Looking for something fun to do today? Something eye-opening to watch tonight? Something delicious to eat tomorrow? Our guide to things to do this week in London is personally curated, ensuring there's always a diverse range of events for you to choose from. Get stuck in!
What's on all week
LOOT: Joe Orton's dark farce Loot — which satirised everything from the Catholic Church to the police — is currently playing at the Queen's Theatre in Hornchurch, and you've got till Saturday to catch it. Until 7 March
JEWISH BOOK WEEK: Running until Saturday, Jewish Book Week at Kings Place has a programme packed full of Jewish authors and speakers, covering a wide range of topics, as well as comedy, live music, and walking tours. Until 8 March 2026
COSTUME COUTURE: Film and TV costume provider Cosprop is the subject of the Fashion & Textile Museum's current exhibition, Costume Couture, which displays familiar costumes from Downton Abbey, Gentleman Jack, Peaky Blinders, Pride & Prejudice and Out Of Africa, and closes this weekend. Until 8 March 2026
ANNA ANCHER: Danish painter Anna Ancher's first ever UK exhibition is on at Dulwich Picture Gallery until Sunday, showcasing her luminous paintings, bold use of colour, and ability to capture light like no other, across 40 pieces Until 8 March 2026
ORCHIDS: Swing by the Princess of Wales Conservatory at Kew Gardens to see a dragon, monkeys and pandas fashioned from flowers. This year's Orchids festival celebrates the flora and fauna of China, with traditional lanterns strung among the colourful flowers. Until 8 March 2026. While you're there, visit the International Garden Photographer of the Year Exhibition, showcasing stunning shots of green spaces, flora, fauna and fungi. Both are included in Kew Gardens admission. Until 9 March 2026
WOMEN'S LIBRARY: Based at LSE, the Women's Library is the UK’s oldest and largest collection on the history of the women’s movement — and it celebrates its 100 year anniversary with a free exhibition that launches this week, zeroing in on women's activism, resilience and progress. FREE, 2 March-30 September
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY: March is Women's History Month and this Sunday (8 March) is International Women's Day, so have a look at our pick of events celebrating and uplifting women, from supper clubs and concerts to talks and tours.
LITERARY FOOTPRINTS: Walking and virtual tours on many facets of literature make up the Literary Footprints Festival, running throughout the month. Highlights this week include Clerkenwell's literary connections, the rise and fall of Oscar Wilde, and the real London of Wolf Hall.
MARCH IN LONDON: Plan your upcoming diary with our guide to the best events in London this March. Get the lowdown on must-see exhibitions and shows opening this month, plan ahead for St Patrick's Day or Mother's Day, or simply find something a bit unusual to fill your time this March.
DRINK OF THE WEEK: The mixologists at the Beaumont Hotel's Le Magritte Bar have concocted four new 'After Dark' cocktails with a Diplomatico rum base. We were invited to try, and they are delish, in particular the Bitter Velvet — a zippy mix of rum, Amaretto, coffee liqueur and Fernet Branca, which somehow both slaps you round the chops, and lulls you into a nightcap Nirvana. Until 5 April (Thursday-Saturday evenings only)
Today's events: Monday 2 March
JOHNNY CASH MUSICAL: The Ballad of Johnny & June is a new musical telling the story of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, through the eyes of their son, John Carter Cash. Catch the UK premiere at Churchill Theatre Bromley. 2-7 March 2026
VERY WORST JOURNEY: Get a ticket for the online viewing of The very worst journey in the world, a talk about explorer Apsley Cherry-Garrard’s book of the same name. The book focuses on Captain Scott’s final and fatal expedition, particularly the journey to Cape Crozier in 1911, to gather Emperor penguin eggs at the right stage of development for embryological research. FREE, 2.30pm-3.45pm
THE PORTRAIT PLAYERS: All-female ensemble The Portrait Players gives a concert at Handel & Hendrix in Mayfair, celebrating 17th century women in Italy who made their careers as composers and performers. They include Francesca Caccini, composer of the oldest known opera by a woman, and Isabella Leonarda, a nun writing prolifically both in vocal and instrumental genres. 6.30pm
JEWISH MEDIEVAL ENGLAND: Dr Dean Irwin gives the background to Jewish life and culture in England during the medieval period, at the British Library, while Professor Judith Olszowy-Schlanger presents what she considers to be the most significant surviving manuscript for Christian-Jewish relations in the period. The event celebrates rare manuscripts that recently become part of the British Library collection. 7pm
HORRIFYING THRILLERS: Horror thriller authors Tobi Coventry, Sean Gilbert and Callie Kazumi are at Waterstones Trafalgar Square, each discussing their new books, He's The Devil, I'll Be The Monster, and Greedy. 7pm
