Things to do this week is sponsored by Terra Mundo.
All week
WINTER LIGHTS: Every evening until Saturday, Canary Wharf's Winter Light installations are illuminated. Follow the map to tick them all off, or just wander around the area and see what you can spot — a word waterfall, illuminated benches and psychedelic trees are among the highlights. Here's our guide to eating and drinking in the area to help you make a night of it. Canary Wharf, free, just turn up, until 25 January
CLOSING SOON: Several big exhibitions are in their final week. Pick your priorities, or see if you can get round them all this week:
- Bridget Riley at Hayward Gallery (£18, book ahead, until 26 January).
- Gauguin Portraits at The National Gallery (£20-£24, book ahead, until 26 January)
- Leonardo: Experience a Masterpiece at The National Gallery (£16-£20, book ahead, until 26 January)
- Pre-Raphaelite Sisters at National Portrait Gallery (£17-£20, book ahead, until 26 January)
- Zandra Rhodes: Fifty Years of Fabulous at Fashion & Textile Museum (£9.90, book ahead, until 26 January)
MUSICAL THEATRE: New year celebrations continue at The Other Palace, with daily New Year, New Favourites concerts showcasing up-and-coming talent in the musical theatre industry. Steph Parry, Joe Ashman and Natasha J Barnes are among this week's performers — between them, they've appeared in the likes of Funny Girl, American Idiot and Wicked. The Other Palace (Victoria), £20-£30, book ahead, until 25 January
US TWO: Using real-life testimony, this debut play from journalist Lucinda Borrell explores the #MeToo movement from the perspective of those on the fringes. The Space (The Isle of Dogs), £15/£12, book ahead, 21-25 January
MIME FESTIVAL: Don't like clowns? Look away now. Coulrophobia is one of the big events in this week's London International Mime Festival programme. Slapstick and big shoes meet on stage, but if that's not your thing, other options include moving puppet show Chimpanzee and acrobatic show Raven. Various locations and prices, book ahead, until 3 February
BIG CELEBRATIONS: Towards the end of this week, expect to see big celebrations in London. Burns Night is celebrated by London's Scottish contingent, while Chinese New Year welcomes the Year of the Rat, and many Australia Day events are raising money for bush fire victims this year. Click each link to see our pick of ways to celebrate.
Monday 20 January
THE PAPPYSHOW: All-male physical theatre ensemble The PappyShow brings its latest show, BOYS, to London for two nights. See the young male cast perform a dance showing the many facets of maleness, including tenderness, silliness, vulnerability and hope. Southbank Centre, £18, book ahead, 20-21 January
FRIENDS: More than 25 years since beloved TV show Friends first graced our screens, a new book has been written about it. Head to BFI for a celebration of the long-overdue analysis of the show, looking at why it became the success it did, with authors Simone Knox and Kai Hanno Schwind on hand to answer questions. BFI Reuben Library, £6.50, book ahead, 6.30pm
TS ELIOT PRIZE: Spend the evening discussing A Portable Paradise by Roger Robinson — the recently-crowned TS Eliot Prize winner. Find out how the judges reached their decision, and take a closer look at some of the poems in the book. Southbank Centre, £7, book ahead, 6.30pm
Tuesday 21 January
JOURNEYS: Dulwich Picture Gallery unveils a new display on the theme of migration. Journeys consists of works from the gallery's own collection, ranging in time from the 17th century to today, and has been co-curated by a group of people who themselves have experience of migration. Their own stories are woven into the exhibition. Dulwich Picture Gallery, included in admission, just turn up, 21 January-24 June
GLENN HODDLE: Spend an evening in the company of former Tottenham footballer and England manager Glenn Hoddle. He chats to sports comedian Jed Stone about his life and career, and there's a chance to ask your questions too. Alexandra Palace, £34.25, book ahead, 6pm
MUSEUMS SHOWOFF: Experts in all fields from London museums try their hand at comedy and entertainment in Museums Showoff. Vicky Iglikowski-Broad, from The National Archives, talks about romance before dating apps, Frances Sampayo from Chelsea Physic Garden covers the perils of working with poisonous plants, and Museum of London curator Danielle Thom spills all on the recent strike there. The Phoenix (Cavendish Square), £7, book ahead, 7.30pm
Sponsor message
Embark on a flavourful, multi-sensory adventure with Terra Mundo
A world-first in immersive dining, Terra Mundo comes to London this February for four nights of mouth-watering, multi-sensory marvel. Across three food courses inspired by Forest, Fire and Ocean, diners join a culinary journey where every delectable dish is paired with vivid audial and visual creations.
Take a seat at this most unusual table and you’ll soon find yourself at the centre of a culinary symphony. Sound and colour fuse together as each course’s flavour notes are amplified by specially-designed musical compositions and wraparound projections. For the first time, what you taste is mirrored in what you can see and hear.
Far more than just food, Terra Mundo brings together top chefs, drink experts, videographers and musicians to create a dining experience that sends you into sensory overdrive. It’s delicious, it’s daring, it’s dining like never before.
Terra Mundo takes place 12-16 February 2020 at Protein Studios, 31 New Inn Yard, EC2A 3EY. Tickets cost £95 per person which includes all food and drinks pairings. Vegan, pescatarian and meat options are available and extra drinks may be purchased.
