London

===Leisure and entertainment===
{{see also|List of annual events in London|West End theatre}}
Leisure is a major part of the London economy. A 2003 report attributed a quarter of the entire UK leisure economy to London<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mayor of London – Spending Time: Londons Leisure Economy |url=http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/economic_unit/spending_time.jsp |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20031219084151/http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/economic_unit/spending_time.jsp |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 December 2003 |website=london.gov.uk |access-date=30 September 2015}}</ref> at 25.6 events per 1000 people.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Chadha |first1=Aayush |title=UK Event Data – In Review |url=https://www.tickx.co.uk/article/772 |website=tickx.co.uk |access-date=11 December 2017 |archive-date=1 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201232544/https://www.tickx.co.uk/article/772 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The city is one of the four [[fashion capital]]s of the world, and, according to official statistics, is the world's third-busiest film production centre, presents more live comedy than any other city,<ref>{{Cite web |title=20 facts about London's culture {{!}} London City Hall |url=https://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/arts-culture/promoting-arts-culture/20-facts-about-london-s-culture |website=London.gov.uk |access-date=30 September 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151001092404/https://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/arts-culture/promoting-arts-culture/20-facts-about-london-s-culture |archive-date=1 October 2015}}</ref> and has the biggest theatre audience of any city in the world.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Study puts London ahead of New York as centre for theatre |url=http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/54e31212-17f1-11e4-b842-00144feabdc0.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/54e31212-17f1-11e4-b842-00144feabdc0.html |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |work=Financial Times |location= London |date=30 July 2014 |access-date=30 September 2015 |first=James |last=Pickford}}</ref>

[[File:Harrods at Night, London - Nov 2012.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Harrods]] department store in [[Knightsbridge]]]]
Within the [[City of Westminster]] in London, the entertainment district of the [[West End of London|West End]] has its focus around [[Leicester Square]], where London and world film [[premiere]]s are held, and [[Piccadilly Circus]], with its giant electronic advertisements.<ref name="london_160">{{Cite web |url=http://www.piccadillylights.co.uk/ |title=Piccadilly Lights |publisher=Land Securities |access-date=3 November 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110426103109/http://www.piccadillylights.co.uk/ |archive-date=26 April 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> London's [[West End theatre|theatre district]] is here, as are many cinemas, bars, clubs, and restaurants, including the city's [[Chinatown, London|Chinatown]] district (in [[Soho]]), and just to the east is [[Royal Opera House|Covent Garden]], an area housing speciality shops. The city is the home of [[Andrew Lloyd Webber]], whose musicals have dominated West End theatre since the late 20th century.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=AWaZ1LAFAZEC Sondheim and Lloyd-Webber: the new musical] ''[[The New York Times]]'' referred to Andrew Lloyd Webber as "the most commercially successful composer in history"</ref> [[Agatha Christie]]'s ''[[The Mousetrap]]'', the world's longest-running play, has been performed in the West End since 1952.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Mousetrap at 60: why is this the world's longest-running play? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2012/nov/20/mousetrap-60-years-agatha-christie |access-date=20 July 2022 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> The [[Laurence Olivier Awards]]–named after [[Laurence Olivier]]–are given annually by the [[Society of London Theatre]]. The [[Royal Ballet]], [[English National Ballet]], [[Royal Opera, London|Royal Opera]], and [[English National Opera]] are based in London and perform at the [[Royal Opera House]], the [[London Coliseum]], [[Sadler's Wells Theatre]], and the [[Royal Albert Hall]], as well as touring the country.<ref name="London's Concerts">{{Cite web |url=http://www.yourlondon.gov.uk/visiting/topic.jsp?topicid=6482&search_title=Theatres+and+concert+halls |title=Theatres and concert halls |publisher=Your London |access-date=6 June 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080124185332/http://www.yourlondon.gov.uk/visiting/topic.jsp?topicid=6482&search_title=Theatres%2Band%2Bconcert%2Bhalls |archive-date=24 January 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
 
