Things to do in London for your Birthday

Our guide to celebrating your birthday in the capital!

Published: July 18, 2024
things to do in london for birthday

Do you remember the day you were born? Probably not, and that's for the best. Gruesome. However, you probably do know when you were born. And, chances are you even celebrate that day every year in the form of a birthday. We humans are strange creatures, celebrating a day when we did absolutely nothing. Really, our birthday celebrations should be enjoyed by our mothers, who put all the work into that fateful day. But who cares about mothers? Let's celebrate birthdays like they're our achievements! Are you spending your birthday in London and wondering what fun things to do? Well, wonder no more. Leave your mother at home and try out one of these things to do in London for your birthday!

Including:

  • Boozy beer tour
  • Escape rooms
  • Embarrassing karaoke
  • Rooftop drinks
  • Swing for the nine's
  • and more!

Brewery tour with a tipple

Things to do in London for your Birthday

If you have a penchant for the amber nectar, why not kick your birthday off with a trip to where it all began. In a manner of speaking. Fuller's is one of Britain's best-known ale makers, with their brews a mainstay of pubs across the country. So, why not take a tour of Griffin Brewery, Fuller's official home? You'll get a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the brewing process, learn about the brewery's 350-year history, and learn about the different ales they create and what inspires each new flavour. And, perhaps best of all, you'll join a tasting session at the end so that you can celebrate in style.

Escape Rooms

Things to do in London for your Birthday

In celebration of your big day, why not get your heart pumping and your mind racing? We're talking escape rooms, those cunning challenges that pit you and your friends against the clock, and some fiendish puzzles. Lucky for you, London is full of the crafty activities! If you're a winter baby and the weather is looking a little glum, try an indoor escape room like AIM Escape in East? This atmospheric escapade will have you watching video messages, solving riddles, and escaping a themed room of your choosing before the time runs out and you're trapped forever. Or, at least until they unlock the doors and you exit, tail firmly between your legs.

Want to combine your escape experience with a little tipple? Check out The Grid near Blackfriars Bridge. This clandestine challenge pits you and your friends against Neosight, an evil company that's keeping a nefarious AI under wraps. Go undercover as new employees, mix your own cocktails, and beat the evil AI at its own game. Then, take a breather in the underground bunker, where you'll have another cocktail too. Or, if the sun is shining, why not try something more outdoorsy like Urban Missions? This thriller takes place entirely through WhatsApp, as you and your team must solve clues throughout London and stop an unknown threat to the city.

Karaoke

Things to do in London for your Birthday

Need to flex your vocal cords to ring in the birthday celebrations? Why not try your hand at some karaoke, and show your friends how truly awful you are at singing? Thankfully, there are plenty of places to go and embarrass yourself in London! You'll find a number of Lucky Voice venues dotted about the capital, where you can book a private room for you and your friends, pick your tunes, eat some pizza, and drape yourself in accessories as you sing the night away. Or, head to the bar and mix it up with some more public karaoke in front of the inebriated patrons. Or, if you want something more off the beaten path, try Brazen Monkey Karaoke in Central. Twice nominated for Bar of the Year at the London Lifestyle Awards, this funky joint has private booths, 60,000 songs to choose from, and Spanish tapas to tuck into if you're feeling peckish.

Rooftop Bars

Things to do in London for your Birthday

Feel like soaking up some rays and sipping on some drinks to make your birthday feel extra special? Why not hit one of London's many rooftop bars? Want to add a little action to your rooftop experience? Check out Skylight. They have a load of drinks options and tables to sit and lounge, plus there are croquet and bouls fields available if you want to throw or put a ball or two. Or, if you're looking for a more party-first vibe, head over to Brixton Beach. This beach-themed rooftop bar has blasted tunes with makeshift dancefloors, pop-up bars and restaurants, and plenty of space to sit, stand, and party. Combine all of that with the bed of sand beneath your feet, and you'll quickly forget you're in the city. That is, until you have to go home.

A round of mini-golf

Things to do in London for your Birthday

Fancy working on your swing this birthday? Why not head to the green and put up a storm in the comfort of the inside. Again, as with many of these picks, there are a lot of places you can go and swing that club in London. Swingers mixes a roaring '20s aesthetic with nine holes of delightful mini-golf action, where you'll put them balls under well-known landmarks like the London Eye. Then, when your scoresheets are filled and your debts settled, you'll find delicious food and drinks from the likes of Patty & Bun and Breddos. Easily one of the best things to do in London for your birthday. Alternatively, check out the neon-drenched Junkyard Golf Club. Or, if the sun's out and you want to make the most of it, Plonk in Hackney.

Game night

Things to do in London for your Birthday

And finally, let's end this cavalcade of comedy with a little game. A game of bingo, to be exact. That's right, your gran's favourite past-time has now been given a modern, gentrified reimagining. Nothing is safe! We came for their golf. We came for their darts. It was only a matter of time before bingo got the big city makeover. And none are more awe-inspiring than the neon-soaked, Tokyo-inspired Hijingo. A technological extravaganza of LED lights, floor-to-ceiling graphics, and a thumping soundtrack, it's like bingo on drugs. To accompany your retro future experience, you'll find eastern-inspired bits, cocktails aplenty, and one of the best things to do in London for your birthday!

