All weekend
SILENT FILMS:
Kennington Bioscope at the Cinema Museum in Kennington holds its first silent film weekend. Academy Award winner and silent film historian Kevin Brownlow hosts proceedings, introducing everything from westerns to comedy, rare gems and classic flicks. £16/£26, 20-21 June
Get Tickets
TASTE OF LONDON:
Taste of London returns to Regent's Park for five days of gourmet summer dining. Restaurants from around the capital, including Sushisamba, Duck and Waffle, The House of Ho, Meatliquor, Roka and The Palomar offer visitors a chance to sample their dishes and see world-class chefs at work. £24, 17-21 June
Get Tickets
InTRANSIT:
InTRANSIT festival hits Kensington and Chelsea, with all kinds of pop-up performances, art installations, exhibitions, walks and workshops. Too much choice? Take a look at our picks. Mostly free, 19-28 June
TOWER HAMLETS:
Celebrate 50 years of the borough with John Boughton, author of the Municipal Dreams blog, talking about early town halls at Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives on Saturday at 2pm, and watch a film about Poplar from the 1970s at Idea Store in Chrisp Street Market on Sunday at 2.15pm. Both free, book ahead for the talk.
GROW LONDON:
Whether you've got a garden or several acres, or a tiny windowbox to work with, GROW London on Hampstead Heath shows you how to get the most out of your outdoor space. Over 100 exhibitors offer garden furniture, rare and hard-to-find plants and flowers, garden sculpture, covetable pots, planters, accessories and tools. See inspiring feature areas, attend talks and workshops and more. Various prices, prebook, 19-21 June
WEST END LIVE:
Head to Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square to see the casts of around 30 West End shows performing for free in West End Live, including Billy Elliot, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Mamma Mia! and Matilda. Free, just turn up, 20-21 June
Saturday 20 June
AMNESTY BOOK SALE:
Once again the Greenwich and Blackheath branch of Amnesty International holds a fundraising book sale at Church of the Ascension in Lewisham. Free, just turn up, 9am-5pm
MORNING RAVE:
Kickstart your weekend with a morning rave, Morning Gloryville at Mode in Notting Hill. This immersive dance experience features DJs including Radio 1's Joshua Roberts, plus a coffee and smoothie bar, wake-up massage station and yoga zone. £13, 9am
Get Tickets
BUS GARAGE:
Epsom Bus Garage has a free open day, part of a series of bus garage open days taking place over the next few months. Take a free trip on vintage and other interesting buses from Epsom to Tolwort, view heritage buses, coaches, cars and motorcycles dating back to as early as 1906 including a B-type bus, in its World War 1 livery. Takes place at Roy Richmond Way, Epsom, KT19 9AF. Free, 11am-3pm
TATE CELEBRATION:
There's a celebratory event in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall, marking two years of Circuit, a national programme for 15-25 year olds, exploring the influence of youth culture on art. At the event expect live music, panel discussions, film screenings, and more. Free, just turn up, 12.30pm-5.30pm
OPEN STUDIOS:
Bow Arts celebrates its 20th anniversary with two days of open studios with over 150 artists and designers, pop-up bars, local street food, a designer/maker market and live music. Free, just turn up, 1pm-5pm
BEER FESTIVAL:
Bethnal Green Beer Festival takes place at St Margaret's House, with local craft breweries including Hackney Brewery, Redchurch Brewery and Redemption Brewery all offering their products. £5, 1pm
Get Tickets
COFFEE MASTERCLASS:
Head to Jeanius Social in Islington for a coffee masterclass. Study every step of the coffee-making process and learn the skills to be a barista. £28, 1pm
Get Tickets
BLUR:
Blur are coming to town. Get your slice of (Hyde) Park Life at British Summer Time. The rest of the line up includes Metronomy and Daisy & Lewis. £80, 1pm
Get Tickets
BRIXTON CARNIVAL PARTY:
Head to Brixton Jamm to get into the swing of carnival season. As well as live DJs, expect jerk chicken sizzling on the barbie, free hair braiding and the Rum Shack cocktail bar. £5, 2pm
Get Tickets
SUMMER SOLSTICE SKETCHING:
Art Macabre is at The Book Club in Shoreditch for a nude drawing workshop with a nod to Scandinavian midsommar and Shakespearian tales. Age 18+. £10, 2pm
Get Tickets
CORNHOLING:
We introduced you to the game of Alabama Cornholing last year, and there's another chance to have a go at Beavertown Brewery near Tottenham Hale station. Email [email protected] to sign up to the tournament, or just have a beer and a play on the public boards. Free, just turn up, 3pm
BULLSH*T TOUR:
Comedy experts City Impro lead a Bullsh*t Tour around the Natural History Museum. It's alternative take on the past six million years, which may not be scientifically accurate, but skips the boring bits and offers plenty of laughs. £10, 3pm
Get Tickets
MUAY THAI:
Grab yourself tickets to see this grand prix event in the sport of Muay Thai, a tough and brutal combat sport. Takes place at Indigo at the O2 in Greenwich. £45.90-£68.40, 4pm
Get Tickets
BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB:
Indie rockers Bombay Bicycle Club are at The Amersham Arms in New Cross, not performing their own songs, but playing a DJ set.Expect indie anthems and disco classics. Age 18+. £10, 7pm
Get Tickets
GAMING PARTY:
Head to Oval Space in Haggerston for a chance to game your heart out and dance your socks off at a gaming warehouse party. £11.50, 7pm
Get Tickets
FOURTH CHOIR:
LGBT choir The Fourth Choir performs a concert of Baroque and Renaissance Music at St Peter's Church, Eaton Square. £10-£25, prebook, 7.30pm
RIO FONE HACK:
Three public phones from Rio de Janeiro have been installed in the Olympic Park for the next three weeks. It's a theatrical experience for one person at a time: you can pick up the phone and interact with a fictional Brazilian artist. For instructions just text 'rio' to the free phone number 07903 579 560 — more info here.
