All week
SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS: We're only just in November, but Christmas is well on the way. The Spirit Of Christmas Fair is a week of festive fun, giving you the chance to stock up on gifts, decorations, cards, wrapping paper and festive food well ahead of the big day. There's also a packed workshop programme, covering topics such as making edible gifts, floral arrangements and cocktail masterclasses. Olympia London, from £20.50, book ahead, 4-10 November
VOILA! EUROPE: British and European theatre-makes come together for Voila! Europe, a two-week theatrical festival which begins today. The multicultural, multilingual, and multidisciplinary programme covers comedy, physical theatre, music, new writing and much more — we like the look of Right Left With Heels, set in Nazi Germany, and physical theatre performance Lighthouse. Various locations, from £8 per event, book ahead, 4-17 November
JULIET & ROMEO: Juliet & Romeo turns Shakespeare’s classic on its head (see what they did there), imagining what would have happened if they’d lived beyond their untimely deaths. The action takes place when the star-crossed lovers are in their 40s, battling midlife crises in a not-so-happily ever after. Wilton’s Music Hall (Limehouse), £10/£25, book ahead, 5-9 November
JEWISH FILM FEST: UK premieres, gala nights and short films all feature on the impressive UK Jewish Film Festival programme, celebrating Jewish filmmakers. Browse the full programme. Various locations and prices, book ahead, 6-21 November
WOOLWICH PRINT FAIR: Looking for some new artwork for your walls? Woolwich Print Fair brings together work by more than 500 artists, all with a contemporary spin. Screen-printing, etching and woodblock are just some of the disciplines represented, and keep your eyes peeled for pieces by Grayson Perry and Tracey Emin. Royal Arsenal (Woolwich), £10/£8, book ahead, 7-10 November
RICHMOND LIT FEST: Tudor queens, cricket misadventures, mudlarking, Dirty Dancing and Victorian pleasure palaces are some of the topics covered by various experts on this week’s Richmond Literature Festival programme. It continues for a further two weeks, so check ahead for any other events that might take your fancy. Various locations and prices, book ahead, until 24 November
FIREWORKS: Although the majority of London’s firework displays took place at the weekend, there are a few more whizzbangs to watch out for this week, including in Southwark and Wembley.
ART ALERT: Exciting news for art aficionados — LUMAS Gallery's flagship London store has just launched, and it's showcasing some incredible exclusive works from the likes of Jeff Koons and Marc Quinn. You can even grab a masterpiece for yourself in the form of a limited edition print. LUMAS London (Seven Dials), free entry, just turn up, open seven days a week — click here for times. (sponsor)
Monday 4 November
DOCKS AFTER DARK: Grab a lantern and your brave face and head out east to tour London's docks after dark. A Museum of London Docklands guide tells spooky stories of men, women and children who worked in the docks, as you visit some of most haunted spots in the museum's 200-year old warehouse building. Tour is partly outside, so dress for the weather. Museum of London Docklands, £25, book ahead, 6.30pm
DIRTY DANCING AND ME: Comedian Katy Brand waxes lyrical about all things Dirty Dancing. She talks about her lifelong obsession with the film, how it shaped her life, and shares some of the things that most people miss on first viewing. Conway Hall (Holborn), £30, book ahead, 6.45pm-8pm
MUSIC RECITAL: Treat yourself to an evening of live music. The Hieronymus Quartet's last show at Fulham Palace was a sell-out, so we've got high hopes for tonight's recital, featuring violin, viola and cello. Fulham Palace, £25, book ahead, 7.30pm-9.30pm
Tuesday 5 November
PERIODIC TABLE: Babble Talks are lectures aimed at parents with young babies — but they’re not about parenting, and adults without babies are also welcome. Today, attention turns to the periodic table, which is 150 this year. Find out how its design changed science forever, how the elements are named, and how it is being used to build quantum computers. George IV (Chiswick), £10, book ahead, 11am-12pm
COBHAM DAIRY: Hear representatives from the Landmark Trust talk about the rescue and renovation of the Grade-II listed Cobham Dairy. Find out how the original plaster vaults, corbels, ceiling bosses and oak leaf clusters were recreated, and learn about historical uses of the building. Goldsmiths’ Hall (City of London), £25, book ahead, 6.30pm
DEATH IN PARADISE: Actor and comedian Ardal O’Hanlon — best-known recently for playing DI Jack Mooney in Death in Paradise — brings his stand-up comedy show to London. In the #MeToo era, he’s desperate to prove that his gender, race, age and class don’t necessarily define him, covering topics such as avocados and £15 G&Ts to do so. New Wimbledon Theatre, from £26.15, book ahead, 8pm. He's also at Ally Pally tomorrow night.
