Things To Do In London This Bank Holiday Weekend: 27-29 August 2016

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Things to do in London this weekend is sponsored by Westfield Stratford City.

All weekend

Gin Festival is at Tobacco Dock.

BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND: Find ways to keep yourself busy, whatever the weather and whatever your budget, on our London bank holiday page.

FOODIES FESTIVAL: Meet celebrity chefs Aldo Zilli, Dhruv Baker, Rosemary Shrager and Tony Rodd at the Foodies Festival in Alexandra Palace. There are demos, street food and a tent full of workshops for kids too. £16, book in advance, 27-29 August

SW4 FESTIVAL: Rudimental, The Chemical Brothers and Gorgon City are among those performing at SW4 festival on Clapham Common. Last few tickets left. £62.50-65, book in advance, 27-28 August

GIN FESTIVAL: There are over 100 gins on offer at the Gin Festival in Tobacco Dock. As well as tasting the gins, attend talks from gin industry experts and enjoy live entertainment. £12.50, book in advance, 26-28 August

MR MEN MUSEUM: The OXO Tower is hosting a pop up Mr Men and Little Miss exhibition (displayed at children's scale) to commemorate 45 years of the brand. There's rare and unusual memorabilia, and you can  design your own personal print of your favourite character. Free, just turn up, 24-29 August

RIVER STAGE FESTIVAL: The National Theatre's free outdoor season features theatre, live music, dance and family fun. Highlights include a screening of One Man, Two Guvnors, a performance of The Threepenny Opera and techno/house sets from Charisma. 26-29 August

WIMBLEDON FOOD FESTIVAL: From retro ice cream to craft beer, indulge in foodie delights at Wimbledon Park Food Festival. If you manage to step away from the food, there's also garden games, face painting and storytelling to keep the family entertained. £8, book in advance, 27-29 August

CIDER & HOG ROAST: Head to The Water Poet pub near Liverpool Street for a cider festival featuring ciders from all over the country, a hog on a spit and steel music. There's even cider ice-cream too Free entry, just turn up, 27-29 August

WEDDING WEEKEND: It's Southbank Centre's Big Wedding Weekend, bringing Festival of Love to a close. Learn ballroom and Latin dancing moves, take part in a love-themed craft workshop and see some the couples who are getting married on stage. Free, just turn up, 27-29 August

FARMOPOLIS: Make botanical jewellery, artisan ceramics and crocheted baskets on a floating garden in Greenwich Peninsula. Browse the full events programme and see individual events for price and booking information. 27-29 August

ETSY POP UP: 20 Etsy traders take over John Lewis's Oxford Street rooftop, so you can learn more about (and buy) everything from faux taxidermy to geometric vessels and London-themed ceramics. Free, just turn up, 25-29 August

LIMEHOUSE BASIN POP UP: If swing dancing and paddle boarding don't take your fancy, relax on a deckchair with streetfood (Turkish, French, American and more) and a glass of Pimms in Limehouse Basin. Free, just turn up, 27-28 August

Saturday 27 August

Hear about pirates at Museum of London Docklands.

ARCHITECTURE HISTORY WALK: Discover the manors, workhouses, and religious outlaws of Mayfair and Marylebone, two of London's most wealthy districts. £9-£12, book in advance, 11am-1pm

PRE-CARNIVAL STREET PARTY: Get in the mood for tomorrow's Notting Hill Carnival with Caribbean street food and live music from artists including Scrufizzer and BBC 1xtra's Ras Kwame at Styx Bar's pre-carnival street party in Tottenham. £13.10, book in advance, noon-2am

KIDS' SKATE & FILM: House of Vans' kids' skating session is followed by a screening of Pixels, a kid-friendly film the parents can watch too. Free, just turn up, noon

FAMILY PIRATE SHOW: The Museum of London Docklands puts on an interactive family show about swashbuckling pirates and the high seas. Minimum age 5, show lasts 45 minutes. Free, just turn up, 12.30pm/2.30pm

SOUL FOOD PARTY: Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen is holding a carnival themed evening, with a soundtrack of afrobeats and samba music. Take a free bachata dance class to get you in the mood. £5, book in advance, 8pm - 2am

SOUL TRAIN: It's the 9th birthday of the Bussey Building's South London Soul Train club night. There are four floors of different artists, who will be partying until 5am. £5-15, book in advance, 10pm-5am


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Go to Barbados without leaving Westfield Stratford City

Don’t worry about the weather this summer, Westfield Stratford City has activities for all the family at its indoor park.

