August 5, 2026

Push the button on extended summer evenings: London's shortcut to summer

Guests are invited to say yes to one last stop on select London journeys this August – uncovering the capital's best after-hours experiences, from basement jazz to sunrise viewpoints as part of Blacklane's shortcut to summer campaign.

Push the button on extended summer evenings: Chauffeur service adds new spontaneity option to serve up London's best 9pm-5am experiences

Guests are invited to say yes to one last stop on select London journeys this August – uncovering the capital's best after-hours experiences, from basement jazz to sunrise viewpoints

6th August 2026, London: Global chauffeur service Blacklane today launches ‘Shortcut to Summer’, whisking guests to a curated collection of London’s hidden out-of-hours treasures. From 9pm to 5am, a limited-edition selection of first-class vehicles and their professional chauffeurs will offer guests one final, spontaneous stop before the journey home.

Guests booking Blacklane’s by-the-hour service between 14th and 15th August may find themselves in a car carrying the Shortcut to Summer Collection detailing London’s hidden 9pm-to-5am haunts, from late-night arts and culture to perfect dawn vistas and the best after-hours restaurants. Alongside it sits The Blacklane Button, which – once pressed – signals to the chauffeur that the journey is not over yet, and it's time for the guest to embrace the flow of an extended evening with one more stop.

James Dow, general manager UK & Ireland at Blacklane, says:

“London has quietly become a city with a reputation for closing early. But if you know where to look, some of the city’s best culture, hospitality, wellbeing and exploring can be uncovered by night. The most memorable evenings are never the ones you plan – and that’s exactly the magic ‘Shortcut to Summer’ is designed to capture. One press of The Blacklane Button, and suddenly this vibrant city comes alive again – turning what was going to be the end of the night into the beginning of an adventure.”

Experiences featured on the Shortcut to Summer Collection include everything from saunas and sunrise walks to the hidden London that exists only in the small hours: 

  • Restaurants and nightlife: Archive & Myth (Blacklane’s official partner for the weekend), SOMA Soho, The Fat Badger, The Coburg at The Connaught, Chop Chop 

  • Arts and culture: Ronnie Scott’s, Barbican Centre, FRAMELESS Lates

  • Grounding and recentring: Arc, sunrise on Primrose Hill, the dawn chorus in Richmond Park

  • Hidden London: Sunrise tour of London, New Covent Garden Flower Market, Chauffeur’s choice

Leading the collection is Archive & Myth, Blacklane’s official partner for the campaign – an award-winning cocktail bar concealed within The Hippodrome and serving a sensory-led drinks programme. Guests arriving via The Blacklane Button will find a dedicated table and a tipple on the house waiting for them.

To experience a ‘Shortcut to Summer’, guests must book a Blacklane by-the-hour chauffeur journey for 14th or 15th August 2026. The experience is available in a limited-edition range of Blacklane’s first-class vehicles in London, providing an extra spontaneous stop with Blacklane’s compliments. Chauffeurs extend their service for up to two hours, before returning guests home – or flowing onto their next adventure. Journeys must be booked in advance. 

The launch arrives at a moment when spontaneity is in short supply: according to the Night Time Industries Association, the UK’s late-night economy shrank by 27% between March 2020 and June 2025, and London’s hospitality venues are increasingly calling last orders before 11pm – a curfew Blacklane’s launch is designed to outrun.

For more information please visit www.blacklane.com/en/, download the Blacklane app on Android or iOS, or contact blacklaneconcierge@blacklane.com.