Wednesday 6 November
HISTORIC PUBS: Learn about the history of the City of London on a guided walk which also involves five pub stops. The tour covers historic events including the Great Fire, Britain’s first railway murder, and executions at the Tower. The boozy pitstops include a pub which played a major part in rebuilding London after the Great Fire. Fish Street Hill (City of London), £15, book ahead, 2pm/6pm (sponsor)
WINE TASTING: The National Archives is not your usual wine tasting venue, but this first in a series of vino events is an excuse for experts to dig into archive material relating to the wine trade. Wine educator Pippa Hayward talks about Latin America’s wine legacy, with plenty of tasters along the way. The National Archives (Kew), £45, book ahead, 7pm-9.30pm
WOMEN IN FRAME: Poet in the City launches an ambitious new project highlighting the legacy of female poets. Artist Claire Eastgate and poets Gillian Clarke, Hannah Sullivan and Liza Luxx, and spoken word artist Deanna Rodger take part in a discussion about female writers using their work to empower other women. They also perform a selection of their poems. Kings Place (King’s Cross), £14.50, book ahead, 7.30pm
Thursday 7 November
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: Today’s the day folks — Christmas officially begins with London’s first major Christmas lights ceremonies. Carnaby’s gone for an ocean theme with an environmental message this year, and launches the lights with a shopping event tonight. Savile Row also switches its first ever Christmas lights on tonight.
KELLY HOLMES: Olympic athlete Dame Kelly Holmes is also an Honorary Colonel in the British Army. Hear her talk about her military career, the impact it has had on her mental health, and the importance of supporting military veterans. The event raises funds for veteran housing charity Stoll. Trinity House (Tower Hill), £50 for two people, book ahead, 6.30pm-9.30pm
NOT ABOUT THE BURQA: Writers, poets and activists take to the stage to talk about the experiences of modern Muslim women, as highlighted in new anthology, It’s Not About The Burqa. 17 Muslim women have told their stories in the anthology, produced as a response to then Prime Minister David Cameron’s comment about the ‘traditional submissiveness’ of Muslim women. Southbank Centre, £12, book ahead, 7pm
TOWER BRIDGE: The construction of Tower Bridge is the subject of the latest talk celebrating the river span’s 125th birthday. Tom Furber of London Metropolitan Archives talks about some of the weird and wacky ideas submitted for the 19th century competition to design the river crossing, and about the construction of the chosen design. Tower Bridge, £20, book ahead, 7pm
Friday 8 November
HANDMADE FAIR: Annual craft and design fair Handmade in Britain returns, with a curated selection of contemporary pieces for sale. Browse and buy textiles, ceramics, jewellery, glass and more direct from the makers, with more than 100 artists present. Treat yourself, or get a head start on the Christmas shopping. Chelsea Old Town Hall, £10/£8/£7, book ahead, 8-10 November
IMITATION GAME: Science Museum dedicates an evening to legendary code-breaker Alan Turing, tying in with the current Top Secret exhibition. Watch 2014 film The Imitation Game, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Turing, followed by a Q&A about Turing’s life with the exhibition’s curator, Dr Elizabeth Bruton. Age 12+ Science Museum (South Kensington), from £8, book ahead, 7.30pm-10pm
PAINT POPPIES: Ahead of Remembrance Sunday, Pop-Up Painting gives you the chance to recreate Van Gogh’s Red Poppies painting. All materials are provided, and guidance from an artist is available if you need it— otherwise, let loose on your canvas and see what the result is. Royal Oak (Twickenham), £27.99, book ahead, 7.30pm-10pm
Saturday 9 November
EGYPTIAN CULTURAL FESTIVAL: Experience contemporary Egypt at a cultural festival dedicated to the North African country. Watch film screenings, music performances and stand-up comedy shows, get yourself a Henna tattoo, and dance to live DJ sets. The venue’s not too far from the new Tutankhamun exhibition, if you want to make an Egyptian day of it. Chelsea Sorting Office, £10, book ahead, 9-10 November
WILL SELF: Author Will Self is at Southbank Centre to launch his new memoir, A Life In Writing. He talks about his drug addiction in the 1980s, and his struggles to get to grips with adult life and he left university and made his way in the adult world. Southbank Centre, £25-£35, book ahead, 7.30pm
FROMAGE ON ICE: Ice, ice baby. Cheesy music meets skating at Fromage on Ice. Regular pop club night Club de Fromage takes its ‘00s tracks onto the indoor ice rink, for a night of skating to the likes of Justin Timberlake, The Killers, Lady Gaga and Amy Winehouse. Alexandra Palace, £10/£9, book ahead, 8.30pm
Sunday 10 November
REMEMBRANCE: It’s Remembrance Sunday, which special services going on at churches and war memorials over the country. Whatever you’re up to, be prepared for a silence at 11am — and remember that several roads are closed, particularly around the Cenotaph and Whitehall.
TENNIS: See some of the world’s best tennis players go head to head for the last title of the ATP tour season in the Nitto ATP Finals. It’s the world’s biggest indoor tennis tournament, with the world’s top eight qualified singles players and doubles teams of the year playing, including Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer. The O2 (Greenwich), from £17, book ahead, 10-17 November
LONDON EAR: Go on a two-mile 'sonic stroll' through the City of London, paying close attention to the noises that you normally miss. Church bells and the beeps of pedestrian crossings are often lost in the hubbub of daily life, but this tour brings them into focus, and offers some history about sounds which have shaped London into what it is today. St Paul’s Station, £18/£15, book ahead, 11am-1.15pm
GOSPEL GROUP: UK gospel singer Brenda Emmanuel is today’s lunchtime performer at 606 Club. With the backing of her Gospel Group, she demonstrates her impressive vocal range in a relaxed, family-friendly gig. 606 Club (Chelsea), £10, book ahead, 1.30pm
