London Weekend Guide: 14-15 November 2026 Events and Changes

Santander Cycles Goes Offline Before the Week Ends

If you rely on the blue bikes to get around, this weekend brings a practical headache. From the evening of Friday 13 November, Santander Cycles will be unavailable until Tuesday 17 November. Transport for London is rolling out a new app with upgraded features, and the old app will stop working once the switch is complete. The bikes return on Tuesday evening, but only if you’ve set up the new app in advance, so it’s worth downloading it and checking your account before the weekend rather than standing at a docking station on Monday wondering why nothing unlocks.

For residents in Richmond, the change matters more than it might seem. Many people use hire bikes for the short hop from the station to the riverside, and a few days without them will push commuters back onto buses or the car. If you’re planning a Sunday ride along the towpath to Kew to see the Christmas lights, consider going by train or planning a walk instead, then picking up a bike once the service is back on its feet.

The pause is also a reminder that small outages can ripple through a neighbourhood. Cafes near docking points lose a few customers, and those running errands by bike have to rethink their routes. Keep an eye on TfL’s official channels for any update on the launch date, since transport timetables can shift at short notice.

Theatre, Art and Festive Pop-Ups Keeping Local Venues Busy

This is a crowded weekend for the stage. Tim Crouch’s experimental play An Oak Tree runs at the Other Palace until 15 November, with a different guest co-star each night. Katherine Parkinson joins on Saturday and Suranne Jones on Sunday, which means the performances are effectively two different shows for anyone willing to see both. Across the river, the musical Sylvia moves from the Old Vic for a short run at the Royal Albert Hall from 13 to 15 November. Beverley Knight plays Emmeline Pankhurst and Naomi Katiyo takes the role of Sylvia, with a score built on hip-hop, funk and soul.

Behind every production is a crew of stagehands, box office staff and front-of-house teams, many of whom work on short contracts. Short runs bring a surge of work and then a sudden gap, which is one reason freelance workers across the capital often juggle invoices and tax returns. Some of them turn to local Hounslow bookkeeping specialists to keep track of irregular income, a service that becomes especially useful as the year closes.

Meanwhile, Miracle has moved to a bigger site on Russell Street in Covent Garden for its return from 9 November to 30 December. Its over-the-top decorations and festive cocktails will likely be a magnet for office parties, and the extra space should ease the queues that built up in previous years. Small hospitality businesses nearby may see the spillover.

What to See Next and How to Plan Ahead

Time is short for a few highlights. Inside Aardman: Wallace and Gromit at the Young V&A marks the studio’s 50th anniversary with models, sets and storyboards from its archives, many never shown publicly before. This weekend is your final chance, so if children or film fans are on your list, book a slot for Sunday rather than leaving it. An Oak Tree also closes on 15 November, so the same advice applies.

Longer runs give you more breathing room. The EFG London Jazz Festival opens its first weekend from 13 November and runs to 22 November, with a Jazz FM live broadcast and performances from Ineza, Faris Ishaq and Chip Wickham. Tate Britain’s exhibition on Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, the Bloomsbury Group’s best-known artistic couple, opens on 12 November and runs until 11 April 2027.

For families, the festive season is well underway. Christmas at Kew lights up the gardens until 3 January 2027, while the Wundrful World of Christmas at Excel runs until 24 December. The free Firefly Festive Forest on Sloane Street, with more than 30 sculpted trees, runs from 12 November to 1 December and is a good option for a budget day out. Book timed entries where they’re offered, travel off-peak, and check opening hours before you set out.

Source: Things To Do In London This Weekend: 14-15 November 2026