How to celebrate International Women’s Day 2026
8 March marks International Women's Day, and this year celebrations will be taking place across the capital, with talks, workshops, events and exhibitions being held in honour of women around the world. Here's how you can
‘Give to Gain’ is the theme of International Women’s Day 2026, chosen to emphasise the power of reciprocity and support, and encourage a mindset of generosity and collaboration. In the words of the organisation itself: “When women thrive, we all rise.”
Founded in 1911, International Women’s Day was created to celebrate women’s achievements, raise awareness for women’s equality, lobby for gender parity and fundraise for female-focused charities. In 2026, this equates to a host of exciting talks, festivals, events and exhibitions, which are being held throughout March in honour of women around the world. Here’s how to get involved in London.
Celebrate female chefs in Marylebone
Ayesha Kalaji
Maria Bradford
On 8 March 2026, Mexican restaurant Cavita will host a one-off collaborative lunch in celebration of International Women’s Day, bringing together leading female chefs whose food and heritage span Mexico, the Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean and South Asia. For one day only, Adriana Cavita, Maria Bradford, Ayesha Kalaji, Keshia Sakarah and Sabrina Gidda will collaborate on a menu inspired by their personal histories, migration, memory and contemporary creativity.
Priced at £120 per person – which includes five courses, a welcome drink and a Q&A, with all profits donated to women and children’s charity Refuge – standout dishes include award-winning chef and author Maria Bradford’s fish pepe soup celebrating her bold Afro-fusion cuisine and Sierra Leonean flavours. Later, enjoy Ayesha Kalaji’s labneh mousse dessert with blood orange, caramelised honey, za’atar-infused olive oil and almonds for a taste of the chef-owner’s bold, research-led Middle Eastern cooking rooted in her Jordanian heritage.
Alongside the feast, guests will enjoy a live Q&A hosted by entrepreneur, author and podcast host Justine Murphy, offering insight into the chefs’ journeys, the importance of representation and what it means to build meaningful careers in hospitality today.
Visit sevenrooms.com
Enjoy female-led food and music with The Wolseley Hospitality Group
Zara McFarlane
Image: Joanna Yee
The Wolseley Hospitality Group is collaborating with charity Women for Women International in celebration of International Women’s Day, offering guests a limited-edition menu of dishes and cocktails curated exclusively by the business’s female chefs and bartenders. Available from 2-8 March 2026, guests across the group’s London restaurants will be able to enjoy bespoke dishes and cocktails including Anna Karolina Staniszewska’s courgette and lardon quiche at Brasserie Zedel, Gaya Gayatri’s poached rhubarb sabayon at Colbert, and Theodora Pantiru’s roast lamb cutlets at The Wolseley.
Limited-edition cocktails include Petit Cosmo featuring Ketel One citron vodka, kumquat liqueur, cranberry juice and lime, and a non-alcoholic Blush Petals with Everleaf mountain, lemon and Noughty non-alcoholic sparkling rosé. For every dish or cocktail sold, The Wolseley Hospitality Group will donate £1 to Women for Women International.
Over at Crazy Coqs, the cabaret venue at Brasserie Zedel, from 6-8 March, expect a series of shows in celebration of Women in Music. Performances include British jazz vocalist Zara McFarlane, Ese and The Vooduu People, The Vimala Row Quartet, and an evening with Ria Jones.
Visit thewolseleyhospitalitygroup.com
Lunch with a sporting legend in Richmond
Sally Gunnell
In celebration of International Women’s Day, Scott’s Richmond continues its Sports Dinner Series with an exclusive three-course lunch and Q&A welcoming Olympic legend, broadcaster, and motivational speaker Sally Gunnell on 4 March 2026. Best known for winning Olympic gold in the 400m hurdles at Barcelona 1992, Gunnell remains the only woman in history to have simultaneously held Olympic, World, Commonwealth and European championship titles – and this intimate lunch will see her discuss motivation and mindset, in a celebration of women’s capability, resilience and wellbeing.
Priced at £75 per person, lunch begins with a glass of Ruinart rosé before plates of buffalo mozzarella with violet artichokes, datterini tomato, fennel and green goddess dressing, followed by roast fillet of cod with romesco sauce and padrón peppers and a raspberry ripple coupe for dessert. During lunch, Gunnell will take to the floor, offering rare insight into life at the top of elite sport, followed by an audience Q&A.
