All week
INDEPENDENT MUSIC WEEK: Establishments across London are taking part in Independent Venue Week, a UK-wide showcase of wonderful grassroots venues and up and coming artists. Go see a gig at the Fox & Firkin in Lewisham, Omeara in London Bridge, the Engine Room in Bow — or one of the other 30+ London venues hosting. 29 January-4 February
LUXMURALIS: See St Martin-in-the-Fields church in Trafalgar Square aglow with spectacular projections set to an atmospheric soundscape, celebrating the natural world. Life is an event by Luxmuralis, the projection art company who are making a habit of taking over impressive buildings and doing wonderful things with them. Until 3 February
MUSICALS EXHIBITION: This is the final week of the V&A Museum's free display, Re:Imagining Musicals, which looks at the evolution of msucial theatre shows from Miss Saigon and My Fair Lady to modern classics including SIX the Musical, and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. Costumes, photos, posters and set design all feature. FREE, until 4 February
NATIONAL THEATRE ART: If you find yourself on South Bank with a few minutes to spare, swing into the National Theatre and have a gander at the current exhibition by Amelia Lancaster. Over two decades, she's taken photos of the Brutalist, concrete architecture, and used them as inspiration for her artworks. FREE, until autumn
FEBRUARY: With January coming to an end this week, take a look at our bumper guide of things to do in London in February and start planning the month ahead. It includes new exhibitions and musicals, sporting events — and a few events which are closing soon too.
LGBT+ HISTORY: February is also LGBT+ History Month, bringing to the fore aspects of history often overlooked in discussions about the past. We've put together a full listings article and will also include events in these main weekly listings.
EAT OF THE WEEK: Manze's pie and mash shop in Deptford has announced it'll be closing next year, after 110 years in business. Get your share of cheap and filling cockney scran (we recommend double pie and mash drowned in chilli vinegar) before another historical establishment is gone for good.
DRINK OF THE WEEK: Slip through an unassuming bar at the back of a wine shop near Bond Street to discover London's latest speakeasy, Scales Cocktail Bar. Elegant, clear and exacting potions are the name of the game here; among mixologists Din Jusufi and Engji Shala's concoctions are the Shiso Apple (Desi Daru vodka, shiso leaf, green apple and bergamot) and Gingerbread (Tidal rum, gingerbread, coconut milk, walnut and citrus).
Monday 29 January
PRIYA HALL: Comedian Priya Hall brings her debut show, Grandmother's Daughter, to Soho Theatre, following a run at the Edinburgh Fringe last year. It's a show about parents in all their forms, and becoming a mother when you're part of a queer couple. 29-31 January
BOOK SALON: Cariad Lloyd, author of You Are Not Alone, takes part in a book salon at the Charlotte Street Hotel. She talks about coping with grief and maintaining a sense of humour, followed by a Q&A and book signing. 6.30pm-8pm
WINE TASTING: Humble Grape wine bar in Islington offers a 45-minute wine tasting session aimed at beginners, where you can learn the basics about different wines, and learn to identify different grapes without looking at the label. Tickets cost £11 but you'll receive a £10 voucher to spend at any Humble Grape venue. 6.30pm
HAPPY MONDAYS COMEDY: Tom Houghton, Jenny Bede, Peter Jones, Karyna Aslanova and Manraj Bahra are all on the bill at tonight's Happy Mondays Comedy at the Amersham Arms in New Cross, hosted by Siôn James. 8pm
MONDAYS IN LONDON: Looking for something else to do, today or any other week? Take a look at our guide to things to do in London on a Monday — we've gathered together live music venues, comedy and cabaret clubs which keep going on what is usually the quietest day of the week, along with guided walks and tours scheduled on a Monday, and a few special offers too.
