Things To Do In London This Weekend: 1-2 February 2014

Pick up a treasure at North London Vintage Market's third birthday, details below.

All weekend

AL PACINO: BFI Southbank pays tribute to one of the greatest actors of our time, with their Al Pacino season. Running for nearly two months, there are multiple screenings of his career classics including, of course, The Godfather trilogy. Most tickets £8.50-£12.10, see website for details, until 20 March

UNDERGROUND: Artist Ross Ashmore has spent the last three years painting all of the 267 London Underground stations, don't miss this chance to see the full set at his exhibition, opening today, at Oxford House in Bethnal Green. Free, just turn up, until 28 February

WINTER WHIMSY: Warm your comedy cockles at the Phoenix Winter Fringe weekend. Book for specific shows or for a more random experience, choose a mixed session. Tickets from £8 a show, £20 for a session, prebook

NORDICANA: With titles such as The Killing, Wallander and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series under its belt, Nordic film and fiction has carved out a strong identity. Nordicana at The Old Truman Brewery by Brick Lane celebrates Scandinavian culture with previews, talks, Q&As and screenings across the weekend. £25 for one day or £45 for the weekend, prebook

VINTAGE MARKET: North London Vintage Market celebrates its third birthday this weekend, so pop along to St Mary's Gardens in Crouch End for vintage clothing, ceramics, books, kitchenware, retro furniture and, of course, some birthday cake. £1.50, just turn up, 10am-5pm on Sat and 1-5pm on Sun.

UNLEASH THE CREATIVITY: A weekend workshop focuses on exploring your creativity through movement, voice and writing, at London Buddhist Arts Centre. £105, prebook, 10.30am-5pm each day

ARTS WEEKENDER: Join arts charity Rowan Arts for a weekend of talks, workshops, charity shops and poetry, all at their office on Hornsey Street in Holloway. We particularly like the look of a talk from photographer Roger Dean, the man behind Esoteric London, as well as a lesson in the art of Italian hand gestures. Pay what you can, prebook events

GIGS: You're spoilt for choice for live music in London. Take a look at London Gigs for full listings, but the kind folk at London Gig Guide have selected a few of their favourites for us this weekend

WATERY PHOTOGRAPHY: If you've ever taken a picture while admiring a London waterway, then don't forget to enter it into Thames 21's Photography Competition. There are cash prizes to be won, plus the opportunity to see it exhibited at the lovely National Maritime Museum (see below for a photo walk on Sunday). Free, deadline 2 Feb

THEATRE: February has arrived and so too have a new batch of theatre openings. Take a look at our (massive) round up to see what this month has to offer on stage

DRY VS WET: Continuing dry January? Try these booze-free venues. Celebrating its end? Here are some of London's best bars for drinking gin, some big chains that do great cocktails, and did you know there's a new gin palace in a pie and mash shop?

CASTLES AND RUINS: Inject a bit of history into your weekend and take a wander around London's best ruins and the sites of London's vanished castles (although you can still see the former bastions in some places)

FREE: Saving those pennies? London is a great city for free events - take a look at our recently updated Free London page for a map of where frugal fun can be found in the capital

Saturday 1 February

MIMEFEST: After a month-long run, the London International Mime Festival ends today. Rounding things off is Missing from physical dance-theatre company Gecko, the lure of flamenco in What's Become of You? and a reimagining of James Joyce's short story The Dead. See website for full details

GET RUNNING: We know that really, really important things keep cropping up which prevent you from sticking to your running resolution, but there’s no excuse this Saturday as parkruns take place at various locations across London. Free, prebook, mostly 9am (check individual locations)

#HELPMOB: Join The Free Help Guy on his campaign to, you guessed it, help people for free by joining a Helpmob (like a Flashmob but less dancing, more helping) at Notting Hill Gate. The exact details are being kept under wraps but the clue is "Lifesavers, unite!". Free, just turn up, 11am

MARTIAL ARTS: See in the Year of the Horse at Rich Mix's free event, which features live dance, music and martial arts performances, food and drink, and children’s art workshops. Free, just turn up, 12pm

ALE: Ale enthusiasts can toast the end of January with The Winter Ale Festival at The Gun, Docklands. Free, just turn up, all day

CEILIDH: The Ceilidh Club has its final Burns Night do at Hammersmith Town Hall. There's three energising (/exhausting) hours of ceilidh dancing plus a brief stop to fuel up on “Warm-reekin’, rich” haggis, neeps, tatties (included in price) and whisky (sadly not included in price). Tickets £28.50/£15 +bf, prebook, 8pm

Sunday 2 February

PHOTOWALK: Get some last minute entries to Thames21's photography competition (details above) at a photowalk down on the Thames foreshore by the National Maritime Museum (which is usually inaccessible to the public), led by the charity. Free, prebook, 10am

CHINESE NEW YEAR: The annual festivities kick off from 10am with a parade from Duncannon Street to Shaftesbury Avenue and dances, events and performances taking place in Trafalgar Square throughout the day. Kung Hei Fat Choi! Free, just turn up, from 10am

CLASSICAL COFFEE: Clarinettist Elaine Ruby performs a programme of music for clarinet and piano including Brahms and Rachmaninoff, at the Royal Albert Hall's Elgar Room. £11+bf, prebook, 11am

FOOD: There's a new weekly farmers' market starting in Southgate. Kings Market at Ashfield Parade will have stalls selling meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, cheese, flowers, natural juices, artisan bread and street food, including buffalo burgers. 11am-3pm

DOLLSHOUSE: Miniature and model-making experts descend on The Tower Hotel, St Katherine's Way for the City of London Dolls House Festival, celebrating miniature craftsmanship in all its teeny tiny glory. £8/£4, prebook, 11am-5.30pm

FASHION: Passion for fashion? Care what you wear? Have love for, er, a glove? Whatever your clothing-related rhyming scheme, Oval Space's Fashion Sunday may have something for you, with over twenty individual 'shops' hosted by the designers and their teams. £3, just turn up, 11am-8pm

MAD HATTERS: Join a Mad Hatters Brunch Party in Hoxton, run by supper club Grub Club. £16.50, prebook, midday-3pm

SPACE ART: Today is the last chance to see the Republic of the Moon exhibition at the Bargehouse, OXO Tower, featuring artwork and performances on a futuristic lunar theme. Free, just turn up

GALLERY TOUR: Join an hour-long introduction to Whitechapel Gallery’s history, architecture and exhibition programme. £6.50, prebook, 3pm

TYPOGRAPHY: Discover the signage of Dalston with a Type Safari, now partially inside for winter! £20, prebook, 6.30pm

SECRET YOGA: Combining yoga, art, opera and food, today's Secret Yoga Club packs a lot in to just three hours. The venue is the Royal Academy where you can enjoy the Sensing Spaces: Architecture Reimagined exhibition before joining a Jivamukti flow yoga class, then it's live music and a three course vegan meal. £41.65, prebook, 6.30-9.30pm

COMEDY: American comedian Lewis Schaffer is back at Leicester Square theatre to perform his show, American in London. £10, prebook, 8.30pm

SUPERBOWL XLVIII: Where to watch it in London.

Other good stuff

Catch up on all latest features, see what we like in theatre and arts and browse more things to do in London.

What have we missed? Let us know what’s going on this weekend, leave a comment or email [email protected].

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