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
WOMAN IN MIND: Sheridan Smith stars as Susan in Alan Ayckbourn's dark comedy psychological drama Woman in Mind at Duke of York's Theatre. After a bump on the head, Susan's life splits into two worlds. See it until this Saturday. Until 28 February 2026
NATIONAL THEATRE: Nicola Coughlan, Éanna Hardwicke and Siobhán McSweeney are among the impressive cast of The Playboy of the Western World at the National Theatre, about a young man who walks into a pub claiming to have killed his father. Until 28 February 2026
MJ THE MUSICAL: It's a Thriller, but you've only got until the end of the month to see MJ The Musical before it moonwalks out of the West End for good. Michael Jackson's life story, and particularly his 1992 Dangerous World Tour, is told through a soundtrack of his songs. Until 28 February 2026
DAVID HOCKNEY: Serpentine North's David Hockney exhibition begins in a couple of weeks, but if you can't wait that long, swing by Annely Juda Fine Art (Hanover Square) for the final week of Some Very, Very, Very New Paintings Not Yet Shown In Paris. As the name suggests, it's an exhibition of never-seen-before paintings finished by Hockney in the last few months. FREE, until 28 February 2026
TA-DA!: How many times has someone told you — the tears of laughter still glimmering in their eyes — "I saw an amazingly funny Google Slides presentation last night!'? That'll be you, if you manage to score tickets for ta-da!, Josh Sharp's miraculously brilliant Soho Theatre show, which rakes back over his sexually-repressed adolescence, via a presentation involving exactly 2,000 slides. It magics up a ★★★★★ review from us. Until 28 February
MUDLARKING EXHIBITION: This is the final week of Secrets of the Thames, the London Museum Docklands' huge exhibition about mudlarking. A prosthetic eye from the 1920s and a wooden three-pint tankard dating to the Tudor period are among the highlights found washed up in London's main waterway. Until 1 March 2026
COSTUME COUTURE: Costumes from TV shows and films including Out of Africa, Little Women, Pirates of the Caribbean, Downton Abbey, Pride and Prejudice, Mr Selfridge, Peaky Blinders and The Danish Girl are on display at the Fashion & Textile Museum's exhibition, Costume Couture, celebrating 60 years of costume house Cosprop. Until 8 March 2026
MARCH AGENDA: And just like that, February's almost over! Start planning your next few weeks in the capital with our March events guide. It includes new musicals, a huge fashion exhibition, Holi celebrations, art fairs, and loads more to ease you into spring.
EAT OF THE WEEK: If you're in the market for some seriously cheesy carbs, know that Gloria in Shoreditch is slinging massive wodges of its infamous 10-level lasagna right now. No need to feel guilty about eating it, either, because £1 from every portion is donated to the Felix Project. But step on it — it's only around till Saturday! Until 28 February
BOOK OF THE WEEK: Want to know where Hercule Poirot dined in Soho? Where Agatha Christie lived and wrote? The multitude of locations that ended up weaved into her murder mysteries? You'll want Agatha Christie's London — a new, comprehensive companion penned by Tina Hodgkinson. Read an extract here.
SOUNDS OF THE WEEK: You may remember our write up on tongue-in-cheek zine Croydon Spaceport some time ago. Well now the British Experimental Rocket Group (BERG) have soundtracked it, with this marvellously electro soundscape, featuring tracks like Gateway to the Stars and Central London Terminal. For an out-of-this-world (but still firmly in the Cronx) experience, why not buy the zine and the CD, and enjoy them together. Cosmic!
