From its origins as a sitcom punchline, Galentine’s Day has grown up — and so should our plans. From absinthe-soaked cabaret and orchid-filled conservatories to steak-fuelled gossip and trippy spa rituals, Jess Baldwin provides a definitive edit of mate dates worth pencilling in long after the pink prosecco has fizzled out…
Once upon a time, Galentine’s Day was little more than a fabulous fever dream — a saccharine concept cooked up by a US sitcom writer after one cortado too many. Fast-forward 16 years and life has indeed imitated art, with this once-fictitious, sister-loving celebration now neatly embedded in our social calendars.
Every February 13th, British besties don matching pyjamas, slap on a collagen face mask and toast old friendships with flutes of fizz so pink it would make Percy Pig blush.
But in our humble opinion, friendships deserve more than one Insta-hyped, sugar-coated day of forced frivolity. For a friendship to truly thrive, it requires regular maintenance — be that a marvellous matinee, a heart-to-heart in the hot tub or a gossip-fuelled dinner for two. If lockdown taught us anything, it’s that no matter how on point your WhatsApp group’s memes are, face-to-face fun is irreplaceable.
So, whether you fancy getting to grips with a charcoal-scented cookery class, kicking back on a decadent spa day or diving into a theatrical Parisian supper club, consider this your cue to jam-pack your 2026 diary with mate dates that go beyond the ordinary. You’re welcome.
For a raucous night out: Chat Noir!
We all have that impossible-to-impress, finger-on-the-pulse friend — the one whose diary reads like Time Out and whose little black book rivals a five-star concierge. Forget winning her over with a bread-and-butter West End show. Instead, whisk her back to the 1890s and Montmartre’s bohemian heyday (no passport required). Chat Noir! is the latest showstopping creation from immersive heavyweights The Lost Estate — the minds behind the headline-grabbing Great Christmas Feast.
Slip into your finest Parisienne chic and settle in among velvet drapes and candlelit tables as musicians, dancers and cabaret stars pop up around you with whack-a-mole abandon, reviving Paris’s first cabaret club. Meanwhile, feast on haute cuisine as absinthe, art and anarchy swirl. It’s loud, lavish and gloriously indulgent — the kind of night that leaves you hoarse, slightly tipsy and smugly satisfied with your cultural credentials. Salut! To book visit www.chatnoirlondon.com.
For a wholesome jolly: Kew Gardens Orchid Festival
Kew’s petal-packed Orchid Festival is a welcome escape for green-fingered friends craving a break from the concrete jungle. Once reserved for blue-blooded flower lovers, today mere mortals can explore the capital’s 300-acre UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to more than 50,000 plant species.
This year — the festival’s 30th — celebrates a Chinese theme. Step inside the spectacular Princess of Wales Conservatory and you’ll be transported to a dreamy Chinese wonderland, where golden orchids shimmer around striking sculptures, koi carp glide through moonlit pools, and towering bamboo installations cast dramatic shadows.
Snag an After Hours ticket and you can wander the illuminated floral spectacle alongside traditional crafts, immersive soundscapes, and a programme of captivating performances. Equal parts culture, beauty, and escapism, it’s all the justification you need to roam one of London’s most iconic spaces after dark. Kew Gardens Orchid Festival runs from 7 February to 8 March 2026. To book, visit www.kew.org.
For a cultural awakening: Frida: The Making of an Icon
Forget dainty ballerinas or blink-and-you’ll-miss-it fruit bowls. Frida: The Making of an Icon is part exhibition, part feminist pilgrimage. With 30 of Kahlo’s most recognisable works, hundreds of inspired pieces from her contemporaries, and an avalanche of garments, letters, photographs, jewels, and personal ephemera, this is a full-throttle homage to a 20th-century trailblazer.
Yes, the merch is irresistible. But beyond the unibrow and flamboyant accessories, the exhibition delves into the woman herself—her beliefs, her communities, and the lasting impact of her work. Think of it as the ultimate oestrogen-fuelled mate date for comrades who like their culture loud, proud, and unapologetic.
Book a Friday or Saturday night cocktail session and, after you wax lyrical over Frida’s indomitable spirit, toast her legacy with a proper Mexican margarita.
Frida: The Making of an Icon opens at Tate Modern on 25 June 2026. To book, visit www.tate.org.uk.
For unhinged fun: Cirque du Soleil’s OVO
Already ticked off every musical in town, from Matilda to Moulin Rouge? Then swing by the capital’s most iconic venue for something wildly different: 53 acrobats, a lovestruck ladybug, and a human spider defying gravity mid-air. Yes, Cirque du Soleil is back with OVO.
Taking over the Royal Albert Hall for a limited four-week run, this bug-filled extravaganza is a feast for the senses, from bouncing beetles to somersaulting stick insects. Invertebrates aside, at its heart OVO is a love story—between a fly and a ladybug, naturally—but it’s packed with hair-raising stunts that will leave you gasping. Nail-biting aerial silks, Chinese poles, fancy-foot juggling (because why not?), and contortionists bending every which way make for an unforgettable ride. Still on the fence? When else will you see trampolining crickets? OVO runs at the Royal Albert Hall until 1st March 2026 with tickets starting from £50. To book, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com/OVO.
The meaty mate date: Hawksmoor St Pancras
If your ideal Galentine’s get-together revolves around serious steak, strong martinis and unfiltered gossip, make Hawksmoor your headquarters. Because honestly, what catch-up isn’t improved by award-winning beef and one of the best martinis in town? Since launching two decades ago, Hawksmoor’s grass-fed, charcoal-grilled cuts have become a firm favourite among steak-loving Londoners, with outposts scattered across the city.
