As one of London’s most vibrant areas, Shoreditch has lots of exciting cultural and social events taking place all year round, but sometimes people focus so much on the summer that they forget about all the great things to do here in the winter months. Therefore, it seems like a good idea to specifically look at some of the best things to see and do in Shoreditch, as well as wider London, during those months when we are all looking for something to help us fight off the winter blues.
THRIFT
If you are into the latest cutting edge sounds then this new party night at Shoreditch’s Cargo Nightclub will be the ideal way to keep yourself warm this winter. THRIFT will be launching from the 4th of December and is set to take over Tuesday nights at Cargo with a blend of R & B, Hip Hop and Garage tunes. The organisers are promising that the music will be blasted out the way that the artists intended it to be: at full volume, with DJs who prefer to mix the sounds high and who are supported by turbo sound systems that won’t let them down. THRIFT is also set to have an all-night Happy Hour where the drinks are available at reduced prices, as well as special low-price deals on wines, beers and spirits for anyone who brings along their NUS card. They want people to show up in their most colourful and outrageous outfits each week so don’t be afraid to be loud.
Shoreditch Pub Crawl
Maybe you would rather banish the cold of winter and warm yourself up ahead of the festive season by sinking a few drinks – or more than a few! If so then the Shoreditch Pub Crawl is the best way to do so. This trail will be returning on the 7th December and is set to be more epic than ever before, as it will now take in no less than six venues in the local area. If you turn up at the very start you will get a free shot just to get you in the mood and the drinks will be available at special discount prices throughout the rest of the day. Each pub and club featured on the crawl will have entertainment laid on, including live DJs, with the last stop set to be Cargo – entry to which will be free. This crawl has become so popular that it is now a regular, year-round event, so if you’ve never taken it before, this winter is the perfect time to change all that.
888poker LIVE London Festival
Shoreditch is not the only part of London that is hosting exciting events this winter, as Aspers Casino in Westfield Stratford City will be the venue for the 888poker LIVE London Festival between the 23rd November and the 3rd December. It takes just $109 to buy your way into the qualifier event, or a mere $1 if you want to take the longer satellite route to qualification. The festival itself is set to have three winners of the World Series of Poker among its attendees – Martin Jacobson, Scott Blumstein and Joe Cada – and will also be attended by some of 888poker’s own ambassadors. The Main Event Guarantee is a pretty eye-popping $500,000, so this festival is definitely one for those who fancy themselves strong players to test out their skills, as well as to meet some of the professional poker circuit’s best and most talented names.
London Santa Dash
There is no better way to get the festive period underway than by taking part in the annual London Santa Dash. This popular event takes place in cities all over the UK, but the London one gets underway at Crispin Place in Shoreditch on the 5th of December. The basic premise is very simple: everyone taking part is provided with a Father Christmas outfit and enters a race lasting for 5k and following a circular route that brings them back to where they started. All of those who participate are given a drink and a special medal at the finish line and the dash is open to everyone who is aged over 18. You can also choose to take part on your own or put together a team of 10 or less with some of your friends. Beyond having some pre-Christmas fun, the London Santa Dash also has a serious purpose though, as it is all about raising cash for children who live with disabilities.
Youngr
Over the past decade or so, Shoreditch has made a name for itself as one of the best areas in London for live music and this winter is no exception to that. The 19th of January will see multi-instrumentalist and singer Youngr take to the stage of the Village Underground to perform songs such as ‘Out Of My System’ and ‘Lost In Translation’. Youngr is a young man who is on the rise within the music scene, having signed a deal with the prestigious Island Records and built much of his sizeable following through online sites such as YouTube. He comes from a family that has music in its blood, as his father is the singer Kid Creole who had several big hits during the 1980s like ‘Annie I’m Not Your Daddy’. The upbeat tunes that Manchester-bred Youngr crafts will be the perfect tonic to lighten up the dark, post-Christmas days of January.
So as you can see, there will be no shortage of stimulating things to see and do in Shoreditch and the rest of London over the winter period. Hopefully this list has given you plenty of good ideas – making the winter as fun as the summer!