Get a flavour of Barbados with rum tastings, hair braiding and flower arranging, safe in the knowledge the British weather won't affect you.

Rain or shine, relax with a cool glass of bubbly from the Freixenet Ice Cava Bar or an ice cream from Kitbox, while the kids listen to stories in the Toadstool Garden.

If you fancy something more energetic, try walking on water in the zorb pool - you won't even get your hair wet.

Events take place at Westfield Stratford City from 22 August-4 September.


Sunday 28 August

NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL: The largest street festival in Europe is back. Watch the procession, dance to the beats and have a good time. Children's Day is on Sunday and the grand finale takes place on Bank Holiday Monday. Read our guide to the Carnival before you go, and swot up on what (and where) to eat and drink. Free, just turn up, 28-29 August

FOOD FESTIVAL: Explore a working organic farm, try outdoor yoga and take part in a veg sculpture exhibition at Forty Hall in Enfield. There are also talks, masterclasses and cooking demonstrations. £6, book in advance, 28-29 August

THEATRE FESTIVAL: Finchley's Arts Depot is hosting workshops, film screenings, live music and theatre performances. It Affects Me: IAM Normal Festival highlights the importance of mental health wellbeing. £10/£5, book in advance, from noon

COLOUR EMBROIDERY: Find out what colour should go where with London Craft Club, who are giving a class on colour theory and the basics of embroidery at The London Artisan Market. £19, book in advance, 2pm

DAY-TO-NIGHT PARTY: The Oval Space hosts Secretsundaze, a 16-hour party with sets from the likes of Prosumer and Nick Höppner. £14.50-19.50, book in advance, 2pm-6am

ACID HOUSE RAVE: Celebrate the golden years of acid house with Sankey's Dance 88/89 night at The Grand, Clapham. DJs include Radio 1 DJ Danny Rampling, and founder of The Trip, Nicky Holloway. £8, book in advance, 10pm

Notting Hill Carnival. Photo by Pallab Seth from Londonist Flickr pool.

Monday 29 August

NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL: The Notting Hill Carnival continues with the grand finale today. Take your friends and family, watch the parade and groove to the beats of Europe's biggest street party. Free, just turn up, all day

ENVIRONMENTAL FAIR: Carshalton's Environmental Fair which features over 150 stalls, workshops and music, takes place in Carshalton Park. There's even a free bus to get you there. £5, just turn up, 10.30am-8pm

TYBURN WALK: Follow the footsteps of the Catholic martyrs from the site of Newgate Prison, to the site of the Tyburn tree at Marble Arch. The walk ends with a Latin Mass service in Tyburn Convent. Free, just turn up, 1pm

CANDLELIGHT CONCERT: Feinstein Ensemble play Vivaldi's Four Seasons along with pieces by Bach and Mozart at St Martin in the Fields in Trafalgar Square. £25, book in advance, 7.30pm

CARNIVAL AFTER PARTY: Continue the carnival spirit at The Coronet's after party in Elephant & Castle. Playing soca, bashment, reggae and dancehall, end your three-day weekend with a bang. £10-22, book in advance, 10pm-4am

MINISTRY OF SOUND: House Passion are taking over the main stage at Ministry of Sound, but all four rooms are open for the Notting Hill Carnival after party. £10-20, book in advance, 10pm-5am


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Our daily pick of Funzing events

DISUSED TUBE TOUR: Explore abandoned underground stations and learn about the railway line that was only used for funerals. £10, 12-29 September

WOMEN IN TECH: Learn from female tech entrepeneurs and discover how they got to where they are today, from short inspiring talks. £30, 20 September

ROOFTOP PARTY: Party to live music on the roof of Sanctum Hotel Soho. There's a jacuzzi, so bring your swimwear and prepare to party. £15, 27 August /3/10/17 September