As February approaches, love is well and truly in the air in London. Whether you are planning an elaborate winter date night, Galentines, or a day of self-love and restoration, the city has transformed into a sanctuary for the romantic at heart. From a ‘Love Letters’ exhibition at The National Archives to Michelin-starred set menus at Lilli by Akira Back, this is our guide to all the pop-ups this month has to offer.

Explore Tracey Emin’s work at The Tate

The wait is nearly over for perhaps one of the most anticipated exhibitions of the year. Tracey Emin: A Second Life will trace 40 years of the acclaimed artist’s groundbreaking practice. Dubbed one of the most important contemporary artists of our generation, this exhibition will showcase some of her most famous and controversial works for the first time in years.

Among the pieces to look out for is the Turner Prize-nominated My Bed (1998), which sparked fierce critical and public debate, and I Never Asked to Fall in Love – You Made me Feel Like This (2018).


Where: Bankside, London SE1 9TG
Website: www.tate.com

Attend Kew Gardens’
Orchid Festival

This February marks the 30th anniversary of the much-loved Kew Gardens Orchid Festival. This annual floral spectacle attracts crowds from far and wide, as people gather to savour the scenery of the floral sculptures.

The event transforms the Princess of Wales Conservatory into a tropical paradise, with this year’s theme inspired by China’s rich cultural heritage. The centrepiece will take the form of a majestic Chinese dragon, while other sculptures will include zodiac-inspired arches and tributes to China’s iconic wildlife.

This event will celebrate China’s iconic wildlife.

Where:  Kew, Richmond, TW9 3AE
Website: www.kewgardens.com

A woman smiles joyfully whilst surrounded by vibrant pink, purple, and yellow orchids and lush green foliage in a garden inspired by London February pop-ups.

Enjoy a Valentine’s brunch

From the 7th to the 15th of February, Café Ciel is celebrating the Valentine’s season with a limited edition brunch experience. The menu additions include Tiramisu French Toast and Cloud Eggs. Guests will also be invited to enjoy two specially curated Perrier-Jouet Champagne cocktails.

This new campaign blends romance, creativity and conscious collaborations with Buns From Home and sleepwear brand One Less to reimagine Valentine’s Day as a well-earned moment of escape.

A box of six pastries topped with green cream, white icing, and a red jelly heart, presented in a brown cardboard box labelled buns from home café Ciel—perfect for February pop-ups.

Try a Valentine’s Day cocktail

The Stafford London is celebrating Valentine’s Day in style this year with the launch of a limited edition cocktail. The Lover’s Alchemy will feature on The American Bar’s menu exclusively on the 13th and 14th of February.

Served as three distinct pours to be savoured and shared side by side, each layer reveals a different expression of flavour. Sweet hibiscus and vodka lead to bright gin and lychee, before a bold finish of mezcal, tequila and a passion fruit-infused Lillet Blanc.

The Stafford London is celebrating Valentine’s Day in style this year.

Where: 16-18 St James’s Pl, London SW1A 1NJ
Website: www.thestafford.com

Two hands hold three small glasses—red, yellow, and clear—over a large, red iced drink, all set against a deep red background and chair, capturing the festive spirit of our February Pop-ups and valentines line.

Enjoy an evening of pinsas and cocktails

Bar Jackie has teamed up with London Indian restaurant Tamila for an exciting new February collaboration. The partnership is in celebration of coveted chef and friend of Bar Jackie, Prince Durairaj, opening a new restaurant around the corner in Soho.

Crunchy, spicy and full of flavour, the Chettinad Lamb Chukka Pinsa will be served up at Bar Jackie throughout the month. Once more, you can wash down your pinsa with a Tamil Negroni or a Desi Spritz.

For every pinsa and cocktail served, £1 goes to The Cycle charity, supporting gender equity and climate resilience through community-led action in Tamil Nadu.

Where: 20 Broadwick St, London W1F 8TH
Website: www.barjackie.com

Two chefs in white uniforms, smiling and focused, prepare and garnish a dish together in a professional kitchen. Various tools and ingredients hint at special February pop-ups or delights from the Valentines line on the counter.

Equanimity festival

If you are in need of a February recharge, the Equanimity Festival will be taking over Lewis Cubitt Square throughout the entirety of the month. This wellness takeover has transformed the King’s Cross neighbourhood into a sanctuary for city-dwellers to reset for the start of 2026. Think wood-fired saunas, cold plunge pools and ice baths.

Beyond the saunas, the festival also hosts a curated program of workshops and classes, including yoga, sound baths, and Sunday reset retreats.

The event organisers hope the festival will create calm amidst a chaotic world, forging “moments of balance and restoration through a programme of activities designed to nurture both mind and body health.”

Where: 11 Stable St, London N1C 4DR
Website: www.equanimityfestival.com

Try out an array of cuisines at Hackney Restaurant Festival

Throughout February, Hackney will be taken over by a vibrant food festival, fronted by Acme Fire Cult’s chef, Andrew Clarke. It has been designed to showcase the borough’s incredible culinary talent, with a range of restaurants participating in the event.

If that wasn’t enough to entice you, a 40 per cent discount will be applied to your total bill, drinks included, during selected times. Among the restaurants to be featured are Berber & Q, Sune, and My Neighbours the Dumplings.

