Things To Do In London This Weekend: 6-7 August 2016

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Things to do in London this weekend is sponsored by Jermyn Street Theatre. Scroll down for a ticket offer.

All weekend

Watch the night carnival Night of Festivals.

FLEA MARKET: Hunt for treasure at the Hackney Flea Market in Peckham Salvage Yard. Rummage through a selection of handmade and salvaged goods. Free, just turn up, from 11am (6-7 August)

BRAZILIAN FESTIVAL: Celebrate the 2016 Rio Olympics at the Night of Festivals on the South Bank, with samba dancers, storytelling, a visual arts installation and a night time carnival. Free, just turn up, 6-7 August

COMEDY: Improv comedy act The Parenthicals are relying on the audience to inspire them for their two-day only show at the Rabbit Hole NW3 Theatre. £5, book in advance, 3pm (6-7 August)

BUGSY MALONE: It's been 40 years since Bugsy Malone was released and BAFTA's Piccadilly HQ is being transformed into Fat Sam's for a weekend of celebrations. Relive the film with a behind-the-scenes exhibition featuring the last remaining splurge gun, and watch it on the big screen. Free (film £5), book in advance, +44 (0)20 7734 0022  5-7 August

FOOTBALL COMEDY: If you're still feeling blue about England's defeat at Euro 2016, Dave Bibby and Jim Daly are sure to improve your mood and make you laugh with a night of football comedy. £9, book in advance, 9pm (6-7 August)

Saturday 6 August

Street food at the Eat Asia Night Market.

SHAKESPEARE WALK: Commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Bard's death with a walk led by the Museum of London, exploring the places he lived and worked, and the locations that inspired him. £20, book in advance, 11am

BRAZILIAN PUPPET WORKSHOP: Take your little ones to Copacabana's beach on the Southbank where they can learn how to control a puppet, and can have a go at making Brazilian masks, to mark the start of the 2016 Rio Olympics. Free, just turn up, from 11am

ASIAN FOOD FESTIVAL: Nibble on kimchi pancakes, wonton nachos and ramen burgers, and sip on Asian beer at the Eat Asia Night Market in the Bussey Building in Peckham. £3 entry, book in advance, from noon

FOLK & BLUES FESTIVAL: Hear tunes from the best folk and blues musicians south London has to offer, including Wizz Jones and Chaz Thorogood, at the Tooting Folk and Blues Festival. There will be plenty of food stalls alongside the music on Tooting Common. Free, just turn up, all day from noon

DODGEBALL TOURNAMENT: Don your fancy dress and sign up to play in one of the biggest dodgeball tournaments in the UK, in aid of Mencap. There will be DJs, auctions and raffles, and you can carry on the fun until 1am at the after-party. Takes place at Wimbledon Rugby Club. £10-£27.50, book in advance, from 1pm

MUSIC FESTIVAL: Young Fathers, Lindstrøm and Anna Calvi make up the 30-odd acts playing at Visions Festival in Hackney. Get yourself an impromptu tattoo from Old Habits Tattoo to remember the festival, or just treat yourself to yummy street food like poutine and jerk chicken. £35, book in advance, from 1.45pm

JERK FEST: Wray's Jerk Fest at the Bussey Building in Peckham is a nine-hour celebration of all things Jamaican. There are nine DJs, games to test your drink-making skills, a live graffiti mural, and most importantly, a jerk off featuring six top jerk restaurants. Free (£5 to taste all the jerk BBQs and vote in the competition), just turn up, from 2pm

NATURE-INSPIRED COCKTAILS: Relax in the Geffrye Museum's garden with a botanical cocktail in hand. Play garden games or recline on a deckchair and take in the tranquility of the garden. £3, book in advance, 5.30pm

MUDLARKING & STORYTELLING: See what you can find on a secret London beach before it gets dark, when you'll be entertained by live music and supernatural storytelling by London Dreamtime. £3, book in advance, 8pm


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Two political dramas come together in a rare double header at the Jermyn Street Theatre this month

Reader offer: Save £5 on tickets to political double bill at Jermyn Street Theatre.

It's the first time that David Greig's timely works have been staged together in London.

The Letter of Last Resort follows a new prime minister who has to write a letter of last resort, containing orders on what action to take should the government be killed or incapacitated.

Kyoto, meanwhile, takes a wry look through the eyes of two long-standing environmental combatants as they grapple with dilemmas and a dress in a dowdy hotel room in a post-communist country.

Londonist readers can get a limited number of tickets for £20 instead of £25 for these performances: 6 August (7.30pm), 8 August (7.30pm), 13 August (3.30pm and 7.30pm).

To get your reduced price tickets, book online or call the box office on 020 7287 2875 and use discount code LONDONIST. Maximum two tickets per booking.

Kyoto and The Letter of Last Resort by David Greig are at Jermyn Street Theatre on 2-13 August 2016


Sunday 7 August

Find a bargain at the Vintage Kilo Sale.

FAMILY WATER FESTIVAL: Bring your wetsuit and see if you can complete a 2.5k track with water-based obstacles, like a magical maze and a 100m-long slip-slide in Battersea Park. There's also a Splash-Out Zone to relax with non-water based fun. Profits go to RNLI. £22 (£10 for kids), book in advance, from 9am

STORYTELLING FOR KIDS: Time travel with your kids in Chloe Harbour's interactive storytelling experience, a family-friendly tour around the Museum of Brands in Notting Hill. Free with museum entry (£9), book in advance, 10.30am/2.30pm

VINTAGE KILO SALE: Rifle through five tons of vintage clothing and bag a bargain in York Hall at a pay-by-the-weight clothes sale. £1.50/£3 entry, just turn up, 11am-4pm

FILM SCREENING: Watch Oscar-winning 1956 The Red Balloon and 1987 documentary The Way Things Go at The Foundling Museum. Free with museum admission (£8.25), just turn up, 2pm

RICH MIX FESTIVAL: Explore Somali-East End life and art with Numbi Arts through workshops and spoken word performances at Rich Mix. Free, book in advance, 2pm (workshops)/ 6pm (performances)

AUTHOR TALK: Find out how table tennis relates to Judaism in a talk with Howard Jacobson and sports journalist Anthony Clavane at the launch of JW3's Ping Pong Festival. £15, book in advance, 6.30pm


Exclusive Londonist offer: See the London Library

London Library reading room
There's a chance to skip the queue and tour the fascinating London Library with our exclusive offer. Photo by Philip Vile

The London Library has been a place of solace and resource for some of the world's greatest literary figures: Arthur Conan Doyle, EM Forster, Harold Pinter, Rudyard Kipling, Laurence Olivier, Winston Churchill: you name it, they've been through the doors.

It's also a fascinating building, with 175 years of history, 17 miles of bookshelves and over a million books — some dating back as far as 1500. Our recent article — Secrets of The London Library — reveals some of the amazing finds that lurk behind its doors.

Normally only open to members, the Library runs occasional guided tours for the public — but they're fully booked until the autumn.

Fear not! Londonist readers can 'skip the queue' and get on a tour before then. We've partnered with the Library to run exclusive tours for Londonist readers in August. Tickets are £7.50 including VAT and booking fee, with tours running on 10 August, 17 August, 24 August, and 31 August, each starting at 6.30pm.


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Our daily pick of Funzing events

SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY: Interview six suspects around Baker Street as you try to uncover who killed Dr Grey, and with what, in this interactive team game. £15, 6/20 August

SILENT DISCO BOAT PARTY: Set sail on the Thames with two dancefloors, two fully licensed bars and three channels of music on the headphones. £20, 26 August