It’s International Women’s Day (IWD) on Saturday March 8 and London has a host of talks, shows, workshops and more in celebration.
The global initiative marks the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. It also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality and equity.
This year, IWD looks set to be bigger than ever, and as always, all are invited to get involved. From a music night in Walthamstow to a cheese event in Battersea, here’s the best ways to celebrate in 2025.
The London Women’s Symposium is a gathering designed for professionals from across the EU and aims to connect, inspire and spark engagement between industries. Taking place on Saturday 8 at Imperial College Business School, the event is free and includes refreshments afterwards to further foster networking.
Mama Shelter’s Festival of Women
Now in its second year, the Festival of Women traverses food to education, music to comedy and includes a line-up of events throughout the week up to IWD. All are hosted at Mama Shelter hotel in Shoreditch. This year includes stand up from Chloe Petts, music from Graziella and a supper club from Emily Yeoh.
Fancy revving up and tearing around a (simulated) racetrack? F1 Arcade in the City are offering free races to the first 120 women who turn up from March 7-9, between the hours of noon and 2pm. There are no strings, no conditions; it’s as simple as turn up and race on the state-of-the-art racing simulators. A bit of a steal, too, considering sessions usually cost £23.
Firebird restaurant in Soho will host a special night with Savannah Hagendijk, head chef at Amsterdam favourite and Michelin-starred Restaurant de Kas, on March 8. Hagendijk will showcase Firebird’s open-fire cooking with her own plant-forward approach. The evening will also feature a wine selection from de Kas’ sommelier, Anna Dolgushina.
Savannah Hagendijk
De who
The much-loved Big Penny Social in Walthamstow is hosting an all-female seven-piece band on March 8 with disco, funk and soul on the cards. The event is part of a wider series which sees emerging talent perform at the venue on the first Saturday of every month. For those into wrestling, there’s an all-female match on March 7 which will also include elements of punk rock and cabaret, apparently.
Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club
On IWD, the theme is: “All women and girls. Rights. Equality. Empowerment.” Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club is going big on it, with a big, loud, lively party in the diary. The late-night bash is to feature the “biggest bangers from the ultimate queens of pop”, with performances from eight drag artists and DJ Sara Blow on the decks.
The Guildhall Art Gallery is looking to recognise female-owned businesses with a special event on Friday March 7 from 11am. The day is to provide an opportunity for aspiring businesswomen to meet those at the top, with lots of opportunities to network, talk, and develop ideas.
A range of walking tours are set to take place throughout London for IWD. One, Sisters in the City, tells female stories throughout the Square Mile, while the Women of Westminster tour runs all month, across multiple dates, and trumpets the female public servants that have helped shape modern Britain.
London authority
Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute has teamed up with Cord restaurant to put on a special five-course dinner (March 3-7) cooked by female chefs. Led by Cord head chef Justine Bordet, guests will include Elien Verhulst from Belgian restaurant Vlass and alumna, now catering expert Jenny Cheung, with a wine pairing from Jiachen Lu.
On Wednesday March 13 at 6pm, City of London business school will host a global summit to celebrate female leaders. The public event will be moderated by Coca-Cola executive Erin Walsh, who will moderate a discussion on the results of a 2018 survey conducted with women at the university aimed to better understand how to improve and broaden its appeal.
Brindisa in Battersea will host an evening honouring female cheesemakers, known as queseras, on March 12. Hosted by Brindisa founder Monika Linton and author, Standard contributor and cheese lover Clare Finney, guests will be taken on a guided tour of some of Spain’s finest cheeses, each paired with excellent wine.