[[Islington]]'s {{convert|1|mi|km}} long Upper Street, extending northwards from [[Angel, London|Angel]], has more bars and restaurants than any other street in the UK.<ref name=london_161>{{Cite web |title=2001: Public houses |work=BBC History |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/trail/local_history/city/street_03.shtml?publichouses |access-date=4 June 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110430191354/http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/trail/local_history/city/street_03.shtml?publichouses |archive-date=30 April 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> Europe's busiest shopping area is [[Oxford Street]], a shopping street nearly {{convert|1|mi|km}} long, making it the longest shopping street in the UK. It is home to vast numbers of retailers and [[department stores]], including [[Selfridges]] [[Flagship store#Retailing|flagship store]].<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.london.gov.uk/londoner/06sep/p7a.jsp |publisher=[[The Londoner]] |title=Oxford Street gets its own dedicated local police team |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070930204913/http://www.london.gov.uk/londoner/06sep/p7a.jsp |date=September 2006 |access-date=19 June 2007 |archive-date=30 September 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Knightsbridge]], home to the equally renowned [[Harrods]] department store, lies to the south-west. One of the world's largest retail destinations, London frequently ranks at or near the top of retail sales of any city.<ref>{{Cite news |url= http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/02/17/uk-retail-major-cities-idUKLNE71G00420110217 |title=London tops world cities spending league |access-date=29 April 2011 |work=Reuters |date=17 February 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110220031529/http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/02/17/uk-retail-major-cities-idUKLNE71G00420110217 |archive-date=20 February 2011 |url-status=live |first=Mark |last=Potter }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=London is world's shopping capital with £62billion sales |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/london-is-worlds-shopping-capital-with-ps62billion-sales-6568278.html |access-date=17 November 2023 |work=Evening Standard}}</ref> In 2017 it was ranked the top city for luxury store openings.<ref>{{cite news |title=London crowned top city for luxury store openings |url=https://uk.fashionnetwork.com/news/London-crowned-top-city-for-luxury-store-openings,1083671.html |access-date=17 November 2023 |work=Fashion Network}}</ref> Opened in 1760 with its flagship store on [[Regent Street]] since 1881, [[Hamleys]] is the oldest [[toy store]] in the world.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Guinness Book of Records 1994|page=134|author=Peter Matthews, Michelle Dunkley McCarthy|publisher=Facts on File|year= 1994}}</ref> [[Madame Tussauds]] wax museum opened in [[Baker Street]] in 1835, an era viewed as being when London's tourism industry began.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=Andrew |last2=Graham |first2=Anne |title=Destination London. The Expansion of the Visitor Economy |date=2019 |publisher=University of Westminster Press |page=6}}</ref>

