All week
HALF TERM: The kids are off school for the week, and we've got plenty to keep them busy in our guide to half term in London. Let them come face to face with the animals that used to roam London's streets, watch a production of Wind in the Willows, or celebrate a royal birthday. Until 2 June
SCIENCE FICTION THEATRE: Get stuck into a week of short plays and talks with scientists for Science Fiction Theatre Festival. More than 70 artists are involved in the event, which this year centres around stem cell research, based on real work by scientists at King's College London. Pleasance Theatre (Islington), £16/£14, book ahead, 27 May-1 June
WANDSWORTH HERITAGE FESTIVAL: An impressive programme of events is offered at this year's Wandsworth Heritage Festival, including book launches, exhibitions, talks and tours. We quite like the look of this guided tour of the Island of Battersea, and Friday's family archaeology session. Various locations and prices, book ahead, 25 May-9 June
SUNDANCE FESTIVAL: Independent film is celebrated at Sundance Festival, which takes place over four days this week. It's a packed programme of UK premieres and short films, plus panel discussions and workshops for people hoping to get into the film industry. Picturehouse Central, various prices, book ahead, 30 May-2 June
LONDON RIVERS WEEK: The capital's lesser-known waterways get some love at London Rivers Week, a series of events encouraging people to discover rewilded rivers and learn how to take care of them. Activities include guided walks, a stream clean-up, and science workshops. Various locations and prices, book ahead, 25 May-2 June
SWINGING LONDON: It's the final week to see the Swinging London exhibition, which looks at the lives, work and influences of the Chelsea Set of the 1960s, including Terence Conran and Mary Quant. Fashion, textiles, furniture, lighting, homewares, ceramics and ephemera are all on display, looking at both the style and the socioeconomic impact of the era. Fashion & Textile Museum (Bermondsey), £9.90, book ahead, until 2 June
Monday 27 May
ENFIELD PAGEANT: Organised by Whitewebbs — London's other transport museum — the Enfield Pageant brings together classic cars and motorbikes, and American vehicles, to be admired. There's also a funfair, live bands and other family-friendly entertainment. Enfield Playing Fields, £10, just turn up, from 9am
MOSELLE MOSEY: Spend your bank holiday Monday on a day-long walk following Haringey’s (mostly) hidden River Moselle from Highgate to Tottenham. It's a 7.5 mile amble, with a lunch break at Hub Café in Lordship Rec — and if all goes to plan, there's time to see the Markfield Beam Engine's final steaming of the day. Queen's Wood Cafe (Highgate), £20/£15, book ahead, 10am-4pm
JAM ON RYE: Food and music come together for festival vibes at Jam on Rye. The one-day festival has food from KERB street food traders including Baba G's and Club Mexicana, plus music from the likes of Omar, Jazzie B and Kelis — all within zone 2. Peckham Rye, £30, book ahead, 12pm-10pm
Tuesday 28 May
PETER RABBIT: Beatrix Potter's beloved children's characters Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddle-Duck are brought to life in a special children's concert featuring storytelling, song, and a live orchestra, which introduces young ears to classical music in a friendly, informal way. Wiltons (Limehouse), £3-£12.5o, book ahead, 12.30pm (until 1 June)
ANIMAL EMOTIONS: What can animal emotions teach us about ourselves? Biologist, primatologist and best-selling author Frans de Waal argues that all of our emotions can be found one way or another in other species , using evidence including primate facial expressions. Royal Institution (Mayfair), £16/£10/£7, book ahead, 7pm-8.30pm
ALBUM LAUNCH: Folk/Americana singer-songwriter Emily Mae Winters launches her new album, High Romance, which was recorded here in London back in December. Despite the name, the album doesn't deal in standard love songs — rather, Winters looks at what the concept of romance has meant throughout history. Hear some of the tracks performed live at this launch gig. The Water Rats (King's Cross), £14, book ahead, 8pm
Wednesday 29 May
WINSTON CHURCHILL: Join Discovering London tour guide Peter Berthoud for a morning devoted to Winston Churchill. Visited places associated with Churchill, and see some rare memorabilia of his life here in the capital. Bond Street, £30, book ahead, 10am-1pm
LONDON HISTORY QUIZ: London Historians runs its third annual Big History Quiz. Devised and hosted by Londonist's very own Matt Brown, this is your chance to show off your knowledge of our city's past. Lots of prizes, including a prestigious trophy for the winners. Christopher Hatton pub, (Holborn) £5/£7.50, book ahead, 6.30pm for 7pm start
