All week
PRINCE AND PATRON: See the various treasures from the Royal Collection that have caught Prince Charles' eye at this year's State Rooms exhibition. Highlights include Zoffany's The Tribuna of the Uffizi and Napoleon's cloak. State Rooms, Buckingham Palace, £24, book ahead, until 30 September
RUSH: A new dark comedy for the digital age, Rush explores life in the fast lane through five characters named Alex. They may share the same moniker, but their states of mind couldn't be more different as they navigate the complexities of 21st century life. The Space (Isle of Dogs), £12, book ahead, 21-25 August
SWAN LAKE: Get swept up in the immortal, tragic romance of Prince Siegfried and Odette, a princess cursed to live as a swan, with St Petersburg Ballet Theatre. Their unsurprisingly stunning production features traditionally painted backdrops, a live orchestra playing Tchaikovsky's iconic score, and world class dance talent. London Coliseum (Westminster), £20, book ahead, 2.30pm/7.30pm, 22 August-2 September
BLACK CAT CABARET: Enter a psychedelic circus inspired by the utopian visions of novelist Angela Carter. The Black Cat Cabaret have their first ever headline run at Underbelly Festival Southbank, where they'll be combining their jaw-dropping acrobatic feats with raucous comic turns. Underbelly Festival Southbank (Jubilee Gardens), £19, book ahead, 22 August-30 September
Monday 20 August
CHARTERHOUSE ART WORKSHOP: Spend the day wandering around the site of a 14th century Carthusian monastery, Tudor mansion, and 17th century school in pursuit of artistic inspiration. Working in pen, wash and pencil, create your own sketches of this history-steeped cluster of buildings before venturing to the nearby Smithfield Market for some more creative fun. The Charterhouse (Clerkenwell), £50 book ahead, 10am-3pm
THE FAMOUS 45: A 45-year-old woman adopts a child from 1945. Join storyteller Cathianne Hall at a show about numbers, neurons, naivety and cake to find out why. Etcetera Theatre (Camden), £10, book ahead, 8.30pm, until 22 August
Tuesday 21 August
VIKING RUNES: Take the kids for some prehistoric arts and crafting at the Museum of Richmond. They'll learn all about life in early Britain before making some replica Viking runes to take home with them. Museum of Richmond (Richmond), £5.50, book ahead, 10am-12pm, until 24 August
WIND IN THE WILLOWS: Pull up a picnic blanket in the magnificent grounds of an 18th century Palladian villa for some English pastoral escapism. Chiswick House and Gardens hosts a three day run of the Kenneth Grahame children's classic, Wind in the Willows. Chiswick House and Gardens (Chiswick), £12, book ahead, 11.30am/2.30am, until 24 August
PAPERBACK WRITERS: Fans of The Beatles won't want to miss out on meeting writers Kenneth Womack and Gail Renard. Hear Gail's true story of sneaking into John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s famous Bed-In for peace to get one hell of a scoop for her school newspaper, while Kenneth discusses his latest biography on the 'fifth Beatle', producer George Martin. Matters of Vinyl Importance (Hoxton), £5, book ahead, 6pm-9pm
Wednesday 22 August
SECRET SUNRISE: The early bird gets the worm at the latest in St James's secret summer markets. Start your day as you mean to go on with a celebratory sunrise dance party, where you'll groove along to uplifting tunes through wireless headphones. St James's Market (St James's), £12, book ahead, 6.45am-8am
SLADE SCHOOL STROLL: Follow the footsteps of the early 20th century artists that studied at Slade and called Hampstead home. You'll hear all about the loves, hates, and local haunts of Mark Gertler, Stanley Spencer, R.W. Nevinson and more along the way. Meet at Hampstead Station, £12, book ahead, 11am-1pm
BAKING BUILDINGS: Kids can enjoy a day of cakey construction at Sir John Soane Museum's latest workshop. They'll take the wacky buildings in their postmodernism exhibition as inspiration, before donning pinnies baking cakes, and then transforming them into edible architectural models. Sir John Soane's Museum (Covent Garden), £15, book ahead, 11am-3pm
SIMPSONS QUIZ: Here's some eeeexcellent news for fans of everyone's favourite yellow family. You can now put your Simpsons knowledge to the test at a pub quiz as dastardly as Sideshow Bob. Drink, Shop & Do (King's Cross), £5, book ahead, 7pm
An invitation to Londonist's beer launch party
Love London? Love beer? Then we've got some very exciting news to share. Londonist has teamed up with the talented folk at Fourpure Brewery to create our own unique, Londony brew. And we want to you to celebrate its launch with us. So go on, join us for an epic party at the Fourpure brewery on Sunday 16 September. There'll be live music, the chance to win some Londonist swag and, naturally, lots and lots of beer. More deets and booking info can be found here — and you can book tickets here.
