London is a different city once the sun goes down. The offices empty, the river turns to glass, and a quieter, older side of the capital comes into view. If you are searching for things to do in London at night, the best answers are rarely the obvious ones. This guide counts down six unusual things to do in London after dark, from a late-evening train ride to a ceremony that has locked up a royal fortress every night for centuries.

The short answer: ride the Night Tube, walk beneath historic gas lamps, watch the skyline from the Sky Garden, hear live jazz in Soho, see Tower Bridge lift for a tall ship, and witness the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London. Several of them are free, which makes this a good list for anyone looking for free things to do in London at night.

This article accompanies our video, London After Dark. Watch it below, then read on for the details, the history and the practical information you need to plan each stop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3NdUsIBcfY

6. Ride the Night Tube

The first of our things to do in London after dark is also the simplest: take the Underground when it used to be closed. The Night Tube began running on Friday 19 August 2016, starting with the Central and Victoria lines. The Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines followed before the end of that year, which gave the city a late-night rail network for the first time in its history.

The service runs on Friday and Saturday nights only. It was suspended in March 2020 during the pandemic, returned in stages from November 2021, and was fully restored by July 2022. Because the schedule can change, check the Transport for London journey planner before you travel. For anyone wondering what to do in London after midnight, a late train across the city is one of the most affordable options, and it gives you a very different view of the capital than the daytime rush.

5. Walk Beneath London’s Gas Lamps

Long before electric light, London was lit by gas. The first public demonstration took place in Pall Mall in 1807, when the inventor Frederick Winsor lit the street to celebrate the birthday of King George III. By the end of 1813, Westminster Bridge was lit by gas as well, and the idea spread quickly through the city.

Remarkably, around 1,300 gas lamps still work in London today. A group of four on Russell Street in Covent Garden is now Grade II listed, which protects them as part of the nation’s heritage. A slow evening walk through the streets of Westminster and Covent Garden is one of the best free things to do in London at night, and it costs nothing but a little time.

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4. See the Skyline From the Sky Garden

The Sky Garden sits at the top of 20 Fenchurch Street, the skyscraper Londoners nicknamed the “Walkie-Talkie.” It is a three-level garden and viewing gallery with sweeping views of the Thames, and it is free to enter. That makes it one of the best free things to do in London at night, with one condition: you must book in advance.

Free tickets can be booked up to three weeks ahead and are released on a rolling basis, so plan early. Visits are limited to one hour, and you should bring photo identification. Opening hours have been listed as 10 am to 6 pm on weekdays and 11 am to 9 pm at weekends, which means a true evening visit is most realistic on a Saturday or Sunday. Always confirm the current hours on the official booking page before you go.

3. Hear Live Jazz in Soho

London after dark has always had a soundtrack, and few places have shaped it like Ronnie Scott’s. The club was founded in 1959 by two saxophonists, Ronnie Scott and Pete King, in a basement on Gerrard Street. In 1965 it moved to its present home at 47 Frith Street in Soho, where it remains one of the most famous jazz clubs in the world.

Over the decades its stage has hosted legends such as Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone and Chet Baker. Tickets and programmes vary by night, so check the club’s website for the current schedule. It is not a cheap evening, but for anyone who wants fun things to do in London at night that are also steeped in music history, it is hard to beat.

2. Watch Tower Bridge Lift

Tower Bridge opened in 1894, and its two roadways, known as bascules, still rise to let tall ships pass beneath. In its first year the bridge was lifted 6,194 times. Today the number is far smaller, but it still happens several hundred times a year, and the lift times are published online a few days in advance.

Watching a lift is free from the public areas around the bridge, so it ranks among the cheap things to do in London at night. Check the published schedule, choose a lift that falls in the evening, and arrive a little early to find a good spot along the river.

1. Witness the Ceremony of the Keys

Our number one is the most unusual thing to do in London at night: the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London. Every evening, the Tower is formally locked up in a ritual billed as 700 years old, although its exact origins are uncertain. The ceremony is said to have carried on through the Second World War, even after a bomb fell on the Tower.

Visitors are admitted at 9:30 pm sharp, and late arrivals are turned away. The ceremony ends at about 10:05 pm, after which guests are escorted out. Photography is not allowed. Tickets are limited to six per applicant and are released in monthly batches, usually on the first working day of the month, so they go quickly. Ticket prices are set by Historic Royal Palaces, so check the official booking page for the current cost.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best free things to do in London at night?

Three on this list cost nothing: walking beneath the gas lamps, watching Tower Bridge lift, and visiting the Sky Garden, which is free but requires advance booking.

What is there to do in London after midnight?

The Night Tube runs on Friday and Saturday nights, so it is the most practical way to get around after midnight. Most of the other attractions here finish earlier in the evening.

How late are things open in London?

It varies. The Ceremony of the Keys ends at about 10:05 pm, the Sky Garden has listed weekend hours until 9 pm, and live music venues such as Ronnie Scott’s run into the late evening. Always confirm current times before you travel.

What are some unique things to do in London at night?

The Ceremony of the Keys, a lifting Tower Bridge and the city’s surviving gas lamps are among the most distinctive. All three are rooted in centuries of London history.

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