Chiara Wilkinson

No hace falta decir que Europa está llena de sitios increíbles. Pero muchos de estos sitios son también bastante obvios. Venecia, Ámsterdam, la costa amalfitana... sí, son impresionantes. Pero el problema es que todo el mundo quiere ir, lo que significa que muchas de las capitales europeas, hubs culturales y bonitos paisajes están llenos de turistas y con precios desorbitados. Algunos de estos destinos incluso han empezado a decir que quieren que los turistas no vayan. Pero para cada sitio abarrotado de visitantes, hay otros que pasan injustamente desapercibidos: lugares donde puedes pasarte horas sin ver a otro turista, o al menos alternativos a los tradicionales destinos de vacaciones. Así que esto es lo que sugerimos: este verano, evitaos romperos el cuello intentando ver la Mona Lisa. Ahorraos las colas del Vaticano, y viajad a algunos destinos menos conocidos del continente. Desde los Balcanes hasta el Báltico, desde el Atlántico hasta la costa Adriática, hemos reunido a escritores de viajes y expertos locales para descubrir las ciudades infravaloradas de Europa, las islas, regiones, playas, pueblos, lagos y todo de por medio. NO TE LO PIERDAS: Los 10 mejores destinos para viajar el 2023

It’s 2023 and Plastic People and Printworks are things of the past. These days, when you think of genuinely exciting nights out in London, chances are you think of queer nightlife. Nights like Fèmmme Fraîche, Mums Against Donk, House of Trash, Roast, LICK, Boudica, TransVisions, Not OK, Unfold, GutterRING, Queer Rave, 2C Perrea, Technomate, Adonis, Let’s Have A Kiki, UOKHUN, Big Dyke Energy, HOWL, Little Gay Brother, Queer House Party… the list goes on. The landscape is so fantastic and varied that it’s even catering to niche audiences within its own community: Spectrum for neurodiverse people, Hungama for the South Asian demographic, Misery Party for sober queers and Buttmitzvah for queer Jewish people, as well as for music tastes well outside of the mainstream. ‘There’s a lot more [queer] club nights popping up around London,’ says John Nolan, co-owner of The Glory, Haggerston’s beloved queer bar. ‘They’ve got a new, younger, more genderqueer, trans and non-binary audience. The number of venues has reduced, but the queer umbrella has been fully realised.’ Photograph: Roxy LeeINFERNO Meanwhile, parties like Adonis and Unfold have become established names, and former venues have been reincarnated as pop-up nights: The Chateau, which was created in 2018 in the basement of a Camberwell hotel and never reopened after closing for lockdown, made its return after a two-year hiatus as part of Christine and the Queens’ Meltdown festival, with further plans apparently in the works. 

After a long year of waiting and ticket scrambling, Glastonbury is finally back, and boy, did we miss it. With its mix of red-hot fresh talent and massive headline acts like Arctic Monkeys and Elton John, the Worthy Farm music festival is basically Christmas for music lovers.  Lana Del Rey, Lizzo and Carly Rae Jepsen will be playing the festival, in addition to Raye, Fred Again and Blondie. The full line-up has now been confirmed – and although you’ve missed out on your last chance to get your hands on some tickets, there’s still the possibility of watching the whole thing from the comfort of your own sofa.  Whether you have plans to camp at the fabled festival or catch up on TV, here’s everything you need to know about Glastonbury Festival 2023. RECOMMENDED: Everything you need to know about Glastonbury’s secret setsHow to watch Glastonbury 2023 on TV and onlineWhat will the weather be like at Glastonbury this weekend?The best UK music festivals to book for 2023The full Glastonbury 2023 line-up, with all the stage times you need to knowHow to get tickets for Glastonbury 2024 When is Glastonbury 2023? Glastonbury 2023 starts on Wednesday June 21 and runs until Sunday June 25. Most of the music will be on June 23, 24 and 25, so if you’re not lucky enough to be heading to Worthy Farm IRL and you’re watching on the TV instead, those are the dates to pencil in your calendar.  What’s the lineup this year? Glastonbury has now announced the full 2023 line-up, with Queens of the St

The best NYC hotels with pools have solved a very simple equation: best rooftop bars + best swimming pools = an extremely blissful stay. Yeah, this is how to do hotel stays - if only we could do this every day. And since scoring water-filled real estate in NYC is no easy feat, let’s just say certain spots have really elevated their game. Plus, there's nothing better than making those sweltering hot summer temperatures a bit more bearable than a nice cool dip in a rooftop pool, plus a few cocktails on the side wouldn't hurt.  We're gonna give you our list of the best NYC hotels that have amazing pools, enabling you to dive right into jaw-dropping skyline views and poolside summer drinks at the swankiest hotel pools in the city, all with an excellent view, of course. We're talking a 75-foot lap pool, a multi-level sundeck, top dog DJ bookings, and even retractable glass roofs. Spoiler alert: these are great pretty much all year round, so whatever the month, head to these NYC hotels to make a splash. Every day's a vacay.  RECOMMENDED: Full guide to best hotels in NYC Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in every Airbnb featured, we've based our list on top reviews, hosts and amenities to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 