[[File:Notting_hill_carnival.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Scene of the annual [[Notting Hill Carnival]], 2014]]
London is home to designers [[John Galliano]], [[Stella McCartney]], [[Manolo Blahnik]], and [[Jimmy Choo]], among others; its renowned art and fashion schools make it one of the four international centres of fashion. [[Mary Quant]] designed the [[miniskirt]] in her [[King's Road]] boutique in [[Swinging Sixties|Swinging Sixties London]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Royal Mail's British design classic stamps |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2009/jan/13/stamps-british-design-classics |date=13 January 2009 |access-date=1 October 2022 |newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref> London offers a great variety of cuisine as a result of its ethnically diverse population. Gastronomic centres include the Bangladeshi restaurants of [[Brick Lane]] and the [[Chinese food|Chinese]] restaurants of [[Chinatown, London|Chinatown]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.chinatownlondon.org/ |title=Chinatown&nbsp;— Official website |publisher=Chinatown London |access-date=27 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501115502/http://www.chinatownlondon.org/ |archive-date=1 May 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> There are [[Chinese takeaway]]s throughout London, as are Indian restaurants which provide [[English cuisine#Indian and Anglo-Indian cuisine|Indian and Anglo-Indian cuisine]].<ref>{{cite web | last=Sukhadwala | first=Sejal | title=How Long Have Londoners Been Eating Chinese Food For? | website=Londonist | date=12 April 2017 | url=https://londonist.com/london/how-london-got-a-taste-for-chinese-food | access-date=14 June 2020}}</ref> Around 1860, the first [[fish and chips]] shop in London was opened by Joseph Malin, a Jewish immigrant, in [[Bow, London|Bow]].<ref name="London traditions">{{cite news |title=Chipping away at the history of fish and chips |url=https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20130409-chipping-away-at-the-history-of-fish-and-chips |access-date=19 June 2022 |work=BBC}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Fish & chips: Drinks & dishes you might not have realised were invented in London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/united-kingdom/galleries/drinks-and-dishes-invented-in-london/fish-and-chips/ |access-date=19 June 2022 |work=The Telegraph}}</ref> The [[full English breakfast]] dates from the Victorian era, and many [[Cafe (British)|cafe]]s in London serve a full English breakfast throughout the day.<ref>{{cite news |title=History Of The Traditional English Breakfast |url=https://englishbreakfastsociety.com/full-english-breakfast.html |access-date=23 July 2022 |work=English Breakfast Society}}</ref> London has five 3-Michelin star restaurants, including [[Restaurant Gordon Ramsay]] in [[Chelsea, London|Chelsea]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Gordon Ramsay celebrates having three Michelin stars for 21 years |url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/celebrity/gordon-ramsay-celebrates-having-three-26251935 |access-date=22 July 2022 |work=Daily Record}}</ref> Many hotels in London provide a traditional [[afternoon tea]] service, such as the [[Hotel Café Royal#Restoration and conversion|Oscar Wilde Lounge]] at the [[Hotel Café Royal]] in Piccadilly, and a themed tea service is also available, for example an ''[[Alice's Adventures in Wonderland|Alice in Wonderland]]'' themed afternoon tea served at the [[Egerton House Hotel]], and ''[[Charlie and the Chocolate Factory]]'' themed afternoon tea at [[One Aldwych]] in Covent Garden.<ref>{{cite news |title=Afternoon Tea At Oscar Wilde's Favorite Bar |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/joanneshurvell/2017/11/29/afternoon-tea-at-oscar-wildes-favorite-bar/ |access-date=3 July 2022 |work=Forbes}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=17 themed afternoon teas perfect for Mother's Day |url=https://www.you.co.uk/themed-afternoon-teas/ |access-date=14 July 2022 |work=You}}</ref> The nation's most popular [[biscuit]] to [[Dunking (biscuit)|dunk]] in tea, [[chocolate digestive]]s have been manufactured by [[McVitie's]] at their [[Harlesden]] factory in north-west London since 1925.<ref>{{cite news |title=Inside the Factory: BBC documentary goes behind the scenes of west London factory churning out 80 million biscuits a day |url=https://www.mylondon.news/news/west-london-news/inside-factory-bbc-documentary-goes-13415002 |access-date=20 August 2022 |work=My London}}</ref>

[[File:Restaurante The Swan, Londres, Inglaterra, 2014-08-11, DD 113.jpg|thumb|[[Shakespeare's Globe]] is a modern reconstruction of the Globe Theatre on the south bank of the Thames.]]
There is a variety of [[List of annual events in London|annual events]], beginning with the relatively new [[New Year's Day Parade]], a fireworks display at the [[London Eye]]; the world's second largest [[street party]], the [[Notting Hill Carnival]], is held on the late [[August Bank Holiday]] each year. Traditional parades include November's [[Lord Mayor's Show]], a centuries-old event celebrating the annual appointment of a new [[Lord Mayor of the City of London]] with a procession along the streets of the city, and June's [[Trooping the Colour]], a formal military pageant performed by regiments of the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] and [[British Army|British]] armies to celebrate the [[King's Official Birthday]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page4820.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080620233221/http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page4820.asp |archive-date=20 June 2008 |title=One Queen, Two Birthdays |publisher=Royal Government |access-date=27 September 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Boishakhi Mela]] is a [[Bengali New Year]] festival celebrated by the [[British Bangladeshi]] community. It is the largest open-air Asian festival in Europe. After the Notting Hill Carnival, it is the second-largest street festival in the United Kingdom attracting over 80,000 visitors.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.eastlondonlines.co.uk/2018/05/celebrate-the-bengali-new-year-this-summer-in-tower-hamlets/ |publisher=East London Lines |last=Andreou |first=Roza |title=Celebrate the Bengali New Year this summer in Tower Hamlets |date=25 May 2018}}</ref> First held in 1862, the [[Chelsea Flower Show|RHS Chelsea Flower Show]] (run by the [[Royal Horticultural Society]]) takes place in May every year.<ref>{{cite news |title=RHS Chelsea Flower Show  |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2002/04_april/17/chelseapack.pdf |access-date=7 July 2022 |work=BBC}}</ref>