This weekend’s Things To Do In London, sponsored by thinking bob.
All weekend
HALF TERM: For family-friendly entertainment as half term comes to a close, pick from fossils, clowns, parrots and more this weekend.
BROCKLEY STREET ART:
The walls around Brockley will be brightened up over the next week, as the Brockley Street Art Festival takes place. Activities on offer include a colouring competition for children, a live art jam, and a talk with guerrilla knitter Deadly Knitshade. 29 May-6 June
TFL FREE WALKS:
TfL runs a weekend of 40 free guided walks around the capital, from 1.5 mile ambles to 17.5 mile hikes. Find your nearest walk. Free, just turn up, 30-31 May
THAMESMEAD ARTS FESTIVAL:
Thamesmead Arts Festival has a full programme of events and activities including live music, theatre, cinema, exhibitions and creative workshops. Many events £1, some are free. See website for further information. 25-31 May
WEB WE WANT:
It's the last weekend of Web We Want Festival at Southbank Centre, celebrating 25 years since the invention of the web. Activities include installations, a gaming lounge, workshops and more. 28-31 May
SWING FESTIVAL:
London Swing Festival hosts an extensive programme of dance classes, social dances and competitions across four London venues. 29-31 May
SUMMER MARKET:
Embankment Gardens are taken over by the Embankment Summer Market this weekend, with designers, artists and makers selling their goods, plus food stalls, a Meantime Brewery bar and live music. 29-31 May
STATE OF INDEPENDENCE:
A new market launches this weekend at Village Green, Hackney Downs Studios with a range of designer wares, music, art and food from an array of independent creative and lifestyle traders, plus live music, DJs, workshops and food stalls. 30-31 May
HARRY POTTER:
Take a guided tour exploring the world of the boy wizard in London, from the iconic Platform 9¾ to the real spot Diagon Alley was based on. Zone 1 travelcard/Oyster requred to take part. £10, various dates and times
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Saturday 30 May
RARE BOOKS:
The London International Antiquarian Book Fair takes place at Olympia, showcasing rare, unique and unusual items from 180 leading UK and international dealers. Free, prebook, 28-30 May
WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT:
Feeling limber? Good. Get thee to Wandsworth Common to take part in an attempt to break the record for the greatest number of people performing jump squats simultaneously at a single venue. Free, prebook, 9.30am
SOAP MAKING:
Create your own soap or bath bomb at Midas Touch in Southwark. All materials are provided, and you'll learn aspects such as how to use colours and fragrances, and decoration techniques. £29, 10am
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SHADOW TAILS:
Family puppet show Shadow Tails comes to Lauderdale House. Puppeteer Drew Colby paints with shadows as he tells and sings his stories. See fables of Aesop and folk tales from Norway and Britain. £4.50/£3, prebook, 10am/11.30am
PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP:
Learn how to use your DSLR camera to its full potential on this Snap London Photography Workshop, starting in South Bank and exploring the area as you try out different techniques. £50, 10.30am
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BIG BURLESQUE DAY:
Whether you're a burlesque performer, fan, or complete beginner, head to Conway Hall in Holborn for seminars, a pop-up market, workshops, cocktails and an afternoon burlesque performance. Age 18+. £10.10, 11am
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OPEN STREETS:
London’s first Open Streets event takes place on Great Suffolk Street in Southwark. Born in South America in the 1970s, Open Streets is a global initiative which seeks to close roads to motor traffic, so that adults and children can safely play, walk, bike, run, shop, eat, or just relax. There will be a variety of activities on offer in the Fitness, Relaxation, Arts, Kids, Cycling, Dance and Discovery zones delivered by local businesses and community groups ranging from bee keeping, children’s crafts, football, and Latin American dancing. Free, just turn up, 11am-4pm
TRANSPORT POSTERS TOUR:
Join a special tour of Acton Depot today and discover its unique collection of transport posters and artworks. Organised by London Transport Museum, the tour will guide you through a century of fine art and design. £10/£8.50, prebook, 11.30am
CAMDEN ROCKS FESTIVAL:
More than 200 bands (including Ginger Wildheart, Anti Nowhere League and Funeral For A Friend) perform at 20 venues across Camden for Camden Rocks, a one-day music festival followed by several after parties. Venue entry on first come first served basis. £30, 12pm
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FAMILY DAY:
The Whitechapel Gallery holds a family day inspired by the new Christopher Williams exhibition Production Line of Happiness. See your pictures projected through a live feed, create a book and experiment with light and shadow using coloured slides and lightboxes. Free, prebook, 12pm-4pm
AUTHOR TALK:
Join Kate Grenville to discuss her new memoir One Life: My Mother’s Story. The book pays tribute to her mother whose life spanned a century of tumult and change. £7, 1pm
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CITYDASH:
