Calendar of Events

January

New Year's Day Parade. London's New Year's Day Parade crowns the capital's festive season with 3 hours of pomp and frivolity. Some 10,000 dancers, acrobats, musicians, and performers assemble in the heart of the city every year for a "celebration of nations." More than 400,000 people regularly gather to admire the floats and entertainers that appear in the parade -- arrive early to secure a good spot. From Piccadilly to Westminster. tel. 020/8566-8586. www.londonparade.co.uk. January 1.

January Sales. From the exclusive boutiques of Bond Street to the high-street hulks that dominate Oxford Street, London's shops slash prices for the annual January Sales. Shoppers queue for hours to be first into iconic stores such as Harrods and Selfridges, but further discounting in subsequent weeks means browsing for bargains later in the month can be worthwhile. Throughout the month. (Most sales begin December 26 or 27).

Get into London Theatre. The initiative Get into London Theatre does its best to dispel the gloom of January and lure Londoners from the comfort of their armchairs to the sparkling unpredictability of the capital's West End. Some 50 or so productions, from uplifting musicals to searing dramas, offer significant discounts on tickets until February. tel. 0871/230-1548 to book. www.getintolondontheatre.co.uk. Early January to February.

Chinese New Year. London's large Chinese community welcomes the Chinese New Year with a colorful bang. Energetic parades, traditional acrobatics displays, boisterous lion dances, and musical performances are held in Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square. The New Year celebrations are one of the biggest in the world outside of China, and as dusk falls the crowds descend on Chinatown to feast and drink into the night. tel. 020/7851-6686. www.londonchinatown.org/home. Tube: Leicester Sq. One evening in late January/early February.

February

Kinetica Art Fair. Carnivorous lampshades and pole-dancing robots might sound like elements of a disturbed person's dream, but Kinetica Art Fair displays exactly these sorts of weird exhibits. Held in central London, it's dedicated to the fantastical flourishes and foibles of kinetic, electronic, and new media art. Ambika P3, 35 Marylebone Rd., NW1. www.kinetica-artfair.com. Tube: Baker St. Thursday to Sunday in early February.

Imagine Children's Literature Festival. The Imagine Children's Literature Festival, at the Southbank Centre cultural institute, installs a love of literature in demanding tots and discerning teens. The U.K.'s best contemporary children's writers, storytellers, and illustrators enrapture and enthuse young audiences with readings, discussions, and workshops. tel. 020/7960-4200. www.southbankcentre.co.uk/imagine-childrens-festival. Tube: Waterloo or Embankment. 2 weeks in mid-February.

London Fashion Week. Design stalwarts and precocious new talents unveil their collections to an audience of press and buyers at London Fashion Week, a biannual fashion festival also held in September. It's a frenetic and fabulous program, but unless you're fashion nobility you're unlikely to be let in. Despite that, the hoi polloi can still enjoy London's flair for unconventional design at a raft of slick and sumptuous complementary events and parties across the city. www.londonfashionweek.co.uk. Mid-February and mid-September.

March

St. Patrick's Day Parade. London's huge Irish community gets out the greenery each March to celebrate at the capital's St. Patrick's Day Parade. Colorful floats, a clatter of marching bands, and community groups jig and jostle their way along a packed route that starts at Hyde Park and ends at Trafalgar Square. Official celebrations conclude with Irish musicians performing spirited sets to emotional crowds, as Trafalgar Square's fountains pump out green water. www.london.gov.uk/stpatricksday. Tube: Charing Cross. Sunday nearest to March 17.

London Drinker Beer & Cider Festival. Subtle shows of English eccentricity abound at the London Drinker Beer & Cider Festival in Bloomsbury. A magnet for ale lovers and cider connoisseurs, it celebrates British booze over 3 alcohol-fueled days. Linger over a menu that includes numerous regional brews that are interesting, if not always enticing: Pressed Rat & Warthog is a beer laced with hints of blackcurrant and plum; Steaming Billy's Last Bark is a brew dedicated to a deceased dog. Camden Centre, Bidborough St., WC1. www.camranorthlondon.org.uk/ldbf. Tube: King's Cross. Wednesday to Friday in mid-March.

London Handel Festival. The London Handel Festival celebrates the works of George Frederic Handel and his contemporaries, and is based at his one-time place of worship, St. George's Church in Hanover Square, as well as other locations throughout London, including the Royal Academy, Handel House Museum, and Wigmore Hall. The festival customarily opens and closes with choral services. tel. 01460/53500. www.london-handel-festival.com. Mid-March to late April.

April

London Marathon. More than just a sporting event, the London Marathon is the world's longest street party. Roads along the route come alive with bands, cheering crowds, entertainers, and 30,000 pairs of feet hitting the tarmac along the 26.2-mile course, starting at Greenwich Park and ending on The Mall. www.virginlondonmarathon.com. Sunday in mid-April.

National Gardens Scheme. Londoners open their gardens and homes to the public by partaking in this scheme, which is a nationwide strategy to raise funds for charity. Gardens of quality and character open on set days to botanists, ecologists, and the plain curious. With Londoners' lives so hectic, it's a rare opportunity to meet locals away from the frenetic pace of the city center. tel. 01483/211535. www.ngs.org.uk. Set dates through the year but many gardens start to open from April.

