All week
LONDON BLUES WEEK: Put on your red shoes and dance the blues. It's London Blues Week at 100 Club, giving you the chance to see international musicians, including blues guitar prodigy Chantel McGregor, American blues singer-songwriter Sugaray Rayford and three time Blues Music Award nominee Sharrie Williams. 100 Club (Oxford Street), various prices, book ahead, 14-19 January
COURTAULD IMPRESSONISTS: It's the final week of this exhibition, in which the currently-closed Courtauld Gallery has loaned some of its works to the National Gallery, meaning works by Manet, Cezanne, Toulouse-Lautrec, Renoir, Manet, and Seurat are all on display alongside each other. The National Gallery (Trafalgar Square), £7.50, book ahead, until 20 January
WINTER LIGHTS: Brighten up these dark January evening with a trip to Winter Lights, a free illuminations festival with more than 20 installations dotted around Canary Wharf. Download a map to plan your route, and fuel up at food stalls along the way. Canary Wharf, free, just turn up, 5pm-10pm, 15-26 January
FASHIONED FROM NATURE: There's only a fortnight left of the V&A's Fashioned From Nature exhibition. It looks back at the cruel side of the fashion industry, using animal parts to make clothing, but also looks forward at the ethical fashions of the future. V&A (South Kensington), £12, book ahead, until 27 January
Monday 14 January
CHAPEL SINGERS: Fancy giving singing a go this year? Islington community choir Union Chapel Singers meets most weeks and sings a variety of music including pop, folk and classical. Anyone's welcome to join them. Don't worry — there are no auditions, and you don't event need to be able to read sheet music. Union Chapel (Islington), £6, just turn up, 7.30pm
FITNESS CLASS: East London studio POPfit launches its series of fitness events in Soho tonight. People of all fitness levels are welcome, and the class ditches the usual exercise equipment in favour of listening to natural movements of the body, combining cardio, stretching and strengthening. 100 Wardour Street (Soho), £15 (includes a goodie bag), book ahead, 6.30pm
Tuesday 15 January
WORLD'S BEST MARTINI: Raise a glass at the finals of the World's Best Martini Challenge. Your ticket gets you sample martinis from the five finalists, plus last year's winner, and a chance to see this year's victor crowned once the judges have made their decision. 100 Wardour Street (Soho), £25, book ahead, 7pm-11pm
STEPHEN HAWKING: Author and journalist Dr Stuart Clark talks about the life and work of late physicist Stephen Hawking. Find out why his work was so groundbreaking, and how it changed modern science. Cafe 1001 (Brick Lane), £12, book ahead, 7pm-9.30pm
GHOST FRUIT: This new play, which has elements of cabaret and comedy, pokes fun with our obsession with the past, through the story of a man who thinks he’s Franz Kafka living in the 1920s, partying with the ghost of Elizabeth Taylor. Camden People's Theatre, £12/£10, book ahead, 7.15pm, 15-19 January
Wednesday 16 January
BRIDGE YOGA: Begin your Wednesday with something rather special — a yoga class on the glass floors of Tower Bridge's walkways over the Thames. It's aimed at all abilities, and you're advised to bring your own mat. Probably one to avoid if you suffer from vertigo. Tower Bridge, £25, book ahead, 7.30am-8.20am
FUTURE OF RENTING: As home ownership declines and London becomes a city of renters, find out how product designers are adapting to this new normal, and people's more fluid living conditions, at this panel discussion in collaboration with IKEA. Design Museum (Kensington), £10/£8/£7, book ahead, 6.30pm-8pm
NERD NITE: Superconductors, misleading statistics and apples are all topics being covered at this month's Nerd Nite, an evening in which three experts give talks 18-21 minutes in length about topics you didn't know you were curious about, but usually turn out to be quite fascinating. Backyard Bar and Comedy Club (Bethnal Green), £5-£7.50, book ahead, 7pm
Thursday 17 January
STANFORDS HISTORY: As Stanfords travel book store settles into its new home at 7 Mercer Walk, take part in a walking tour following a Stanfords map from 1912, visiting four of Stanfords’ locations, with literary, travel and bookselling history along the way. Stanfords (Covent Garden), £6, book ahead, 11am-12.30pm
LOST CONNECTIONS: Journalist Johann Hari talks about his new book, Lost Connections. He delves into research from around the world which shows that depression and anxiety are largely caused by lifestyles in many modern societies. Hatchards (Piccadilly), £7-£10, book ahead, 6.30pm
Friday 18 January
VIVA LA RESISTENCIA: Celebrate the launch of new multi-author book Voices of Latin America, which was created from 70 interviews from 14 countries, about current social movements. Stories told include that of indigenous Brazilian communities resisting the expansion of hydroelectric dams, and socially-conscious graffiti artists and musicians in Bogotá. Rich Mix (Shoreditch), £7.50, book ahead, 7pm
THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS: Watch 2018 documentary Three Identical Strangers, a true story of identical triplets who were adopted separately at birth, and didn't know of each other's existence until they were 19 years old. Harris Academy South Norwood, £8.50/£7/£5, book ahead, 7.45pm-10pm
CRICK CRACK CLUB: Storytelling experts Crick Crack Club come to Kings Place for a dose of Hindu mythology. Sit back and watch a rendition of the story of Kali the demon-slayer, life-saver and Supreme Mother. Kings Place (King's Cross), £14.50, book ahead, 8pm
Saturday 19 January
JAMAICAN FOLK SONGS: Professional singer Adwoa Dickson and pianist Lorraine Liyanage perform a concert of Jamaican folk songs which tell the social, political and cultural history of the Caribbean island. Bell House (Dulwich), £15, book ahead, 7pm-9pm
CLOSING NIGHT: For the final evening of London Short Film Festival, there's a closing party called No Woman Is An Island, themed on Afrofuturism. It kicks off with screenings of music videos from artists who represent Afrofuturistism, including Missy Elliott and Janelle Monae, followed by DJ sets and live music. Rich Mix (Shoreditch), £12.50, book ahead, 8pm
ACOUSTIC NIGHT: Indie folk band The Seniors and singer-songwriter Sam Beveridge do their thing at an acoustic gig on board the Golden Hinde, a static replica of Sir Francis Drake's ship docked near Borough Market. Wrap up warm — it can get chilly on board. Golden Hinde (Bankside), £7.50/£10, book ahead, 8pm-10pm
Sunday 20 January
HOUSEMAID'S TOUR: Step back in time and experience this townhouse as it would have been when a certain Charles Dickens and his family lived here in the 1830s. While the family are away, the housemaid shows you around, a great opportunity to see the museum before it opens to the public. Dickens Museum (Bloomsbury), £15/£12/£8, book ahead, 10am/11am/11.45am
GARDEN WALK: Join a guide for a tour of the gardens at Fulham Palace, learn about some of the rare species grown here and how they are cared for, and hear about the garden's history. Fulham Palace, £6, just turn up, 12.30pm-1.30pm
WINTER DIP: Brave the chilly waters of this north London lido and raise money for WaterAid in the process. After the charity dip, take part in the poolside fun and games to warm up. Parliament Hill Lido (Hampstead Heath), £25, book ahead, 1pm
SANDI TOKSVIG: Comedian, writer and broadcaster Sandi Toksvig's solo show tells the story of why she's aiming to becoming a National Trevor rather than a National Treasure. Expect her usual blend of silly jokes, funny stories and fascinating facts. Southbank Centre, £25-£29, book ahead, 7.30pm
