Start the New Year by blowing away the winter blues with a 5 nights stay in the heart of Covent Garden. This year we've chosen to take advantage of the new Super Rooms at the Travelodge, Drury Lane. Super Rooms are located on a separate floor and feature signature king-size Travelodge Dreamer bed with a choice of firm or soft hypoallergenic pillows, upgraded, stylish bathroom with a Hansgrohe Raindance 3-jet adjustable power shower, Lavazza coffee machine (with capsules), plus a basket of treats including complimentary Kit Kats and hot chocolate, premium WiFi and USB/USB-C ports. Each room has individual heating/air-conditioning and buffet breakfast is included each morning as well. The location is perfect with the lanes of Covent Garden surrounding the hotel and the main Piazza just a few minutes walk away.
Vasily conducts the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in two contrasting concerts that top & tail our tour and each with a superstar pianist - Stravinsky's dazzling Firebird at Royal Festival Hall with Leeds International Piano Competition Winner Eric Lu performing Grieg's momentious Piano Concerto in A minor and at Cadogan Hall Beethoven's Fifth Symphony while Canadian pianist Jan Lisiecki performs Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 16 widely considered one of the most technically demanding and formidable piano concertos in the standard classical canon! Fasten your seatbelts!
On Sunday afternoon we head to Sadlers Wells Theatre for a performance of Matthew Bourne's now classic Cinderella and that evening, head to Wapping High Street and the fabulous Smith's Restaurant (overlooking the Thames and Tower Bridge) which has become a centerpiece of our London winter visits for a leisurely dinner with premium wines.
Monday lunchtime we head to Wigmore Hall for the BBC Radio 3 lunchtime concert with the 2026 Royal Philharmonic Society Young Artist Award Winner, Trumpet virtuoso, Matilda Lloyd who is joined today by the Goldmund Quartet for a performance including works by Bach, Schubert, Fauré and Gershwin.
We have left the remainder of Monday and Monday evening free but we will offer a range of optional performances (at additional cost) including the RSC production of Hamlet Hail to the Thief at the Barbican (£95 stalls seats with transfers included). This unique co-production between Factory and the RSC was premiered in Manchester last year and received a 4* review from the Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/may/07/hamlet-hail-to-the-thief-review-study-of-righteous-anger-links-shakespeare-to-radiohead
Tuesday morning we head to The Kings Gallery at Buckingham Palace to see the highly praised sold-out exhibition Queen Elizabeth II 'Her Life in Style'. This afternoon we head to Borough Market for dinner before going to another Maestro favourite venue The Menier Chocolate Factory for a production first seen earlier this year at the Victoria Wood Theatre in Bowness (see the 4* review below). Fourteen Again staring Sally Ann Triplett, Ria Jones and (from January) Neil Morrissey! Two estranged 50-year-old school friends reunite at a local slimming club. After wishing things were different, Peggy magically wakes up in her 14-year-old body to relive and rewrite her youth. Set to the wonderful music and lyrics of Victoria Wood the production gained 4 & 5* reviews.
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/may/07/fourteen-again-review-the-victoria-wood-theatre
Our final day in London is free to get out and explore the Sales on Oxford & Regent Street as well as the many unique boutiques in the Covent Garden & Soho area. We meet late afternoon and head to Chelsea and Sloane Square for dinner before the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra take to the platform for their second performance of the tour with Vasily Patrenko at the helm. This evening the orchestra are joined by the Canadian Jan Lisiecki for Beethoven 5th Symphony and Prokofiev 2nd Piano Concerto.
On Thursday morning we depart soon after breakfast for our journey back to the Midlands and Northwest. For anyone attending the RLPO/Hindoyan Beethoven performance this evening we WILL be back in time!!