And that's our list of the best things to do in London for your birthday! Make the most of your time in the capital by grabbing a London attraction pass and saving while you sightsee!

Dom Bewley
Go City Travel Expert

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A canal boat and bridge in London's Little Venice
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Things to do in Angel London

The north London neighborhood of Angel manages to do something most city areas aren’t able to – successfully combine the stylish with the down to earth. This is what has made pretension-free Angel a magnet for creatives from British television stars to chart topping acts. Named after a now-lost pub – The Angel Inn – this part of London may lack the big ticket attractions like St Paul’s Cathedral and The View from the Shard but you miss out on Angel at your peril. Why? Just take a look at these top things to do in Angel London and the surrounding area! Regent’s Canal Reappearing in Angel after disappearing under the streets of north London for around half a kilometer, Regent’s Canal slips silently through the neighborhood close to several small community parks and gardens. Footpaths and sidewalks follow it all the way to its eastern end at Limehouse but even the shortest walk gets you under the skin of this well-to-do yet still quirky part of London. What’s more, with plenty of pubs on the route there are various options for enjoying views of the tranquil canal side and some conversation over a pint. Upper Street Vying against Caledonian Road to be Angel’s most desirable address, Upper Street is more than a main thoroughfare. Stretching north from Angel Underground station, it’s often the first road in the neighborhood visitors see, and doesn’t disappoint. If you’re hungry there’s a world of options to choose between, with Mexican, Vietnamese, modern British and European cuisine just some of the choices. But if shopping is more your bag, there’s also plenty you won’t find anywhere else thanks to the independent boutiques of what Charles Dickens once called the ‘devil’s mile’. Emirates Arsenal Stadium Soccer fans can get their fill of the action with an Emirates Arsenal Stadium Tour. Having been one of north London’s top teams for more than a century, there’s certainly a lot to take in at The Arsenal’s new 60,000 seater stadium. As well as standing pitch side you’ll have a chance to take in the exhibits and nostalgia of yesteryear at the club museum. Renovated in 2016 and updated with the latest achievements and important signings, the only way better to get a sense of what the club means to the area is to return on the day of a big match. Little Angel Theatre Performance spaces aren’t hard to come by in Angel, with even the local library doubling up as a live music venue. However, few are able to charm its audiences quite as well as the Little Angel Theatre. One of the top things to do in Angel London with children, this puppet theater is aimed primarily at under 12s. Basing many of its productions on children’s books old and new, it also hosts various fun days and clubs to get kids away from their screens and thinking creatively. Postal Museum ‘Going postal’ may be slang for having an angry outburst, but its origins surely have nothing to do with the Postal Museum, covering everything from the world’s first pre-paid postage stamp – the penny black – to how a modern letter can get from A to B in under 24 hours. The highlight of any visit has to be a ride of the mail train. A network of underground tracks entirely independent of the Tube, this miniature railway was once a vital cog in the postage chain. Today it provides visitors with 20 minute rides beneath the streets of Angel. Union Chapel If you’ve been brought up with the sober singing of the Church of England it can initially feel a little strange heading to a functioning church to see a band. Hear the notes bubble around the vaulted ceilings and you’ll soon understand why this has become a leading live music venue despite its relatively small size. Elton John, Patti Smith and Beck have all performed here in the past, with ticket sales going to the structures upkeep and charitable foundations. Sadler’s Wells Another performance space with an incredible pedigree, Sadler’s Wells has existed in various forms since 1683 – the current 1500 seater auditorium is the sixth to bear the name. Although predominantly known for ballet, the company welcomes in many of the world’s top dance troupes as well as performing its own productions, meaning its possible to enjoy a night of everything from Andalusian flamenco to local break dancers. Camden Passage Turn off of Upper Street and into Camden Passage and you’ll go back a couple of centuries to Georgian London in a pedestrianized road that has managed to survive the ravages of redevelopment and the Blitz to become an area so well known for its antiques dealers it rivals Portobello Road. Whilst some of the former antiques stores have been turned into galleries, cafés and clothing boutiques this only increases the reasons to make this one of the things to do in Angel London. Plus, there are still more than enough antiques available at the covered Pierrepoint Arcade Market on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays to complement the Thursday and Friday bookstalls. Victoria Miro Gallery Situated in a former warehouse space beside Wenlock Basin – a dead end in Regent’s Canal – the Victoria Miro Gallery is one of London’s small private galleries. No less impressive because of that, its focus is on contemporary art. Representing both established and new faces from around the world, it’s a place where you can see works by the likes of Chris Ofili and Grayson Perry – both Turner Prize winners – even if you have no intention of buying. Discover London’s Angel with Go City With its independent spirit and pubs lining Regent’s Canal, London’s Angel neighborhood has a very different vibe to Greenwich or the areas around the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. From antiquing to stadium tours the things to do in Angel London are many and varied as we’ve hopefully shown. Travel with Go City and you can take advantage of all this diversity and make huge savings on entry to many of London’s top attractions! Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for all the latest.
Ian Packham
A typical Mayfair Street scene
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Things to do in Mayfair London

