5 Fun Activities to Celebrate Dry January in London 2025

Participating in Dry January 2025? Or just looking to discover some new, fun activities to get through the winter months? We’ve got your back!

Dry January is rising in popularity as more of us become aware of the potential impact of alcohol on our wellbeing. But it’s not solely about avoiding alcohol – Dry January can also be the perfect opportunity to reset after the busy Christmas and New Year period. That way you’ll feel truly refreshed and ready to enjoy yourself come February!

We’re going to give you the lowdown on the best activities for Dry January in London. From exciting crazy golf to a relaxed day at a museum, you’ll have so much fun you won’t miss drinking at all!

Get moving with Swingers Crazy Golf

If you’re looking for the perfect activity to bring your friends together for Dry January 2025, crazy golf is the one. Action-packed and sure to bring out everyone’s competitive side, it’s a great way to get the banter and laughter flowing. 

Our Swingers Crazy Golf venues will transport you to 1920s British country clubs and seaside resorts, complete with unparalleled mini golf courses. Sample gourmet street food while you play and our varied selection of mocktails, which will make it easy for you to skip the booze this January.

This Dry January, we’ve partnered with CleanCo to offer three signature mocktails. Rumour Has It is a firm favourite: an alcohol-free version of a rum, pomegranate and basil smash using CleanCo’s signature non-alcoholic rum, Clean R.

If you’re a fan of tequila, you’ll love our Miami Breeze alternative. Featuring the non-alcoholic Clean T as a base and complemented with cranberry juice and cinnamon syrup, this drink will make you feel like you’re sitting on the beach even in the middle of winter!

And finally, if you’re looking for a non-alcoholic twist on a classic, you can enjoy our signature No Gin & Juice, which features CleanCo’s Clean G no-alcohol gin accented with hibiscus syrup and pineapple juice.

Play pétanque at Skylight Tobacco Dock

Credit: Skylight

You might question the wisdom of visiting a rooftop bar during Dry January, but the Skylight Tobacco Dock has more to offer than just alcohol – namely, loads of fun indoor and outdoor games. Here you can play croquet, shuffleboard, table tennis and even pétanque with burnished bronze balls. All these activities are available throughout winter, and if you and your friends are lucky with your bookings (and feeling up to the challenge), you can try all four!

Try to knock each other out in croquet and shuffleboard, then test your reflexes with table tennis. But you’ll want to save most of your strength for pétanque, the real novelty here: a French lawn bowling game where you’ll toss small steel balls toward a target. At the end of your mini-Olympics, quench your thirst with Skylight’s signature Berry “Mojito” of apple and lime juice, blackberry syrup and demerara syrup, and tuck into tasty finger food like chicken wings and posh tots – you deserve it after all that exertion!

Play board games and drink coffee at Bad Moon Café

Searching for a more low-key Dry January activity in London? Head down to Bad Moon Café for board games and a cosy coffee. Just minutes away from Borough Station, this is the perfect place to catch up with friends and family without heading to a bar. 

The Bad Moon Café also offers a range of tasty pizzas, including the Diavolo (topped with spinach, sausage and chilli) and a Vegan Vegetarian (aubergine, peppers, courgette and onions) – perfect for anyone also taking part in Veganuary! And if you’re keen to take a piece of this lovely little café back with you, grab a croissant or a latte from the front counter; their warm drinks are just the thing to warm you up on a cold January day.

Visit the Victoria and Albert Museum

One of the most spectacular museums in London, the Victoria and Albert Museum is the perfect place to while away the hours this January. From The Raphael Cartoons – a series of seven colossal, colourfully tinted scenes from the Gospels and New Testament – to fascinating post-modern works, there’s art and history from every era and part of the world in this West London museum.

You’ll love exploring leading pieces in art, design and performance. The museum regularly changes up their exhibitions, so keep an eye out throughout the month to see which exhibits most inspire you. And don’t miss their tiny ceramic curiosities on the top floor – we know it’s a lot to see, but trust us, it’s worth it! If you feel yourself starting to fade, there’s no better place to take a break than in the V&A Café, a magnificent gallery of ornate interiors and stained glass.

Take an inspiring Art Academy class

Credit: Daian Gan

If you’re looking to take up a new, creative hobby in the new year, these classes at the Art Academy could be for you. The ideal way to unleash your creativity during January 2025, they are structured to aid your progress and suitable for all abilities. Numbers are kept to no more than 15 participants per group, so you’ll get plenty of expert instruction time to hone your new craft. 

Three of the best beginner classes here are Digital Illustration, Introduction to Oil Painting and Digital Photography for Beginners – in other words, there really is something for everyone! You can learn valuable Photoshop skills, the essentials of using oil paints, and how to take more professional-looking photos. In all of these, you’ll gain technical skills while exploring your own creativity, and will be guided by tutors who are experts in their fields.