As you’re perhaps still in a prosecco haze, induced by the month-long festive cheer, we’re here to talk to you about the New Year. No, not about changes and resolutions (– unless those resolutions include seeing more art, or having more fun!) but simply about a whole new series of London’s best events coming your way. January’s got something in store for all – even those of you who can’t bear another second of anything even remotely festive. From gallery openings, to less traditional light displays, here’s what you should be looking forward to in the New Year.

 Image: Marc Brenner

Summer and Smoke

Duke of York Theatre

St Martin’s Lane

WC2N 4BG

Nearest Tube: Covent Garden

Opening Hours:  Monday-Saturday 7:30pm; Wednesday and Saturday matinee 2:30pm

Misleadingly titled to provoke that early summertime nostalgia, Summer and Smoke is a revival of Tennessee Williams’ neglected play and a portrait of shame and desire, coming to the West End for the first time. After its sold-out run at Islington’s Almeida, the production moves to Covent Garden just in time to allow you to trade the dreary January weather for a tumultuous summer in small town Mississippi.

Image: Lara Maysa

Divine Proportions

The Vaults

Leake Street

SE1 7NN

Nearest Tube: Waterloo

Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 6:30pm until January 12

If, for some strange reason, you still have room for more feasting, Divine Proportions has surely got a plan for you! Playing with all sorts of temptation – culinary and beyond – the immersive dining experience is an interesting mix between cabaret, stand-up and dinner party. The menu promises guinea fowl and stuffed courgette, but do not be fooled into thinking the food is the star of the show. With performances by Aphrodite, Persephone and Dionysus, even the hungriest of attendees will be distracted from the food. Can they tempt you?

Image: Sally Potter, LONDON STORY

London Short Film Festival

Various Venues

Opening Hours: 11^th-20^th January. See schedule.

 A recurring feature in the calendar of any true film lover, the London Short Film Festival takes over numerous cultural venues once more, with a programme that promises to top previous years’ offerings. The 10-day bite-sized film takeover will involve many cultural venues across the city, with favourites ICA and Regent Street Cinema making appearances. The programme is famously diverse, featuring everything from a night where women filmmakers reframe portrayals of sexual violence, to an Emo Video Jukebox which is, well, exactly that. Trust us, there’s something for everyone. 

Image: Canary Wharf Lights

Winter Lights Canary Wharf

Throughout Canary Wharf

Nearest Tube: Canary Wharf

Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 6:30pm until January 12

If you thought you would be done with Instagramming lights for a while, well think again! Moving away from the festive themes and into the realm of art installations, Canary Wharf’s winter lights have become a strong reason why crowds have been flocking East every January. Numerous light installations will pop up to grace your Instagram feeds, from the recurrent Angels of Freedom to the light curtains of Submergence, you’re going to be in for a treat!

Image: Space Shifters

Space Shifters

Hayward Gallery

Southbank Centre

337-338 Belvedere Rd

London SE1 8XX

Nearest Tube: Waterloo

Opening Hours: 11am-7pm, until 6^th January

Start as you mean to go on, they say. Well, if that, for you, refers to a perspective-defying art gallery then you’re in luck. Make the first week of January the one of an eye-bending journey with Space Shifters, an exploration of the impact of light in space. The minimalism and sometimes magnitude of these artworks is bound to shed some light, no pun intended, on the element’s ripple through decades of arts. What better start to the year…

Where will we be seeing you in January? Let us know in the comments below! For more fun things to do in the city in the New Year, follow London Living on Instagram.