Today's events: Tuesday 3 March
FRIDA KAHLO: Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is the subject of a free afternoon talk at Guildhall Library. Arts Society Lecturer Frank Woodgate talks about Kahlo's colourful, and often disturbing, artworks, which tell the story of a life lived in pain, and her two marriages to the same man, Diego Rivera. FREE, 2pm
BELLY LAUGHS: Adam Rowe headlines Belly Laughs, a comedy night at food hall Market Place St Paul's. Helen Bauer, Jack Skipper and Freddy Quinne also perform. Note that although there are nine food traders on site, food is not allowed downstairs during the show, so arrive in plenty of time if you're planning to get dinner first. 6pm/8pm
GRAVITY: Are all planets spherical? A simple question with some unexpected answers, as revealed by Prof Alain Goriely at tonight's free Gresham lecture. FREE, 6pm
QUEEN VICTORIA'S MATCHMAKING: Head to the Imperial War Museum to hear from author Deborah Cadbury about her book, Queen Victoria's Matchmaking, about how the monarch manoeuvred her grandchildren into dynastic marriages to prevent future conflicts. The event also includes a tour of the museum's First World War Galleries led by Cadbury. 6.30pm-8pm
MOVIE QUIZ: Celebrate the release of Gary Wigglesworth's Movie Lover's Quiz Book with a film-centric quiz at Waterstones Clapham Junction. Wigglesworth hosts a night of movie trivia for both film buffs and more casual cinema-goers. 7pm-9.30pm
FILM + FIDDLE: Floating arts venue Theatreship presents a screening of 'Man With a Movie Camera', complete with a live score by pedal steel guitar player Joe Harvey-Whyte and fiddler Owen Spafford. Part documentary and part cinematic art, this film follows a city in the 1920s Soviet Union throughout the day, from morning to night. Directed by Dziga Vertov, with a variety of complex and innovative camera shots, the film depicts scenes of ordinary daily life in Russia. 7pm
BAB: Midlands Comedy duo Bab are back at Aces and Eights for another generous helping of Chippy Tea, in which they MC a fast-paced feast of acts, including Chantel Nash. Max Devine, Ele Mckenzie, AJ Stubberfield, Verity Sharpe and August MCeachern. Tasty! 7.30pm
Today's events: Wednesday 4 March
ANCIENT GREASE: An unofficial parody of the musical Grease comes to The Vaults in Waterloo, setting the action in Ancient Greece rather than 1950s America. Ancient Grease (see what they did there?) takes place in Olympus Academy, where the Alphas and Omegas are the studs, and Zeus and Hera spend a fateful summer night together, which leaves Hera with a big decision to make. 4 March-31 May 2026
DRAMA OF ARCHITECTURE: 300 years after the death of respected architect Sir John Vanbrugh, Sir John Soane's Museum (that is a lot of Sir Johns for one sentence) opens a new exhibition about him. Learn more about the man responsible for designing some of the UK's most admired and loved country houses, including Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard, and see some of Vanbrugh's drawings from both major and lesser-known projects. 4 March-28 June 2026
FILLING IN THE GAPS: Artist Michelle Baharier offers a private view of her exhibition Filling in the Gaps at Marylebone Parish Church Art Space. The exhibition showcases painted portraits of disability rights activists whose work has transformed access and inclusion across the UK’s public transport system. FREE, 5.30pm-8pm
TUNNEL COMEDY NIGHT: 'Engineering is a joke' is the theme of a comedy night at the Brunel Museum in Rotherhithe. Steve Cross hosts as a line-up of comedians and engineers, including Shalaka Kurup, Shiv Kapila, James Connolly and Oliver Broadbent. 6pm-9pm
HATE: Why do some people experience hatred? What is it? How did it evolve? Is it any use? Another simple set of questions with complex answers in tonight's free Gresham talk by Prof Robin May. 6pm
UKRAINE FOUR YEARS ON: Could Europe’s largest war in generations finally be edging toward an end? Four years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Paddington's Frontline Club hosts a panel of experts to discuss whether a US-brokered peace deal could bring the conflict to a close soon. 7pm-8.30pm
PUB COMEDY: Rory O'Hanlon, Callum Mackenzie, Emmanuel O, Anna Gray and Pete Picton are all on the line-up for tonight's comedy show at the Crown & Treaty in Uxbridge. As befits the setting, your ticket includes a free drink (any bottled beer, medium house wine or soft drink). 8.30pm
Today's events: Thursday 5 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. 5-8 March 2026
I'M EVERY WOMAN: Singer Alexandra Burke stars in I'm Every Woman: The Chaka Khan Musical at Peacock Theatre. Watch the life and career of Khan — spanning 22 albums, 25 chart-topping hits and 70 million records sold — come to life on stage. From 5 March 2026 This run has been cancelled due to urgent building works at the Peacock Theatre. The show will now have its London Premiere at Hackney Empire, 20-25 March.
MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS: Scottish Ballet’s choreographer-in-residence Sophie Laplane brings her major new production, Mary, Queen of Scots, to Sadler's Wells. The Scottish Ballet Orchestra provides the soundtrack to an iconic story, unconventionally told, as Elizabeth I is haunted by memories — real and imagined — of her cousin Mary. 5-8 March 2026
CATHERINE OPIE: Photographic portraits by the American artist Catherine Opie are on display at the National Portrait Gallery, the first major museum exhibition of her work in the UK. Works featured in the exhibition span her first big artwork, Being and Having (1991), her portraits of LGBTQ+ friends inspired by court painter Hans Holbein, and her Baroque-like portraits of artists. 5 March-31 May 2026
BARDS, POETS AND PLAYWRIGHTS: Celebrate World Book Day at Southwark Cathedral, with a tour about the literary figures associated with the building. A knowledgable guide fills you in on John Gower, a friend of Chaucer, as well as Shakespeare, Massinger and Dickens. 11am-12pm
THE BRONTES: Author Sharon Wright celebrate International Women’s Day at the National Portrait Gallery, with a lunchtime talk about the gallery's portraits of the Brontë sisters, from the works' beginnings at the Brontë Parsonage in Haworth to their loss and later rediscovery. 1pm-2pm
ANATOMY OF CREATIVITY: The Hunterian Museum stays open late for a debate about whether creative ability is influenced by our anatomy. It's inspired by visual artist Annie Cattrell's sculptural work Sense, which shows 3D mappings of the areas of her brain stimulated by the five senses. Cattrell is in discussion with neuroscientist and comedian Professor Sophie Scott CBE, consultant neurosurgeon Grainne McKenna, and Christine Kydd, a musician who taught herself to sing again following major surgery. 7pm-8.30pm
DIVINE FEMININE: A new semi-staged opera by boundary-pushing artist Shiva Feshareki is at St-Martin-in-the-Fields for one night only. Commissioned by the BBC, Divine Feminine explores the enduring archetype of the Goddess. It features live spatial electronics and turntablism by Feshareki herself, the Upper Voices of the BBC Singers and Vox Next Gen, and a libretto by award-winning poet Karen McCarthy Woolf. 7.30pm (sponsor)
Today's events: Friday 6 March
IMPROMPTU SHAKESPEARE: See a Shakespeare-style play whipped up on stage live in front of you, as Impromptu Shakespeare comes to the New Wimbledon Theatre. Each show is different as the cast takes audience suggestions and creates improvised verses. 6-7 March 2026
SUMMERFOLK: Maxim Gorky's 1905 play Summerfolk gets a revival at the National Theatre, set in a hot, beautiful summer when Russia's elite retreat to the countryside to swim, sip champagne and start affairs, while ignoring the storm on the horizon... 6 March-29 April 2026
PHOTOGRAPHY PRIZE: View works by the four shortlisted photographers of this year's Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize at the Photographers' Gallery near Oxford Circus. Photos by Jane Evelyn Atwood, Weronika Gęsicka, Amak Mahmoodian and Rene Matić are on show, spanning documentary, constructed images, self-portraiture, performance and family archives from around the world. The winner is announced on 14 May. 6 March-7 June 2026
BEYOND BURMA: Lead curator Alan Jeffreys gives a tour of the National Army Museum's current exhibition, Beyond Burma: Forgotten Armies. Hear the stories of some of the men and women who experienced the 1941-45 campaign during which British, Indian, Burmese and African troops fought a bitter war against Japanese forces in East Asia. 2pm-3pm
QUEER BY NATURE: Celebrate the wonderful queerness of nature at Cody Dock near Canning Town. Host Bi-Curious George leads an evening of drag performances, queer theatrics and informative talks about queer ecologies, from species bending lichen to gay birds. 7pm
Today's events: Saturday 7 March
THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR: Take the kids along to Blackheath Halls for performances of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show, an adaptation of four of children's author Eric Carle's books. Naturally, the caterpillar takes centre stage, joined by Brown Bear, Brown Bear, 10 Little Rubber Ducks and The Very Busy Spider, all brought to life by more than 75 puppets. 7-8 March 2026
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. Today's opening concert is Benjamin Britten’s Noye’s Fludde performed at St Mary's Barnes, with several more events over the coming days. Under-12s get free entry as part of the festival's Youth Programme. 7-22 March 2026
MORRIS MONTH: The William Morris Society kicks off Morris Month today, with a flurry of talks and demos based on Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement with which he's synonymous. It's family friendly, and takes place at the Society's Hammersmith HQ. Book your place in advance. 10am-4pm
CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Chiswick hosts a day-long festival of children's books, with talks, book stalls, craft activities and more. Three panel sessions look at the 'Golden Age of Children's Book', the 'Golden Age of Children's TV', and a session on how we can promote reading in the younger generation. The event is hosted by Chiswick Book Festival in conjunction with Action for Children’s Arts. 11am-5pm
TEA TRAVELS: Anthropolotea invite you to travel around the ancient world — from Mesopotamia to Mesoamerica — via tea tastings which explore the infusions of ancient civilisations. It's at The Exchange in west London. 2pm-4pm
SEWING MACHINE MUSEUM: The monthly opening of south London's little-known Sewing Machine Museum is a chance to view the private collection of hundreds of historic machines. Entry is free, though donations to the RNLI or Leukemia Research are encouraged. 2pm-5pm
CROYDON AIRPORT: "Whatever else it has done, Croydon Airport has certainly put Croydon on the map of Europe. Many foreigners instinctively think of Croydon when they hear the word England mentioned." (Croydon Advertiser, 1938). Londonist Editor Will Noble is at the David Sweet Hall at ECURC, East Croydon, exploring the golden age of Croydon, when it was a crucible of aviation, global travel and adventure. Just show up; recommended on-the-door donation of £3 to CNHSS. 2.20pm
ENFIELD FEASTS: Supper club Enfield Feasts returns to the Dugdale Arts Centre, this time with British-Polish food writer Ren Behan at the helm. Begins with welcome canapés, and hear Behan discussing her love of food, and the inspiration behind her cookbooks. Then enjoy a multi-course dinner featuring both traditional Polish dishes including golabki, szarlotka, and homemade pickles, as well as modern creations inspired by Polish street food. 6.30pm
DISCO SISTERS: Women-only event Disco Sisters is at the Star of Kings in King's Cross, playing disco and dance classics throughout the evening, with mass karaoke sessions, and a glass of prosecco included in your ticket. Carly Foxx DJs. 6.30pm-10pm
Today's events: Sunday 8 March
OLIVER TWIST'S LONDON: The Foundling Museum offers a walking tour focusing on the London of Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist. Begin at St Paul's Cathedral and spend two hours hearing how Dickens and other social campaigners fought to improve conditions for London’s most vulnerable, before finishing at the museum. 11am
FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE: Mark International Women's Day with a walking tour themed on pioneering nurse Florence Nightingale. Beginning in Mayfair, a guide from the Florence Nightingale Museum takes you in the footsteps of the ‘mother of nursing’ through the places where she lived and worked. Learn about her background, her influential neighbours and her love life, in Mayfair and St James’s, finishing at the Florence Nightingale statue on Waterloo Place. 11am
EXTRA/ORDINARY WOMEN: And the Charles Dickens Museum also has a special event for International Women's Day, with a Sunday of family-friendly activities themed around current exhibition Extra/Ordinary Women (which follows the women who knew or lived with the author). All visitors called Catherine or Katey (spelling variants accepted) can claim free entry, in homage to Catherine Dickens and Katey Perugini, wife and daughter of Dickens, respectively. 10am-5pm
ORGAN MUSEUM: The enchanting Amersham Fair Organ Museum (which we visited at the end of last year) opens its swoon-worthy collection of vintage fair organs, the ornate machines — some dating back to the 19th century — being played in 15-20-minute bursts. Stick around long enough, and you'll get to experience the lot. A cafe is also open selling refreshments. FREE, 11am-5pm
LASAGNA COOK-OFF: Spend a delicious Sunday at Gloria Shoreditch, where six restaurants enter their dishes into the Lasagna Cook-Off. Sample all six of them and cast your vote before a judging panel crowns the best lasagna. 12pm
HOLI FESTIVALS: The Hindu festival of Holi takes place in early March, with two huge events here in London. Head to Swiss Cottage today for the Magic of India Holi Colour Dance Party with Indian food stalls, bhangra dance performances, live music, a T20 match screening — and perhaps the most famous part of Holi — colour powders for throwing. A similar event happens in Hounslow next weekend. 12pm-5pm
HACKNEY WOMEN: Watch a moving new film at Dalston's Rio Cinema, commissioned by the Hackney Society to bring to life 11 women from Hackney's past. The film spans nearly three centuries, celebrating pioneers, reformers and trailblazers, including Clara Ludski who founded the Rio. Followed by Q&A with director, writer and actors. 1.30pm
SUNDAY SEISIÚN: Five Irish acts — namely SPRINTS, Niamh Bury, IMLÉ, Kynsy and Last Apollo — are bringing the tunes to London Irish Centre this afternoon, courtesy of another Sunday Seisiún. 3pm
HEATED RIVALRY: As Canadian hockey romance TV series Heated Rivalry picks up fans this side of the pond, hear from Rachel Reid, the author of the books on which the series is based. Tickets to attend the Union Chapel event in person have sold out, but you can still tune into the livestream to hear about the Game Changers series, ahead of the seventh book being published this September. 7pm
