all weekend
Mudlurking exhibition: This weekend only, a free exhibition about mud larks is being held at Watermen’s Hall near London Bridge. Each day you’ll meet up to 15 people and share their discoveries and experiences from mud larks on the banks of the Thames. On Sunday there is a (paid) talk by Natalie Cohen from the National Trust about Thames fishing. Free, February 24-25
Battersea Light Festival: Last chance to see the seven light art installations dotted around the Battersea Power Station area for the Festival of Lights. Admission is free, and in addition to giant diamonds and glowing butterflies, there will be free entertainment from LED performers this weekend. Free until February 25th
Fantasy: The British Library presents a magical multimedia celebration of the fantasy genre, exploring its roots in myth and fairy tales and charting its rise in popularity in recent years. And this week is the last weekend. Read our full review of Fantasy: Realms Of The Imagination. As of this writing, the BL website is still down due to a cyberattack, but you can book tickets here instead. Until February 25th
Mallory Blackman: The British Library will also be closing “Malory Blackman – The Power of Story” this weekend. This is a free exhibit on the influence the author of Noughts & Crosses has had on the world of fairy tales, offering readers a different way of looking at the world. Free until February 25th
Vault pinch: The theater and cabaret section of the A Pinch Of VAULT festival is currently underway, with performances taking place around Waterloo and Bankside. Highlights this weekend include his JOE, a rehearsal reading of Joe Biden’s story, and his The Encrypted Forest, a “folk tale for the digital age.” Browse the entire program and find what interests you. Until March 10th
Candidates for the fourth pedestal: The National Gallery is displaying free models of the works shortlisted for the next two Fourth Plinth commissions, which are due to be installed in Trafalgar Square in 2026 and 2028. Peruse the options and vote for your favorite online. Free, February 19th to March 17th
Bamboo as a method: Hong Kong-based artist Zheng Bo transformed the courtyard of Somerset House into a bamboo garden for his art installation ‘Bamboo as Method’. Designed as a place for contemplation in nature, visitors can choose different types of bamboo leaves to paint with, and the leaves are then returned to the garden for decomposition, creating an ecological space for creativity. A loop is formed. Free, February 22nd to April 28th
Portrait of a black man: One of the art critics’ picks for 2024 opens at the National Portrait Gallery. “The Time is Always Now: Artists Reconstructing the Black Image” explores how artists from the African diaspora in Britain and the United States took on the role of black people at a time when Western art history was dominated by white faces. I am verifying that I have drawn the figure. Curated by Ekow Eshun, he was responsible for “In the Black Fantastic” at Hayward Gallery in 2022, which features 22 contemporary artists. February 22nd – May 19th
6 countries: It’s another busy weekend for rugby fans as the Six Nations continues. Ireland vs Wales (2:15pm) and Scotland v England (4:45pm) Saturday, France vs. Italy (3 pm) on sunday. No matter who you support, check out our suggestions for where to watch the Six Nations in London. February 24th to 25th (until March 16th)
Saturday, February 24th
Canary Wharf Ice Rink: London’s last seasonal ice rink remains open today for one last run. Ice Rink Canary Wharf is housed in a greenhouse-style building beneath a skyscraper, so it’s safe even when it rains. 9:00 a.m. to 9:45 p.m.