Mayfair is one of London’s most upmarket neighborhoods. Just mentioning its name will probably bring to mind high-end shopping and extravagant meals to any Londoner, whilst anyone who’s played the London version of Monopoly will know Park Lane is a dangerous square to land on. Located in the leafy West End between two royal parks and two of London’s main shopping streets, many of its properties were once the London townhouses of the British aristocracy. Although you may want to indulge if you visit, you certainly don’t have to spend big to enjoy all the things to do in Mayfair London, as you’re about to find out! Seek out a bargain There are two forms of shopping that take place in Mayfair – the real kind and the window kind. Despite its high-end reputation, Mayfair does allow those on more modest budgets than the Duke of Westminster (one of the UK’s richest men) to enjoy the thrill of picking up the latest must have item. Oxford Street runs along the neighborhood’s northwestern boundary and has most of the main high street shops as well as Selfridges’ flagship store. Turn onto Regents Street and the ambience seems to rise another notch. The two big names to look out for here are Hamleys and Liberty. Very different in their target markets, Hamleys is the world’s oldest and largest toy shop, with seven floors and 50,000 items of stock. The mock Tudor edifice of Liberty meanwhile has been at the center of the arts and crafts scene – promoting individual handmade items – since it first opened in 1875. Mixed-use Shepherd Market was the site of the original May fair from which the neighborhood takes its name. Its current buildings date from the 1860s and contain deli-like food stores alongside antiques emporia, restaurants and pubs. But if one single location in Mayfair speaks of decadence and extreme luxury it’s Burlington Arcade, whose storefronts manage to maintain an essence of the covered walkway’s origins in 1819, whilst Old and New Bond Streets coming a close second with their pick of designer brands. Soak up Mayfair’s cultural side Predating Burlington Arcade by a couple of generations is the Royal Academy of Arts (RA) in Burlington House next door. The oldest institution of its kind anywhere in the world, it regularly hosts exhibitions, most notably its Summer Exhibition, which sees its walls packed frame to frame with works of original contemporary art submitted by the public. One of London’s top private museums, the Handel House Museum on Brook Street has recreated the rooms in which the German-born composer created many of his most influential works including those still used in coronation ceremonies and his oratorio Messiah with its Hallelujah chorus. From time to time the museum also celebrates Jimi Hendrix, who lived in the neighboring property some 200 years later. If science and engineering are more your thing, don’t miss the Faraday Museum. Located in the basement laboratory where the scientist conducted many of his experiments on electricity, it contains instruments the great man used as well as various awards he received for his research. Alternatively, you can honor Faraday by taking a seat at one of the screens of the Curzon Mayfair Cinema and make the most of his achievements with a bucket of caramel popcorn. Picnic in its open spaces When the weather’s playing ball there may be nowhere better in Mayfair than Hyde Park, whose footpaths and cycleways form one of central London’s largest green spaces. They are connected together by various memorials and monuments, whilst also incorporating the Serpentine Lake, Kensington Gardens and Kensington Palace as its major attractions. At its northernmost tip – somewhat forgotten about – stands Marble Arch. The main entrance to Buckingham Palace until the horse-drawn carriages got too big, it was moved in 1851 close to the site of Tyburn Tree – one of the city’s traditional places to publicly hang criminals. A spot without such a grisly history is Berkeley Square. Pronounced ‘Barclay’ and made famous by the 1940 tune A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square, the shade cast by its 200 year old London plane trees makes it a pleasant spot to relax on its benches surrounding by some of the capital’s most impressive private homes and what’s said to be London’s most haunted house at number 56. Have an afternoon tea to remember Mayfair has some of London’s oldest and most-prestigious hotels, many of which are open to non-guests looking to celebrate their time in the UK capital with the most British of mealtimes – afternoon tea. Opening its doors in 1837, Brown’s flies a little under the radar, but has a history which includes visits from Queen Victoria, Agatha Christie and Theodore Roosevelt as well as being the location of the country’s first telephone call. Claridge’s foyer and reading room is another popular afternoon tea destination, where the scones, finger cakes and petite sandwiches match perfectly with the art deco surrounds and the sound of a live pianist. For foodie souvenirs you can take back home there’s also a number of options. H R Higgins is where the royals get their coffee – although naturally tea tends to be their drink of choice. The Royal Arcade’s Charbonnel et Walker have chocolates and truffles that will win over even the most critical of diners whilst Hedonism Wines has developed a name for itself by bringing in unusual vintages from around the globe. Delve into Mayfair with Go City Known for its exclusivity, Mayfair is more than a playground for the British aristocracy and their modern equivalents. Visit for yourself and you’ll discover there are an array of things to do in Mayfair London, from almost-endless shopping opportunities to afternoon tea. Explore London with Go City and you can visit many of London’s top attractions whilst making huge savings on admission so you don’t need to own a house in the neighborhood to enjoy all Mayfair and beyond have to offer!
Ian Packham

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