Shakespeare's Birthday. William Shakespeare may not be from London itself -- the Bard was born in Stratford-upon-Avon -- but he remains one of the city's most celebrated literary figures. The Globe Theatre organizes a day of interactive antics and Shakespeare-themed shenanigans. Walks, poetry readings, and performances are designed to appeal to all ages, and are often free. tel. 020/7902-1400. www.shakespeares-globe.org/theatre/shakespearesbirthday. Tube: London Bridge or Mansion House. April 23.

May

Breakin' Convention. Poppers, lockers, breakers, and krumpers come together for this festival at Sadler's Wells theatre every year, for a unique celebration of hip-hop dance. Top talent from London, the rest of the U.K., and abroad lay on nonstop performances, workshops, and demos on stage and in the streets. tel. 020/7863-8214. www.breakinconvention.com. Tube: Angel. Early May.

Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. Forget stuffy auditoriums and enjoy the pleasures of Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. There's little shelter from sudden downpours, but in good weather the repertoire of high drama, musicals, and Shakespeare sparkles under a canopy of blue skies, towering trees, and natural beauty. www.openairtheatre.org. Tube: Regent's Park or Baker St. Mid-May to September.

Chelsea Flower Show. The Chelsea Flower Show is Europe's premier gardening event. Some of horticulture's greatest exponents exhibit imaginative garden designs over a 4.4-hectare (11-acre) site at Chelsea's Royal Hospital, creating a floral wonderland for the public to explore. Visitors can roam through scores of gardens and exhibitions, with the displays showcasing some of the world's finest examples of botanical excellence. tel. 0844/338-7505. www.rhs.org.uk/Chelsea. Tube: Sloane Sq. 5 days in late May.

June

Royal Academy of Arts' Summer Exhibition. The Royal Academy of Arts' Summer Exhibition in London is the world's largest open contemporary art exhibition. Paintings, drawings, and models by many distinguished artists jostle with works by the unknown and the emerging. The exhibition spreads over themed rooms, with separate spaces for invited artists and open submissions, so visitors can easily deduce whether a canvas of blotched figures or indistinguishable squiggles is from a supposed master or an overenthusiastic novice. tel. 020/7300-8000. www.royalacademy.org.uk/summerexhibition. Tube: Piccadilly Circus. Early June to mid-August.

Trooping the Colour. Trooping the Colour is a quintessentially English example of pomp and ceremony, which celebrates Queen Elizabeth II's official birthday and sees central London bedecked in flags and regaled by pageantry. Troupes of troops march along St. James's Park and The Mall, and the Queen herself can be glimpsed enjoying the spectacle as head of the parade by those lucky enough to secure a good viewing spot (be there by 9am). The lottery for seated tickets in Horse Guards Parade is open January to February. Events begin at 10am and there's a fly-past at 1pm. Also listen out for the 41-gun Royal Salute in Green Park at 12:52pm and the 62 Guns at the Tower of London at 1pm. www.royal.gov.uk. Saturday in mid-June.

Wimbledon. Whether Londoners are right to claim it as "the world's greatest tennis tournament" is one thing, but the traditional strawberries and cream and infamous rain delays definitely set Wimbledon apart from other Grand Slam tournaments. Some of the greatest tennis matches of all time have been fought on Centre Court, a short distance from central London. tel. 020/8944-1066. www.wimbledon.org. Tube: Wimbledon Park. Last week June & 1st week July.

Taste of London. London has become increasingly audacious in asserting its status as a culinary capital -- decide if the accolade is deserved at this festival. A 4-day celebration held at Regent's Park, it's attended by dozens of London's top restaurants, all serving delectable sample-sized dishes, and features cooking demonstrations by world-class chefs. www.tastefestivals.com/london. Tube: Regent's Park or Baker St. 4 days in mid-June.

Greenwich+Docklands International Festival. East London erupts every summer at this award-winning festival, London's longest-established outdoor extravaganza. Spectacular shows, encompassing theatre and music, fill spaces along the Thames. Performances can vary from the ostentatious and dramatic to the intimate and serene, but all are open to everybody -- and free. www.festival.org. 10 days in late June to early July.

July

Pride Parade. London's Pride Parade has firmly established itself as the biggest event in the U.K.'s gay party calendar. The carnival atmosphere transforms central London with a flamboyant procession of floats, campaigners, community groups, and drag queens representing the full force of Britain's LGBT community. The parade leaves Baker Street at 1pm and heads via Oxford Street to Trafalgar Square, with stage performers from 3pm. Afterwards Soho becomes one big street party. www.pridelondon.org. First Sunday in July.

The Proms. The BBC Henry Wood Promenade Concerts ("the Proms" for short) at the Royal Albert Hall take over the capital's musical calendar every summer, and can, with some justification, claim to be the world's greatest classical music festival. Over 8 weeks, the majestic venue resounds to dozens of perhaps unexpectedly experimental concerts amid a staple diet of symphony orchestra performances. tel. 020/7589-8212. www.bbc.co.uk/proms. Tube: High St. Kensington or South Kensington. Mid-July to mid-September.