A day in the life of a cat: Southwark Cathedral will host a day of cat talks, with a variety of speakers covering cat topics. These include author and screenwriter Kimberly Hamilton, who looks at history from a cat’s perspective, and veterinary surgeon Dr. Joe Lewis, an expert on cats. 1:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Victorian operating room: The old operating theatres, near London Bridge, were often visited by up to 150 medical students, with lectures about the surgeries that once took place there. Learn about surgeries before anesthetics and disinfectants paved the way for modern medical procedures. 10am – 11am
Jubilee Line Tour: Environmental organization SAVE Britain’s Heritage and Mike Ashworth (former head of TFL Design & Heritage) have teamed up to take a tour of the Jubilee Line extension station. Meet at West Ham Underground Station (make sure you have your zone 2-3 Oyster/Travelcard) and ride the Underground with your group to learn about the station’s design, which opened in 1999. 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Game design: To mark the end of the Fantasy exhibition (details above), the British Library is hosting a day of talks about fantasy in film and game design. Production designers, game designers, costume designers, concept artists, and illustrators discuss their sources of inspiration and how it has influenced contemporary popular culture, covering topics such as architecture and the use of AI in fantasy. Masu. 11am to 6pm
Queer History Tour: Join the London Society for a guided walk highlighting the West End’s LGBTQ+ history. Starting in Trafalgar Square, hear about the pioneering drag queens of the 18th century, the secret gay soirees of the 1920s, and the development of Soho, one of the world’s most famous queer districts. 2:30pm – 4:30pm
spiderman concert: Watch the 2018 film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse on the big screen, with a live orchestra, turntables, and percussion blending to perform the soundtrack’s music. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse in Concert will be held at the Southbank Center. 3 pm
Arena Cross: A combination of indoor motocross racing and freestyle motocross (FMX), Arenacross is a fast-paced, one-day show filled with daring stunts at Wembley Arena. It’s a classic case of “don’t do this at home”. 5pm
Saltburn Ball: Club de Fromage will host the 2nd Annual Saltburn Ball, themed around recent movies. Dance to songs from the soundtrack including Murder on the Dancefloor, Time to Pretend, Mr Brightside, and Sound of the Underground while scenes play on the big screen. It will be held at the O2 Academy Islington. 10:30pm – 3:30am
Movie Mystery Marathon: Leicester Square Film Palace screens all-night B-movies in the style of traditional Prince Charles films. Four movies will be shown in a row, but the program won’t be revealed until nightfall, making it something of a mystery movie marathon. 11:30pm (until around 9am)
Sunday, February 25th
London Winter Run: Looking for a physical challenge? Register for the London Winter Run and run his 10,000 traffic-free routes around London and raise money for Cancer Research UK. Not much of a runner? Support your fundraising efforts by lining up along the route. In any case, please be aware that there may be road closures around central London along the route today. From 9:30am
Black History Walk: Learn more about hundreds of years of African and Caribbean history in the Trafalgar Square area on today’s Black History Walk. Explore the links between African kings and Queen Victoria, African resistance leaders of the 1860s, and the planned miseducation of indigenous peoples in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. 10am to 12pm
Antique fair: At this time of year, more than 120 antiques dealers and specialists gather at the Royal Horticultural Hall in Westminster for the Adams Antiques Fair. This event has been going on for his 50th year and is your chance to purchase antique jewelry, silver, ornaments and collectibles. There’s usually a line by the time the doors open, so get there early if you want to be the first. 10am to 4:30pm
Symphony orchestra: American pianist and composer Missy Mazzoli will be celebrated at Total Immersion Day at the Barbican. The event will begin with a screening of a short film introducing her work, followed by a performance by the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the UK premiere of her new work, Song from the Uproar. 11am to 8pm
Best showman: Costumes are strongly encouraged and audience participation is encouraged for this singalong screening of The Greatest Showman at the Prince Charles Cinema. Join Hugh as her Jackman on This Is Me and other songs and co-star on the big screen. 12:30pm
Aldgate Walk: Join Footprints of London guide David Chernick on a guided walk through the historic Aldgate area, which dates back to Roman times. Find out how this has served as a boundary between the City and the East End. Currently, one of his city dragons is a landmark. 2pm to 4pm
Supper club: Kanishka, an Indian restaurant in Mayfair, continues its series of Sunday Supper Clubs with Shanghai Supper Club’s Lilian Luk taking over the evening kitchen. Luk aims to promote lesser-known Shanghai foods with dishes such as “drunken chicken” (chicken soaked in Shaoxing wine) and Dongpu pork belly. 6 pm
Resol Quartet: Today’s Sunday concert at Conway Hall will feature the Resol Quartet, performing works by Mozart and Shostakovich, as well as Puccini’s Crisantemi, written after his close friend’s death. 6:30pm – 8:30pm