INTERSTELLAR: Science Museum hosts a special 15/70mm screening of 2014 sci-fi film Interstellar in its IMAX cinema. Particle physicist Dr Harry Cliff leads a Q&A session with guests including Oscar-winning Visual Effects Supervisor Paul Franklin, and Sera Markoff, Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics at the University of Amsterdam, and part of the team which recently took first ever image of a black hole. Age 18+. Science Museum (South Kensington), £7-£13, book ahead, 7pm-10pm
Thursday 30 May
CHEESE TASTING: Spend your lunchtime getting stuck into cheese at an informal cheese tasting session. Learn about the textures, flavours, ages and techniques of the different cheeses, and then tuck in, accompanied by curated pairings with other foods from Borough Market. You receive tasting notes to take home, and get a 10% discount in the shop on the day. Neal’s Yard Dairy (Borough Market), £20, book ahead, 12.30pm-1.30pm
LIQUID LATE:To celebrate Museum of London Docklands' new Secret Rivers exhibition, the museum stays open late. As well as seeing the new exhibition, special events include a screening of a film about the city's sewers, historical storytelling on board a boat, and a talk by Ben Aaronovitch, author of Rivers of London. Museum of London Docklands, £12, book ahead, 6.30pm
RUM ON THE THAMES: Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! Board the Golden Hinde for an evening sampling 15 different types of rum from across the world, with the people who create them on hand to answer your questions. The Golden Hinde (Borough Market), £20, book ahead, 6.30pm-9pm
FUTURE OF CLASSICAL MUSIC: Watch four supremely talented young soloists battle it out for the much-coveted gold medal and a £15,000 prize in the grand finale of the Royal Over-Seas League's Annual Music Competition. With stirring performances on the trombone, bass, violin, and piano — this is your chance to discover the musical stars of tomorrow. Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre (Bankside), £10-£20, book ahead, 7pm (sponsor)
Friday 31 May
KOREAN DANCE:Following last year's success, A Festival Of Korean Dance returns to the capital, with eight days of performances from five companies. Watch eclectic and traditional dance styles from Korea, covering topics including feminism, technology, philosophy and folk tales. The Place (Euston), various prices, book ahead, 31 May-7 June
ST JAMES'S PARK: Learn something new about St James's Park and the surrounding area on this walking tour led by a Royal Parks expert guide. Find out how St James's Park helped court a King's mistress, and watch the daily pelican feed. St James’s Park, £10, book ahead, 1.15pm-2.45pm
HIP HOP BINGO: Otherwise known as 'blingo', Hip Hop Bingo is a bit different from your nan's number game. Dance-off competitions, lip sync battles and an r'n'b soundtrack break up the rounds of ball calling. Infernos (Clapham), £12-£14, book ahead, 8pm-10.30pm
Saturday 1 June
CAMDEN ROCKS: More than 400 bands play across local venues for Camden Rocks, a rock festival featuring the likes of Frank Turner, Deaf Havana, The Pigeon Detectives and Wheatus. One tickets gets you access to all the shows, but some venues will get packed out way in advance, so plan your weekend carefully and get there early. Various Camden locations, from £40, book ahead, 1-2 June
WALK THE PANTHEON OF PANCRAS: St Pancras exists on what was the edge of London. It also has attracted those on the edge of society: outsiders who have disrupted time, and space, and the way we see the world. On this walk through Georgian squares, down secluded footpaths and along canal towpaths, you will hear about some of these people, together with the old and new gods that they have deemed worthy of worship. The Friend at Hand (Russell Square) £20/£15, book ahead, 2pm-6.30pm
ZIMMER VS WILLIAMS: Two of the finest film music composers are united in one performance. The Music of Zimmer vs Williams is a concert of tracks from likes of ET, Gladiator, Harry Potter and Jurassic Park, performed by the London Concert Orchestra. Southbank Centre, £16.50-£49.50, book ahead, 2.30pm/7.30pm
Sunday 2 June
THE LAST WORD: Annual spoken word festival The Last Word begins today, kickstarting a month of performances, poems, podcasts... and even the odd supper club. Highlights from the festival include A Show About Trains, a Syrian supper club and a live broadcast of podcast Badass Mums Live. Roundhouse (Camden), various prices, book ahead, 2-22 June
MOVIE CLUB: Board a rather swish yacht in the docks for a day of afternoon tea and a film. Begin with traditional afternoon tea and Laurent Perrier tasting, followed by a screening of Guy Ritchie's 2000 film Snatch. The Sunday Movie Club continues all summer. Sunborn London (Royal Victoria Dock), £50, book ahead, from 12.30pm
WHO OWNS ENGLAND?: Writer and Friends of the Earth campaigner Guy Shrubsole has done some serious research to create a comprehensive map of who owns land in England. Hear him talks about secret military islands and tunnels beneath London, and why he believes taking control of land ownership is key to solving the housing crisis and climate change. Conway Hall (Holborn), £8/£4, book ahead, 3pm-4.30pm