Their latest opening, Hawksmoor St Pancras, lands inside one of London’s most jaw-dropping dining rooms. The restaurant takes over Sir George Gilbert Scott’s Grade I-listed Gothic Revival landmark — formerly St Pancras station’s booking hall — just the ticket for a properly indulgent dinner. Here, two icons collide, beneath soaring ceilings and vast marble columns, the space gleams with parquet floors, glossy forest-green banquettes and low, sultry lighting that catches the gilded details of this meaty Mecca just so.
Not ready to call it a night? Drift into the neo-Gothic Martini Bar, a dramatically vaulted side space that feels like a gloriously over-the-top chapel devoted entirely to the worship of cold, clear cocktails – a fitting finale. To book, visit www.thehawksmoor.com.
The ultimate spa day: Champneys
Celebrating 100 years as the OG of British day spas, Champneys is having a bit of a moment. Forget dusty plaques and pesky party poppers, this momentous milestone has gifted the nation a bevy of new treatments to indulge in, like their 100-Years Face and Body Reset. Harnessing their favourite skin-boosting techniques from throughout the ages, it has everything from contouring wood-wizardry to cooling cryotherapy globes, with all manner of masks and massages thrown in along the way.
Champneys have countless spas within a hot stone’s throw of the capital, from serene Henlow in leafy Hertfordshire to their flagship Buckinghamshire estate, in Tring. Whichever outpost you choose, you can expect a well-oiled ritual: light breakfast, excellent buffet lunch, then hours drifting between classes, heat rooms, pools and hot tubs – the perfect way to catch up with your Galentine. Alternatively, make a weekend of it and check-in to one of their sumptuous suites! To find the best spa for you, visit www.champneys.com.
The perfect cookery class: Lebnani
If your idea of a heavenly feast involves charcoal smoke and a table piled high with mezze, Lebnani has just the thing. Tucked away in the heart of Reigate, it’s the latest brainchild from the husband-and-wife team that launched cult Soho favourite Yalla Yalla— which for 14 years had queues snaking around the block for its umami-packed wraps and groanworthy grills. Lebnani, however, has carved its own identity, earning two AA Rosettes along the way.
Every dish head chef Jad Youssef serves up here is infused with the memories of his childhood in Beirut. Expect proper Lebanese comfort food with polish—the kind built for sharing. Their hands-on classes focus on the good stuff: magicking up moreish mezze from scratch and mastering the Al Mashwa charcoal grill. Ingredients are top-notch, sourced from Surrey and Sussex farms, and the atmosphere is perfect for foodie friends.
The best bit? It ends exactly as it should: everyone gathered around the table, digging into a full Lebanese feast you’ve cooked yourself. To book a table, attend a cookery class or order one of their Lebanese hampers, visit www.lebnani.co.uk.
The trippiest treatment in town: The Comforter at Lush Spa
Shopping for a pamper prezzie for a been-there-done-that spa obsessive? Lush’s hush-hush spas are your wildcard. Home to some of the trippiest treatments in town, they’re designed to delight even the most jaded spa-goer — think sea-shanty-soundtracked facials and fully immersive massages that blur the line between wellness and theatre.
Piled high with rainbow-bright bath bombs, you’ll smell these quirky pamper palaces long before you spot them. Dodge the buffet-like displays of edible face masks and kaleidoscopic bubble bars and, eventually, those in the know will descend into the brand’s serene subterranean spas — where reality politely checks itself out.
For maximum escapism (and a hit of nostalgia), book yourselves in for The Comforter. This Willy Wonka-esque journey begins with a head-to-toe slathering of satisfyingly gritty raw cacao liquor, buffed to a gleam to the dulcet tones of Lush’s infamous in-house band (yes, really). A beautifully choreographed massage follows, before you’re gently returned to the real world with a candy-floss ‘cloud cocktail’ — a whimsical reminder not to take life quite so seriously. For more information or to book visit www.lush.com
The free flower festival: Chelsea in Bloom
Can’t make it to the Chelsea Flower Show this year? No problem. Each May, London’s largest free flower festival takes root in ritzy Chelsea, with the area’s upscale boutiques and chichi restaurants donning their floral finest. Created in partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society, this year’s Out of This World theme draws on astrology, mythology and ancient gods, transforming familiar streets into cosmic gardens.
Expect a Zodiac Constellation Circle unfurling in Sloane Square, a UFO hovering above Pavilion Road and an immersive Lunar Landscape landing in Duke of York Square — enough to distract even the most dedicated shopaholics. After attracting a record-breaking 1.58 million visitors last year, Chelsea in Bloom 2026 is poised to be bigger and better than ever. An otherworldly day of bloom-filled streets that won’t cost a penny. You’re welcome. Chelsea in Bloom returns 18th–24th May 2026.
A night at the ballet – The Sleeping Beauty
There is something rather delicious about watching a childhood fairytale slip into couture and re-emerge as world-class ballet — especially when witnessed with your ride or die, dressed to the nines, Champagne in hand.
This summer, Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s sumptuous The Sleeping Beauty takes up residence at the Royal Albert Hall, and it’s an unapologetically grand affair from the off. From Aurora’s christening in the palace’s grand hall to her jubilant wedding celebrations, the production is a feast for the senses. Expect sweeping ensembles, glittering costumes and Tchaikovsky’s opulent score surging beneath the vast dome’s famous mushrooms, played live by the English National Ballet Philharmonic.
The bones may be pure storybook — cursed princess, malevolent guest, an inconvenient century-long sleep — but the pleasure lies in the detail: razor-sharp choreography, exquisitely bedecked costumes and a goosebump-inducing score. This is a mate date that begins with Champagne and ends in rapturous applause — a cultural slam dunk, if you will. The Sleeping Beauty is at the Royal Albert Hall from Thursday 25 – Sunday 28th June. To book tickets visit www.royalalberthall.com.
Header image: Chat Noir
