Things to do this weekend is sponsored by the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.
All weekend
WORLD CUP: Looking for somewhere to watch the World Cup for the start of the knockout stages? Check out our full guide here.
MAYFAIR ART WEEKEND: Over 40 galleries, auction houses, and a whole host of artists show off their stuff in celebration of Mayfair and St James's rich cultural heritage. Highlights of this year's Mayfair Art Weekend include pop up art bookstores, a leather bookbinding demo, and a colour mixing workshop. Various venues (Mayfair and St James's), book ahead for some events, 29 June-1 July
AFRICA WRITES: Discover the most influential voices in contemporary writing from Africa and its diaspora with the help of Africa Writes 2018. This literary weekend welcomes writers from Cameroon, Ghana, Somalia, and the UK, to name but a few. Don't miss Friday's Wakanda-themed party. British Library and Rich Mix (Shoreditch), from £10, book ahead, 29 June-1 July
COMIDA FEST: Devour tacos and chow down on churros while sipping Mojitos and Margs at a two day celebration of Latin American street food. There's also live music, workshops, and a chance to win a trip to Peru. Hasta la fiesta, indeed. Cutty Sark Gardens (Greenwich), free entry, just turn up, 30 June-1 July
QUEEN'S PARK BOOK FEST: There are plenty of big names making an appearance Queen's Park Book Festival, including acclaimed novelist Zadie Smith, Michelin-starred chef and cookbook author Giorgio Locatelli, and Baroness Shami Chakrabati. Queen's Park, from £6, book ahead, 30 June-1 July
KING IN CONCERT: A glittering cast of West End stars are heading east for a special concert version of the late Martin Smith’s acclaimed Martin Luther King Jr musical. Snap up tickets to King in Concert while you can — it's only a two night run. Hackney Empire, £35, book ahead, 30 June-1 July
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A blooming marvellous day out at Hampton Court Palace
Did you know that London is home to the world’s largest annual flower show? You needn’t leave the city to get your fill of flowery goodness — this July, Hampton Court Palace is home to a whole 34 acres of the stuff.
The RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, supported by Viking Cruises, brings together talent from across the world to create sensational gardens and share their top tips. It’s a real spectacle, with Show Gardens from horticultural heroes (including Piet Oudolf’s stunning walk-through feature), a mass-planting of Verbena bonariensis, and an immersive ‘Plant Evolution Dome’ — not to mention The Floral Marquee, bursting with over 100 specialist nurseries.
The RHS Celebrity Theatre will host talks from the likes of Bill Oddie and Julia Bradbury, making it a great place to pick up some expert advice (or just admire the scenery). Sounds like a blooming good day out to us.
The RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show is on from 2-8 July, with a Preview Evening on 2 July and RHS Members’ Only Days on 3 & 4 July. Visit rhs.org.uk for more information and to book tickets – make sure to book ahead for discounted entry. Tickets also available on the door.
Saturday 30 June
NORTH END ROAD SUMMER MARKET: Local bands battle it out on Fulham's North End Road for a music edition of their Summer Market. There's also arts, crafts, and street food from around the globe for you to sink your teeth into. North End Road (Fulham), free entry, just turn up, 9am-6pm
RAF MUSEM RELAUNCH: Don't miss the grand relaunch of Colindale's Royal Air Force Museum. Shiny new features include hands-on exhibits, like an X-plane test simulator to test out your aviation skills (or lack thereof), and a toy aircraft for your pint-sized pilots to clamber over. Royal Airforce Museum (Colindale), free entry, just turn up, 10am-6pm
MUSICAL YOGA: Get bendy, practice your breath work, and unleash your inner zen to the tune of Jonny Owen's acoustic guitar at a special yoga class featuring live music. Royal Albert Hall (Kensington), £22, book ahead, 10.30am-11.30am
COMMUNITY HAYSTACK: Serve some Grim Reaper realness in Walthamstow Marshes. This isn't Halloween come early, but rather an opportunity to up your scything skills with the Community Haystack team. As well as scything workshops, there's haystack building, a community picnic, and a guided ramble around the marshland. Lea Bridge Road (Leyton), free entry/£20 for scything workshop, 10.30am-8pm
ROYAL LONDON ONE-DAY CUP FINAL: Kent Spitfires take on Hampshire in The Royal London One-Day Cup Final at Lord's. There's still time to get yourself tickets and witness cricket history in the making. Lord's Cricket Ground (St John's Wood), from £20, book ahead, 11am
MATCHGIRLS MEMORIAL WALK: Grab your flat cap or vintage pinny for a stroll that celebrates the victory of the Matchgirls over Bryant and May in 1888. The Matchgirls Strike, as it is commonly known, helped lay the foundations for modern day trade unionism. Victorian Eastender fancy dress is optional but highly encouraged. Meet on Edward Passage Road (Mile End), free, book ahead, 12pm
