From kitchen table idea to London’s hottest guide

In 1968, Keele University student, Tony Elliot, had an idea: to create an insider’s guide to London that went beyond the usual tourist hotspots. So, using some 21st birthday money, he spent his summer putting together the first issue of Time Out magazine.

Londoners loved finding out about events in their city, and reading exclusive interviews from internationally renowned artists and entertainers. And by 1971, Time Out was published weekly. This was also the decade in which Abel + Imray filed the magazine’s first UK trade mark in 1978 (listed as a Class 16) and its famous logo in 2000.

Time Out soon went global – covering 328 cities in 58 countries. Time Out New York magazine and the website launched in 1995, with an e-commerce events booking platform and mobile app following. The Covid-19 pandemic didn’t stop the brand either. It’s now ‘Time Out In’ – temporarily focussing on at-home entertainment and supporting local businesses.