Today's events: Monday 23 February
NINXS: In collaboration with Sheffield DocFest, Bloomsbury's Bertha Dochouse screens Niñxs, a 2025 film about teenager Karla, who is navigating adolescence as a young transgender person in a small Mexican town. The film is followed by a Q&A (via Zoom) with director Kani Lapuerta, accompanied by a BSL interpreter. 6.20pm
SOUTH AFRICAN WINES: How well do you know wines from the Western Cape of South Africa? Head to Vivat Bacchus London Bridge tonight for a beginner-friendly guided tasting of three wines from Swartland, Simonsberg, and the Coastal Region, accompanied by South African foods. 6.30pm
RONALD BLYTHE: The life and work of essayist and writer Ronald Blythe is celebrated in a special event at the British Library tonight. Natural history writer Patrick Barkham, writer and curator Ian Collins, theatre producer Jenny Hall and British Library Lead Curator Helen Melody discuss Blythe's work, which is rooted in agricultural Essex and Suffolk. 7pm-8.30pm
NEON NAKED LIFE DRAWING: Fancy an art session with a difference? Neon Naked Life Drawing takes over the Old Queen's Head in Islington, featuring life models whose bodies are decorated with neon paints, activated under UV lights. Use the light reactive art materials provided to sketch and experiment with creative techniques. 7pm-9pm
RICHARD HERRING: Catch a live recording of the Leicester Square Theatre Podcast, hosted as always by comedian Richard Herring, with special guests Jameela Jamil and Andy Hamilton. 7.30pm
Today's events: Tuesday 24 February
SIBLINGS: DREAMWEAVERS: Award-winning character comedians and real-life sisters, Maddy and Marina Bye perform their current show Siblings: Dreamweavers at Soho Theatre Dean Street. Watch them swoop into the surreal world of your sleeping minds as they crack open your brains and backflip in. 24-28 February 2026
DEAR ENGLAND: The National Theatre's extremely popular show Dear England kicks into the New Wimbledon Theatre for a few days, with David Sturzaker playing former England manager Gareth Southgate and Samantha Womack as team psychologist Pippa Grange as the England men's football team battle for victory in a major tournament. 24-28 February 2026
IRANIAN DOCUMENTARIES: As Barbican Cinema's Masterpieces of the Iranian New Wave series enters its final week, catch a screening of three classics from the golden age of the Iranian documentary movement, including The Night It Rained, about a newspaper report of a village boy who supposedly saves passengers on a train, an account that is quickly doubted and challenged. 6.30pm
AMERICAN REVOLUTION: Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein, co-director of new film series The American Revolution are at the British Library to discuss it with editor in chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg. Find out how the USA came to be 250 years ago, when 13 colonies on the Atlantic Coast won their independence. The film features leading historians of the Revolutionary era, as well as thousands of images, maps, and archival documents. 7pm
SILVER & GOLD: Step on board the Golden Hinde for a performance of Silver & Gold by theatre company Brother Wolf. It's an apt setting for the theatrical exploration of famous pirate Long John Silver, who became a legend in his own (fictional) lifetime, but wasn't satisfied with the reputation that surrounded him. Age 12+. 7.30pm
NEW ACT NIGHT: Ahead of International Women's Day in March, Bethnal Green's Backyard Comedy Club hosts a special edition of New Act Night. The regular show shines the spotlight on up-and-coming talent on the London comedy scene, and this time it's an all-female line-up, with acts including Daphna Baram, Cheryl Hurst, Rosy Hoyland, Melike Sabak and Millie Malone. 8pm-10.30pm
Today's events: Wednesday 25 February
HANDEL AND MOZART: The Handel + Hendrix Museum in Mayfair opens a new exhibition, Handel Through Mozart's Eyes. It's centered around a rare manuscript written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart himself, with the opening of a string quartet transcription Mozart made from a harpsichord work by Handel, composed more than 60 years earlier. It delves further into Mozart’s engagement with music written by the great masters of the previous generation. 25 February-13 September 2026
REIMAGINING PUBLIC SPACES: The London Transport Museum hosts artist Janet Echelman for a public talk about how we can reimagine public spaces. Echelman is known for installing wind-responsive sculptures in public places across cities including London and New York (her work hung above Oxford Circus during Lumiere), and she talks about how responsiveness, flexibility, and imagination can reshape our cities, followed by a conversation with Director and CEO of the London Transport Museum, Elizabeth McKay. 6pm-8pm
SOHO CALLING 2026: Music festival Soho Calling takes place across several venues today, with performers from across the UK and Europe. Choose between an All Access wristband to hop between the venues, or tickets for one specific place. Doors at all venues open at 7pm
NERD NITE: Three speakers are each given around 20 minutes to talk about their topic of expertise at Nerd Nite at St Matthias Hall in Stoke Newington. Nazma Khatun discusses how skin conditions in people of colour are often misdiagnosed; Lydia Thornley burrows deep into the subject of the Printer’s Fist - the pointing hand symbol, and Vicki Hird shares why insects are worthy of both our care and our curiosity. 7pm-10.30pm
