Remembrance Ceremonies, Retro Gaming, and Festive Fun: Sunday in London

Welcome, listeners, to Things to Do in London! It’s Sunday, November 9, 2025, and London is absolutely buzzing with energy—and a dash of that legendary drizzle. Picture a city wrapped in cozy scarves under silvery skies, with crowds pressing into museums, markets, and memorials. Whether you woke up ready for adventure or just desperate for a decent cup of tea, London is serving up a day packed with possibility. Right now, the big story setting the mood is the National Service of Remembrance happening at Whitehall’s Cenotaph, starting at 11 a.m. This moving ceremony draws Londoners and visitors together to remember the sacrifices of British and Commonwealth servicewomen and men—a moment of collective pause in the city’s ever-whirling pace, with two minutes of silence and plenty of poppies on lapels. If you’re headed down, expect security checks and crowded pavements, but also that deeply British spirit of togetherness. If you’re after something a bit less solemn, hold onto your game controllers: the London Gaming Market is roaring back to the Royal National Hotel for its tenth year. Imagine a wonderland packed with retro games, rare imports, and more geeky loot than Mario can cart around. Whether you’re a collector, a casual fan, or just want to relive the glory days of button-mashing, it’s gaming nirvana for all ages, open until 4:30 p.m. today, as hyped by Replay Events’ own market masters. Cultural connoisseurs, take note: the Southbank Centre is hosting Gilbert & George: 21st Century Pictures at the Hayward Gallery, and tonight at 8 p.m. you can catch poet Joelle Taylor’s “Maryville”—think wordplay, powerhouse performances, and the kind of creative spark that lights up a grey Sunday. Meanwhile, for theatre lovers, London’s West End stages glow as always, with classics like Les Misérables and newcomers like Paddington The Musical. If you’re in the vibe for festive magic, glance ahead—Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland is preparing to open on the 14th for another season of icy enchantment and mulled wine madness. Now for something completely different: if you hear the distant echo of sea shanties, don't panic—you haven’t been teleported to the coast. That would be the Colliers Wood Shanty Singers keeping Bankside merry with tunes onboard the Golden Hinde, London’s historical pirate ship. Drinks, song sheets, and accordion guaranteed for a proper knees-up later tonight. For art lovers, the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize is on display, capturing the city’s soul in a single shot. As for local news, foodies are raising their chopsticks to Wanton Charlie’s, the shiny new Hong Kong-style noodle house in London Fields—no bookings, just rock up and slurp hand-wrapped wontons in slow-cooked broth. And for travel updates: take note that extra trains and buses are running near central London hotspots today to accommodate Remembrance crowds. Wondering what else you should do? You can always climb the iconic 334 steps to Big Ben for a rare view over th This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.