Every year, the country of Norway gives a Christmas tree to the city of London as a thank you for their support during the Second World War. This is the most famous Christmas tree in England and every year it is placed on Trafalgar Square. A few years ago, someone compared it to a cucumber, but in 2019, things are getting worse!
Have you ever heard about Spelacchio? That was the name of the Christmas tree in Rome at Piazza Venezia after it looked absolutely terrible and almost without fur and branches a few years ago. This years Christmas tree at the Trafalgar square can for sure be compared to Spelacchio in Rome.
If you see it in the darkness with the lights turned on, it doesn’t look that bad. Just take a look.
Some people wonder why the Norwegians have kept the best trees to themselves, why others wonder what the English people have done to make the Norwegians so angry?
Another person said he “thought the Norwegians left the trolls behind in Norway,” while someone suggested a “plastic surgery” for the tree in order to make it look nicer.
However, the general audience is just grateful for the tree. If you come to London, make sure to check out the Christmas tree at Trafalgar square and have a wonderful time!
On November 22nd, Freya Ridings will perform in London. She is one of the up and coming artists in our world today, and she has been embraced by Taylor Swift and other stars. Would you like to be there at the Freya Ridings concert in London?
Freya Ridings has more than 150,000 subscribers to her YouTube channel and her latest song named Castles has been seen by more than 3,000,000 people the last month.
Her most popular video is named Lost Without You, and it has been seen by nearly 10,000,000 people on YouTube. Of course, such numbers cannot be compared with the numbers of Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, Justin Bieber and other super-stars, but Freya Ridings if for sure moving in the right direction.
Freya Ridings concert in London
As Freya Ridings come to London on November 22nd, she will sing in Eventim Apollo. This is a great concert venue, and where better to buy tickets for the concert than directly from Eventim?
Freya Ridings tickets at Eventim.
The cheapest tickets will cost you around 20 GBP, and that is a fair price for such a fantastic concert. Check the link above to find the tickets that you want and need to the Freya Ridings concert in London.
What else to do in London?
If you look for more programs to enjoy in London, take a look at our overview presenting musicals currently playing in London. There you can read about great musicals such as Mamma Mia, Joseph and his amazing coat, Thriller, The Lion King, and other popular musicals!
Would you rather just get to know more about Big Ben, the Parliament, or other popular attractions and activities in London, look around in our London Guide. You can also find information about the public transportation in London, train rides, and other useful and important topics!
Are you ready for a real Mamma Mia party in London? From August 30th until February 16th in 2020, you can be a part of a five-hour-long Mamma Mia experience in the O2 Arena in London!
Björn Ulvaeus is the creator of this brand new Mamma Mia project. The show could first be seen in Stockholm (Sweden), and more than 300,000 people enjoyed the show there. But, now it will be moved to London and you are invited to check it out as well!
If you want to get a feeling of what the show is all about, take a look at the trailer above. As you can see, this is not an ordinary concert. This is a full-evening program including a three-course Mediterranean meal, lots of music and songs, dancing, and simply a stunning party for you to remember for years and years after it actually happened!
Mamma Mia Party in a Greek Taverna
As you have seen in the trailer, this is not a normal concert venue either. Here you are, in the middle of the music, eating and enjoying your food in a Greek taverna. But, from time to time action takes place and you will be able to sing along, dance, eat and have the party of your lifetime, listening to some of the biggest hits in music history.
Tickets for the Mamma Mia Party
If you want to buy tickets for the Mamma Mia Party in the O2 Arena in London, visit Eventim for the best prices, straight from the official ticket company.
The first evening is August 30th, and it is all supposed to finish on February 16th. But, as it is quickly getting sold out, I would not be surprised if they would keep the show running for a much longer time in the end.
The show is normally starting around 18.30 in the evening, but on weekends, they often run two shows a day, one starting at 12.00 and the other at 18.30.
Bartolome Bermejo is the name of a Spanish painter from the 15th century whom we only know for less than 20 works. Still, what we know of this guy and his works are so amazing that he is still unparalleled for his work during his lifetime, especially his oil-painting work.