Thursday 23 August
IDRIS ELBA FILM AND Q&A: Travel to 1970s Kingston and 1980s Hackney at a screening Idris Elba's directorial debut. After the film, the future James Bond himself (hey, we can dream) discusses the film with BBC Radio 1Xtra presenter Yasmin Evans. Rich Mix (Shoreditch), £6, book ahead, 6pm
SYRIAN DELIGHTS: Feast on veggie Syrian cuisine while listening to live Syrian music at the Freud Museum's charity supper. All the proceeds go to The Welcome Project, which arranges cookery workshops that empower women refugees by enabling them to share the recipes and enrich their language skills. Freud Museum London (West Hampstead), £25, book ahead, 6.30pm-8.30pm
SUMMER EVENING SCREENINGS: Soak up that sunshine on the Brunel Museum roof garden — complete with delicious street food and cocktails — before descending into the world’s oldest railway tunnel shaft for a film screening. Just like Brunel would have wanted it. Brunel Museum (Rotherhithe), £25, book ahead, 6.30pm-10pm (partner)
ZEUS ON THE LOOSE: Musical theatre, twisted circus, burlesque and special effects collide in a bold new show just for grown-ups. With a story rooted in Greek mythology, rest assured that its plot is equally bonkers — think sibling rivalry, infidelity, and divine wrath. The Cockpit (Marylebone), London, £15, book ahead, 9pm-10pm
Friday 24 August
CARIBBEAN STREET FOOD: Get a taste of the Caribbean right here in London. Grace Foods UK bring a two-day festival of authentic Caribbean street food, live music, and cookery demos to the banks of the Thames. Bernie Spain Gardens (Southbank), free entry, just turn up, 11am-7pm, until 25 August
SCI-FI TUNES: Jonny Berliner brings his biological beats, funky physics, and rockin' geology to The Royal Institution. With live demos and songs exploring everything from falling eggs to cosmological comparisons with kumquats, this musical celebration of science has it all. The Royal Institution (Mayfair), £16, book ahead, 6pm-7.15pm
HENDRIX HOUSE PARTY: Spend your Friday night at none other than Jimi Hendrix's old gaff for a night of live music, psychedelic light and film projections, and dancing. Inspired by Jimi's headlining slot at the 1970 Isle of Wight festival, this museum late features blues man John J Presley, guitarist Tom Attah, and routines from The Meyer Dancers. Handel & Hendrix (Mayfair), £25, book ahead, 7pm-10pm
Saturday 25 August
MINI CRAFT MARKET: There's handmade fine jewellery, kimono art, and lush homeware for you to drool over at this pint-sized Clapham market. A good choice for those who love to shop but hate sore legs. Venn Street Market (Clapham Common), free, just turn up, 10am-4pm
AB FAB BOTTOMLESS BRUNCH: Pass us the Stoli (or in this case prosecco), because an Absolutely Fabulous-themed brunch is coming to town. So dress up in your finest 90s Lacroix, and roll down the road to Quaglino's to party like Patsy and Eddie. Quaglino's, (St. James's), £29, book ahead, 11am-4pm
CARNIVAL PAINT JAM: Psyche yourself up for Notting Hill Carnival with a tropical-themed art party. Come dressed in your most colourful carni garb and listen to live steel pans while you throw some paint at a canvas. There's even a rum cocktail reception. Secret venue (London), £35, book ahead, 7pm-10pm
Sunday 26 August
NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL: It's that time of year again, we can already smell the jerk chicken and pork. If you find the idea of Carnival a bit overwhelming, fear not, we made a handy guide to help you survive the two day mega-event.
DEPTFORD BEER FEAST: Craft beer, dope tunes, and a whole load of street food. What more could you ask for on a Sunday afternoon? At least 22 breweries descend on Deptford Market Yard to ensure you're kept nicely hydrated all day long. Deptford Market Yard, free, book ahead, 12pm-9pm
ENFIELD FOOD FESTIVAL: Escape to the countryside without leaving North London at the annual Enfield Food Festival. There's a whole feast of street food and local produce, as well as guided walks, talks and workshops for all ages. Forty Hall Farm (Enfield), £5, book ahead, 11am-5pm
KEEPING UP WITH THE COURTAULDS: Move over Kim K and krew, because there's a new (or, to be precise, old) 'it' family in town. Join Stephen & Virginia Courtauld at their art deco palace as they plan one of their famous parties, featuring the latest in 1930s fashions, tunes from Al Bowlly, and pre-party croquet on the South Lawn. Eltham Palace & Gardens (Greenwich), £15, book ahead, 11am-5pm, until 27 August
WELCOME HOME: This thriller about the future of sentient tech sounds straight out of the imagination of Charlie Brooker or Stanley Kubrick. Introducing aBode, the best home assistant on the market. But this technology has been built to survive, so what happens when it stops cooperating with its human masters? Old Red Lion Theatre (Angel), £9, book ahead, 7.45pm, until 27 August