Whatever the time of year, the UK’s beaches are amongst the finest attractions this country has to offer. But it’s in the summertime that those beaches really come into their own. Fresh sea air, soft sand between your toes, thunderously crashing waves and balmy weather? Life simply doesn’t get any better. The UK is home to dozens of drop-dead gorgeous beaches primed for you to explore. From vast, sandy crowd-pleasers conveniently located near dazzling seaside towns to hidden coves accessible only by boat or hike, these islands have it all. Whether you’re after picnic spots, nature-watching or crystal-clear waters that you’d never guess were in the UK, below is our handpicked guide to the UK’s finest beaches. RECOMMENDED:🐚 The most beautiful hidden beaches in the UK🏊 The best wild swimming spots in the UK📸 The UK’s most Instagrammed villages🪂 The best extreme outdoor activity breaks in the UK🚴 The most beautiful bike trails in the UK

Colorado is one of the US’s most unspoiled – and thereby most drop-dead gorgeous –  states. Within its hundreds of thousands of square miles (which, in fact, make it the 8th largest in the union), are cultures and environments aplenty. From the dramatic, towering Rockies to the southwest’s endless desert, Colorado is packed full of incredible landscapes and exciting, adventurous things to do. Fittingly, the state also has no shortage of truly fantastic hotels. After all, once you’ve finished trekking or climbing, there’s nothing quite like putting your feet up in a deluxe pad. From bougie boutique hotels to rustic inns, all the way from Vail and Aspen to Denver, we’ve sorted the best establishments in Colorado for every kind of getaway. Recommended: the best Airbnbs with hot tubs in ColoradoRecommended: the best Airbnbs in ColoradoRecommended: the best restaurants in Colorado Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in every Airbnb featured, we've based our list on top reviews, hosts and amenities to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

Festival season is finally here, and boy are we more ready than ever. We’ve coordinated on the group chats, paid off our tickets and have probably made at least a couple of questionable garm purchases. We’ve dusted off our tents, moaned about the line-up clashes and raised our eyebrows for the third year in a row about how clean Coachella looks (‘where is all of the mud?!’) British music festivals may be messy in comparison – a bit of rain and wind is pretty much guaranteed – but the vibes? The vibes are incomparable. We’d argue Brits do festival season better than anywhere else. Atmosphere aside, the amount of musical variety on offer in this one little island is absolutely mind-boggling. You can glamp at a boutique indie festival, get some guaranteed moshpit action at rock fest Download or rave until the early hours at a 24/7 dance marathon. You could discover the hottest Welsh-language music, boast about how you somehow got tickets to Glastonbury or even surf along to the set list in Cornwall. This year, there are some brand-new festivals too, like a one-day party from NTS Radio and an outdoor camping fest from nightclub Fabric.  Keen to join in the fun? We bet you are. Check out Time Out’s guide to the best UK music festivals for 2023. And if you’re yet to book, you better get a move on.  RECOMMENDED: 🥾 The 15 best places to visit in the UK in 2023😎 The best European music festivals

Sometimes, just sometimes, living in a city that never sleeps can get a little too much. And you know where does sleep? Upstate. NY State is filled with incredible resorts fit for relaxing in once the city has gotten too much. Luckily, upstaters do much more than just snooze. Upstate New York resorts are packed with wonderful activities, from paddleboarding, fishing, and golf, all the way through to wineries, hiking trails, and picturesque apple-picking farms. Plenty of stuff that you just don't really get in the concrete jungle.  There are so many different things to do, all around upstate, that it can be difficult to know how best to spend your time. And once you've had a taste of the chillaxation on offer, you'll surely be back. These are some of our favorite upstate New York resorts, handpicked by our team of experts. We're sure we'll see you soon.  RECOMMENDED: The best Airbnbs in Hudson ValleyRECOMMENDED: The best hotels and B&Bs in Hudson, NY Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in every Airbnb featured, we've based our list on top reviews, hosts and amenities to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

Going on holiday is expensive enough these days, especially if you factor in the price of train tickets and accommodation. Add on the cost of eating out and a few bevvies, and you will probably have spent a small fortune. Luckily enough, there are plenty of delicious restaurants and cafés in Edinburgh that will satisfy your hunger pangs for a pretty reasonable price. From moreish Italian to hearty Indian, fragrant Thai and comforting Scottish cuisine, there is a large handful of nice spots in the Scottish capital that do drool-worthy food for under a tenner – you just need to know where to look. So, if you’re a holidaymaker or a local and you’re looking to fill your bellies without draining the bank, don’t sweat it. Our list of the best cheap restaurants in Edinburgh has it all: all you have to do is dig in and enjoy. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best restaurants in Edinburgh

‘Scran’ is the old Scots word for ‘food’. Historically, it was usually used to refer to food of ‘an inferior quality’, but these days, we’d argue that’s no longer the case. In fact, we can bet you’ll find all sorts of delicious scran to get your teeth stuck into when visiting the Scottish capital – you probably won’t know where to start. Edinburgh’s food and drinks offering is well respected, with a buzzing hospitality scene that attracts some of the best chefs in the country. What’s more, many new, exciting ventures have popped up since the pandemic, offering everything from super-fresh seafood and gorgeous local produce to daring twists on international flavours and innovative plant-based dining.  So whether you want to go all-out with an elaborate Michelin-starred meal or would rather fill up with some loaded focaccia at a mouth-wateringly good sandwich shop, the city has you sorted. Here’s our pick of the top restaurants in Edinburgh, which are all well worth your attention (and bellies) if you’re on a trip up here. RECOMMENDED: The best Airbnbs in EdinburghThe best brunch in EdinburghThe best cheap eats in Edinburgh

