Things To Do In London This Weekend: 4-5 July 2015

All weekend

Free music at Unsigned London

BP PORTRAIT AWARD:
The annual free showcase of the most talented portraitists is back at the National Portrait Gallery. This year the competition had a record-breaking 2,748 entries — subjects include famous people, nudes, family portraits and photo-realism. Free entry, until 20 September

BROWN'S LONDON ART WEEKEND:
Once a year the galleries of Mayfair and St James’s open their doors for Brown’s London Art Weekend. 100 venues open up to the public, with free talks, walks and 100 exhibitions to see. Free, 3-5 July

FOODIES FESTIVAL:
Alexandra Palace hosts the Foodies Festival, three days of food and drink stalls, chef demonstrations, tasting sessions, live music and more. From £8, 3-5 July
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NATURAL AND ORGANIC:
Love Natural Love Organic at Olympia Exhibition Centre gives you the chance to try and buy organic food, cosmetics, haircare products, clothing, accessories and household products from a range of top exhibitor.  £10, 3-5 July
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VEGAN SHOW:
Alongside Love Natural Love Organic (above) at Olympia Exhibition Centre is the Just V Show, focusing on all things vegan. See chef demos, go to talks, and buy food, cosmetics, ethical lifestyle products, and clothes and shoes — all vegan. £10, 3-5 July
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WELCOME HOME:
Welcome Home is an interactive experience entering you into a completely new world. Down the rabbit hole you will find an alternate reality with its own rules, characters, stories and ideas where your decisions shape your journey accordingly. At Theatre Delicatessen in Farringdon. £12, various times all weekend.
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UNSIGNED LONDON:
Unsigned London is a music festival taking place across four stages in Shoreditch Park. Over 150 unsigned London musicians perform a variety of genres, including indie, rock, jazz, folk, R&B, reggae, classical and electronic. Free, prebook, 4-5 July

COMEDY:
Head to Shoreditch for two days of Edinburgh preview shows at ARGComFest from the likes of Pappy’s, Aisling Bea, Tim Key, Sofie Hagen, Joanna Neary, Max and Ivan and many more. £25 per day/£40 weekend pass, prebook, 4-5 July

AFRICA WRITES:
Africa Writes is the Royal African Society’s annual literature festival, taking place at The British Library. Over the course of the weekend, there are several free events going on, including a chance to meet publishers, a book fair and more. 3-5 July

ACROBATICS:
The Seven Fingers is a Canadian acrobatics troupe. See them jump through hoops, ascend poles and perform daring feats of acrobatics as they recount an enthralling tale at Udderbelly at South Bank. £49, various times all weekend
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STREATHAM FESTIVAL:
The theme of this year's Streatham Festival is Coming of Age. There’s live music, comedy, theatre, workshops, films and family activities. 4-11 July

OPEN HOUSE ART:
Soho businesses open their premises and welcome in contemporary artists and the general public for the second Soho Flourescent art festival. Take a £5 tour of key festival locations or discover them for yourself for free. Saturday and Sunday, from 12noon

LONDON ILLUSTRATIONS:
Visit London Transport Museum this weekend and in addition to an experience full of trains, tubes, buses, social history, design and fun for all the family, enjoy the Prize for Illustration exhibition of 100 original London Places and Spaces posters. Admission: young people under 17 free, adults £16 with unlimited return admission for 12 months. Open 10am-6pm

Saturday 4 July

Leytonstone Festival launches

BANK OPEN DAY:
As part of City of London Festival, Bank of England has a rare open day. Take a guided tour of parts of the building, including the Court Room and the Committee Room, which is where the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee meets once a month to set Bank Rate. Free, get there early as it's bound to be popular, from 9.30am

PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP:
Snap London Photography Workshops teach amateur photographers how to get the most out of their DSLR camera. Walk along South Bank, putting into practice several techniques you have learned. £50, 10.30am
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LEYTONSTONE FESTIVAL:
The official launch party of Leytonstone Festival takes place today. The fun starts at St John’s with live music, singers, dancers, food, exhibitions, children’s activities and puppet shows. There's also a parade, and the start of the Leytonstone Arts Trail event. Free, just turn up, 11am-5pm

BEER FESTIVAL:
Strongroom Bar in Shoreditch hosts an American Beer Festival. Along with beers from across America, there's a Bucking Bronco, Texas BBQ Grill and live music. Free entry, 12pm-2am

DAVID SUCHET:
David Suchet stars as Lady Bracknell in a performance of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest at Vaudeville Theatre. From £32, 2.30pm/7.30pm
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TEA PARTY:
To celebrate the launch of her new cookbook, Homemade Memories, Kate Doran has paired up with chef Phil Howard to host an afternoon tea party at Sonny's Kitchen in Barnes. £15-£30, prebook, 3pm-6pm

BERMONDSEY SONG WALK:
Join Nigel Of Bermondsey in a walk from Borough to Rotherhithe, with songs performed at the locations which inspired them and plenty of river views. Free, prebook, 4pm-7pm

COMEDY:
We're very fond of Elf Lyons — she's a true tube geek. Her new comedy show is inspired by Barbarella, and she's working on it at Museum of Comedy in Bloomsbury tonight. £10/£8, prebook, 8pm

