This year is going to be a big one for the capital - and the City is buzzing as London gears up for the Diamond Jubilee and the Games this summer. Get planning your spring in the City with our highlights below, or see our more comprehensive events listings.
Dickens and London at Museum of London
Until 10 June
Major exhibition looking at the great scribe Charles Dickens, recreating the atmosphere of Victorian London. Visit on opening night (9 Dec) for a late-opening, music and a pay bar.
Free Winter concerts
1 February to 3 April
Excellent lunchtime concert series run by the City of London Festival during the colder months, with recitals of classical, jazz, folk and more held in churches and other interesting venues.
Age of Elegance at Guildhall Art Gallery
11 February to 28 May
Exhibition of work from the Guildhall Art Gallery's collection celebrating the transition of art from the Fin de Siecle to the Jazz Age.
London in Fiction: Dickens at Bishopsgate Institute
21 February, 14 March and 26 April
Three talks looking at Charles Dickens. The first is in relation to the Met Police; then poet Michael Rosen looks at his storytelling techniques; and finally the portrayal of prostitutes in his novels is examined.
Barbican Weekender
3-4 March
These 'weekender' events always prove popular and this packed programme of art, dance, music, theatre and film for all ages is sure to be a hit too. Part of Music Nation, the theme is 'urban'.
Guildhall tours
8 March and 19 April
The Gothic-looking Guildhall, built around 1411, is an impressive sight. These tours explain its history, including its survival through the Great Fire and the Blitz and some of the notorious events that took place here.
Guildhall Jazz Festival
19-24 March
This lively annual festival sees six days of lunchtime, rush hour and evening concerts, in which Guildhall jazz musicians and guest artists collaborate.
Easter holidays at Museum of London
31 March to 15 April
This Easter break, kids can learn about London's animals. They'll find out who made the lions in Trafalgar Square, meet Tibs, the rat-catching Post Office cat, and search for hidden animals in the galleries.
Big and Small (Gross und Klein) at Barbican
13-29 April
Luc Bondy directs this surreal German play starring Hollywood big-hitter Cate Blanchett.