Great Things to See in Great Britain in 2022

Britain’s cities are buzzing with world-class culture and attractions, and 2022 is a great opportunity to discover a new side to the destinations we know and love.

London’s major new attractions include Outernet London, an immersive media and entertainment centre with dining, accommodation and performance venues opening in March, and ABBA Voyage, featuring virtual versions of ABBA performing in the new ABBA Arena. Other exhibitions not to miss include Titanic: The Exhibition, Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature at the V&A and Surrealism Beyond Borders at the Tate Modern.

Visitors to London will be excited by the reopening of the West End as many favourites such as Dirty Dancing, Six, Hamilton and Back to the Future: The Musical return to the stage, and even more exciting are the shows making their debut in 2022. Coming this year are The Glass Menagerie with Amy Adams, Prima Facie with Jodie Comer, Cabaret with Eddie Redmayne and a new stage adaptation of Life of Pi.

In 2022, Manchester Museum will add a South Asia Gallery and a new China Gallery, and infamous music venue Band on the Wall will reopen following renovation. The Factory, billed as North England’s new flagship cultural venue, is set to open in late 2022 in St. John’s, Manchester’s newest buzzing neighbourhood and cultural centre.

Nearby in Liverpool, new exhibitions such as The Tudors: Passion, Power & Politics, Doctor Who: Worlds of Wonder and Radical Landscapes and the Turner Prize 2022 at the Tate Liverpool are sure to delight, while this year’s grand opening of The Shakespeare North Playhouse in Prescot will complete England’s “Shakespeare Triangle,” adding a Northern counterpart to Shakespearean attractions in London and Stratford-upon-Avon.

Manchester is a great city to explore in England, with glorious architecture and cool neighborhoods. JIM BYERS PHOTO

EXPLORE THE OUTDOORS

Step into a world of natural beauty and culture along Britain’s coastal paths. The Wales Coast Path, stretching 870 breath-taking miles (or 1,400 km) along the entire coast of Wales, marks its 10th anniversary this year. Additionally, the England Coast Path, tracing 2,795 miles (or 4,498 km) along the English coast, is closer than ever to being connected in full. Visitors can explore pieces of it in coastal cities like Brighton, Bristol and Liverpool, then wander further to discover white sand beaches, sea-to-table cuisine and unforgettable views along the world’s longest continuous coastal walking path.

Starting in March, visitors to Glasgow can head to the city’s largest green space, Pollok Country Park, to visit the newly refurbished Burrell Collection. Housing one of the world’s greatest personal collections, the new gallery spaces feature a low-carbon design and will display objects from Europe and Asia representing five millennia of art and history.

A TASTE OF WHAT’S COMING

Fans of British spirits can take their whisky to new heights this summer at Port of Leith Distillery, Scotland’s first vertical distillery offering panoramic views from their top floor whisky bar, or head to the new visitor centre at Eden Mill, set to become one of Scotland’s first carbon neutral whisky distilleries. In Cardiff, visit the new Hensol Castle Distillery and gin making school or stop by Cooper King Distillery in York to sip some of England’s first carbon negative gin.

Luxury hotel brands, eco-friendly accommodations and unique, boutique properties are set to expand Britain’s hospitality offering this year. Raffles makes its London debut in the iconic Old War Office on Whitehall, while the new Broadwick Soho draws design inspiration from the history, glam and grit of Soho. Edinburgh will welcome the Gleneagles Townhouse, the iconic country estate’s first urban outpost, as well as the W Hotel in the new St. James Quarter and 100 Princes Street from Red Carnation Hotels. Virgin Hotels will open locations in Edinburgh and Glasgow, while The Albion promises to be one of the most exciting new openings coming this year to Wales.

NEW BEATLES STORY EXHIBIT IN LIVERPOOL: YEAH, YEAH, YEAH

The Beatles Story is a terrific museum in Liverpool.  JIM BYERS PHOTO

The Beatles Story, Liverpool, has announced an exciting new addition to its ever-growing exhibition with the inclusion of a previously unseen notebook belonging to The Beatles’ Tour Manager Mal Evans.

The rare notebook, compiled between 1967-68, features Paul McCartney’s handwritten draft lyrics for ‘Hey Jude’, a part-lyric for ‘Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band’, recording notes by George Harrison for ‘All You Need Is Love’ as well as lyrics for a number of other songs including ‘For The Benefit of Mr Kite, ‘Good Morning Good Morning’ and ‘All Together Now’.

Filled with original scribbles using brightly coloured ink from John, Paul, George, Ringo and Mal, the notebook offers a glimpse into the ground-breaking era in Beatles’ history when they produced ‘Sgt Pepper’ and ‘The White Album’. 

As well as lyrics, poetry and doodles, the notebook also includes a design for the famous ‘Sgt Pepper’ drumskin featured on the cover of the record, and a list of other requirements for the song, including a ‘piano painted for John’.