From June 12th until September 29th, you can take a look at this awesome temporary exhibition in the National Gallery in London portraying seven of his rare works. And guess what, only one of these works has been in England before, while the other six works will be on English soil for the first time ever. In other words, this is a fantastic chance to learn more about Bartolome Bermejo and to see seven of his works (which is more than 33% of what we know he made) at the very same time.
This is a free temporary exhibition, meaning that you can enjoy it without paying a single penny, just like you can with most other permanent exhibitions in the National Gallery in London!
From the glimmer of a jewel to the sheen of armour, Bermejo’s ability to capture light, colours and textures in oil painting was unparalleled in 15th-century Spain.
Though fewer than 20 works by the artist are known and much of his
life remains something of a mystery, Bermejo’s paintings set him apart
as a technically skilled and visionary master.
Bringing together seven of his rare works, six of which have never
been seen in the UK, this exhibition explores how Bermejo drew
inspiration from Netherlandish painting, using illusionistic effects and
a rich colour palette, to become one of the greatest artists of the
Spanish Renaissance.
At the heart of the exhibition is Saint Michael Triumphs over the Devil,
widely considered the most important early Spanish painting in Britain.
Its technical skill and excellent state of preservation are even
clearer following its recent year-long conservation treatment.
This will be a unique opportunity to see Bermejo’s first documented
painting, ‘Saint Michael’ alongside his last, the recently restored
‘Desplà Pietà’ (1490) from Barcelona Cathedral, which has never been
lent outside of Spain until now. Also on display will be Bermejo’s only
other signed masterwork, the ‘Triptych of the Virgin of Montserrat’
(probably 1470–75) from the Cattedrale Nostra Signora Assunta in Acqui
Terme, Alessandria (Italy).
In these days, in which England is celebrating being back on the throne with the best club football teams in Europe, it might be hard to concentrate on other sports, but it is important to remember that on the same day that Arsenal will play against Chelsea in the Europe League final in Baku in Azerbaijan (what a strange place for two London teams to play), it will be time for the Cricket World Cup opening in London.
As we are used to, the opening match of the tournament is attended by the hosting country, that is England. And who will England play against? South Africa!
Looking forward to the cricket world cup in England and Wales.
England – South Africa at The Oval in London
The match between England and South Africa will be played at The Oval in London, a stadium located in the very southern parts of London. Normally the pitch is used by Surrey County Cricket Club, but on May 30th, this will be the venue which will host the opening of the Cricket World Cup in 2019.
The venue has a long history, and it has been the home of the Surrey County Cricket Club since 1845. The venue will be used for quite a lot of matches during the cricket world cup, and together with The Lord’s they will be the stadiums in London which will be used during the world cup. And let us tell you, the match to be played at these stadiums are among the most important… not only the opening match, but also one of the semi-finals and the grand final itself on July 14th.
England are the big favorites to win the tournament itself, and South Africa shouldn’t cause them much trouble. The hardest opponents of England in the tournament will be India and Australia (if the bookmakers tell us the truth), but in a tournament anything can happen, and with the pressure from the home crowd, it will be interesting to see if England will manage to live up to the expectations.
The rest of England’s matches during the cricket world cup
There will be a total of 10 teams taking part in the world cup, and England will play against every single one of them. Here you can see the different matches in which England will play and where they will be.
May 30th, England – South Africa, The Oval
June 3rd, England – Pakistan, Trent Bridge (Nottingham)
June 8th, England – Bangladesh, Cardiff
June 14th, England – West Indies, Southampton
June 18th, England – Afghanistan, Manchester
June 21, England – Sri Lanka, Leeds
June 25, England – Australia, London (The Lord’s)
June 30, England – India, Birmingham
July 3, England – New Zealand, Chester-le-street
As you can see, England will play one match in every city in which there is a venue during the tournament, making sure that all of England get a chance to cheer for their heroes. But, if they make it to the semi-finals, they will either play at Old Trafford in Manchester or in Birmingham, before they return to The Lord’s in London for the cricket world cup final.
The most interesting matches for England will be the match against Australia at The Lord’s in London on June 25th, and of course the match against India in Birmingham on June 30th.
Are you going to follow the Cricket World Cup? Are you coming to London to see any of the cricket matches? Have a great time! For more information about the popular attractions and sights in London, look around here in our London Guide.