SPACE SPECTACULAR:
Conductor Anthony Inglis and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra are at the Royal Albert Hall for a concert with music by Holst and Strauss and John Williams — plus lights, lasers and fireworks. £13.50-£47.50, 7.30pm
Get Tickets
SAVING JULIAN ASSANGE:
While Julian Assange is still holed up in the Ecuadorian Embassy, comedian Aidan Killian dedicates an entire show to whistleblowers, from Assange to Manning with a little Snowden thrown in, at Leicester Square Theatre £10, 9pm
Get Tickets
MIDNIGHT WALK:
Charity CoolTan Arts hosts a guided midnight stroll through London on the midsummer solstice. The walk's theme is ‘Light’ so bring along torches, lamps or glowsticks. Along the way, hear talks on London’s secret history and join in a midnight feast. Free (donations welcome), just turn up (meet outside Tate Modern), 11.45pm-5am
Sunday 21 June
ANTIQUES FAIR:
Adams Antiques Fair returns to the Royal Horticultural Halls in Victoria, with 140 stalls of fine quality antiques — including antique jewellery, silver, ceramics, paintings and curious objects from dealers who travel across the UK to trade. £4, prebook, 10am-4.30pm
STEAM AND ALE:
Head to London Museum of Water and Steam in Brentford for a Father's day treat — an afternoon of working steam engines and beer tasting from Twickenham Fine Ales. Various prices, prebook, 11am-4pm
KITE DAY:
Streatham Common Kite Day takes place with single and multi-line kite demonstrations, kite tuition, food and drink stalls and a chance to buy kites and equipment. Free, 11am-5pm
SHORT FILMS:
Short Sighted Cinema hosts The Shortest Nights, an all-day celebration of short film at Electrowerkz. The event will launch six new programmes showcasing the work of the very best filmmakers, with networking, workshops, panels as well as beer and a barbecue. £20, prebook, 12pm-12am
KYLIE MINOGUE:
See the Aussie pop star perform at British Summer Time in Hyde Park this afternoon. Grace Jones and Chic featuring Nile Rodgers will also be performing. £59.89, 1pm
Get Tickets
TOWN HALL TOUR:
The iconic modernist Hornsey Town Hall may have been closed for a decade, but did you know you could do an expert tour of the Town Hall and hear about the personalities associated with the building? Who fought a notorious by-election in Hornsey in 1941? Who won the architectural competition to design the Town Hall? £5, prebook, 2pm
ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA:
Expect to hear music from the likes of Handel, Haydn, Elgar and Vaughan Williams at this Royal Philharmonic Orchestra concert at Cadogan Hall. £16.90, 3pm
Get Tickets
WHISKY AFTERNOON:
Spend an afternoon blending whisky with Chivas Regal's experts, washed down with a Bourne & Hollingsworth cocktail plus a tasting of fine Scottish malts. That'sFather’s Day sorted. Takes place in Finsbury. £15, 4.30pm
Get Tickets
THE GODFATHER:
Goat in Chelsea holds a Father's Day screening of Francis Ford Coppola’s classic, The Godfather, along with cocktails and nibbles. £5, 6pm
Get Tickets
BBQ COMEDY:
See Edinburgh Fringe previews from Bridget Christie and Joseph Morpurgo, and get a tasty burger to boot at Invisible Dot in King's Cross. £15, prebook, 6pm
SEVEN YEAR ITCH:
Watch classic 1955 film The Seven Year Itch, starring Marilyn Monroe, at BFI Southbank. £10.10, 6pm
Get Tickets
ALT FATHERS DAY:
Rich Mix hosts The Alternative Fathers Day show where poets and comedians tell dad-themed stories. It's an anti-dote to the novelty card and socks tradition that is increasingly commercialised. This event is also for those who have lost their dads or may have a non-traditional relationship with their father figure. Thoughtful, emotional and fun too. Tickets £7/£5, 7pm
Other good stuff
- What’s on stage
- What’s on in Museums and Galleries
- Art & photography shows
- Free things to do in London
- Eating and drinking
- Listen to our latest podcast
- Free & cheap events in London
Catch up on all latest features, see what we like in theatre and arts and browse more things to do in London.
What have we missed? Let us know what’s going on this weekend, leave a comment or email [email protected]
For daily ideas of things to do in London subscribe to our emails.
