Things to do this week is sponsored by the London Transport Museum.
All week
BOOK WEEK: Literary festival Book Week continues at Kings Place all week, with highlights including journalist Hadley Freeman discussing her book Good Girls, Charles Dickens biographer Helena Kelly discussing the author’s relationship with the Jewish community, and a night of comedy, among many more events. Browse the full programme. Until 10 March
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY: Friday is International Women's Day, which falls within Women's History Month, so naturally there are many events celebrating women and girls, non-binary and female-identifying people this week and beyond. Take a look at our pick of those events, including exhibitions, performances, tours and more.
MOVIES ON A BOAT: Theatreship, the new floating cinema/theatre/arts venue near Canary Wharf, screens a month of films with a nautical flavour. Week 1 includes The World is Not Enough (including that speedboat chase, which goes right past the venue's moorings), The Life Aquatic, Jaws and the 7th Voyage of Sinbad. Each film is paired with a performance or discussion. Throughout March, starting on 3 Mar.
BRAINS: The Francis Crick Institute, right next to St Pancras, has a brand new exhibition about the brain. It draws on research from the labs upstairs to present the cutting edge in neuro knowledge. Displays include hallucination, how brains change during pregnancy, what happens upstairs when we catch a powerful smell, and how scientists are mapping the brain. FREE, Wed-Sat, until 7 Dec 2024
A PINCH OF VAULT: This is the final week of the comedy strand of A Pinch Of VAULT, the spin-off event from the people behind VAULT Festival. There are plenty of work-in-progress shows to catch as comedians use it as a chance to hone their material, including Nish Kumar, Candace Bryan and Sian Davies. Until 10 March
TYPOGRAPHY: Emery Walker House in Hammersmith just reopened with a brand new exhibition about Doves Type. The typeface has a remarkable history. The only copy was thrown off Hammersmith Bridge in 1917 following an argument. It lay on the bed of the Thames for 100 years, before its recovery by a diving team. A full set of metal type is now on show at Emery Walker House for the first time anywhere in the world, alongside other more conventionally mudlarked items and — in another coup — a copy of the beautiful Doves Bible.
SHOW OF THE WEEK: "A landmark moment in West End theatre" and "A powerful and deeply moving meditation on Black masculinity" are among the five-star plaudits for For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy, which is back in the West End for a very limited time. Grab Garrick Theatre tickets while you can. Until 4 May
CATHERINE BOHART: Again, With Feelings is the new show by comedian Catherine Bohart. It tackles the issues she has addressed in previous shows, including mental health, relationships, and love, but with greater wisdom (and new jokes) this time around. Catch it at Soho Theatre this week. 4-23 March
EAT OF THE WEEK: Level up from the usual fish finger sandwich, courtesy of new kid on the block, Fish & Bubbles. Their excellently-named sandwiches include the Tuna Turner (cacio e pepe & basil cream, tuna tartare and stracciatella), and Polp Fiction, feat. slow-cooked octopus in Apulian tomato & basil sauce. As the name of this Notting Hill eatery suggests, there's fizz to go with, too.
Monday 4 March
DICKENS WALKING TOUR: As part of the Literary Footprints Festival, Footprints of London guide Stephen Benton offers a guided walk around the locations in Clerkenwell and the City which were familiar to Charles Dickens and feature in his novels. Meet at Cowcross Street and visit some of the spots which appear in Oliver Twist — though many of the specific buildings have since been replaced. 2pm-3.30pm
MENTAL HEALTH SCIENCE: Neuroscientist Camilla Nord talks about the science of mental health at the Royal Institution. Find out about recent changes to the way we think about mental health and the science behind it, and the range of treatments available for mental health issues, including which ones work and why. 7pm-8.30pm
IMAGINING IRELAND: From folk to R&B, Barbican hosts a night of 21st century Irish song-writing. Performers include singer-songwriter Sorcha Richardson, folk duo Ye Vagabonds, and R&B star Aby Coulibaly, among others. 7.30pm
NO DIRECTION HOME: Head to Soho Theatre for No Direction Home, a regular comedy night organised and performed by refugee comedians. Tonight's event is headlined by Sophie Duker and hosted by Fatiha El-Ghorri, with Teddy and Selam Amare also on the programme. 9.30pm
MONDAYS IN LONDON: Looking for something else to do, today or any other week? Take a look at our guide to things to do in London on a Monday — we've gathered together live music venues, comedy and cabaret clubs which keep going on what is usually the quietest day of the week, along with guided walks and tours scheduled on a Monday, and a few special offers too.
