All week
MELTDOWN: Nile Rodgers' Meltdown Festival continues all week, celebrating one-off musical performances. Highlights include a performance of the music from Stranger Things, and Rodgers in conversation with music manager Merck Mercuriadis. Southbank Centre, until 11 August
SUMMERTIME SUNSET SAILS: Float past some of London's most iconic landmarks as you devour a three- or five-course feast at waterborne restaurant Glass Room. Book before 31 August for 20% off this incredibly special sunset dining experience. Glassroom, departs from Embankment Pier (Victoria Embankment), from £63.20 with code SMART20, book ahead, Monday-Friday until 31 August (sponsor)
SILENT MOVIELAND: All this week, Wilton's screens silent films with live musical accompaniment. Programme includes 1926 film The Adventures of Prince Achmed, apparently the world's oldest surviving animated feature film, and Piccadilly, a look at the seedy underbelly of 1920s London. Wilton's (Limehouse), £8.50-£13, book ahead, 5-9 August
THIS IS BLACK: New theatre season This Is Black showcases the work of four up-and-coming black writers, with themes of identity, hate crimes and family relationships across a series of double bill shows. An accompanying art exhibition is open on Sundays only throughout the season. The Bunker Theatre (Southwark), £12/£10, book ahead, 5-25 August
ESPRESSO MARTINI FESTIVAL: Caffeine? Good. Booze? Good. Get your fill of both at this year's Espresso Martini Festival. Register for a free digital pass and try variations of the caffeine-spiked alcoholic ambrosia for just £6 a pop at dozens of bars across London. 7-11 August
SUMMER SCREEN: Film4 Summer Screen, an outdoor cinema in the Somerset House courtyard, begins this week. At time of writing, tickets are still available for a Nicolas Cage double bill on Saturday, and The Princess Bride on Sunday, as well as plenty of screenings next week. Somerset House, various prices, book ahead, 8-21 August
Monday 5 August
A ROYAL PROGRESS: Take an hour-long tour of the Museum of the Order of St John, focusing on the role that royals have played in the organisation's history. The tour covers 900 years, from the founding of the Clerkenwell Priory under Henry II to the creation of the modern St John Ambulance organisation under Queen Victoria. Museum of the Order of St John (Clerkenwell), £6-£8, book ahead, 12pm
MASTERS OF SCIENCE: Hear from paleoanthropologist Chris Stringer about how palaeontologists’ views of human evolution have changed over the last 15 years, as it's become clear that the 'out of Africa' theory is a lot more complicated than previously thought. He chats to Clive Cookson, Science Editor at the Financial Times. Royal Institution (Mayfair), £16/£10/£7, book ahead, 7pm-8.30pm
COMEDY: Comedian Abigoliah Schamaun performs her show Do You Know Who I Think I Am?! She claims it has no theme — unusual in the comedy world — but it focuses on her existence as a myriad of paradoxes. Soho Theatre, from £13, book ahead, 5-6 August
Tuesday 6 August
QUEER SOHO: This walking tour focuses on LGBT history in the Soho area. Find out about a gay filmmaker’s secret which lies in a Soho church, a location where Crossrail did irreplaceable damage to London’s LGBT heritage, and why the National Archive contains powder puffs in its collection. Bow Street Magistrate's Court, £10, book ahead, 6pm-7.30pm
MUSEUM LATE: Celebrate the launch of the new Ladybird Books exhibition and Garden Party exhibition at a special late night opening at the Garden Museum. Visit both of the exhibitions over the course of the evening, with a drink included in your ticket price. The Garden Museum (Lambeth), £10, book ahead, 6pm-8pm
LEONARDO'S GREATEST HITS: Martin Kemp (no, not that one) holds an illustrated lecture highlighting some of Leonardo da Vinci's greatest works, across the may fields he practiced in — painting, anatomical studies, engineering, geology, mathematics and more. Kemp is a history of art research professor specialising in da Vinci. British Library, £15/£10, book ahead, 7pm-8.30pm
Wednesday 7 August
HISTORY TOUR: Join a knowledgable guide for a tour of Fulham Palace and its gardens, and learn about its 1300 year history as the home of the Bishops of London. See the different architectural styles of the building dating back to different periods, and find out how the garden has evolved with it. Age 14+. Fulham Palace, £6, just turn up, 2pm-3pm
CRIMINAL SOUTHWARK: Begin your evening browsing the Old Operating Theatre Museum before joining a guided walk focusing on the criminal history of the local Southwark area. Prisons, prostitution, murder and debt are all covered, including the conditions in which prisoners were kept and how this changed in the industrial period. The Old Operating Theatre (London Bridge), £10, book ahead, 5pm-6.30pm
