April 2023's must-sees

Kensington Palace is best known for its links with Princess Diana, who lived there from 1981 to her death in 1997, but it also hosts superb exhibitions of fashion and historic clothing. Opening on 5 April, Crown to Couture focuses on 18th-century court dress and its influence on contemporary fashion. More than 200 outfits will be on display, including a fabulous silver-tissue gown from the time of Charles II and Lady Gaga's luminous green MTV awards dress. Runs until 29 October.

Each year London's financial district, the City, hosts an open-air festival of modern sculpture. This year's Sculpture in the City includes 20 artworks, scattered across the streets, plazas and ancient alleyways of the famous Square Mile, which makes for a rewarding perambulation on a sunny day. Download the app and explore the works, which range from Eva Rothschild's glossy black 'disruptive gates' to a comically gigantic sandwich by Sarah Lucas and Ugo Rondinone's life-size cast of an ancient olive tree.

The stage premiere of A Little Life, based on the million-selling novel by Hanya Yanagihara, is being billed as the theatrical event of 2023, and it's easy to see why. Adapted and directed by Ivo van Hove, whose A View from the Bridge at the Young Vic garnered multiple awards and transferred to Broadway, this compelling tale of friendship, endurance, love and tragedy stars James Norton with an ensemble cast. A Little Life runs from 25 March to 18 June.

Hidden beneath the vast bulk of the Treasury buildings on Whitehall is a series of bunkers constructed at the outbreak of World War II for Winston Churchill and his government. Hardly changed since the dark days of the Blitz, they offer a fascinating and atmospheric insight into those times, with surprising touches of humour, such as the direct line to President Roosevelt hidden in Churchill's private WC. Part of the Imperial War Museum, the Churchill War Rooms are open daily.