Tuesday 5 March
CLIMATE TIPPING POINTS: What are the crucial, irreversible tipping points in the fight against climate change which we should be focusing on? In today's Gresham College lecture, Professor Myles Allen talks about changes such as the collapse of the west Antarctic ice sheet or a melting of Arctic permafrost, and how much of a rise in global temperature can take place before these things happen. FREE, 6pm
IN THE REARVIEW: Barbican Cinema screens In The Rearview, a documentary made by Polish director Maciek Hamela, who was involved in helping people to escape from Ukraine in February 2022. He tells the stories of some of the people whom he drove to safety in his van, and the screening is followed by a talk with Hamela (via Zoom), hosted by BBC journalist Kateryna Khinkulova. 6.20pm
MR FISH: Museum of London Docklands stays open late for an evening with Mr Fish, celebrating the Jewish boy from Wood Green who became a major fashion designer in 1960s London. The evening includes a programme of speakers, and a chance to view the current (and ace) Fashion City exhibition. 6.30pm
DRAG BINGO: Not your usual book launch event, but would you expect anything else for the launch of RuPaul's memoir? Sashay along to Waterstones Piccadilly to play drag bingo, hosted by a RuPaul's Drag Race UK queen (to be announced), along with drag makeovers. 7pm-9pm
ROBIN INCE: Comedian/actor/polymath Robin Ince takes part in an evening of comedy and poetry at Walthamstow Trades Hall, organised by Forest Poets. Spoken word artist Other Theresa and performance poet Steve McLean also appear. 7.30pm
THE IMPROVISED PLAY: Maybe you've seen improv comedy scenes before, but how about an entire play? Dalston's Arcola Theatre kicks off its short run of The Improvised Play tonight, in which you, the audience get to decide everything from location to decade to title. Come armed with a fertile imagination! 7.30pm (until Saturday)
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Celebrate International Women’s Day after hours at London Transport Museum
Did you know that London Transport started recruiting women as bus drivers 50 years ago? Jill Viner was the very first one back in 1974, with female tube drivers joining from 1978. Discover their stories - and those of the many other women who have played a role in London’s public transport - at London Transport Museum this Friday (which happens to be International Women’s Day).
Museum Late: Women on the Move is your chance to explore women’s experiences of working, living, and travelling in the capital. There are craft workshops, curator-led talks and panel discussions, plus the opportunity to explore the museum’s newly-opened Global Poster Gallery (another place where you can see how women have shaped public transport - look out for pieces by the likes of Anna Katrina Zinkeisen and Dora M Batty).
On top of all that, there’s music and a well-stocked bar (hey, it is Friday!) Don’t forget to give the Elizabeth line driving simulator a go while you’re there, too!
Museum Late: Women on the Move runs 6.45pm-10pm at London Transport Museum (Covent Garden). Tickets cost £18 and can be bought here.
Wednesday 6 March
DISNEY EXHIBITION: Remember the Disney100 exhibition which opened in October and closed earlier this year? Well, it's back for another crack, returning to the ExCel Centre, with 250 rare artefacts, artworks, costumes and props on show. From 6 March
AFFORDABLE ART FAIR: Prices for artworks start at £50 at the Affordable Art Fair, which is held at Evolution Battersea from today. Thousands of contemporary artworks are for sale, with special events including late night openings, and a family hour at the weekend. 6-10 March
POLISH FILM FESTIVAL: Now in its 22nd year, the Kinoteka Polish Film Festival returns to venues across London, showcasing the best new and classic Polish films. The programme spans documentaries, dramas, animations and kids' films, including short animations made by women, shown on International Women's Day. Tonight's opening gala is the London premiere of Green Border, about the area between Belarus and Poland where refugees from the Middle East and Africa try to reach the European Union, and is followed by a Q&A with director Agnieszka Holland. 6-28 March
SWAN LAKE: The Royal Ballet’s production of Swan Lake returns to the Royal Opera House’s Main Stage. Late choreographer Liam Scarlett reimagined Tchaikovsky's legendary score, capturing Prince Siegfried and Odette’s relationship as it unravels over two acts under the malignant influence of Von Rothbart. 6 March-28 June
