FriendsFest London: What the Pop-Up Was Like

I went to FriendsFest with a friend who is a proper fan, not for the show itself. Friends was always on somewhere in the background growing up, and no matter how bad a day had been, it usually had me smiling again by the next ad break. That's probably why the show is still so popular. Walking into a park full of its sets and props felt like meeting an old comfort blanket in person, even though I've never really thought of myself as a fan.

What Was FriendsFest London?

FriendsFest London was a touring pop-up built around the sitcom Friends, run in the UK by Comedy Central. Rather than a museum, it worked more like a walk-through film set.

There were full-size recreations of the show's most familiar rooms, an exhibition of real props and costumes, an outdoor stage with live music, and food and drink stalls scattered around a park. It toured to a different UK city roughly once a year through the 2010s, with each stop running for only a few weeks before the whole thing packed up and moved on.

Where Was FriendsFest Held?

The edition I went to was set up in Clissold Park, in Stoke Newington, north London, in September 2017. That wasn't the only London date FriendsFest ever had. An earlier, smaller version ran on Brick Lane in 2015, and a later edition, in 2021, moved to Clapham Common in the south of the city. Most years, FriendsFest also stopped in other UK cities, including Manchester and Bristol.

Tickets for the 2017 date cost about £26 each and sold out within days. That says something about how much affection people still had for a show that had already been off air for more than a decade.

What Was Central Perk Like at FriendsFest?

Central Perk was the centrepiece, a full recreation of the coffee shop where the six characters spent most of their time on screen. The orange sofa was there, positioned exactly as it is in the show, along with the overstuffed armchair and the low table in front of it. Visitors queued to sit on it for photos, while a stall nearby served hot drinks and snacks under a chalkboard menu.

The counter where Gunther worked, more often than not silently in love with Rachel, was set up behind it. Staff dressed as the show's crew occasionally picked up a guitar for a stripped-down go at one of Phoebe's songs, 'Smelly Cat' included.

The menu leaned into the theme rather than trying too hard: summer fruit punch, iced lemonade, that sort of thing. Festival prices applied, but it fit the mood.

What Did Monica's Apartment Look Like?

Monica's apartment was rebuilt in just as much detail, including the purple front door that fans usually mention first. Inside, the kitchen had the same turquoise cabinets and cluttered countertops as the show, right down to a bowl of plastic fruit on the counter. It was strange, standing in a kitchen I had only ever seen through a television, close enough to touch the cabinet doors.

A recipe book sat open on the counter, a nod to the episode where Rachel's English trifle went wrong. Two pages had stuck together, so it came out half trifle, half shepherd's pie, beef and peas included. Joey ate it anyway, insisting everybody else was missing out.

What Was Inside Joey and Chandler's Apartment?

Across the way was Joey and Chandler's apartment, easy to spot from the two brown recliners angled toward a boxy television. A foosball table stood against one wall, and people were queuing to play a quick round rather than just take a photo and move on. Of the three main sets, this was the one where people lingered longest, probably because there was something to actually do.

The fridge, when visitors peeked inside, was stocked with pizza boxes, which felt about right for two characters who treated most problems as solvable with a large pepperoni and a re-run on the television. The foosball table saw more use here than anywhere else in the tent, exactly as it does on screen, where it doubled as background business during half the show's biggest conversations.

What Props and Costumes Were on Display?

Past the apartments was a darker, quieter tent set up like a proper exhibition, with real props and costumes from the show behind glass. One case held the Geller Cup, the trophy Ross and Monica's family fought over every Thanksgiving in the football episode, engraved with both their names on opposite sides.

A lit-up sign hung above a row of similar cases. One held Joey's Soap Opera Digest award for playing the fictional neurosurgeon Dr Drake Ramoray on the show-within-the-show. Another had the leather trousers Ross got stuck to his own sweaty legs on one disastrous New Year's resolution, and the fur-covered Holiday Armadillo suit he wore instead of Santa for his son's Hanukkah. Further along, mannequins stood dressed in costumes worn by the cast.

Nearby was a narrow staircase with a dark wood banister, built to match the stairwell from the couch-moving scene. It's the one where Ross keeps shouting 'Pivot!' while wedging a sofa around a tight turn and getting nowhere.

Next to it, a purple floral archway had been set up as a wedding-themed photo spot, styled after the Las Vegas chapel from the season finale where Ross and Rachel got married while blackout drunk. A short queue of visitors took turns posing under it, some borrowing the bridal gowns laid on for exactly that.

Was There Live Music and Entertainment at FriendsFest?

Between the sets there was an actual outdoor stage, with a band playing through most of the afternoon while people sat at picnic tables nearby. It reminded me a little of the open-air concerts at the Regent's Park bandstand, just with a sitcom theme running through the whole afternoon instead of a brass band.

Further back, deck chairs were lined up facing a big screen showing episodes on a loop, for anyone who wanted to sit down properly instead of queuing for photos.

What Could You Buy at the FriendsFest Merchandise Stand?

There was a merchandise stand too, and my friend and I couldn't resist a Central Perk mug. It looked sturdy enough in the tent. A few dishwasher cycles later, the inside had gone grey and scratched, and I understood why festival merchandise has a reputation for being expensive and not built to last.

I also picked up a yellow umbrella with the show's logo on it, which might be the most obvious way to say you love the show without actually saying it. I've used it exactly once. Someone standing under it with me asked if I was a big fan, and I had to admit I wasn't, not really. I was just there with one.

If cheerful, kitsch nostalgia like this is your kind of day out, I've also written about the vintage stalls at the Classic Car Boot Sale.

Is FriendsFest Still Touring the UK?

As of September 2026, FriendsFest has no dates listed anywhere in the UK. Ticket sites that used to carry its tour dates now show only past events, with a form to join a waiting list for whenever it's next announced.

It isn't clear whether that means the tour has ended for good or is just on a long pause, so it's worth checking directly before assuming it will turn up in a city near you. If quirky, offbeat days out in London are more your speed regardless, I've rounded up other ideas here.

Visiting Friends: The One in London: Practical Notes

If you want something you can book today rather than a memory, there's a permanent Friends set open in London now, called The One in London. It isn't the touring festival. It's a fixed attraction at ExCeL, in London's Royal Docks, with its own recreations of Central Perk and the apartments, a photo package, and a gift shop.

📍 Where: ExCeL London, Waterfront, E16 1XL, in the Royal Docks.

⏰ Opening: Closed Monday to Wednesday. Open Thursday to Sunday, 11am to 6:15pm, last entry 5pm.

📅 Open days: Check the calendar before booking, since opening days change through the year.

🎫 Admission: General admission from £20 for adults, £10 for ages 11 to 15, free under 4.

🚇 Getting there: Elizabeth line or DLR to Custom House, or Jubilee line to Canning Town.

🚗 Parking: Pre-booked parking only, in the ExCeL car park. The site sits inside the ULEZ.

☕ Food: A café on site sells themed drinks and snacks.

⏳ How long: Budget around an hour to ninety minutes for the full set.

📷 Best time: Weekday mornings right after opening tend to be quietest.

🗺️ Nearby: The O2 is a short cable car ride away across the river.

♿ Access: Contact the venue directly in advance for specific accessibility needs.

🧳 Left luggage: Nothing dedicated is advertised on site, so travel light or use a station locker.

The umbrella is still in my hall cupboard, yellow logo and all, waiting for the next person who asks if I'm a fan.

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