When it comes to British islands, Scotland is usually the first place that springs to mind: the Isle of Skye’s fairy pools and rugged mountains or Shetland’s towering cliffs and turquoise waters, for instance. But England is also home to plenty of equally enchanting islands – you just need to know where to look. Journalist Ellie Walker-Arnott (who used to work at Time Out, fyi) has spent years exploring England, from the country’s arty hubs to its dramatic coastlines and ancient monuments. In her new book, ‘Hidden England’, she shines a light on hundreds of fascinating off-the-radar spots. ‘The creation of this book was a joyful reminder that there are always more under-the-radar places to discover in this small but special country,’ she says. ‘Since I finished writing at the end of last year, I’ve continued to discover more places I wish I could have included.’ In this extract from the book, she chooses a handful of the most magical islands in the country. From the remains of an ancient Iron Age village in the Isles of Scilly to a unique ecosystem off the weather-beaten coast of Northumberland, here are nine of the most beautiful islands you need to visit in England. RECOMMENDED:🐚 The most beautiful hidden beaches in the UK🏊 The best wild swimming spots in the UK📸 The UK’s most Instagrammed villages🪂 The best extreme outdoor activity breaks in the UK🚴 The most beautiful bike trails in the UK

Vinyl is back, baby. After decades in the dumps, records are now even more popular than CDs and are officially the best-selling of all physical music form. Suddenly your parents’ dusty Fleetwood Mac collection in the attic is looking a bit cooler, eh? London is one of the world’s best cities for crate-digging. Driven by stuff like dazzling vinyl-only editions and massive events like Record Store Day, this city’s independent record shops are thriving. And far from only found in classic music-geek hotspots like Camden, Brixton and Soho, these days stores are flourishing everywhere, with fab ones dotted all the way throughout the capital. Whatever your music taste, from reggae and hardcore to new wave and hip-hop, there’s a London record shop for you. Here are 30 of our absolute favourites. Get thumbin’ through those discs! RECOMMENDED:🛍️ The best markets in London.🎤 The best music festivals in London.👩‍🎤 The best London songs.🎸 The best shows and live gigs this month.

What happens when you throw Queen, AI, and Brenda Edwards from ‘Loose Women’ together? Answer: a limited 12-week return of Ben Elton’s defiantly uncool ‘We Will Rock You’, this time starring Elton himself. He opens the show referencing the ‘staggeringly awful’ reviews of the last run, which closed nine years ago at the Dominion Theatre. So, does the fact the show is happy to own its original critical savaging mean Elton has gone back to the drawing board and improved it? No it does not. At all. Tapping into very real, current hysteria about AI ending the human race, the story is set in a dystopian ‘Gaga Land’ on ‘iPlanet’, where music is banned by an evil Queen and people waste away as vegetables, living life through their phones. The only hope is the old legend of ‘We Will Rock You’ (yes, really) and a grubby group of rock ‘n’ roll bohemians in a scrapyard. Good and evil play out with pantomime-esque comicality, except it’s not funny: just painful.  The stage design is stunning, with whirring lines of code and a bright, hyper-futuristic mall on huge screens. But no amount of pretty backgrounds can save poor writing. There’s a loose storyline awkwardly sculpted around Queen songs (‘What more could you possibly want?’ ‘I want to break free’), scattered with distasteful jokes (‘you’ll awake the sleeping beast’) and dated pop culture references (‘I like big butts…’ and ‘who let the dogs out’) that very quickly become intolerable.  The highlights, of course, are the songs, yet th

Step into The Standard’s bright red bubble lift – complete with creepy robotic voice welcoming you into the building – and you’ll know you’re not in for a normal night. The King's Cross hotel, which is notoriously reliable for celeb-spotting, private parties and being extremely booked up, is now home to a bar called Sweeties. It’s tasteful, boujee, and most importantly: vibey.  Sweeties’s theme is ‘new wave glamour meets glorious misbehaviour’ – and while we’re not entirely sure what that means, there’s certainly something to be said about the sheer naughtiness this place radiates. Another drink, even though you said you’d only stay for one? Go on. A cheeky smile at the guy across the room? Don’t mind if I do. This bar is basically a grown-up, more chic version of Geordie Shore’s Holly Hagan: fun, fit, and flirty.  The snappy drinks menu was created by Zoe Burgess, founder of drinks consultancy AtelierPip, and is pretty much spot-on. The Let’s Go – made with Campari, vermouth, orange, yuzu, mandarin and pink grapefruit – is deliciously bright, with floral-like flavours, while the Kiss Me, made with gin, sour cherry cordial, and lime, is a zingy citrus-tinged mouth storm. All of the classics are available too, of course, with cocktails generally costing from £12 to £16, which feels dangerously good value for ten floors up. Queue your Saturday morning hangover.  The next day, your head will almost definitely be pounding, but the experience will just have been so nice that you’

Ever wished you were sipping a passion fruit martini while having your highlights done? Thought so: us too. Beauty Club London is a one-stop shop for manicures, hair colour, extensions, and blow dries, all done by a team of experienced stylists. The music is pumping, the cocktails are made fresh, and you’re just minutes away from all of the fun of central London – making it a super-convenient place for you to feel like your best self and enjoy a tipple while you’re at it. Choose from nail art, gel and acrylics, as well as Keratin hair smoothing treatments, balayage, full head hair extensions, cut and blow dry, and more.   