LARK IN THE PARK: Mayow Park is getting a 19th century makeover in celebration of its 140 year anniversary. Head to the Bowling Green for a day of free tennis, face painting, live music, and much more. Bowling Green, Mayow Park (Sydenham), free entry, 12pm-4pm
AFTERNOON PAR-TEA: What's better than an classic British afternoon tea? One that's infused with loads of booze, that's what. The Cocktail Trading Company's pint-sized HQ will be play host to a wonderfully flamboyant tea party with live rockabilly pop covers and your favourite confections reimagined in cocktail form. The Cocktail Trading Company (Bethnal Green Road), £35, book ahead, 1pm-3pm
THE CANDLELIGHT CLUB: Travel back in time to the roaring '20s at a secret speakeasy where bright young things frolic amid the candlelight while you're regaled with burlesque, acrobatics, and contortion. Once you've been sufficiently blasted into the past, look to the future with the help of fortune tellers Foxglove and Lucius. Secret location (east London), £35, book ahead, 7pm-12am
PHANTASMORGIA CABARET: Ms Patrizia Paolini invites you to indulge in her modern day variety show that blurs the lines between theatre, comedy, fantasy, and reality. Guests include the missing link between Depeche Mode, Ivor Cutler and Ted Chippington (aka Julian Fox), and magical character comic Ada Campe. Hoxton Hall, £9.50, book ahead, 8pm-10.30pm
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Sounds Like London: our picks this weekend
June brings the Mayor of London's Sounds Like London campaign to the capital — a month-long celebration of both women in music and London's grassroots music scene. Here's our pick of this weekend's Sounds Like London events:
RAY GELATO & HIS GIANTS: Swing, jazz and R&B. Ray Gelato's been doing it all as far back as 1988. Let the experienced entertainer get you moving with his high energy show. 100 Club, £16.50, 7.30pm, 30 June
Sunday 1 July
NEBULA: Kent-based art collective Fight Club Contemporary present their inaugural exhibition on the concept of new beginnings. Through photography, collage, painting, drawing, textiles and installation, Nebula takes you from the chaotic birth of the solar system, to the unexplored potential for wild genetic mutation within the human form. You know, the simple things. Shipton Street Gallery (Columbia Road), free, just turn up, 9am-3pm
MUSIC ON THE LAWN: Picnic in the shade of a Grade I listed Jacobean Manor while you're serenaded with live jazz and blues on the lawns at Forty Hall. There's a bouncy castle for the kids, a Pimm's tent for the grown-ups, and fruit and chocolate kebabs for everyone. Forty Hall Estate (Enfield), £6, book ahead, 12pm-6pm
RYE HERE RYE NOW: It's all about south London at the Tate Modern this weekend, where Peckham-based creatives Rye Here Rye Now will be pitching up to partake in Southwark Untold, a celebration of the borough's artistic community. As well as over a dozen talks from creators across a variety of disciplines, you can get stuck into minute long portrait sessions and poster designing. Tate Modern, free, book ahead, 12pm-6pm
RAILWAY COTTAGE GARDENS: Stop and smell the roses (and honeysuckle, clematis, and abutilon) at a historic row of railway cottages. Nestled near Alexandra Palace, these quaint gardens boast an abundance of bee-baiting flora, as well as herbs, a secluded woodland area, and a mature willow tree. Dorset Road (Alexandra Park), £4.50/free for kids, just turn up, 2pm-5.30pm
WALK THE LINE: Learn how London’s oldest 5-star hotel can help you evade the paparazzi and what Van Halen had against brown M&Ms on a guided walk along the Piccadilly line, above ground, from Green Park to Covent Garden. Meet at the statue of Diana, Goddess of the Hunt (Green Park), £8, just turn up, 2.30pm
BRASS BLAST: Audience participation is highly encouraged at this family Sunday concert. East London Brass will be playing some absolute belters, including Let It Go, Circle of Life, and the Star Wars theme — so get ready to sing along. If you're an instrumentalist yourself, you're also welcome to blow your own trumpet. Union Chapel (Islington), free, book ahead, 3pm
THE CHEEK OF IT: Prepare to swoon as Bebe Van Der Belt brings you 30 smouldering burlesque performers. Among those strutting their stuff tonight are sassy upstarts the Rebellious Belles and firm favourites Ginger's Fit Vixens. Proud Embankment (Waterloo Bridge), £15, book ahead, 6pm-10pm
MÔNICA VASCONCELOS: A six-piece band join renowned São Paulo-born singer Mônica Vasconcelos at the Chandos Arms for an extra-special night of jazz. Chandos Arms (Colindale), £9, book ahead, 7pm-9.15pm
TINY SHORTS: Who likes short shorts? We like short short shorts — short plays, that is. In collaboration with American Actors UK, Eagle and Beaver Ensemble present a pack of pint-sized plays ranging from dystopian dramas to musings on #MeToo. The Union Theatre (Southwark), £12, book ahead, 7.30pm-9.30pm
OH CANADA: Celebrate Canada Day with an evening of stellar stand up featuring four comedians from the Great White North. Tonight's acts include 8 out of 10 Cats star Bobby Mair and Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Tony Law. Bar Rumba (Shaftesbury Avenue), £14, book ahead, 8pm-10pm
