londoners’ enduring fascination with true crime. Free entry, Monday to Thursday and one Saturday per month. The London Archives is located in Clerkenwell (between Farringdon and Angel), just outside the boundary of The City of London.
Encounters: Giacometti x Lynda Benglis at the Barbican Art Gallery. Works by contemporary artist Lynda Benglis and 20th century sculptor Alberto Giacometti are displayed together for the first time in this major new exhibition, the third in Encounters: Giacometti. Open Tuesday to Sunday, late hours on Thursday and Friday.
Beatriz González at the Barbican Art Gallery: the first UK retrospective of the groundbreaking Colombian artist, whose bold work explores the power and impact of the images we encounter every day. Open Tuesday to Sunday, late hours on Thursday and Friday
"Turpin clearing Hornsey toll gate, to the surprise of his pursuers!!" from 'Londoners on Trial: Crime, Courts and the Public 1244-1924' at the London Archives
12. Visit a brand-new installation by artist Claudia Fontes
Brighton-based artist Claudia Fontes created an art installation, ‘Glasshouse Stories', exploring the hidden lives of plants and the complex relationships between nature, history and migration.
The exhibition is inspired by the recent relocation of plants from Kew Gardens’ historic Palm House to a new sustainable home - a moment of transition that reflects how plants, like people, move across places and cultures.
The installation was selected as the winning proposal from an open commission organised by Brookfield Properties and AWITA, supporting new sculptural work by women artists in public spaces.
Visible for free at 100 Bishopsgate, Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm.
Copyright Claudia Fontes. Photo: Brookfield Properties
13. Enjoy a fabulous steak night at 1 Lombard Street (every Friday)
On Fridays from 3pm, the iconic 1 Lombard Street, located in a striking Grade II-listed former banking hall in the heart of the City, welcomes good meat lovers for a steak night: a butcher’s cut steak, served with peppercorn and béarnaise sauce, plus bottomless fries that keep coming, all for £27.
If you’re more up for a Saturday City experience, check out their bottomless brunch!
Photo Joe Howard @jwhowardphoto
14. Join a fascinating and free lunchtime talk at the London Centre (every Friday)
Join the NLA for a free lunchtime talk every Friday from 12:30 to 1pm at The London Centre to learn about London’s historical and physical development, brought to life through giant model of central London and The City of London model and accompanying exhibitions.
Free lunchtime talks take place every Friday at the London Centre.
15. Attend lunchtime concerts by Simon Crawford-Phillips and friends at LSO St Luke’s
In April and May, pianist and conductor Simon Crawford-Phillips is inviting you to a series of three BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concerts at LSO St Luke’s (outside the City of London boundary).
Vers la vie nouvelle (Friday 10 April): a programme of captivating French music from a century of rapid change: towards a new life – and a new sound.
Rebecca Clarke – A Musical Odyssey (Friday 17 April): Rebecca Clarke’s celebrated Viola Sonata sets the scene for some thrilling, sensuous music by her European contemporaries in this ingenious programme.
Bach/Kurtág and Schubert (Friday 1 May): wit and grandeur from Schubert, and intimate refinement in Kurtág’s arrangements of Bach in a joyful celebration of the piano duet.
Simon Crawford-Phillips. Photo by Matthew Johnson.
16. Visit the Garden at 120 – it’s free!
At 15 storeys up, The Garden at 120 offers exceptional 360-degree views of the City and greater London. It’s free to visit and no booking is required – unless you’re coming with a group of 12 people or more!
The Garden was designed by German landscape architects Latz + Partner and is home to 85 Italian wisteria trees, over 30 fruit trees and a 200ft-long flowing water feature.
The Garden at 120 is located atop the Fen Court building at 120 Fenchurch Street.
Photo Credit: City of London Corporation