In a basement just off Tottenham Court Road, Lucy Wong is a 1950s ‘Hong Kong’ themed cocktail bar – largely inspired by Richard Mason’s 1957 novel, The World of Suzie Wong. I know what you’re thinking: Asian-themed bar, oriental chic, reductive stereotypes – it could definitely be a problematic undertaking, à la Ivy Asia.  But this place was – deep breath – all done reasonably tastefully. The brains behind Lucy Wong is Eric Yu (who also runs Chinatown’s Opium), who grew up in Hong Kong and reportedly made this bar in tribute to his mum, which is quite sweet, really. The decor is understated, with lots of low-lit lanterns, velvet seats and shiny marble surfaces, and the drinks nod to Hong Kong by fusing cocktail classics with traditionally Asian ingredients like yuzu, lemongrass, and Sichuan pepper.  The Pomelo Sling – a delicate mix of hibiscus mezcal, elderflower liqueur, and pink grapefruit – was fragrant and soothing, comparable to soaking aching muscles in a hot bath.  Food wise, there’s a neat selection of Cantonese eats that will succeed in lining your stomach before – and during – a night out on the town: the dim sum platter was bouncy, the sauces were moreish, the chicken skin was a welcomed umami-shot and the garlic shoots were, well, garlicky. Cocktails were priced around the expected £13.50 to £15 mark, and were all delicious (and thankfully not at all gimicky). The Eastern Sour, with raspberry and thyme liquor, lime, rhubarb bitters, and a scattering of dried ras

You’ve licked the last morsel off your plate and argued over settling the bill. More often than not, all I can think about at this point is retiring to my sofa and cradling my food baby. Sometimes – small plates, I’m looking at you – I’m left unsatisfied, fixated on my next conquest (falafel wrap?). Only rarely will I be thinking about necking shots and finding a dancefloor. But after a meal at Kapara, it really did feel like the night was just beginning. Indulgence is on the menu here, and boy, do they know how to do it right. Kapara is the latest venture from ex-Ottolenghi chef Eran Tibi, who is also the brains behind Southwark’s Bala Baya, another Tel Aviv-inspired restaurant with a comparable clubby vibe. In Soho’s new Ilona Rose House development, Kapara is a high-ceilinged modern space where the lights are low and the music pumps politely. The vibe is lively, to say the least, and the menu is just as flirty (dishes have naughty names like ‘cheeky bums’ and ‘sticky treat’).  There’s a similarly scantily named drinks menu, featuring Israeli wine and soda infusions (go for the lemon and rose for a zingy refresher), as well as genuinely interesting cocktails. The Space Cowboy, made with olive oil-washed mezcal, bourbon, sumac, plum cherry tomato juice, and herbs, was weirdly complex: as though I’d swallowed the dust from the bottom of a spice rack, but in a good way. The Katani, a short Espresso Martini served with cardamom and a creamy, coconut milk foam, was described as

Celebrate International Women’s Day in style with this cracker of a party at one of west London’s trendiest venues: Nottinghill Arts Club. Five of the best grassroots female-led acts around will soundtrack the night: including neo soul, jazz, and Latin fusion artist Rosa Cecilia, DJ Poppy Richler, and electronic artist EVA. Half way through the evening, Cactus City, the first female led production studio in the UK, will run a discussion circle about the experiences of women in the music industry, and there will also be goodie bags available for the first 20 people who make it through the doors.   

There’s a proper sense of comfort at the Mitre, the Thames-side hotel set strides away from the luscious grounds of Hampton Court Palace. It gives a similar feeling to walking into a relative’s house at Christmas: warm, relaxed, and a glass of wine not too far away.  The listed building was built back in 1665, allegedly to host King Henry VII’s courtiers when there was no space at the neighbouring palace. Around half an hour on the train away from central London and another 30 minutes or so from Heathrow, it makes for a great base for anyone wanting to explore the city but still indulge in that British countryside feeling. You have acres and acres of grass in Bushy Park next door, as well as the ‘nice’ part of the Thames, where riverside walks mean passing cosy pubs and cute cafés rather than getting stuck behind hoardes of tourists and buskers singing Ed Sheeran.  Forming part of The Signet Collection’s boutique hotel group, The Mitre Hampton Court features 36 rooms: each uniquely decorated with a romantic but contemporary feel, featuring lots of bright prints and polished woodwork. The Catherine Parr Suite, for one, centres around a magnificent copper free-standing roll top bathtub, where you can kick back in bubbles before tucking up in the swish four-poster bed.  There’s a snug library slash drawing room with its own jukebox, a terrace with views that stretch out over the river bank (perfect for wildlife spotting), and a swanky boathouse bar offering a chilled-out place