Citydash is a real-world game of speed, stealth, and strategy, played in the heart of the city. Dash for checkpoints, replan on the fly, and duck for cover as our patrolling guards close in. Cryptic clues, checkpoint challenges and moving targets mean thinking matters as much as moving. £15, 2pm
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OLD MAPS:
Join this walk with old maps exploring the Lincoln's Inn Fields area including London’s largest square and surrounding streets. There are buildings from the 1600’s, the house where Charles Dickens gave his first public reading and rare Parish boundary plaques. £10/£8, prebook by emailing [email protected], 2.30pm
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING:
Head to The O2 where Kevin Mitchell and Lee Selby will fight for World titles, plus Anthony Joshua’s taking on Kevin Johnson in what looks to be a massive night for British boxing. £68.25, 5pm
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KINOVINO:
KinoVino is a new London-based project that unites and explores cinema, food and wine. Tonight, head to Palm2 in Clapton for a tasting of a selection of red wines, followed by the screening of Peter Greenaway’s 1989 film The Cook, the Thief, his Wife and her Lover. The evening culminates with a dinner inspired by classic British food and Greenaway’s film. £20, prebook, 5.30pm
SECRET WAREHOUSE PARTY:
Roxx London are back with RVLRY, a massive secret warehouse festival featuring more than 25 brands from the world of fashion, music, jewellery, art and apps. Expect live acoustic performances, bands and five top DJs. Entry + Food tickets include tasty fare from outdoor vendors including Kurobuta, Tommy's Burger Joint or Stake Hause. £15-£25, 6pm
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TOPLOADER:
Remember Toploader? Yeah you do. OK, what if we said Dancing in the Moonlight? There it is. Anyway, they’re taking to the stage at Brixton Jamm. Age 18+. £13, 6pm
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ROCK + ROLL CLUB:
Absent Kelly’s Rock n' Roll club is settling into its new home at Surya in King's Cross tonight, expect rock, indie and alternative music as four-piece Middlenamekill take to the stage, joined by alt-rockers The Survival Code and rock n' roll Londoners Three Units Of Freedom. Age 18+. £6, 7pm
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HEROES BAND:
Military band The Heroes Band perform at a Big Fight Night themed concert. They will perform six rounds of music, from Mozart's The Magic Flute Overture to a Queen Forever medley. Takes place on Leadenhall Street, proceeds go to Help For Heroes. £10/£8, prebook, 7pm
PAINT LIKE BANKSY:
Head to Hays Galleria to create your own rendition of Banksy's Flower Thrower painting (aided along by a glass of wine). At supplies included, no experience necessary. £29, 7.30pm
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BRITISH FOOD:
Beehive Place in Brixton offers up a five course tasting menu of seasonal British produce. Sample items include Woolsey Park quail, wild Sussex garlic, Royal Oak Farm cauliflower and rye. £36, 7.30pm
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AMATEUR DRAMATICS:
The St. George’s Players, Forest Hill’s amateur dramatic society present their production of Rope by Patrick Hamilton. A gripping vintage thriller made famous by Alfred Hitchcock’s screen adaptation. The Players invite their audience to a dinner party with a twist as two friends attempt the perfect crime to get away with murder – literally. £8.50, prebook, 7.30pm
PUB CRAWL:
Try out some of the most unique pubs and bars in Shoreditch on this pub crawl, led by drinking professionals. Ticket includes entry to five bars/clubs, five shots, drink discounts and a professional photographer. Age 18+. £15, 8pm
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FEAST FILM NIGHT:
FEAST Film Nights presents Judex, a film by the cult French film director Georges Franju, at The Portico Gallery. Followed by live music by Pete Williams and Michael Johnson. £5, just turn up, 8pm
CIRCUS NIGHT:
The Aeronaut in Acton hosts an intimate weekly circus night with a selection of jugglers, hula hoopers, dancers, contortionists, magicians and comedians. Age 18+. £8.75-£9.75, 9pm
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CLUBBING:
Radio 1 star Benji B has a residency at XOYO in Shoreditch, playing some of the hugest Deviation tunes from the last eight years, with special guests weighing in. £13.50, 9pm
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DARK CIRCUS PARTY:
Step inside the big top on Victoria Embankment for the Dark Circus Party, an evening of entertainment including aerialists and fire harlequins, burlesque dancers and DJs. The dress code for the evening is opulence and glamour. £25, prebook, 9pm-3am
FOUR FEMMES:
Last year we introduced you to all female quartet Four Femmes on The Thames, who specialise in jazz, swing and cabaret-style vocal numbers. Tonight they perform at Brasserie Toulouse Lautrec in Kennington. A bit of a warning though: you'll be humming their catchy tunes for weeks to come. £12.50, 9.30pm
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OLD SCHOOL HIP HOP:
1Xtra DJs Martin 2Smoove and Cable take over the basement of the Ace Hotel in Shoreditch. Expect the best in old skool R&B, hip hop and garage. £10, 10pm