MJ THE MUSICAL: Opening at the Prince Edward Theatre, MJ The Musical celebrates the life and work of Michael Jackson, one of the greatest (and these days, most controversial) entertainers of all time. It focuses on the period of his Dangerous World Tour in 1992, and how it made him into something of a legend. Sounds like it'll be a... Thriller. From 6 March
LETTERS LIVE: Popular annual event Letters Live is back at the Royal Albert Hall for International Women's Day, with a host of famous faces reading out letters from past centuries. The performers aren't revealed until they appear on stage, but Gillian Anderson, Olivia Colman, Benedict Cumberbatch and Stephen Fry are among previous participants. 7.30pm
Thursday 7 March
DISNEY ON ICE: Double delight for Disney fans this week: in addition to the exhibition reopening (above), Disney On Ice slides back into town. Minnie, Mickey, Moana, Coco and the cast of Frozen are among the characters appearing in Dream Big at Wembley Arena. 7-10 March
THE OTHER ART FAIR: The Other Art Fair takes over the Old Truman Brewery for four days of artwork that's accessible to all. Affordable and original pieces are up for grabs, alongside immersive installations, live performances and a bar. 7-10 March
SOUTH ASIAN SOUNDS: Southbank Centre launches an new event series, South Asian Sounds, celebrating the musical traditions of the Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Afghan diaspora. More than a dozen events take place across four days, including today's opening performance by the Afghan Youth Orchestra. 7-10 March
LONDON'S BURNING: Guildhall Library offers a free talk about the Great Fire of London, covering where it started, how it spread out over the course of a week, and how it was finally stopped. You can watch in person at Guildhall Library, or online. FREE, 2pm-3pm
WEST END ARCADES: Join guide Jane Parker for a tour along the exquisite shopping arcades of Piccadilly and St James's. 2.30pm
SCIENCE MUSEUM LATE: Once a month, the Science Museum stays open after hours for an adults-only evening of activities and entertainment. This month's theme is love, delving into the latest dating and sex tech, as well as the future of family units and the power of pheromones. There's also a silent disco — or you can simply explore the exhibitions and galleries without the usual daytime crowds. FREE ENTRY (charge for some activities), 6.30pm-10pm
CAMP PHOENIX: A show packed with adventure and freshly-composed music, Camp Phoenix is about a group of teens who arrive at a compulsory weeklong residential, and start learning valuable life lessons from one another. It's performed at the Albany in Deptford, by professional performers and local young people from Lewisham College. 7pm (also tomorrow)
Friday 8 March
MILITARY MUSIC: The Massed Bands of His Majesty’s Royal Marines give three concerts at the Royal Albert Hall for the Mountbatten Festival of Music, which showcases the skills of some of the world’s finest military musicians. Traditional marches, and music from films all feature in the varied programme. 8-9 March
COUNTRY TO COUNTRY: Three days of country music come to The O2 as Country To Country festival returns. Rising Nashville stars take to the stage between sets from headline acts including Kane Brown, Carly Pearce, Jake Owen and Brothers Osborne. 8-10 March
IMPROVATHON: Wilton's Musical Hall hosts a 50-hour improvised live comedy soap opera on the theme of weddings. It's split into 25 two-hour episodes, so you can dip in and out and watch as many or as few as you'd like. 8-10 March
OSCAR WEEK: As is now tradition, Barbican Cinema screens this year's Oscar-nominated films in the week surrounding the awards ceremony (which takes place in LA on 10 March). Kick things off today with Past Lives and Barbie, with Oppenheimer, Poor Things and Anatomy of a Fall among the films shown later in the week. 8-14 March
BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK: The Royal Observatory Greenwich marks British Science Week with a programme of special events for all ages. The programme includes a talk about supermassive black holes, and an evening of astrophotography. 8-17 March
GREAT FIRE: Following on from yesterday's talk about the Great Fire of London, Guildhall Library offers a guided walk charting its route through the City. Begin at All Hallows by the Tower, close to where Samuel Pepys first spotted the flames, and follow its course towards St Paul's. 2pm-4pm
COMEDY NIGHT: Comedians Thanyia Moore, Helen Bauer and Ria Lina bring the laughs as you tuck into a three-course meal. The special comedy night takes place at The Moniker by Drake & Morgan near Fenchurch Street. Age 18+. 6pm-10pm
Saturday 9 March