A stone’s throw away from the hustle-and-bustle of Buchanan Street, this stunning Georgian townhouse is ideally situated for you to make the most of Glasgow – and it’s five stars for a reason. As soon as you step through the doorway, you’ll feel the quality like a slap in the face. Once the headquarters of the Royal Scottish Automobile Club, the dazzling, chandelier-lit foyer is highly finished with art deco-style marble floors and doric columns; a shiny grand piano takes pride of place by the stairs and the staff greet you with warm smiles (and if you’re lucky, a glass of fizz). What the Kimpton does well is its balancing of undisputable luxury without being over-the-top. The 113 guest rooms are spotless and sleek, with modern, simple furnishings, walls decorated with nods to Scottish photographers, and all of the facilities you might need – including a yoga mat. Breakfast and dinner is served in iasg (the Gaelic word for ‘fish’), with a focus on Scottish seafood – including crab and prawn squid ink ravioli in a shellfish sauce and blackened Shetland cod with braised leek and bacon. The swish restaurant interiors are decked out with subtle, tasteful details, such as the fish-scaled tiles and bubble-like light design – all with sparkling service to match. (Our waitress, Esme, really knew her stuff.)  The hotel is also home to an award-winning spa, which is currently being refurbished and is due to reopen in spring 2023. For the time being, they’ve created a pop-up, Scandinavi

Returning in 2023 with its fourth edition, Cross the Tracks is still a bit of a newcomer to the London festival scene. But with tasteful, groove-heavy curation across soul, funk and jazz, as well as a focus on street food and craft beer, it's already cemented itself as an anticipated name in the saturated events circuit. Taking place in Brockwell Park across six stages, the festival has a laid-back, open-arms appeal, meaning you'll more than likely find all sorts of ages having a boogie. The 2023 edition is already promising big things, with the first announcement billing jazz and R&B-influenced Masego, hip hop star Kelis, plus Alfa Mist, Giles Peterson, Roy Ayers and Ravyn Lenae. As well as an all-encompassing day of soulful music, there will be dozens of food and drink traders, along with talks, panels and workshops.  

This early screening of ‘The Menu’ sounds truly mouth-watering. The film, starring Queen’s Gambit actress Anya Taylor-Joy, as well as Ralph Fiennes and Nicholas Hoult, follows a young couple who travel to a boujee private island restaurant to sample a lavish menu. As you might expect, things turn sour, and the film unfolds in a series of gastronomical twists and turns.  ‘The Menu’ doesn’t officially come out in UK cinemas until the following day, so seeing it before the crowds is a treat in itself. But that’s just the start. From your comfy seats at The Curzon in Hoxton, you’ll be whisked into a sensory culinary experience with a tasting menu of sweet and savoury small plates from Soho Americana eatery Rita’s as well as paired cocktails curated by Woodford Reserve mixologists. The drinks are said to explore the ‘unique flavour profiles of the Kentucky bourbon’ and will surprise guests at different moments from the film. Delish.     

What’s a London Christmas, without Somerset House's iconic ice rink? Skate around the grand neoclassical courtyard on this huge, 900-square-metre outdoor rink, with a 40ft Christmas tree plonked in the middle for maximum Insta-potential. This year they’re in partnership again with Moët & Chandon – and to get even more in the festive spirit, tunes will be blasting, Hotel Chocolat will be hosting a selection of gifts, and tasty food and drink will be available to feast on.  But, the best bit? The legendary weekend Skate Lates are back, bringing banging DJ sets from the city’s best club nights and selectors rinkside. This year slip and slide along to tracks picked an impressive line-up including Pxssy Palace, Girls of Grime and comedian James Acaster.  Wheelchair users can skate in any session as well as in dedicated wheelchair user sessions. Find more places to go ice skating in London

Gary Owen’s 75-minute-monologue – first performed in 2015, when austerity cuts were rife – has a newfound relevance today. Staged at the Lyric Hammersmith – now run by the director of ‘Iphigenia in Splott’, Rachel O’Riordan – the revival sees original star Sophie Melville return to play Effie, a young woman navigating life in a deprived area of Cardiff via a series of head-spinning hangovers and eruptive arguments.  The plot loosely echoes the Greek Euripidean tragedy of Iphigenia, who was sacrificed to the gods by her father Agamemnon during the Trojan war. In this war, Effie’s hometown is losing: the pubs are shut, houses are boarded up, there are two-hour waiting times at the doctor’s surgery and her 70-something gran has to work night shifts at the Co-op to make ends meet. Effie abuses drink and drugs and fucks her way through life, because her ‘brain functioning on full power is dangerous’. It’s no wonder she seems so bitter.  Dressed in hoop earrings and tracksuit bottoms, the play opens with Melville boldly confronting the audience: we must think she’s a ‘stupid slag’ and a ‘nasty skank’. She swaggers, leaps, and wriggles her way around Hayley Grindle’s set – simple horizontal light beams resembling half-open blinds – moving with the energy and choreography of a dancer. She’s brash, hot-tempered, and garishly rude, theatrically recounting her night-time antics and boasting about her sex life. But she’s also sharp, scattering snappy punchlines throughout and looking at

