OFFICIAL GUIDE 2013 - London & Partners

Events, entertainmentand attractionsThe year ahead will be awash with anniversaryevents, providing exceptional choice forentertaining clients or planning a visit.2013 marks a special milestone for severalBritish icons including Queen Elizabeth II –London will celebrate once again, as 2 Junemarks 60 years since the Queen’s formalcoronation in 1953 at the age of just 26.The ‘greatest flower show on earth’ atChelsea celebrates its centenary from 21to 25 May, while October marks 50 years sincethe National Theatre Company opened at theOld Vic theatre.A Jack The Ripper guided walking tour will be apopular choice throughout 2013 as it has been125 years since this infamous serial killer stalkedthe alleyways of east London.The Shard, will open its viewing platform,The View from The Shard, in 2013. Visitorswill have exhilarating 360-degree views for40 miles across London.Venture into a tiger’s lair at ZSL LondonZoo’s new flagship exhibit, Tiger Territory, whichopens in April. Visitors will be immersed in anunforgettable sensory experience as they getup close to the animals.Key sporting dates for the diary include 21 Aprilfor the Virgin London Marathon and 25 May forthe UEFA Champions League Final at WembleyStadium. An exciting new series of events willtake place on the weekend of 3 and 4 August2013 – RideLondon, for amateur, club and worldelite cyclists. There will be a family fun ride aroundLondon’s iconic landmarks, and a 100-mile roadrace for 20,000 amateur and professional cyclistsbeginning at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park,and following much of the 2012 Games cycleroad race route.The much anticipated Spice Girls musicalViva Forever! written by comedienne JenniferSaunders runs throughout the year at thePiccadilly Theatre, while at the LondonPalladium in June, the musical of Roald Dahl’sCharlie and the Chocolate Factory will haveits world premiere.Museums and galleriesLondon’s eclectic portfolio of museums andgalleries always has something to offer the visitorlooking to while away a few hours or the incentivegroup in search of cultural stimulation.Making a welcome return in July will be theImperial War Museum, which has undergone atransformation that will allow it to display larger,more significant collections. The first exhibitionto coincide with the museum’s reopening will beHorrible Histories: Spies.The Royal Academy is celebrating the careerof Edouard Manet from 26 January to 14 April.Manet: Portraying Life will feature more than50 paintings and a selection of pastels.Meanwhile, Roy Lichtenstein at the Tate Modern willbe the first full-scale retrospective of this artist inover 20 years, running from 21 February to 27May. Over at Tate Britain, a reappraisal of Lowry fora new audience will take place with Lowry and thePainting of Modern Life, from 25 June to 20 October.The National Gallery will explore Vienneseportraiture during the Austro-Hungarian Empirefrom May until November, but before then thegallery will showcase one of the most talentedartists of late 16th-century Italy, Federico Barocci.Barocci: Brilliance and Grace will open on 27February and include work never before seenoutside Italy.TransportAn investment of £20 billion has upgraded theLondon Underground system, making it one ofthe safest and most efficient city-centre transportsystems in the world.An £80 million investment to improve theDocklands Light Railway (DLR) network hasbeen spent on line extensions, new stations and55 new railcars to boost capacity. Stratford, themain gateway station to the Olympic Park, alsoreceived investment to boost its capacity. Today, 10different rail routes serve this part of east London,including the new high-speed train fromSt Pancras International (a seven minute journeytime), making it one of the most connected partsof the capital.Also in East London, London’s first cable carEmirates Air Line opened in 2012, linkingNorth Greenwich and Royal Victoria, whileoffering amazing views.Arriving in London is simple. Gatwick Expressruns four trains an hour to and from Victoriastation, the journey time is 30 minutes.(clockwise from top left):Regent Street shopping,ME London, Westfield StratfordCity, The National GalleryLondon Guide 2013 7