SHOWTIME CABARET:
Comedy, lighting illusions and aerial performances all combine for this cabaret show at Café de Paris in Soho. Age 18+. £20, 6pm
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LONDON FOLKFEST:
It's the final day of London Folkfest at The Bedford in Balham. Across the course of the festival, over 60 acts will take to three stages to play music from all genres. Tonight there's a Country/Americana flavour, to mark 4 July. £10, 6.30pm
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KITSCH CABARET:
Head to The Electric Carousel in Piccadilly for a racy cabaret night, which evokes the glitz and the naughtiness of Vegas. £20, 7pm
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LIVE MUSIC:
Alternative rock band SALT headline at The Islington in Angel, where they'll be debuting a new song. Entry is only £3, and that includes a shot — what's not to like? £3, just turn up, 7pm

INDEPENDENCE DAY:
PopUp Painting’s latest get-together sees The Trafalgar taken over by a bunch of budding artists for an evening of painting and prosecco. Peter Max's Liberty will be the inspiration for the Independence Day-themed event. Age 18+. £35, 7.30pm
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BOAT PARTY:
Celebrate Independence Day on a boat party on the Thames. Board at Westminster Pier and party as the sights of the river go by. Once the boat docks, the party continues with DJs playing across three rooms. £20, 8pm
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BOAT SHOW COMEDY:
Hop aboard the Tattershall Castle, moored down near Embankment station, to see comedy performances by Funmbi Omotayo, Phil Wang, Pippa Evans, Markus Birdman and MC Maff Brown. £16, 8pm
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PILLOW CINEMA:
Pillow Cinema goes al fresco for a screening of Aussie psychological horror film The Babadook, on the roof of SNAP Studios, overlooking Shoreditch Park. Bring your own snacks and kick back on a beanbag to watch the film. £25 (for two), 8.45pm
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COMEDY STORE:
The Comedy Store is a great place to see the comedy stars of tomorrow, before they're famous. Tonight, head to Udderbelly on South Bank for Best of Comedy Store, a line-up of up and coming stand-up talent. £25, 9.30pm
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CHARACTER ASSASSIN:
Aussie comedian Steen Raskopoulos presents his latest sketch show, Character Assassin, at Soho Theatre. Age 16+. £12.50, 9.30pm
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Sunday 5 July

Have a go, at Typhoon Dragon Boat Club

HYDE BARK:
The Mayhew Animal Home takes over The Cockpit in Hyde Park for a fundraising day with a dog show, agility displays, vet demonstrations, pet behaviour advice, face painting and lots more. Free entry, just turn up, 10am-5pm

GRAFFITI JAM:
A graffiti jam takes place at Leake Street in Waterloo, with all proceeds going to Cancer Research UK. Donations encouraged (required if you want to take part in the painting). From 10.30am

VINTAGE FURNITURE FLEA:
Head to York Hall in Bethnal Green to get your hands on retro atomic-prints, ornaments, cushions, crockery and glassware, dating back to the 50s at the East London Vintage Furniture Flea. £3/£2, 10.30am-4.30pm

MOLECULAR GASTRONOMY:
Jozef Youssef leads a four hour workshop on molecular gastronomy — where food, art and science meet. Learn the theory and principles of molecular gastronomy techniques, looking at hydrocolloids, gels, foams and mousses, the science behind the techniques, the variations as well as hints, tips and tricks. Lunch, tea and coffee are included. £180, 11am
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DRAGON BOATING:
Ever fancied dragon boating? Have a go at the Typhoon Dragon Boat Club Summer Open Day. Meet team members, learn the basic paddling technique and more. Free entry, just turn up, 11am

PIANO PARTY:

As part of RLSB's London Without Limits festival, there's a piano party at Herne Hill Market. Go along to try out playing the piano with a blindfold on, or take part in a blindfolded beer tasting or cake tasting. 12pm-3pm

PHOENIX FESTIVAL:
Phoenix Festival returns to the Crawdaddy Club at Richmond Athletic Ground with all profits going to The Genesis Research Trust. Enjoy 10 hours of live music in this intimate venue. There will also be a BBQ on the terrace and drinks are available at Members' Club prices. £10, prebook, 1pm

SOHO FETE:
The Soho Society's 41st annual Soho Village Fete takes place in St Ann's Garden on Wardour Street. See the famous Waiters' Race plus live music, spaghetti eating, tug of war, the Human Fruit Machine and much more jollity. Free, just turn up, 12-6pm

SWING DANCING:
Swing Patrol leads a friendly beginners swing dancing class at Chats Palace in Homerton. Grab a partner learn the basics of Lindy Hop and Charleston. £10, 2pm
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ACOUSTIC SUNDAYS:
Head to St Peter's Church in Haggerston for the Midsummer Gala, an afternoon of acoustic music, open mic sessions and local artists. Food and drink available to buy. Free, just turn up, 2.30pm

BABY DISCO:
Monski Mouse's Baby Disco Hall at The Spiegeltent on South Bank is the perfect setting for under fives and their parents to take to the dancefloor in a safe and family-friendly environment. Can't make it? Take a look at other family-friendly dancefloors in London. £11, 3pm
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OCEAN'S ELEVEN:
Catch a screening of 2001 film Ocean's Eleven, starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts, on the rooftop of Broadway House in Fulham. £10, 7pm
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SYMPHONY CONCERT:
Southgate Symphony Orchestra performs a  concert of music by Bizet, Bellini and Franck, as part of the Enfield Choral and Orchestral Music Festival. Takes place at Saint Mary Magdalene Church in Enfield. £14/£12/£10, prebook, 7.30pm

FREE COMEDY:
Simon Caine and Joz Norris prepare their Edinburgh shows at Dogstar Bar in Brixton, for nothing but your pleasure. Free, prebook, 7.30pm

CAKE:
Watch Jennifer Aniston film Cake, about a woman who changes after surviving a car accident, at Roxy Bar & Screen, while tucking into a meal. £12, 8pm
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