London's West End

No visit to London would be complete without spending some time soaking up the unique atmosphere in the West End, one of London's most vibrant areas.

The West End of London

London's West End was developed in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. It was originally a collection of palaces, expensive town houses, fashionable shops and places of entertainment.

When people refer to London's West End today, they can be talking about different things:

• London's entertainment district around Leicester Square and Covent Garden
• The shopping on Oxford Street, Regent Street, and Bond Street
• The whole area of the city centre to the west of the historic City of London, within the City of Westminster

Hotels in London's West End

Some of London's finest hotels can be found in the West End. Take your pick from the following, or browse our hotels section for more options:

• St Martins Lane
• Covent Garden Hotel
• Mountbatten
• The Trafalgar
• The Hampshire
• Courthouse Doubletree by Hilton
• The Langham

London's West End Theatres

Perhaps the most famous thing about London's West End is its theatre scene. Alongside Broadway, West End theatre represents the highest quality commercial theatre in the world.

There are around 40 theatres in London's "Theatreland." Theatre performances in the West End tend to be musicals, classic plays and comedies.

At the moment, you can choose from a wide range of West End shows: from musicals like Wicked, Billy Elliot, Hairspray and Mamma Mia, to plays like War Horse, Enron, Waiting for Godot, The Misanthrope and The Mousetrap.

Read more on Theatre in London

Shopping in London's West End

The West End also contains some of London's finest shopping streets.

Check out Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street for big-name flagship stores such as Top Shop, Selfridges, Hamleys, The Apple Store and Fenwicks.

There are also some lovely smaller shopping streets perfect for exploring in the West End. Don't miss Carnaby Street, St Christopher's Place and the areas around Seven Dials.

Read more on Shopping in London

Events in the West End

The West End hosts a number of fantastic events throughout the year.

At Christmas, the area is filled with a variety of festive decorations. London's New Year's Day Parade takes place on the streets of the West End. West End Live, a showcase of the best of London's musical theatre, takes place in Leicester Square in June.

Both Oxford Street and Regent Street have family-friendly traffic-free days during the year: the next is the Regent Street Festival in September.