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BEST IN STANDUP:
The Late Saturday Show at The Comedy Store in Soho has a stellar line-up of comedians including Jimmy McGhie, Steve Shanyaski, Glenn Wool and Lucy Porter. Age 18+. £20, 11pm
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Sunday 31 May
VINTAGE FAIR:
Clerkenwell Vintage Fair celebrates its 6th birthday at the Old Finsbury Town Hall with a Summer Fair. Buy pre-1980s clothing, eat homemade cakes at the vintage tea rooms, see a live singer performing classic songs or get a vintage manicure. £4/£2, just turn up, 11am-5pm
FESTIVAL OF FUN:
The third Festival of Fun takes place at Strawberry Hill House in Twickenham, and there's a medieval theme. Children can try their hand at hobby horse jousting, plus there's storytelling, craft workhops and more. Free (small charge for some activities), 11am
STREET ART TOUR:
Discover more than 100 street artists in Camden's backstreets and alleys on this walking tour. Learn the history, processes and first-hand experience of the art form. £10, 11am/1.30pm
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SUFFRAGETTE WALK:
Holborn and Covent Garden were a hotbed of militant suffragette activity before 1914. The Pankhursts planned their violent attacks on shop windows, sports clubs and art works from venues in the area including a vegetarian restaurant. This walk takes you to the church where the funeral procession of Emily Wilding Davison began, to the suffragette military hospital which treated wounded soldiers in WW1. £8, prebook, 2pm
OPEN GARDENS:
Eynham House on Chiswick Mall opens its gardens to the public in aid of the British Red Cross. Plants will be on sale, as well as tea and scones, cakes, lemonade, biscuits, homemade ice cream and conserves. £4, just turn up, 2pm-5pm
GARDEN OF THE DEAD:
Join storyteller Vanessa Woolf (of London Dreamtime) in a secret and incredibly atmospheric corner in the heart of the city of London for a journey into the world of the dead. Stories from Vanessa, with music from Gentlefolk and folk musician Nigel of Bermondsey. £3, prebook, 2pm
BOARD GAMES:
The Beer Hive Brewery in Loughborough Junction holds fortnightly board game afternoons. Bring your own game or use one of the plentiful supply that the brewery has, and enjoy a beer while you play. £5 table fee, just turn up, 2pm-7pm
BABY DISCO DANCE HALL:
The Spiegeltent on South Bank mixes an adult's disco and a children's disco creating a dance floor that's perfect for under 5s and their families. £11, 3pm
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BOY:
As part of Australia and New Zealand Festival of Literature and Arts, watch Boy, a coming-of-age tale about heroes, magic and Michael Jackson. Set in coastal New Zealand in 1984, it's about how Michael Jackson's Thriller changes kids' lives. At King's College on the Strand. £7, 3.45pm
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BLOOMINAUSCHWITZ:
This show at artsdepot in North Finchley is about Leopold Bloom, hero of James Joyce’s great novel Ulysses. He is plagued by the burning question: ‘Who am I and where do I come from?’ and embarks on a quest to discover his Jewish heritage, plunging head first into European history. £14/£10, prebook, 5pm
CINEMA ITALIA:
Italian Film Club Cinema Italia screens Scusate Se Esisto! (Do You See Me!) at Genesis Cinema in Mile End (in Italian with English subtitles). The film will be followed by a Q&A with leading actress Paola Cortellesi and film director Riccardo Milani. £10/£8.50, prebook, 6.30pm
STEAK AND CHIPS:
La Brasserie, a well-established Parisian restaurant in Chelsea, is offering half-price Chateaubriand steak (one of the most tender and flavourful cuts) that's big enough for two. Enjoy it with béarnaise sauce and frites. £29.40 (for two), 7pm
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BURLESQUE FEST:
It's the VIP closing gala of London Burlesque Festival at Bush Hall in Shepherd's Bush. t. Hosted by Kiki DeVille, expect to get up close and personal with the likes of Coco Deville, Betty D'Light, Ruby Champagne and many, many more. Age 18+. £22.50-£50.62, 7pm
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LONDON PALLADIUM:
Singer Joe Longthorne marks his 60th birthday with a performance at the London Palladium. It's a gala event starring Joe with his band and singers. Other guests include Ricky Tomlinson and Darren Day. Various prices, prebook, 7.30pm
TESTAMENT OF YOUTH:
Watch 2014 BBC WW1 film Testament of Youth starring Alicia Vikander at Roxy Bar & Screen in Borough, tucking into a meal while you do so. £12, 7.30pm
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EDINBURGH PREVIEW:
Comedians all around the country are polishing their puns, lines and jokes in preparation for Edinburgh Festival. Award-winning comedians John Hastings and Ismo Leikola will be at Slug and Lettuce on South Bank. £10, 8pm
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99 CLUB:
Head upstairs at the Queen's Head, Piccadilly, for a triple-whammy of comedy to round off your weekend; Patrick Monahan, Stephen Carlin and Marlon Davis all perform. £12, 8.30pm
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This weekend’s Things To Do In London This Weekend is sponsored by thinking bob.
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