Visit scotts-richmond.com
Sip, paint and brunch in Shoreditch
Celebrate International Women’s Day with a creative and immersive Sip, Paint and Brunch experience at Uba – Hart Shoreditch’s pan-Asian restaurant – on 7 March 2026. Designed for both seasoned artists and complete beginners, this special edition of Studio Nights brings women together for a guided abstract painting session, delicious brunch dishes, and flowing refreshments, all backdropped by a live DJ. Set within a relaxed yet chic atmosphere, guests are invited to let their creativity flow while connecting, creating, and celebrating women in all their brilliance.
Visit hartshoreditch.com
Visit Affordable Art Fair’s largest ever IWD exhibition
Image: Abi Wason
Yellow Dress by Ghislaine Howard
Affordable Art Fair will be kicking off its art fair calendar in Battersea Park from 4-8 March 2026. For International Women's Day, the fair will be hosting its largest women-led exhibition to date. The display features powerful works by 22 female artists exploring themes of relationships, womanhood, and togetherness, including works by Lizzie Wheeler, Soo Burnell, Malvina Kang Hughes, Aileen Napaljarri Long, Ninh Thi Den, and many other talented female artists. Calling all art aficionados, you won’t want to miss it.
Visit affordableartfair.com
Join the conversation in Notting Hill
Mary Portas
The Barbary Notting Hill will be hosting a lunch with broadcaster Mary Portas, interviewed by comedian and cultural critic Viv Groskop, on 4 March 2026 in celebration of International Women’s Day. Restaurateur and co-founder of The Barbary, Zoe Paskin, will bring together a group of women across all industries for a conversation titled, An Open Letter To My Younger Self, which aims to offer a lifetime of professional wisdom to future generations, with donations going to The King’s Trust Change a Girl’s Life initiative.
Ahead of the talk, ticket holders will be greeted with a welcome drink, followed by lunch with signature dishes from the restaurant’s menu inspired by the vast culinary landscape of the Barbary Coast. Highlights include burnt tomato salad with ricotta salata, whole sea bass with chermoula and coffee rub chicken with delica pumpkin. To reserve a space, go to The Barbary’s website, with a minimum £20 donation encouraged.
Visit events.kingstrust.org.uk
Nominate your community’s unsung heroines at The Ivy
On a mission to celebrate unsung heroines and pillars of communities across the UK and Ireland, The Ivy Collection is giving back to the women who give so much everyday. In that spirit, it's asking you to get involved and nominate the women in your community who deserve recognition, who will then be in with a chance of winning a two-course brunch accompanied by gin fizz cocktails on 8 March 2026.
From carers and community leaders to mentors and volunteers, the campaign has partnered with Papa Salt Gin to invite these remarkable women to be treated in the manner they deserve. Hosted at several of The Ivy outposts in London, as well as Bath, York, Birmingham, Manchester, Dublin and many more, nominate your unsung hero here.
Visit ivycollection.com
Upgrade your wardrobe with Bella Freud
Luxury clothing brand Bella Freud – famous for its joyful hand-illustrated clothing and accessories – has released a limited edition T-shirt in honour of International Women's Day. Part of its ongoing partnership with The King's Trust, 20 per cent of sales from the T-shirt throughout March will be donated to support the charity's work helping young women facing disadvantage and adversity.
Be inspired with Annabel’s annual International Women’s Day panel
Annabel’s will mark International Women’s Day 2026 with its seventh annual event in collaboration with The Caring Family Foundation on 5 March 2026. The event will host an inspiring panel discussion aligned with this year’s theme, Give to Gain, and will explore how women can use their platforms, networks, time and resources to create meaningful change for others, while examining what it means to ‘give’ in today’s society, from mentorship and advocacy to raising awareness of gender-based violence.
Hosted by broadcaster June Sarpong, the panel will bring together a powerful and diverse group of voices, including award-winning actress and advocate Lucy Boynton; Professor Katrin Hohl, a leading expert on violence against women and girls and Professor of Practice at London Metropolitan University; and activist Natalie Queiroz. Continuing Annabel’s tradition of championing emerging female talent, the evening will feature a live performance from rising British artist Olive Jones, widely tipped as one of the most exciting new voices in UK music.
Visit annabels.co.uk
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