Thinking of moving house this year? If you happen to have a fair amount of money and care about what The Sunday Times has to say, you’re not going to want to miss this. The newspaper has just released its annual ranking of the UK’s best places to live. The Sussex market town of Wadhurst (population 5,000) topped the bill, praised for its rolling hills, starry night skies and quaint cottages. The judges also highlighted the town’s good schools, convenient transport links, bustling high street and close-knit community.  The list took into account factors including transport links, culture, broadband speeds, access to nature and the state of high streets. Seventy-one other locations also made the list, with a winner crowned from each region of the UK. Crouch End was named the best spot to live in London, beating Notting Hill and Beckenham, while Dunkeld, Perthshire, was crowned the best place to live in Scotland and Liverpool beat Manchester for the top spot in north-east England. Here are the best places to live in the UK in 2023, according to The Sunday Times: Overall winner: Wadhurst, East Sussex East of England Winner: Saffron Walden, EssexAylsham, NorfolkBourn, CambridgeshireBuckhurst Hill, EssexDedham Vale, SuffolkFelixstowe, SuffolkNorwich London Winner: Crouch EndBeckenhamHackney borders N1 and E8EarlsfieldKing’s CrossNotting HillWoolwich Midlands Winner: Leamington Spa, WarwickshireDigbeth, Stirchley, BirminghamBishop’s Castle, ShropshireGreat Malvern, WorcestershireM

Hold tight, UK-based Swifties, because all your months of suffering through serious FOMO of the Eras Tour are finally coming to an end. That’s right: UK dates have been announced, including a total of five massive Wembley shows.  When the Eras Tour arrives on our shores, we just know it’s going to be a spectacular show. On her US leg we’ve already seen her perform through a torrential storm, dive head first into the stage, announce the release of her next rerecorded album, ‘Speak Now: Taylor’s Version’, as well as partake in a short-lived (and bizarre) relationship with The 1975 frontman Matty Healy.  RECOMMENDED: Everything you need to know about Taylor Swift’s 2024 London dates We also know that it will be worth planning out your ticket-buying strategy in advance and that there are different sale dates for different cities. Presale for the US tour crashed the Ticketmaster website due to ‘historically unprecedented demand’, while the general sale was cancelled due to ‘insufficient ticket inventory’ to meet ‘extraordinarily high demands’. Eek.  The Eras Tour has so far included support from the likes of Paramore, beabadoobee, Phoebe Bridgers, girl in red, MUNA, HAIM, GAYLE, Gracie Abrams and OWENN, so the UK should expect some equally big stars lower down the bill. Here’s everything we know about Taylor Swift’s 2024 UK tour.  Is Taylor Swift going on a UK tour in 2024?   We now know for sure that Taylor is going on tour in the UK and dates have finally been announced.  Taylo

You’d maybe expect the home of a famous spy novelist to be deep in a secret bunker or hidden away down a discreet passageway. Yet this cosy country house in Somerset – complete with panelled ceilings, a neatly mown lawn, French windows and an intricate Georgian fireplace – was once home to John Le Carré, who wrote ‘The Spy Who Came in From the Cold’ and ‘Tinker Sailor Soldier Spy’.  The novelist moved to Stoppers Lane in Wells, Somerset, after leaving MI6 in 1965. The Grade-II listed property dates back to the seventeenth century, and is now on the market for £1.9 million. The house comes complete with a terracotta-tiled kitchen, a sun-filled conservatory and library to get lost in a spy novel or two. The lucky buyer will also get five bedrooms – one with its own dressing room and ensuite – as well as a roomy attic and luscious gardens.  That’s not all, though. Stoppers Lane is also home to an external cottage east of the main building, complete with its own living room, kitchen, dining room and ensuite bedroom, as well as its own private walled garden and separate access from Stoppers Lane. Le Carré apparently wrote his 1965 novel ‘The Looking Glass War’ here, so you can bet it is a peaceful spot.  The house is for sale via Inigo. Find out more here.  ICYMI: Everything you need to know about the 2023 Cardiff World Naked Bike Ride. Plus: How to get tickets for Glastonbury 2024.

Holidaymakers, this is your lucky day. If your summer vacay was affected by the industrial action set to take place at Heathrow, panic no more. All 29 days of planned walkouts have been cancelled.  The airport’s security staff had planned to go on strike in response to low wages and had already walked out in April and May. But now, members of Unite have voted to accept a pay increase worth between 15.5 percent and 17.5 percent depending on their band. Apparently, no flights were set to be cancelled if the strikes went ahead, with the airport saying that previous action ‘failed to disrupt’. When were the Heathrow strikes meant to take place?  Workers were due to strike almost every weekend from mid-June to August. The planned strike dates were: June 24, 25, 28, 29 and 30; July 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30 and 31; and August 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26 and 27. Who was on strike at Heathrow Airport? Around 2,000 officers who are members of the Unite union had planned to walk out, affecting Terminals 3 and 5 as well as campus security. What airlines were affected? According to Unite, the walkouts at Terminal 5 would have ‘heavily affected’ British Airways’s summer schedule. The now cancelled walkouts also affected flights by airlines including Virgin, Emirates, Qatar, United, American and Delta. Why were security workers striking? Members of the Unite union voted to strike in response to low wages. Heathrow says it has offered a 10 percent p