London 2012 Olympic Games. Although the event's logo proved controversial, the collection of new stadia has drawn praise. Now after years of debate and development London finally hosts the Olympics. With the eyes of the world on the city once again, records will be broken, history will be made, and visitors for years to come will remember, "I was there." See below for dates of London 2012 Paralympic Games. tel. 0845/267-2012. www.london2012.com. July 27-August 12, 2012.

August

V&A Museum of Childhood Summer Festival. This event at the V&A provides a child-friendly alternative to England's more raucous summer festivals. Youngsters and their keepers gather in the museum's East London grounds for a summer fete-style program of live music, outdoor performances, and general jollity. tel. 020/8983-5200. www.vam.ac.uk/moc. Tube: Bethnal Green. Sunday in early August.

Notting Hill Carnival. Around a million people throng the pastel-hued streets of West London for the Notting Hill Carnival, Europe's biggest carnival. Fabulous floats make a colorful circuit of the area and sound systems blast out music all day. Sample delicious Caribbean jerk chicken as you savor a soundtrack of calypso, soul, and reggae. tel. 020/7727-0072. www.nottinghill-carnival.co.uk. Tube: Notting Hill Gate. Last Sunday & Monday in August.

London 2012 Paralympic Games. tel. 0845/267-2012. www.london2012.com. August 29-September 9, 2012.

September

London Open House Weekend. Explore the Foreign Office, Mansion House, and other landmark buildings that are normally obscured from public view. You can peek inside around 700 of the capital's most famous buildings and best-kept architectural secrets at the London Open House Weekend, part of European Heritage Days. www.londonopenhouse.org. Weekend in mid-September.

London Design Festival. Londoners aren't shy in claiming their city deserves kudos for its creative flair; judge whether they have justification at the London Design Festival. The capital's premier showcase for the U.K.'s most exciting creative talent, its program of exhibitions, screenings, and workshops across the city reveals the latest developments in British design. www.londondesignfestival.com. 9 days in mid-September.

Mayor's Thames Festival. With free activities all along the Thames between Westminster Bridge and Tower Bridge, this festival offers everything from a carnival procession to live music, art installations, and street theatre. It culminates in a blaze of color with a fireworks display fired from the river itself. www.thamesfestival.org/festival. September 8-9, 2012.

October

Frieze Art Fair. A staggering 68,000 visitors flock to this annual event in a vast marquee in Regent's Park. Top galleries from more than 20 countries take part, between them representing hundreds of exciting established and emerging artists. Start saving, as all the works on show are for sale. tel. 020/3372-6111. www.friezeartfair.com. Tube: Regent's Park or Baker St. 4 days in mid-October.

BFI London Film Festival. With almost 200 films making their U.K. debut at numerous cinemas across the capital, the BFI London Film Festival is the U.K.'s biggest film event. Exclusive red-carpet premieres gather celebrities and garner press interest, and there's plenty for the public to enjoy, with special screenings, film seasons, talks, and workshops all part of the program. www.bfi.org.uk/lff. 2 weeks in mid-October.

November

Bonfire Night Celebration. Foiled in his attempt to blow up London's Houses of Parliament and murder the protestant King James I on November 5, 1605 (in order to replace him with a catholic monarch), Guy Fawkes was executed and the safety of the King celebrated with the lighting of bonfires throughout the country. The tradition continues to this day, with towns throughout England celebrating Bonfire Night around November 5. As darkness descends families gather around a blazing pyre, often with a smoldering effigy of Fawkes as its centerpiece. Children are distracted from the more macabre connotations of the ceremony by hot dogs and toffee apples, and a huge fireworks display to end the evening. See local press for locations of this year's bonfires (Victoria Park, in East London, is a popular destination). On or around November 5.

Lord Mayor's Procession and Show. Be it the Black Death or the Blitz, little has managed to disrupt the Lord Mayor's Procession and Show, which has wound its way round London's streets for almost 800 years. Marking the inauguration of the City of London's new Lord Mayor (not the same office as the Mayor of London), the event's focal point is a parade swaddled in layers of pomp, ceremony, and pageantry. The parade departs 11am from Mansion House to the Royal Courts of Justice, returning at 1pm. Fireworks are at 5pm. tel. 01328/824-420. www.lordmayorsshow.org. Saturday in mid-November.

December

Carols by Candlelight. In an impressive 18th-century-style setting at the Royal Albert Hall, Carols by Candlelight combines traditional Christmas songs with festive music by Handel, Bach, Vivaldi, and Corelli. The Mozart Festival Orchestra play in period costume and special readings accompany the music. tel. 020/7589-8212. www.royalalberthall.com. Tube: High St. Kensington or South Kensington. Thursday evening in mid-December.

New Year's Eve Fireworks. As Big Ben strikes midnight, London rings in the New Year with fabulous fireworks over the Thames. A high-spirited crowd turns out to glimpse the iconic London Eye illuminated and to see rockets blaze skywards from barges along the river. www.london.gov.uk/newyearseve. December 31.