Wednesday 22 January
LONDON ART FAIR: The capital's art scene swings into action for the year at the London Art Fair. Focus is on modern and contemporary pieces, with galleries from all over London and beyond exhibiting. There's an impressive programme of talks and tours too, including a look at art in science and technology. Business Design Centre (Islington), various prices, book ahead, 22-26 January
LIGHTOPIA: Winter Lights isn't the only illumination festival this month. Lightopia — the new incarnation of the Magical Lantern Festival — comes to Chiswick House & Gardens. Acrobats, musicians and three-storey high lanterns all feature, and the festival has an interactive element too, with button on the floor that can be stepped on to control music, and a tree surrounded by drums which can be used to change its colour. Chiswick House and Gardens, £20/£13, book ahead, 22 January-1 March
CAR PARK LIFE: Gareth E. Rees believes that the retail car park has as much mystery, magic and terror as any mountain, meadow or wood — and he wants to prove it to you in tonight's talk. Hear him wax lyrical about his journey to walk the car parks of Britain, and the oddities he encountered on the way. Conway Hall (Holborn), £7/£5, book ahead, 7.30pm
Thursday 23 January
STEVE MCQUEEN: Steve McQueen's Year 3 exhibition caught public attention when it appeared on billboards around London. Tonight, hear a panel of experts discuss what the exhibition says about the future of London, and the status of arts education today. Writer and curator Ekow Eshun and primary school creative arts teacher Ben Jones are among the speakers. Tate Britain, £12, book ahead, 6.30pm-8pm
TONGUE FU: Spoken word event Tongue Fu returns to east London, testing the improv skills of storytellers, poets and writers. They've never met before, put they're put on stage together and asked to perform live, accompanied by the Tongue Fu band... what could possibly go wrong? Rich Mix (Shoreditch), £10, book ahead, 7.30pm
SANDI TOKSVIG: Comedian and soon-to-be-ex Bake-Off presenter Sandi Toksvig performs her one-woman comedy show National Trevor. Named after a misunderstanding with a friend, the show promises tall stories, fascinatingly funny facts, really silly jokes, a quick fire Q&A and a quiz. Southbank Centre, £22-£32, book ahead, 7.30pm
Friday 24 January
A CAPELLA CONCERTS: London A Cappella Festival is taking a break this year, but the organisers are still putting on a pair of concerts by two renowned UK vocal bands, The Swingles and The King’s Singers. The concerts are both different — choose whether you buy tickets just for one, or splash out on both. Kings Place (King's Cross), £44.50, book ahead, 24-25 January
BUTTERFLY: Catch a screening of 2018 Italian documentary Butterfly, about Italy's first female boxer to make it to the Olympics. Follow the story of 18 year old Irma Testa as she moves away from her family to train, and the influence that has on the lives of her loved ones. Bertha DocHouse (Bloomsbury), £9/£7, book ahead, 6.30pm
VICTOR & ALBERT: Comedy duo Victor & Albert's show Get The Party Started is an Edinburgh show about putting on an Edinburgh show. Follow the chaos as acts drop out, and find out if they manage to pull off the perfect party. Pleasance Theatre (Islington), £8/£6, book ahead, 7.30pm
Saturday 25 January
PICASSO AND PAPER: The Royal Academy brings together more than 300 works by Pablo Picasso for a new exhibition, all connected by the material they use: paper. They range from early studies for his oil painting Guernica to a 4.8m-wide collage, and span his entire 80-year career. The Royal Academy, £18-£22, book ahead, 25 January-13 April
HANGER HILL: Join Footprints of London guide Jen Pedler for a wander around west London's Hanger Hill area, with focus on suburbs, stations and subways. See some excellent examples of suburban architecture from the 1930s, a time when the suburbs were expanding rapidly, and learn about the history of the 'malfunction junction' at Hanger Lane tube station. West Acton Underground station, £12/£9, book ahead, 11am-1pm
TINY GROOVERS: Under-5s and their adults are invited to a groovy daytime party at the Museum of Childhood. Dance the afternoon away to a live (and age-appropriate) DJ set, and enjoy storytelling, art activities and sensory experiences. Museum of Childhood (Bethnal Green), £10/£8, book ahead, 1pm-3pm
Sunday 26 January
OLIVER TWIST: Follow in the footsteps of Charles Dickens on this guided walk, which focuses specifically on his novel Oliver Twist. See the area where Oliver is accused of robbing Mr Brownlow, and streets which once housed some of the worst slums in London, where Dickens set Fagin’s den of thieves. Age 12+. Charles Dickens Museum (Bloomsbury), £10, book ahead, 11am
DOLLSHOUSE FESTIVAL: City of London Dollshouse Festival is now in its seventh year, bringing all things miniature to the capital. Browse houses, furniture, small print fabrics, dolls, clothing and more, in a range of scales — interesting whether you're looking to complete a model you're working on, or just curious about the world of miniatures. The Tower Hotel, £8, book ahead, 11am-5pm
CARBON EMISSIONS: Chris Goodall, author of What We Need To Do Now: Towards a New Green Deal, talks about what we need to do to create a carbon neutral society. He believes that a society that emits no carbon dioxide would be fairer, healthier and more content, as well as doing the planet a lot of good. Conway Hall (Holborn), £8/£5, book ahead, 3pm-5pm
