March promises to be a big month in the capital. Not only does it kick-start the new spring season, but it also marks International Women’s Day, Mother’s Day and St Patrick’s Day. Needless to say, it’s going to be a busy one. Here are the best new openings, events, cultural must-sees and things to do in London in March 2026. 

The play: Les Liaisons Dangereuses

Aidan Turner

Lesley Manville

The National Theatre’s major revival of Les Liaisons Dangereuses will debut at the Lyttelton Theatre from 21 March until 6 June. Christopher Hampton’s acclaimed adaptation of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ epistolary novel, the refreshed script’s first staging has called for the big guns to lead its new theatre production. Starring Olivier Award-winner Lesley Manville and Rivals’ Aidan Turner, alongside Monica Barbaro and Gabrielle Drake, book for a thrilling tale of love, lies, scandal and social warfare. 

Les Liaisons Dangereuses opens on 21 March 2026 at Lyttelton Theatre, National Theatre, South Bank, SE1 9PX, visit nationaltheatre.org.uk 

The exhibitions: Dreaming in Colour, David Hockney: A Year in Normandie and Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art

Camilla Perkins will feature in Dreaming in Colour. Images: Opera House Gallery

Borja Colom will feature in Dreaming in Colour.

There’s plenty going on in the art world this month. First up, Dreaming in Colour will mark a century of Surrealism with a month-long exhibition from 5 March at Bond Street’s Opera House Gallery. Bringing together more than 20 emerging artists from across Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and North America, it explores how a new generation is engaging with dreams, the subconscious and colour. Don’t miss works by Thomas Dillon, Gustavo Nazareno, Xevi Solà, Cristina Babiloni, Adrián Navarr and Miguel Sainz Ojeda.

Elsewhere, David Hockney’s A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts About Painting at Serpentine North will open on 12 March, running until August. Set to be the internationally acclaimed artist’s debut at the gallery, the free-to-attend exhibition will showcase a series of new paintings created during lockdown in Normandy, as well as some never-before-seen digital works. 

The V&A will continue its deep dives into the world of fashion with a new exhibition on the life and work of Elsa Schiaparelli. Open from 28 March, the show spans the late 1920s to present day and follows the eponymous founder across Paris, London, and New York as she built the French maison. The show will also trace the house’s remarkable trajectory, from its first paradigm-shifting garments – the surreal Shoe hat made with Salvador Dalí is one of the house’s most iconic works of all time – through to its current incarnation under creative director Daniel Roseberry. More than 200 objects are set to go on display, with highlights including the V&A’s Skeleton, Tears dresses, and artworks by Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau, and Man Ray. 

Dreaming in Colour opens on 5 March 2026 at Opera House Gallery, 65-66 New Bond Street, W1S 1RW, visit operagallery.com; David Hockney: A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts about Painting opens on 12 March 2026 at Serpentine North Gallery, W2 2AR, visit serpentinegalleries.org; Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art opens on 28 March 2026 at V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, SW7 2RL, visit vam.ac.uk 

The restaurants: Sale e Pepe Mare, Cooper’s Cut, Burro and Pillar Hall

Sale e Pepe Mare

Knightsbridge institution Sale e Pepe is extending its London portfolio with a new opening at The Langham on 2 March. Inspired by the Italian coast, Sale e Pepe Mare will have a distinct seafood focus, blending Knightsbridge originals fresh plates hailing from Amalfi to Puglia. Classic dishes, such as clam linguine with bottarga, garlic and parsley, sit alongside new creations, including bluefin tuna on baked brioche with confit tomato and garlic, tagliolini pasta with Cornish crab, parsley, and olive oil, and a showstopping shellfish tower. The kitchen will also feature a Josper grill, where whole turbot, clams, and prime cuts of steak are cooked to perfection. Adding extra theatre to the experience, Sale e Pepe Mare will also feature a tableside caesar salad and the return of a dessert trolley serving the signature tiramisu. 

Elsewhere on 2 March, contemporary steakhouse Cooper's Cut will open at Four Seasons at Tower Bridge. It is set to replace La Dame de Pic – the former two Michelin-starred restaurant by French chef Anne-Sophie Pic which was in situ for eight years – and has been named after Sir Edwin Cooper, the visionary British architect behind the celebrated Port of London Authority building, which now houses the 72-cover restaurant. Helmed by the hotel’s newly appointed executive chef Luke Armstrong, the menu champions exceptional meat such as grass-fed British cuts, Japanese wagyu, Cumbrian Belted Galloway and Hyogo Tajima beef. 

