Things To Do In London This Weekend: 23-24 July 2016

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Things to do in London this Weekend is sponsored by The Rhône Touch.

All weekend

BeachEast opens in Stratford

URBAN BEACH OPENING: BeachEast, Stratford's answer to the seaside, opens in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on Saturday. Alongside sandy beaches, expect huge paddling pools and funfair rides. £2 (rides £2-4), just turn up, 23 July-4 September

QUEEN'S FASHION: See how the Queen's style has evolved throghout her reign, with a special exhibition at the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace to mark her 90th birthday. The State Rooms' summer opening starts this weekend too. £21.50 (for exhibition)/£37.50 to visit State Rooms, advance booking recommended, 23 July-2 October

GREAT FIRE EXHIBITION: Transport yourself to Pudding Lane in 1666 with a new, immersive exhibition at the Museum of London, to mark the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London. We gave it ★★★★☆. £8, book in advance, 23 July-17 April 2017

FOOD FEST: Vietnamese, American BBQ, Indian, Caribbean and Italian are just some of the cuisine types on offer at the Just Eat Food Festival at Red Market in Shoreditch. Entry is free, but you need to buy food tokens — £4 per dish or £8 for 3 dishes. Just turn up, 22-24 July

OUTDOOR FILM FESTIVAL: Watch Labyrinth, cult classic Dirty Dancing and 500 Days of Summer at Bishop's Park, near Putney Bridge. There will be street food too. £12 (individual screening) or £25 (weekend ticket), book in advance, 7.30pm (film starts at 9.15pm) 22-24 July

AFRICAN STREET STYLE: Head to Shoreditch for the African Street Style Festival. Listen to Afrobeat, punk, funk and jazz music from artists including Amira Kheir. Watch dance shows, and a fashion show featuring talent from the London College of Fashion. Free, just turn up (book some events in advance), 23-24 July

KIDS' ARCHITECTURE: Let your little ones explore over 25 architectural and engineering activities throughout the Square Mile at Archikids Festival, including walking tours, fortress-building, and a chance to create a stained glass window. Free, just turn up, 23-24 July

EALING JAZZ: Jazz-funk pioneer Roy Ayers is headlining Ealing Jazz Festival, a weekend of concerts by artists including MOBO-winning saxophonist YolanDa Brown. £5-12, book in advance, 23-24 July

BUSKING FESTIVAL: There's more to busking that just music, you know. Busk In London Festival — which coincides with International Busking Day, brings street dancers, magicians, illusionists and more to Trafalgar Square for free performances. There will also be workshops to take part in. Free, just turn up (book workshops in advance), 23-24 July

Saturday 23 July

An outdoor silent disco is part of the Summer Festival at Alexandra Palace.

ALEXANDRA PALACE FESTIVAL: Three stages of live music, ice skating, a giant waterslide and a lot of street food — what's not to like about this festival at Alexandra Palace? There's also an outdoor cinema screening, family-friendly raves, a silent disco, and more. Watch adults and kids alike race prams around Alexandra Palace in aid of MNDA and Parkinson's UK. Or for a fiver, bring a pram and get involved yourself. Festival entry is free (some activities cost and need booking in advance), from 11am

KIDS' INTERACTIVE STORYTELLING: There's interactive storytelling inspired by English playwright and theatre lover Gabrielle Enthoven, at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Free, just turn up, 11am/1pm/3pm

HISTORY OF DRINKS TOUR: Journey through London in seven drinks... Sample 18th century hot chocolate, and medieval-style wine (among other beverages) on a four-hour tour by Telegraph and Guardian journalist Dr Matthew Green. £47, book in advance, 1.30pm

INTERNATIONAL MUSIC: Syrian kanun player Maya Youssef, Korean tae gum flute player Hyelim Kim and Chinese pipa virtuoso Cheng Yu will perform at Club Inégal's final concert of the season in Euston. £15, book in advance, 7pm

COMEDY: See comedian Jack Barry discussing his quarter-life crisis and Adam Hess performing an Edinburgh Fringe warm-up show at Pleasance Theatre in Holloway. £5, book in advance, 7.45pm


Immerse yourself in art, food and wine

A nice glass of wine while you mooch around an art gallery is always enjoyable. But here's an exhibition with a difference: the art is all inspired by wine.

Côtes du Rhône challenged students at London College of Communication to create works which engage people through the senses — from sound to smell and touch.

You can immerse yourself in the results at The Rhône Touch: an exhibition, Côtes du Rhône bar, and fusion restaurant from Young British Foodies Chef of the Year, Adam Rawson. He's created a delicious tasting menu including charred leek, 60 day aged beef txuleton, seabass ceviche and Iberico jamon — all paired with top quality Côtes du Rhône wines.

And if you don't want to have the formal meal, join head sommelier and raconteur, Douglas Blydesnacks at the bar to learn more about the wines (by drinking them, of course), and enjoy snacks such as burgers and ceviche.

The Rhône Touch runs from 21-31 July at at Platform Theatre and Bar, UAL: Central Saint Martins, Handyside Street, N1C 4AA. Entry to the exhibition is free. A tasting menu, including wine pairing with three Rhône Valley wines is £49; book at therhonetouch.com


Sunday 24 July

Cameroonian jaz guitarist Muntu Valdo is performing at Roman Road's Summer Festival.

ICE SUNDAY: Climb down ladders to discover Victorian ice wells underneath the London Canal Museum near King's Cross at this once-a-year event. There's also a chance to see ice cream being made the Victorian way. £4, just turn up, 10am

WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT: Play old school classic British Bulldog on Clapham Common in attempt to create a new Guinness World Record. £10 (goes to Oxfam), book in advance, 11am

SUMMER FESTIVAL: From Cockney language lessons to Bangladeshi folk dancing, African blues to a Suffragettes guided tour, discover the best of the East End at this summer festival on Roman Road. Free, just turn up, all day from 11am

HACKNEY WICK BEACH PARTY: Rifle through one-off pieces in the boutique market, grab street food, and chill in the beach areas listening to music from the likes of Avant Garde and Troubadour. Free (£5 after 6pm), just turn up, from noon

CAMDEN PUB CRAWL: Join a leisurely and sociable tour around four of the Borough of Camden's finest pubs — not the ones you might think. There will be a little history along the way and some original documents and old maps to look at, but the real focus of is to enjoy the pubs, and the conversations to be had in them, with small groups of like minded enthusiasts. £20, book in advance, noon-4pm

MORE COMEDY: So You Think You're Funny finalist/land mammal Alex Kealy presents his debut show, while Kieran Hodgson cracks open his latest barrel of laughs, in the form of his Gustav Mahler-obsessed show Maestro. At The Lion & Unicorn Theatre. £7, book in advance, 7pm  


Our pick of Funzing events

SEXUALITY TALK: Campaigner Peter Tatchell (who has twice attempted a citizen's arrest on Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe) discusses the future of sexuality in this one-off talk. £10, 25 July

TUBE TREASURE HUNT: Race around London on a tube-based scavenger hunt. Solve riddles and clues for a chance to master the Underground. £15, 30 July/13/27 August

DRESS MAKING WORKSHOP: Whether you're a dressmaking aficionado or a sewing virgin, join this six-hour class and learn about techniques like concealing a zip or using a commercial pattern. All materials are provided, and you'll leave with a one-of-a-kind dress. £49, 7/13 August