PRUE LEITH: Recently-retired GBBO judge Prue Leith is at the Royal Geographical Society to reflect on her remarkable life and share insights from her new memoir Being Old… and Learning to Love It! There's a chance for the audience to ask questions at the end too. 7pm-8.30pm
FLEETWOOD MAC'S RUMOURS: The Jazz Cafe in Camden celebrates Fleetwood Mac's 1977 album Rumours with a live performance of the album in full, by a three-voice frontline and accompanying rhythm section. 7pm-10.30pm
MARY BERRY: It's a double treat for fans of former GBBO judges. In addition to Prue Leith (above), Mary Berry makes a public appearance — at Southbank Centre, discussing her new book, My Gardening Life. Hear about her life-long love of green-fingered pursuits, alongside personal anecdotes and practical tips. 7.30pm
Today's events: Thursday 26 February
TRACEY EMIN: Tate Modern opens long-awaited Tracey Emin exhibition A Second Life, featuring 90 works that span the artist's 40-year career, including painting, video, neon, textile, sculpture and installation works. And yes, *that* bed will be there too. 26 February-30 August 2026
AFTER DARK FESTIVAL: An evening of large-scale outdoor performances and installations inspired by the four elements awaits at UEL's After Dark festival. Open to everyone, it takes place at the Docklands Campus, and features light, fire and circus performances, including illuminated acrobatics and a glowing parade. FREE, 5pm-8pm
MORRIS BY MOONLIGHT: The little-known William Morris Society Museum, located by the Thames in Hammersmith, stays open for a Morris by Moonlight late. Begin with an introductory talk about the history of the building, Kelmscott House, where Morris lived and worked for the last 18 years of his life, then explore the museum by candlelight, with a drink in hand. 5.30pm-7.30pm
CHATTY CABARET: Boldly branding itself the "best, brightest, and most bizarre comedy night", we can't deny that Chatty Cabaret has quite a line-up tonight, with Ali Woods headlining, and support from Christian Dart as GUMSHOE!, Moshin Ishaq, Get Shitty and more. It's on at Chats Palace in Homerton. 6.45pm
PIG IN THE CITY: Millennials, gather! Kennigton's Cinema Museum screens urban porcine caper Babe: Pig in the City (about a pig forced off his farm by greedy bankers), to raise money for Latin Elephant, an organisation which empowers Black and minoritised Londoners to engage in processes of urban change. Short documentary Elephant Families, about local people in the Elephant & Castle area, is also shown. 7.30pm
MUSEUM LATE: Also open late tonight is the Florence Nightingale Museum, giving you a chance to view the temporary exhibition In Focus: Dame Cicely Saunders, before it closes at the weekend. Enjoy a drink, and hear a special talk by Eleanor from St. Christopher’s Hospice about Saunders, a Nightingale Nurse turned doctor who revolutionised palliative care. Until 8pm
Today's events: Friday 27 February
BEER FESTIVAL: Bottoms up as Liquid Dreams beer festival returns to the Mall Tavern, touting 100 beers from 50 independent breweries, and all-you-can-drink tickets for each five-hour session. Saturday daytime has sold out, but at time of writing, tickets are available for Friday and Saturday evenings. 27-28 February 2026
COLLECT 2026: Annual art fair Collect is back at Somerset House, showcasing museum-quality contemporary craft and design curated by the Crafts Council. 40 specialist galleries from across the globe take part, showcasing and selling ceramics, furniture, glass, jewellery, wearable art, metalwork, sculpture and textiles — with prices starting at £500. 27 February-1 March 2026
UNDERGROUND (AND SURFACE): Large-scale paintings of sections of the Tube by Jock McFadyen go on display at Guildhall Art Gallery, accompanied by sound effects recorded by Pogues musician Jem Finer. Underground (And Surface) combines familiar, yet uneasy, tableaux of London with the mechanical-but-melodic sounds we hear every day. 27 February-20 September 2026
UNHINGED CHAT: Australian comedian Rebecca-Maree, aka 'shoey girl', promises an hour of 'unhinged chat' at Top Secret Comedy Club, as she chews the fat with Natalie Cassidy (aka Sonia from EastEnders) and comedian Lee Peart. 6pm-7pm
SOANE LATE: The basement, ground floor, first floor, and exhibition galleries of Sir John Soane's Museum stay open for Soane Late: Spotlight on Soane. Wander the corridors ogling artefacts including works by Canaletto, Turner, and Hogarth, with museum guides offering spotlight talks about their favourite pieces. 6pm-8pm
FIERCE QUEENS: Queen's House in Greenwich marks LGBTQ+ History Month with Fierce Queens: Unframed, Unstitched... Unapologetic! Performers and historians join forces for a night of queer liberation and LGBTQ+ representation, hosted by resident drag king and queen Adam All and Apple Derrieres. Expect cabaret performances, drop-in workshops and gallery takeovers. 7pm-11pm
50-HOUR IMPROVATHON: Taking place all weekend at the Pleasance Theatre in Islington, the London 50-Hour Improvathon is an improvised comedy soap opera in 25 individual two-hour episodes. You can choose whether to catch just one standalone episode, or binge-watch the whole season. 7pm-Sunday