More than 200,000 people descended on Worthy Farm this weekend for one mass sweaty sing-along, packed with plenty of sleaze, sass and surprise guests. As you’d expect from any edition of Glastonbury, there were roaring guitar solos and there were arms-in-the-air ballads. There was twerking, screaming and a heck of a lot of ‘nts nts nts’. And while the festival had got off to a rocky start after being slammed for booking all-male headliners and for upping the ticket price to £340 (not including booking fee), there were smiles all round – as well as plenty of tears. Glastonbury’s Friday headliners Arctic Monkeys were welcomed with a sigh of relief after they cancelled a Dublin show earlier in the week. In the event, they came, they played and, for the most part, they delivered. The set drifted in and out of their early catalogue, with its fast, jagged riffs and evocative lyrics whipping the crowd into a predictable frenzy, and also dipped into their newer, mellower material – with mixed results. Friday’s headliners brought all the rock-star glamour and energy levels you yearn for in a headline slot Alex Turner strutted up and down the Pyramid Stage under a colossal mirrorball, sliding his fingers through slicked-back hair, sometimes stretching out songs into slower, more dissonant versions, much to the frustration of the crowd. Despite that, the set was polished and technically impressive, with all the rock-star glamour and energy levels you yearn for in a headline slot. The

Ah, Glastonbury. There’s nowhere quite like it on the planet. Time Out was there on the ground to report on all of the fun, and boy, was there a shit ton of it. There were also plenty of weird things going on too – with surprise star appearances, not-so-secret sets and just a pinch of drama. Here are 25 of the most surprising moments from the 2023 festival.  Rick Astley and Blossoms packed out the Woodsies tent to play a surprise set of Smiths covers, just because. People had some pretty weird ideas about who Elton John’s surprise guests would be. Would it be Lady Gaga, Lil Nas X, Dua Lipa, Kate Bush, Prince Harry (!), Ellie Goulding, Dolly Parton, Eminem, Pulp, Chris Martin, Matty Healy, Blur, Rick Astley, Britney Spears or Michael Eavis? Lana Del Rey was half an hour late for her set because ‘her hair takes a long time to do’... … and led an a-capella crowd sing-along to ‘Video Games’ when her set was cut short, before she was escorted off stage by security. Someone in the crowd was carrying a flag of King Charles’s fingers. Enough said. The Pretenders brought out Johnny Marr, Dave Grohl and Paul McCartney. Gasps were heard. Dermot O’Leary played a DJ set. It kinda slapped.  Central Cee performed ‘Sprinter’ with Dave. He also welcomed a very confused-looking kid to the stage, saying: ‘He’s a natural!’ Fred again.. played a not-so-secret set with The Blessed Madonna, which shut down the Temple stage because there were too many people.  Hot-air balloons flying over the farm

So you’re a bit put out about missing out on tickets for Glastonbury 2023. We’re pretty damn gutted too. But panic not, there’s nothing stopping you from recreating the British festival experience at home – poncho, wellies, lukewarm lager and all. And the best thing? The live coverage online and on TV is set to be bigger and more impressive than ever, so you won’t even be missing out on any of the music (enjoy those set clashes, actual Glastonbury-goers). The Worthy Farm festival kicks off on Wednesday June 21, with the main headline performances taking place on Friday 23, Saturday 24 and Sunday 25, when Elton John will take to the Pyramid Stage to play his last ever live show.  RECOMMENDED:How to get tickets for Glastonbury 2024Your ultimate guide to Glastonbury 2023Everything you need to know about Glastonbury’s secret setsHere’s full Glastonbury 2023 line-up, with all the stage times you need to know There will be frankly ridiculous amounts of coverage from the BBC, including live performances from Arctic Monkeys, Phoenix, Lizzo, Lewis Capaldi, Maggie Rogers, Queens of the Stone Age and many more.  Keen to catch up on all of the action? Here’s how to watch Glastonbury 2023 live from your own home.  How to watch Glastonbury 2023 live on TV  The BBC will be broadcasting live coverage across on BBC One, Two, Three and Four, covering the headliners and highlights from the smaller stages.  Friday Highlights coverage from day one will start at 7.30pm on BBC Two. Tune into BBC

Here we go again, folks! More than a year after the industrial action first started, tens of thousands of rail workers are set to walk out next month in the long-running dispute over pay and conditions. In early June, more than 20,000 RMT members walked out in response to a breakdown of negotiations with the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents 14 train operators. On top of that, the Aslef union, which represents train drivers, organised 24-hour strike dates after they rejected a ‘risible’ pay offer of 4 percent a year for two years. Now the RMT union has announced yet more industrial action across three days in July. Worried you might be affected? Here’s everything we know about the upcoming train strikes. When are the next train strike dates? London North Eastern Railway drivers will not be working overtime on July 1 over the firm’s failure to stick to ‘agreed procedures’. Aslef had announced that members working for Avanti West Coast would walk out on July 2 in response to an attempt to ‘force through’ sick pay changes ‘without agreement’. However, it has now suspended the strike action. The most significant disruption will come on July 20, 22 and 29, when 20,000 RMT members across 14 rail operators will walk out after the firms did not make a new pay offer. How will rail travel be affected by the strikes? Workers at most rail firms are taking part in the strike action, so rail travel will likely come to a standstill all over the country. You can find out more