Burro – the first solo venture from Conor Gadd, chef co-owner of beloved Islington institution Trullo – will open in Covent Garden on 11 March. Meaning 'butter' in Italian, Burro reflects the generous, produce-led cooking and warm hospitality that has defined Trullo for more than 16 years and nods to his native Ireland and beloved Italy. Featuring dusty red and butter yellow walls, Gadd has described the space as “part Irish country house kitchen, part 1950s Italian bistro”. Think antipasti of Venetian chicken livers on garlicky toast and cuttlefish stuffed with breadcrumbs and anchovies, before comforting classics including duck ragù and fettuccine alfredo: egg-rich pasta rolled daily, bound with butter and finished with 36-month-aged parmesan. 

Secondi build on long standing supplier relationships with trusted British farmers, growers, and fishermen, featuring Dover sole with prosecco and caviar, and a Burro original lobster acqua pazza before fun desserts like tiramisu doughnuts and almond cake served with butter and a glass of ice cold sweet marsala. Plus, the official launch will be preceded by a three-day soft launch running from 6-8 March, during which the menu will be offered at 50 per cent off.

Pepperbird at Pillar Hall

Idalia at Pillar Hall

This month, restaurateur Des Gunewardena is set to unveil a new restaurant, speakeasy and live-music-led events venue set within the magnificent Grade II-listed Pillar Hall – a building with a storied past that includes one of Britain’s first film screenings and Vivienne Westwood’s very first fashion show in the early 1980s. Pillar Hall will open as a key feature of the landmark £1.3bn redevelopment of Olympia and will see the debut of Idalia, a grand and vibrant 300-cover all-day dining destination; Pepperbird, an intimate speakeasy-style bar inspired by Olympia’s musical heritage; and Upstairs at Pillar Hall, a grand 500-capacity event space, featuring live music at weekends. Expect original architectural details paired with bold new design gestures and a modern sense of glamour.

Sale e Pepe Mare will open on 2 March 2026 at The Langham, 1C Portland Place, W1B 1JA, visit saleepepe.co.uk; Cooper’s Cut will open on 2 March 2026 at Four Seasons Hotel London at Tower Bridge, 10 Trinity Square, EC3N 4AJ, visit fourseasons.com; Burro will open on 11 March 2026 at 2 Floral Court, WC2E 9FB, visit trattoriaburro.com; Pillar Hall will open on 30 March 2026 at Olympia London, Hammersmith Road, W14 8UX, visit pillarhall.co.uk.

The events: Rugby Legends Dinner at The Hound and International Waffle Day at Duck & Waffle

As one of the sporting calendar’s biggest highlights returns, all Ardent pub sites – The Hound in Chiswick, The Cadogan Arms in Chelsea and Fitzrovia’s The George – are preparing to welcome rugby fans for the Six Nations, with live screenings of every match alongside an exclusive event at The Hound. On 4 March, The Hound will host a Rugby Legends Dinner, priced at £60 per person, with Ugo Monye, Anthony Watson, and Jonathan Joseph, offering insight from the sport stars as they reflect on their careers and discuss the Six Nations as the tournament unfolds. Plus, guests will be able to enjoy a three-course menu beginning with black pudding Scotch egg, a Six Nations burger, made with beef , Caerphilly rarebit, Guinness onions, crispy haggis crumb and pancetta, and chocolate and Guinness Cake with a welcome pint of Guinness or Guinness zero. 

To celebrate International Waffle Day on 25 March, Duck & Waffle is rolling out a menu dedicated to its namesake dish, with this year’s theme being a British takeaway twist. Available from 23-27 March, expect dishes such as the Waffle Pizza, topped with ’nduja, ricotta, mozzarella and a drizzle of honey, the Döner Kebab, with duck and chicken, pickled vegetables, crisp salad, garlic aioli and naga chilli sauce, and the Naughty Cookie, loaded with Nutella, toasted marshmallows, popping candy, and ice cream. 

Rugby Legends Dinner at The Hound will take place on 4 March 2026 at 210 Chiswick High Road, W4 1PD, visit thehound.london; Duck & Waffle’s waffle menu is available from 23-27 March 2025 at 110 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AY, visit duckandwaffle.com.

For one-night-only: Bar Benfiddich x China Tang at The Dorchester, Sambaroom x Tabula Rasa, and Gloria’s lasagna cook-off

China Tang

China Tang at The Dorchester will host Hiroyasu Kayama, owner of Tokyo’s renowned Bar Benfiddich, for an exclusive one-night guest bartender takeover on 4 March. One of Japan’s most respected cocktail bars, currently ranked 18^th in the World’s 50 Best Bars (the highest ranked bar in Tokyo), the event marks Kayama’s first appearance in the UK. For the takeover, a dedicated cocktail menu will feature six cocktails; four will be designed by Kayama, including drinks showcasing Hatozaki Whisky and Akashi-Tai Sake, while two additional cocktails created by Levs Surovecs will be served alongside the guest selection. Plus, guests will be welcomed with a complimentary glass of sparkling sake on arrival.  

