# Where to Go in 2026: East London's Olympic Park Has Transformed Into a Cultural Powerhouse

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/unpacked-by-afar-5453284/where-to-go-in-2026-east-london-s-olympic-park-has-transformed-into-a-cultural-powerhouse
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/unpacked-by-afar-5453284/where-to-go-in-2026-east-london-s-olympic-park-has-transformed-into-a-cultural-powerhouse.md
Podcast: [Unpacked by Afar](https://stenobird.com/podcast/unpacked-by-afar-5453284)
Published: 2026-01-15T19:37:00+00:00
Episode link: https://pdst.fm/e/p.podderapp.com/9063871245/mgln.ai/e/211/traffic.megaphone.fm/ARML3857513957.mp3?updated=1768506304
Audio file: https://pdst.fm/e/p.podderapp.com/9063871245/mgln.ai/e/211/traffic.megaphone.fm/ARML3857513957.mp3?updated=1768506304
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/unpacked-by-afar-5453284/episodes/where-to-go-in-2026-east-london-s-olympic-park-has-transformed-into-a-cultural-powerhouse
Duration seconds: 1408

## Resource

It's a shiny new year, so this month on Unpacked, we're diving into Afar's ⁠⁠⁠⁠Where to Go list⁠⁠⁠⁠: 24 emerging regions and overlooked locales to explore this year. Like East London, where a billion-pound investment has transformed the 2012 Olympic Park into a creative powerhouse. In this episode, host Aislyn Greene talks with ⁠Nick DeRenzo⁠, Afar's editorial director of newsletters (sign up here!) and a self-described Londoner at heart. Nick makes the case for hopping on the Elizabeth line and devoting time to the East Bank cultural quarter, where you can order a David Bowie costume at the V&A East Storehouse, dine on Chinese-Texas barbecue on a canal barge, and sweat it out in a community sauna. Plan Your East London Getaway (First, explore our ⁠London travel guide⁠.) Stay ⁠Moxy London Stratford⁠ for budget-friendly stays ⁠The Stratford⁠, an Autograph Collection hotel ⁠The Gantry⁠, a Curio Collection by Hilton property Eat and Drink ⁠Barge East⁠, a restaurant on a canal barge Chinese-Texas-style Uncle Hon’s BBQ ⁠Badu Café, a Black-owned coffee shop run by a youth athletics nonprofit Snacks and drinks along ⁠Hackney Bridge⁠, an incubator space in an old candy factory See and Do Explore ⁠Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park⁠, the heart of the East Bank cultural quarter Visit the ⁠V&A East Storehouse⁠ to see 250,000 objects—and use the "Order an Object" program for a personalized curator experience Catch a show at ⁠Sadler's Wells East⁠, dedicated to non-ballet dance Soak at ⁠Community Sauna Baths⁠, a not-for-profit with Scandinavian vibes Dance at ⁠Coven⁠, London's first permanent Black-owned queer venue since the 1970s Coming in 2026 ⁠V&A East⁠ museum dedicated to East London design opens April 2026 BBC Music Studios moving to the area in 2027 London College of Fa…

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