Written by our partnerships team
Last updated 23 September 2024
With thousands of events happening across the Avanti West Coast network each year, we’ve chosen some of our favourites taking place in the next few weeks to help you plan your next trip.
What's on
London - The Formula 1® Exhibition. Excel Centre - Enter to Win Tickets
Last month London's Excel Centre kicked off the summer with the hotly anticipated Formula 1® Exhibition - a delight for racing fans and sports enthusiasts alike. The exhibition is more than a treasured collection from the world's fastest sport; it is an immersive experience that tells the tale of the world of Formula 1® through the stories of its greatest teams and drivers. And if you would like to experience it for yourself, we have a pair of tickets to win, so you can let yourself in behind the curtain of Formula 1® like you've not known it before.
Avanti West Coast Competition - F1 Exhibition
Birmingham: B Music - Charlie Cook's Favourite Book (26-27th October)
Birmingham's premium entertainment venue, B Music has a packed program of events this Autumn and if you are looking for a family-friendly events, they are putting on Charlie Cook's Favourite Book on for you and the little ones to enjoy. Kicking off on 26th October, it is a story that will inspire even the least avid readers amongst us to delve into the magical world of literature. Brought to life with puppetry and enchanting songs, it's a show to take your children, cousins and nieces or nephews too.
Charlie Cook's Favourite Book | B: Music
London - BFI London Film Festival 2024 (9-20th October)
Dip into the realm of cinema and discover the world’s best new films, series and immersive storytelling. October welcomes the return of The 68th BFI London Film Festival that will take place 9 to 20 October 2024. The festival will kick off with Apple Original Film's production "Blitz" - Steve McQueen’s Second World War drama with the opening gala hosted at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, and screenings around the UK.
Tickets go on sale on 17th September and more will be released on 3rd October, so mark your diary not to miss out. Under 25's can snap up their seats for as little as £5 (details on festival's website).
BFI London Film Festival – 9 to 20 October 2024
Liverpool, River of Light Festival (25th October - 5th November)
If you've not made plans for Halloween or Bonfire Night (or both) this year, then why not head to Liverpool? The city's vibrant waterfront will welcome 12 resplendent installations set to transform the city, illuminating the night skies. Free to enter and great fun for the whole family, the display follows a 3 km waterfront trail, perfect for an evening of exploring. All this year's installations offer the kind of fun you can only find at a playground and we've picked two to entice you to head to Merseyside.
The first is the Piano Walk by artists Amigo & Amigo - an installation of 40 interactive keys and piano hammers that strike the strings, inspired by the intricate details inside a piano, where all you have to do is jump to make them play. The other is Impulse by French-Canadian artists Lateral Office & CS Design - with 15 interactive see-saws positioned at the Pier Head, enveloping the space with light and sound, providing fun for all ages.
Avanti travel to Liverpool every hour from London and the journey takes 2 hours 21 minutes.
River of Light (visitliverpool.com)
London - National Gallery, Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers (14 September 2024 – 19 January 2025)
Continuing it's 200th birthday celebration, The National Gallery is brining Van Gogh's most loved paintings from across the globe. Hailed as 'once-in-a-century' exhibition, 'Poets and Lovers' celebrates the artist's years spent in the south of France, where his style evolved into a poetic expression, inspired by friendships with poets, writers and artists of his time.
Be transported to the region depicted by starry nights, swirling clouds and cypress trees and see up-close his ‘Starry Night over the Rhône’ (1888, Musée d’Orsay) and ‘The Yellow House’ (1888, Van Gogh Museum), as well as the National Gallery's own ‘Sunflowers’ (1888) and ‘Van Gogh's Chair’ (1889), among many others. Tickets now available, booking through to 13 October.
National Gallery Van Gogh Exhibition | Tickets and Information
London - Starlight Express launch
The Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre welcomes the hotly anticipated Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express at the specially designed Starlight Auditorium to immerse you in the world of speed, song and storytelling. Insider tip: keep an eye on Avanti Instagram page for an exciting competition going live later this month to celebrate the launch.
Starlight Express Musical Tickets | Troubadour Wembley Park
Murder on The Orient Express, locations across the UK
Winter 1934 and an avalanche stops The Orient Express dead in its tracks. A murder. A train full of suspects. An impossible case. Trapped in the snow with a killer still on-board, can the world’s most famous detective, Hercule Poirot, crack the case before the train reaches its final destination?
Starring Michael Maloney (Belfast, Young Victoria, The Crown) as the celebrated Belgium sleuth, Murder on the Orient Express is one of Agatha Christie’s greatest literary achievements, with a final twist that is amongst her very best. Gripping, tense and masterfully cryptic, this brand-new production is a deliciously thrilling ride and an ingenious murder mystery, guaranteed to keep you guessing until the end of the line.