Website: www.eatclub.com

A person wearing black gloves holds a rectangular plate with grilled prawns, drizzled with sauce, over a rustic wooden table—a perfect bite from our February Pop-ups valentines line.

Try a whiskey flight

The Lakes Distillery is hosting a whiskey tasting pop-up at Dukes on February 12th. Join The Lakes Distillery Brand Ambassador, Chris Dennis, in The Delany Drawing Room for a guided tasting of its signature whiskeys.

The evening will commence with a welcome cocktail, while canapés will also be served throughout.

Where: 35 St James’s Pl, London SW1A 1NY
Website: www.dukeslondon.com

A person in a suit selects a glass of whisky from a tasting flight on a wooden tray, part of exclusive London February pop-ups, with three glasses of different shades set on a polished table beside a lamp and water glass.

Get pampered at this
Selfridges pop-up

If you fancy being pampered this month, head to Selfridges for a luxe manicure. Throughout the first week of February, La Prairie will be celebrating the launch of its new Cashmere Body Cream in style, in a collaboration with Bio Sculpture Nail Bar.

Clients will be able to choose from four bespoke designs, spanning soft nudes and nail art in the brand’s signature cobalt blue shade. Each manicure will also conclude with a complimentary hand and arm massage to offer the ultimate indulgent experience.

Where: 400 Oxford St, London W1A 1AB
Website: www.selfridges.com

A hand with neatly manicured nails painted nude, each nail decorated with a small gold dot near the cuticle—a chic look perfect for 11 February events or attending exclusive valentines pop-ups, set against a neutral grey background.

Spend a romantic evening at Oui Madame

To celebrate Valentine’s week, Oui Madame is inviting guests to enjoy a romantic evening tucked away in Highbury & Islington. The restaurant will be serving a special set menu for two, priced at £95 per couple.

To mark the occasion further, Oui Madame is also launching two limited-time champagne cocktails. From French kiss a champagne martini that blends gin, elderflowers, and citrus, to Midnight Rose, with strawberry and citrus flavour. 

Where: 290 St Paul’s Rd, London N1 2LH
Website: www.ouimadame.com

Visit Battersea Planetarium

Propel yourself into space this February at Battersea Power Station’s Planetarium Go! pop up. This immersive experience offers a 360-degree journey through the cosmos, all while both feet are kept firmly on the ground. Planetarium Go! focuses on high-resolution, science-led storytelling through a series of short films. You simply sit in lean-back auditorium chairs beneath a massive spherical screen and watch the magic unfold.

Each projection is designed to spark curiosity, imagination, and a sense of discovery.

Where: Circus Rd W, Nine Elms, London SW11 8DD
Website: www.planetariumgo.com

A planetarium dome displays a large image of the International Space Station above Earth, with rows of empty seats below and colourful LED lights bordering the curved screen for February Pop-ups and a glowing Valentines line event.

Attend a love letters exhibition

In celebration of the month of love, The National Archives Gallery is exhibiting “500 years of devotion, longing, sacrifice and passion.”

The free exhibition features correspondence spanning more than half a century of devotion, longing, sacrifice, heartache, and passion. These letters span literary icons like Oscar Wilde, through to royalty and parliamentarians.

Beyond letters, this revealing exhibition features declarations of love in other forms, including poems and drawings, official memorials and wills.

Where: The National Archives, Richmond TW9 4DU
Website: www.nationalarchives.com

Enjoy a Valentine’s set menu

The team at Lilli by Akira Back, The Montcalm Mayfair, are celebrating Valentine’s Day with a limited edition three-course set menu offering.

Guests will be invited to choose from the restaurant’s signature dishes. For starters, diners can choose from the Tuna Pizza with umami aioli and white truffle oil, Yellowtail Serrano with yuzu soy, and Wagyu Tartare with trout roe, brioche and caviar.

While the main offerings include Tiger Shrimp Dynamite and Lamb Cutlets with anticucho sauce. For desserts, indulge in a refreshing Burnt Pineapple with yuza kalamansi sorbet. 

Indulge in a three course set-menu complete with wagyu tartare and caviar.

Where: 2 Wallenberg Pl, London W1H 7TN
Website: www.montcalmcollection.com

Get crafty at The V&A

The Victoria and Albert Museum has a whole host of workshops to get stuck into this month. Largely inspired by the blockbuster Marie Antoinette Style exhibition, the classes span fresh water pearl bracelet making, ceramic workshops and Japanese ink wash painting.

From calligraphy to virtual reality, illustration to photography, these workshops offer a diverse range of ways to gain hands-on experience and explore new skills. Simply head to the website to book your class.

Where: Cromwell Rd, London SW7 2RL
Website: www.vanda.com

A person walks past the grand red-brick façade and arched windows of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, illuminated by sunlight, as February Pop-ups bring a festive buzz to the historic site.

Drink wine and fine dine at Petrus

Head over to Pétrus on February 18th to celebrate Domaine E. Guigal, one of the Rhône Valley’s most revered producers. Hosted by Philippe Guigal, owner of the celebrated family estate, this intimate evening offers a rare opportunity to experience one of the world’s great wine houses.

The Pétrus kitchen will serve a seasonal five-course menu, while Guigal will share personal insights into the family legacy and vineyards while you dine.

Where: 1 Kinnerton St, London SW1X 8EA
Website: www.petrus.com

Culture, Pop Ups

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