7 reasons to visit England in 2025
From celebrations for JMW Turner and Jane Austen’s birth years to a brand new city of culture, here’s where to head this year…
England’s landscapes are as beautiful as they are varied, from the modern skyscrapers of London or Manchester and the medieval sights in York or Winchester to the endless green valleys of the Yorkshire Dales. While the nation’s capital may get most of the attention from international visitors, the country as a whole has a lot to offer year-round – and in 2025 in particular.
With so many anniversaries, events and new openings to explore, these are all the reasons to visit England in 2025.
1. Celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway with S&DR200
Some 200 years ago, right here in England, the modern railway was born. The first locomotive may have been built in 1804, but it took until the launch of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1825 for the journey towards the train travel we know and love today to begin. To mark the occasion, County Durham and Tees Valley is going full steam ahead on a programme of events running between March and November, with public art commissions, exhibitions, performances, talks and more, with the full programme still to be announced.
To mark the official anniversary on 27 September, a newly renovated replica of Locomotion No. 1, the passenger carriage ‘Experiment’ and coal waggons will run along the sections of the original line between 26-28 September, but any one of the SD&R200 celebrations offers a great reason to visit England in 2025.
More information: sdr200.co.uk.
Read next: 4 of the best walks in County Durham
2. Visit the UK City of Culture 2025, Bradford
Picking up the mantle from Coventry, Bradford is the UK City of Culture for 2025. Moving from city to city every four years, the designation will see Bradford host a series of culture-led festivities over the next 12 months. The schedule is jam-packed with theatre shows, comedy nights, exhibitions and more, with more than 1,000 performances planned, giving you plenty of reasons to visit the city (and England) in 2025.
Bradford’s National Science and Media Museum, which has just reopened after renovations, will host a few of the highlights, including an exhibition for Bradford-born artist David Hockney as well as an immersive experience created for the city by artist collective Marshmallow Laser Feast. Other must-sees include the city’s new dining hub Darley Street Market and the pop-up arts venue Loading Bay.
More information: bradford2025.co.uk.
3. Explore the new V&A East Storehouse
The V&A Museum in South Kensington’s cooler, younger sibling is set to open in Stratford in 2025. An alternative museum experience, V&A East Storehouse is meant to offer a behind-the-scenes look at how these spaces function, with four conservation studios where you’ll be able to see conservators at work and even ask questions, and the ability to request access to an object 7 days a week.
The collection spans everything from fashion and furniture to samurai swords and Roman frescos, with more than 250,000 objects and 350,000 library books. At the David Bowie Centre, you’ll be able to see rotating displays dedicated to the musical innovator, with items on show including Ziggy Stardust ensembles and lyrics for songs like Fame (1975) and Heroes (1977).
V&A East Storehouse will open on 31 May, with the David Bowie Centre set to open on 13 September. The V&A East Museum will then open in spring next year.
More information: vam.ac.uk/east.
Read next: 8 of the best walks in London
4. Discover Yorkshire and the Lake District with the complete Coast to Coast Path National Trail
The Coast to Coast Walk between St. Bees at the edge of the Lake District National Park and Robin Hood’s Bay in the North York Moors National Park has been around for decades, but this year will see the completion of works to improve accessibility. Aiming to be finished by late 2025, there will be improved signing and better surfacing, after which the route will be formally recognised as the Coast to Coast National Trail. You can still walk the 309 km route ahead of the works’ conclusion, but with plenty of ups and downs along the route, you’ll need to have a good standard of fitness if you want to join the ranks of the 6,000 or so people who complete it each year.
More information: nationaltrail.co.uk.
Read next: 7 of the best summer walks in the UK
5. Learn more about the night’s sky as part of the Royal Greenwich Observatory’s 350th anniversary
Part of the Maritime Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Royal Observatory Greenwich is always worth a visit for the chance to stand on the Prime Meridian Line and to catch a planetarium show. But 2025 offers even more reasons to visit, as it is marks the 350th anniversary since it was founded, with plenty of special events planned for the occasion.
In March, there will be a special talk around the legacy of the first generation of professional female astronomers such as Alice Everett, Elsie Clack and Mary French, followed by a special planetarium show on pioneering nineteenth-century astrophotographer Annie Maunder’s birthday 14 April. In August, a new planetarium show demonstrating the night sky when the foundation stone was laid in Greenwich Park, and many more events will be announced in the coming months.
More information: rmg.org.uk.
Read next: 10 of the UK’s best stargazing escapes
6. Admire the works of JMW Turner, 250 years after he was born
Considered to be Britain’s most influential artist, JMW Turner transformed the world of landscape painting. Born 23 April 1775, this year will mark 250 years since his birth, with cultural institutions across the country putting on special exhibitions and talks. Exhibitions will be held in London, Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Norwich, Bath and Sussex, including at Turner’s House in Sussex, his former home, and Turner’s complete catalogue of 37,500 sketches and watercolours will be accessible on the Tate from November.
Read next: Britain to host year-long festival of events to mark 250 years since birth of JMW Turner
7. …and visit the places that inspired Jane Austen for her 250th birthday, too
While modern society may seem worlds apart from Jane Austen’s time, her wit and understanding of human nature has meant her work is still as relevant and popular as ever in 2025. Whether you’re reading the original book or enjoying it in a different form with adaptations like Pride & Prejudice (2005), or reimaginings like Clueless (1995), there’s no denying that Austen is one of Britain’s – and the world’s – most influential authors.
This year offers another reason to dive back into her work as the 250th anniversary of her birth, with events going on across the places she lived. In Hampshire, the house where she wrote her books has a new permanent exhibition, Jane Austen and The Art of Writing, while the house where she spent her final weeks, No. 8 College Street, Winchester, will open to the public for the first time this summer. Over in Bath, you can attend the annual Jane Austen festival between 12-21 September, or attend one of three special balls: A Persuasion nautical-themed ball on 31 May, a Sanditon seaside-themed ball on 28 June, and a Yuletide ball on 13 December.
More information: visit-hampshire.co.uk / visitbath.co.uk.
Read next: Jane Austen’s Bath: 8 iconic locations fans should visit