Big Mamma’s Shoreditch outpost Gloria is bringing together London’s beloved pasta masters under one roof for the ultimate lasagna cook off on 8 March. Attendees can expect the finest bechamels and ragu from challengers including Noci, Senza Fondo, 64 Compton Street, Passione Vino and, of course, Gloria. Guests will taste all six creations in a shared tasting format before the special judging panel – featuring food editors Leonie Cooper and Che Marie Trigg – crowns the restaurant worthy of the title London’s lasagna campione. Tickets are priced at £30 and guests will enjoy six portions of delicious lasagna with all profits donated to Casa Italiana. 

Nami Velvet at Samba Room

Kicking off Samba Room's night shift series, the bar – housed in the Heron Tower, adjacent to Sushisamba – will host a special one-night takeover in collaboration with Leeds-based bar, Tabula Rasa, on 16 March. Tabula Rasa, currently ranked 27^th in the UK's Top 50 Cocktail Bars, will create a bespoke cocktail menu exclusively for the evening. Expect decadent serves such as the Lotus Whisper – Kay sake, Belvedere vodka, elderflower, verjus and yuzu – and the Nami Velvet: butter-washed sake, yuzu liqueur, salted caramel, banana and verjus. Chin-chin. 

Bar Benfiddich x China Tang at The Dorchester takes place on 4 March 2026 at 53 Park Lane, W1K 1QA, visit chinatanglondon.co.uk; Gloria’s lasagna cook-off takes place on 8 March 2026 at 54-56 Great Eastern Street, EC2A 3QR, visit bigmammagroup.com; Sambaroom x Tabula Rasa takes place on 16 March 2026 at 39th Floor, 110 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AY, visit sushisamba.com.

The fairs and festivals: Affordable Art Fair, A Current Affair and Tri Design Festival

Affordable Art Fair will kick off the art fair calendar in Battersea from 4-8 March. The fair will welcome a vast array of artistic talent from around the world, bringing together 115 galleries from across 16 different countries, including 11 galleries making their Affordable Art Fair debut with the new Spotlight on New Artists section. Elsewhere, highlights include Finds Under £500, where first-time buyers and collectors can discover accessible pieces and the fair’s largest International Women’s Day exhibition to date. At Art After Dark Lates, browse the fair late into the evening, enjoying the drinks, the DJ, and even a hands-on workshop, while Family Morning will welcome families to the fair on Saturday and Sunday.

A Current Affair

This March, globally renowned vintage marketplace A Current Affair will make not only its London debut, but European debut, from 6-8 March at design archive 18.01London in Shoreditch. Born in 2010 as a gathering of 19 like-minded vintage sellers, it has since grown into a leading retail event in the vintage space and brings together a curated and relevant selection of vintage from all eras, presented by a community of 200+ exhibitors from across the US and beyond. The London edition will feature a line-up of internationally recognised vintage dealers, including Eveliina Vintage, Arcade Vintage, Amarcord Vintage, James Veloria, Miriti Vintage, Siren Vintage, Mae Vintage London and The Find.

In addition to its robust roster of exhibitors, each event features prominent supporters from the fashion and editorial worlds, alongside food and beverage partners. Recent seasons have welcomed the likes of Jonathan Anderson, Ariana Grande, Chappell Roan, and Adwoa Aboah. Following rave success in the US and Japan, fashionistas won’t want to miss this. 

Elsewhere, London’s newest design festival, Tri Design, has revealed its full programme for 12-15 March coinciding with London Design Week. Embracing the Pantone Colour of the Year 2026, Cloud Dancer, as a unifying theme for the festival across Knightsbridge, the King’s Road and Fulham Road, the festival brings together interiors, hospitality, fashion and lifestyle with a district-wide programme of talks, tours, installations and showroom experiences. Highlights of the four-day celebration include the free-to-attend Walpole panel at The Lanesborough on the future of hospitality design; Mandarin Oriental panel discussion on branded residences with Harrods Interior Design; Peter Jones architecture and store tours; and live conversation at Timothy Oulton with Jude Leach and Bilen Zeremariam. 

Affordable Art Fair is open from 4-8 March 2026 at Evolution London, Battersea Park, SW11 4NJ, visit affordableartfair.com; A Current Affair is open from 6-8 March 2026 at 2 Glebe Road, E8 4BD, visit eventbrite.com; Tri Design Festival is running from 12-15 March 2026 across London, visit tridesign.co.uk.

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