Sir Elton Hercules John, CH CBE. What a name, what a man. He’s a national treasure, a pop hero and one of Glastonbury’s most anticipated 2023 headliners. His Sunday-night Pyramid Stage slot has been billed as his last-ever live show on British soil, which means it’s probably going to be pretty special (the weather is looking like it will hold up, too).  The Worthy Farm festival is packed with secret sets (who are the mysterious band ‘The Churnups’?), a line-up of more than 3,000 acts, as well as plenty of activities – from yoga and dancing workshops to panel talks and circus. And even if you didn’t get your hands on one of those prized tickets, you can still lap up all of the fun by watching the whole thing on TV, including Elton John’s full show.  The much-anticipated headline slot will mark the final date of his 300-show ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road World Tour’. Want to know more about Elton John’s Glastonbury show? Here’s everything you need to know.  When is Elton John headlining Glastonbury 2023? Elton John will be performing on Sunday, June 25 from 9pm to 11.05pm on the Pyramid Stage, following Lil Nas X, Blondie and Cat Stevens/Yusuf. Are there any clues about the setlist yet? In a recent interview with BBC Radio One, Elton John revealed a few details. He said: ‘I’m starting with a song I haven’t played for about ten years, so we’ll see how it goes.’ He also noted that fans shouldn’t expect to hear the same songs he’s performed on his most recent tour: it’s pretty much

Scottish-American producer, DJ and composer Hudson Mohawke is best known for his wonky electronic arrangements on Warp Records and for his work producing for a number of hip-hop artists, including Drake, A$AP Rocky and Lil Wayne. (Randomly, he also happens to be partnering with Wimbledon to create a bespoke soundtrack for the 2023 tournament.) Here the Glasgow musician tells us about how a low-ceilinged nightclub on Jamaica Street shaped his musical tastes.  ‘Sub Club is right next to the central train station in Glasgow. From the street, it just looks like an inconspicuous doorway: if you weren’t looking for it, you wouldn’t know it was there. You go downstairs into this venue underneath the street, which has a really low ceiling and a capacity of about 550 people.  ‘It’s very dark, and is the sort of antithesis of Instagram-era clubbing – if you try to take a video or photo, it’s probably not going to come out great. Instead, Sub Club is very much about the experience of being physically present in that venue. I started working there aged 18, in the cloakroom, on the door and as a glass collector. It was my first exposure to a lot of different genres of electronic music that I wouldn’t necessarily have given the time of day, and massively opened up my music tastes. I had no idea about some of the things going on there, previously.  They would be playing techno, then Aretha Franklin, then random, crazy noise, then Kylie Minogue ‘Something that meant a lot to me in particula

In case you weren’t aware, Glastonbury is this weekend. More than 3,000 acts will be performing at the Worthy Farm festival, which many claim to be the best on Earth. Weather-wise, those of us who were lucky enough to get tickets are hoping for sun (but not too much), while those who bitterly missed out on tickets will probably have joked about doing a rain dance for endless thunderstorms.  With so much to do and see – as well as the promise of some mysterious secret sets – it can all seem a bit overwhelming. It might even be overwhelming if you’re watching the festival on TV from your own home, with the festival being broadcast across multiple channels. With that in mind, you’ll probably want to have some idea of when your favourite acts are playing – especially since it’s Elton John’s last ever live show.  You’ll probably want to look at Clashfinder or the official site to discover the whole extent of the line-up and seek out some of the more leftfield stages, but if it’s just the big boys you’re after, then read on. Here are the essential stage times you need to know for Glastonbury 2023.   Friday June 23 Pyramid StageArctic Monkeys 10.15pm–11.45pmRoyal Blood 8.15pm–9.15pmThe Churnups 6.15pm–7.20pmTexas 4.15pm–5.15pmStefflon Don 2.45pm–3.45pmMaisie Peters 1.15pm–2.15pmThe Master Musicians of Joujouka midday–12.45pm Other StageWizkid 10.30pm–11.45pmFred Again. 8.30pm–9.30pmChvrches 6.45pm–7.45pmKrept & Konan 5.15pm–6.15pmCarly Rae Jepsen 3.45pm–4.45pmLightning Seeds 2.15pm–

Flights to Amsterdam can be pretty spenny these days – and they come with all of the added guilt of taking a short flight. That said, the EuroStar isn’t within everyone’s budget and it requires travelling all the way down to London beforehand. Not exactly ideal, is it? If you can bear a long coach journey, you might want to consider hopping on a bus for your next trip to the Dutch capital. FlixBus has just launched a bunch of new services from major UK cities into Europe, with Amsterdam as one of the main destinations alongside Antwerp, Utrecht, Bruges and Rotterdam.  Kicking off on July 13, the routes will travel between Leeds, Sheffield, Bristol, Nottingham, Leicester, Cambridge, London Stratford and London North Greenwich. They’re pretty affordable, too, with journeys to Amsterdam starting at £25.99.   Ticket prices start from the below: London - Amsterdam: £25.99 Bristol - Amsterdam: £27.99 Bristol - Rotterdam: £27.99 Bristol - Bruges: £19.99 Leeds - Amsterdam: £31.99 Sheffield - Amsterdam: £31.99 Leicester - Amsterdam: £29.99 Nottingham - Amsterdam: £29.99 Cambridge - Amsterdam: £27.99 Free wi-fi, onboard charging points and luggage are included in the ticket price. Find out more here.   ICYMI: New rail strike dates have just been announced for next month.  Plus: This is the UK’s most popular holiday spot.