POWER OF A POSTER: Dr Paul Rennie and curator Emma Mawdsley give a talk about the work of Abram Games for the Army Bureau of Current Affairs. The 'official war poster artist' is the subject of a current exhibition, and created posters to remind soldiers what it was they were fighting for. Tonight, learn about these posters within their social and military context, and get a special introduction to the exhibition. National Army Museum (Chelsea), £12, book ahead, 6pm-8.30pm
Thursday 8 August
CATHEDRAL LATE: For four Thursdays this August, St Paul's Cathedral stays open late, giving visitors a chance to experience Wren's church at twilight. See the panoramic views over London at nightfall from the Stone or Golden Gallery, view the current special exhibition, and tuck into food and drink in the Crypt Cafe. St Paul's Cathedral, £12.80, book ahead, 7pm-8.30pm
POETRY AND JAZZ: The former home of poet John Keats hosts an evening of summer poetry and jazz. The Keats House Poetry Ambassadors and musician Catherine Lima team up for a performance of music and verse to celebrate the hazy days of summer. Keats House (Hampstead), £7.50, book ahead, 7pm-8.30pm
PULP FICTION: Genesis Cinema marks the release of Quentin Tarantino's latest motion picture Once Upon A Time In Hollywood with a mini-season of some of his other works. Tonight, it's Pulp Fiction time. Kick back and watch the 1994 film with a free beer, courtesy of Truman's Brewery. Genesis Cinema (Mile End), £9, book ahead, 8.45pm
Friday 9 August
HIDDEN CINEMA: Historic England teams up with The Village Screen to bring Baz Luhrmann to Bethnal Green for a very special screening of Romeo + Juliet in Oxford House's stunning chapel. After something more kid-friendly? Earlier in the day, the Grade-II listed building hosts family favourites Dumbo and The Greatest Showman, with Moana playing on Saturday. Oxford House (Bethnal Green), kids from £3.15/adults from £5.40 with promo code HCLDN10, book ahead, until 10 August (sponsor)
CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL: Beer fans descend on east London this weekend for the London Craft Beer Festival, which has more than 80 breweries on the line-up, many of them London-based. The music line-up isn't too shabby either, with Kaiser Chiefs and Friendly Fires both lined up for DJ sets across different sessions. Tobacco Dock, various prices (beginning at £40, which sounds steep, but does include your beer), book ahead, 9-11 August
ARCHIVES TOUR: There's a rare chance to explore the museum and archives of the Royal Institution, on a curator-led guided tour. The event is part of a celebration of 150 years of the periodic table of elements. Royal Institution (Mayfair), £7-£16, book ahead, 4pm
LIVE COMEDY: Comedian Sara Pascoe performs a headline set in the impressive setting of an Edwardian dancehall. Also on the bill are American stand-up comedian Phoebe Robinson, and Ed Gamble, hosted by Fin Taylor. Bush Hall (Shepherd's Bush), £21.45, book ahead, 8pm
Saturday 10 August
ARTISTS IN AMSTERDAM: A new Dulwich Picture Gallery exhibition focuses on young painters who made their mark in 17th century Amsterdam, at the time a fast-moving economic power of a city. Works by Meindert Hobbema, Jacob van Ruisdael and Willem van de Velde II from the gallery's own collection feature in the show. Dulwich Picture Gallery, including in admission, just turn up, 10 August-12 January
GLOBAL BLACK VOICES: Curated by poet and journalist Bridget Minamore, the first ever Global Black Voices showcases excerpts of plays by black writers from around the world, all of which have never been staged in the UK before. Expect six readings followed by a post-performance conversation about common themes. Roundhouse (Camden), £8, book ahead, 6.15pm
SQUAD GOALS: Catch a one-night-only performance of theatre show Squad Goals, based on this year's Women's World Cup. It's the story of Lexi, who has never been taken seriously, until she inspires a group of school leavers to redefine the game in her hometown in Essex. The Other Palace (Victoria), £10-£15, book ahead, 8pm
Sunday 11 August
CROSSNESS: Crossness Pumping Station (also known as the 'cathedral of sewage') holds a family open day. It's a chance to see inside the beautifully ornate building, view an exhibition about its history, and learn about the Victorian sewage system which still serves the capital today. Crossness (Abbey Wood), £5/£2, just turn up, 10.30am-4pm
MEXICAN WRESTLING: Ladies, head to east London's Mexican-themed rooftop to learn the basics of Mexican wrestling, taught by real luchadores. Masks are optional at the self-defence style class. Queen of Hoxton, £15, book ahead, 11am-1pm
DICKSENSIAN WALK: Join a guide from the Charles Dickens Museum for a wander through the streets of Borough that would have been familiar to the author. See landmarks which are still as they would have been in Dickens' day, and pass a surviving wall of the Marshalsea Prison where his father, John Dickens, was incarcerated for debt in 1824. Borough station, £10, book ahead, 11am