COLLYWOBBLERS COMEDY: Tom Houghton, Stella Graham, Ramsey Smith, CK Nath and Sarah Evans perform at Collywobblers Comedy, which takes place at the Mondo Brewing Co taproom in Battersea, hosted by Sion James. 8pm
Today's events: Saturday 28 February
HERITAGE WEEKEND: The annual Highgate Heritage Weekend once again takes place at Lauderdale House and Waterlow Park. Saturday is Local Heritage Fair day, with 20 local organisations represented, and special talks throughout the afternoon, and Sunday is Family Day, with activities for all ages. FREE, 28 February-1 March 2026
JEWISH BOOK WEEK: Hosted at Kings Place once again, Jewish Book Week gets underway today, kicking off the 75th edition of the literary festival. Though today's launch event has sold out, check the programme for a wealth of events over the coming week, with debates, talks and performances starring 160 different speakers. 28 February-8 March 2026
LIFE IN A LINE: Find out just how far a single drawn line can go in the Heath Robinson Museum's new exhibition, The Life In A Line. Works by artists including Mr Doodle, Damien Hirst, Jake Chapman, Frank Auerbach and Ronnie Wood are on display, all connected by the fact that they were created with a single line. 28 February-28 June 2026
LONDONERS IN LOVE: Guildhall Library celebrates Valentine's month with a guided walk themed on Londoners in Love. Begin in the churchyard at St Paul's Cathedral and head off towards St Bride's Church, encountering tales of romance as you go. 11am-1pm
APRES SKI: The Winter Olympics may have packed up its skis, but City bar Wagtail continues the celebrations today, by teaming up with mountain clubbing experts La Folie Douce for an Après Ski Brunch Party, feat. three courses and chilly Grey Goose cocktails. Brunch from 12pm, entertainment from 3pm
HARLOTS, STRUMPETS & TARTS: 18th-century London's sordid sex industry is the theme of the Foundling Museum's guided walk around the Covent Garden area. Learn about the steamy underworld of the Georgian sex worker, and enjoy a tot of 'Mother's Ruin' in a tavern along the way. 5pm-7pm
OCEAN IN CONCERT: Catch a live concert screening of recent deep-sea documentary, Ocean With David Attenborough, at Southbank Centre. The film is shown on a large screen, accompanied by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, who perform the original score (by award-winning composer Steven Price) live, joined by a vocal ensemble. 7.30pm
MYSTERY MOVIE MARATHON: Watch five different films in one overnight programme at the Prince Charles Cinema. The catch? You won't know what the films are until you arrive. The Mystery Movie Marathon comprises a quintet of completely unrelated films, chosen by cinema staff. 10.30pm
Today's events: Sunday 1 March
ST DAVID'S DAY: Whether you're a Welsh person in London, or just an avid fan of all things from England's western neighbour, check out our guide to being Welsh in London, and find a little slice of Cymru just in time for St David's Day.
BLACK HISTORY WALK: Explore the Trafalgar Square area through the lens of Black history, on a guided walk which looks into how history was whitewashed and racism was institutionalised, through topics including African kings and Queen Victoria, Nelson Mandela, Apartheid and Tesco. 10am-12pm. Black History Walks also offer a guided walk around the St Paul's and Bank area this afternoon. 1pm-3pm
CROYDON AIRPORT: The first Sunday of the month means that the old Croydon Airport opens its doors once again for expert guided tours of the building, including the air traffic control tower, which is now a fascinating museum. Book ahead; tickets almost always sell out for this! 10am-2.40pm
SO LAST CENTURY: The Great Hall at Goldsmiths, University of London hosts a So Last Century vintage fair, with a curated line-up of 50 traders selling mid-20th century furniture, lighting, homeware, ceramics, glass, textiles and furnishings, original 1960s and 70s posters and art, prints and charts, brocante and salvage, vintage fashion, and lots more. 10.30am-4pm
BRICK LANE: Footprints of London's annual Literary Footprints festival gets underway today, offering bookish walks throughout the month. Join guide Laura Agustín to get to know the Brick Lane of Monica Ali's novel of the same name, Explore Bengali history in the East End while listening to the words of Nazneen, the novel's protagonist who has just arrived in Tower Hamlets from Bangladesh. 1pm-3.30pm
MILKFEST: British blues music festival Milkfest '26 takes place at Indigo at The O2, bringing more than 10 acts to the stage, headlined by Squeeze legend Chris Difford. It's a charity event, with profits going to Dementia UK. 2pm
GROUNDBREAKING WOMEN: Join a London on the Ground walking tour of Islington, to explore the lives of local women who made significant contributions to philanthropy, politics, literature, sport, leisure, community activities, music, film, theatre and the arts. 2.30pm
SIMPLY ARETHA: Jaelee Small pays homage to 'Queen of Soul' Aretha Franklin, with a set of belters (inc. Think and Natural Woman) at Carshalton's CryerArts Centre, in this afternoon's Simply Aretha show. She's backed by a powerhouse nine-piece band. Respect! 3pm
SEA WITCH: For one day only, the world premiere concert of Sea Witch comes to Theatre Royal Drury Lane. West End stars including Michelle Visage and Natalie Paris take on roles in the dark musical prequel to The Little Mermaid. 3pm/7.30pm