SHERLOCK HOLMES: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's final Sherlock Holmes novel, The Valley of Fear, is brought to life on stage at Artsdepot in Finchley. Holmes and Watson investigate an untimely death at Birlstone Manor... but all is not as it seems. Age 11+. 9-10 March
BARNES MUSIC FESTIVAL: Pianists, saxophonists, organists, singers and a concert band are some of the performers lined up for this year's Barnes Music Festival, which takes place at venues across the area. Tonight's opening concert, Magnificat!, is at St Mary's, performed by the Barnes Festival Orchestra and the Pegasus Choir. Under-12s get free entry to all performances as part of the festival's Youth Programme, in a bid to reach a younger audience. 9-24 March
BLUE BADGE BUNCH: Designed for kids and grown-ups alike, the Blue Badge Bunch is a hilarious game show hosted by disabled comedian Benny Shakes. From drawing with your feet, to deciphering symbol sentences from an AAC device, this is a uniquely fun way to while away an hour with the kids. It's on at Park Theatre in Finsbury Park. 11.30am-12.30pm
BLACK WAR EFFORT: Black History Walks holds the first of two events looking at the contributions that African and Caribbean people made to the war effort during the second world war. The Africa Centre in Southwark is the venue for an afternoon featuring interviews of veterans, rare videos, first hand testimony and documentation covering topics including Black Spitfire and bomber pilots, and Black and Asian women secret agents. 1pm-4pm
TOWNES VAN ZANDT: On what would've been country singer Townes Van Zandt's 80th birthday, Brigid Mae Power, Robin Gillan and band are at Hackney's MOTH Club to perform his 1969 self-titled LP in full, for a matinee and evening show. Though Van Zandt lived a frugal life, his music has inspired everyone from Norah Jones to Bob Dylan. 1.30pm and 6.30pm
GREEK FEAST: The Hellenic Centre in Marylebone hosts an evening of feasting as people, both affluent and poor, would have during the Hellenistic period. Before the meal, there's a talk, plus a serving of cheese, olives and wine. 5.30pm-9pm
NASHVILLE NIGHT: Journey through the history of the music genre at A Country Night In Nashville, a lively recreation of a honky tonk in the Tennessee city. Hear hits by the likes of Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, the Chicks, Willie Nelson and Shania Twain, performed by Dominic Halpin & The Hurricanes. Takes place at Fairfield Halls in Croydon. 7.30pm
OSCARS BALL: Ahead of the Oscars on Sunday night, Club de Fromage throws an Oscars Ball at the O2 Academy Islington. Dress as your favourite film character or in your red carpet attire and dance the night away to tunes from film soundtracks past and present including Barbie, A Star Is Born, The Greatest Showman, The Lion King, Dirty Dancing, Sing, Encanto and more. 10.30pm-3.30am
Sunday 10 March
MOTHER'S DAY: A reminder to pick up a card and some flowers and chocolates. Perhaps treat her to afternoon tea too, eh?
LITERATURE BOAT RIDE: As part of the Literary Footprints festival running all month, join guide Rob Smith for a trip along the Thames on an Uber Boat, focusing on books set on or around the river. Board at Vauxhall and ride the boat east to Barking Reach, hearing about authors including CP Snow, Susannah Gregory, Fiona Buckley, Alan Moore, Virginia Woolf and HM Tomlinson as you go. 2pm-5pm
THE COLOR PURPLE: For its weekly Film Club, the Soho Hotel screens the new film The Color Purple, based on the book of the same name, about Celie, an African American woman living in the American South in the early 20th century. Choose between a ticket just for the film, or add on a meal or afternoon tea to the experience. 3.30pm
SUNDAY CONCERT: This week's Sunday Concert at Conway Hall has a special programme to celebrate International Women's Day. Fenella Humphreys (violin), Cara Berridge (cello) and Libby Burgess (piano) showcase music by women composers of the last two centuries, including Mel Bonis, Rebecca Clarke and Emilie Mayer. 6.30pm-8.30pm
BEAT OF BRAZIL: Brazilian music culture is celebrated in a lively show at the Jazz Cafe in Camden. Beat of Brazil is headlined by samba and tropicália pioneer Jards Macalé, whose career has spanned more than six decades. 7pm-10.30pm
JOANA CARVALHAS: Portuguese multi-style violinist Joana Carvalhas is at Next Door Records in Shepherd's Bush, performing tracks from her 2023 album Indoor Thoughts. 7pm-11pm
UM BABE, YOU'RE UP! Fancy getting on stage and doing a spot of singing/comedy/interpretive dance? It's open mic night Um Babe, You're Up! at The Divine tonight, so here's your chance to test your chops. Note: the event is queer-focused, and slots are allocated in accordance with this. 7.30pm