Tuesday 30 January
EXTINCTION REBELLION: Just Stop Extinction Rebellion is a romantic comedy play about two people who meet at an environmental activist group, and about finding hope when facing extinction. It opens tonight at the White Bear Theatre in Kennington. 30 January-10 February
BUILDING TOUR: Take a tour of Oxford House in Bethnal Green, with a guide showing you around the Victorian building where Gandhi once stayed. Visit a 'secret' chapel, see inside the archives, and take in views of London from the roof. 12pm-1pm
ART TALK: Immersive art exhibition Frameless launches a series of monthly art talks. Today, hear from art lecturer Fania Weatherby about the Impressionist movement, from artists such as Claude Monet and Berthe Morisot and how their art was influenced by the social and political climate of the time. 12.30pm-1.15pm
MATHS PUZZLES: Sarah Hart, Professor of Geometry at Gresham College, gives a free talk about mathematical puzzles and paradoxes. Find out about some of the most famous and historical puzzles, and the maths required to solve them — you can watch in person at Barnard's Inn Hall, or online. FREE, 1pm
RUSSIAN WAR: Almost two years on from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, LSE hosts an event to launch Gwendolyn Sasse’s new book Russia's War Against Ukraine. Sasse is in conversation with Sam Greene, Professor in Russian politics at King’s College London, about how and why the conflict came about, and why Putin chose to escalate it. Watch in person or online. FREE, 6.30pm-8.30pm
Wednesday 31 January
QUENTIN BLAKE: A new exhibition of work by illustrator Sir Quentin Blake opens at Cromwell Place in South Kensington, showcasing never-seen-before artworks. The show moves away from his children's book illustrations to artworks aimed at a more mature audience, with originals for sale. FREE, 31 January-18 February
GAS LIGHT: Take a stroll around the West End at dusk with tour guide Jane Parker, who will show you some of the city's surviving gas lamps and reveal their history. 5pm
FUTURE OF MEAT: What's the future of meat? Farmed, lab-grown, or phased-out completely? That's the topic of discussion at Fortnum & Mason's Food & Drink Studio, where three industry experts contemplate the environmental implications of mass meat production, and the alternatives. 6.30pm-8pm
POPUP PAINTING: Have a go at creating your own street-art style version of Edward Landseer's red deer stag painting. No experience is required, all materials are provided, and a professional artist is on hand to offer tips and advice. 7pm-9.30pm
THEATRESHIP: Want to watch a film and performance on a boat? The new Theatreship venue is now open on a century-old cargo vessel in Docklands. Its first set of events features screenings of Powell and Pressburger films, with Tales of Hoffman tonight and I Know Where I'm Going on Friday. Each screening is accompanied by a live act; tonight's is an operatic performance of Dido's Lament by Purcell sung by Eve Rhodes. 7pm
MOZART CONCERT: Internationally renowned pianist David Greilsammer teams up with the City of London Sinfonia for a perfomance of two of Mozart's early piano concertos, paired with two of the composer’s early symphonies. Takes place at Cadogan Hall in Chelsea. 7.30pm-9.30pm
PET SHOP BOYS: Barbican Cinema screens a concert film of The Pet Shop Boys' Dreamworld tour, filmed at Copenhagen's Royal Arena, and featuring hits including West End Girls, Suburbia, Left to My Own Devices, and Domino Dancing. 8.40pm
Thursday 1 February
CLOCKWORK TREASURES: The Science Museum opens a major new exhibition, Zimingzhong 凝时聚珍, Clockwork Treasures from China’s Forbidden City. Over 20 automata dating back to the 1700s and collected by Chinese emperors are on display, having travelled from The Palace Museum in Beijing to be displayed together in the UK for the first time. Find out about how technical skills, creativity and international trade combined to create the musical timekeeping pieces. 1 February-2 June
LEGION: The British Museum's huge new exhibition — in partnership with Horrible Histories — is Legion: life in the Roman army. Get the lowdown on the West's first modern, professional fighting force through the life and service of a real Roman soldier, Claudius Terentianus. Letters written on papyri by soldiers from Roman Egypt and the Vindolanda tablets — some of the oldest surviving handwritten documents in Britain — feature, with special trails and activities to make it accessible to younger visitors. 1 February-23 June
HOT SAUCE FESTIVAL: Get your February off to a fiery start at the Hot Sauce Festival, taking place at The Farrier in Camden. Sample a range of hot sauces all vying to win the top prize, and tuck into a selection of spicy eating challenges. 5pm-11pm
COLONIAL LGBT+ RIGHTS: Join Prof Leslie Thomas at Gresham College for a look at the history and current state of LGBT+ rights, with a particular focus on the homophobic and transphobic laws that were exported from England to the Commonwealth Caribbean, and the impact still felt. 6pm
SCIENCE MUSEUM LATE: The Science Museum stays open late for an evening themed on Chinese New Year, coinciding with the opening of Zimingzhong 凝时聚珍, the new exhibition about Chinese clockwork (above). Watch lion and dragon dancers, and Chinese drummers, and take part in New Year’s arts and crafts. Find other Chinese New Year events in London. FREE, 6.30pm-10pm
MAGIC OF MOTOWN: Songs by the likes of Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, The Supremes, The Four Tops, Martha Reeves, The Jackson 5, and Smokey Robinson are performed at The Magic of Motown, a live tribute show which pitches up at Fairfield Halls in Croydon tonight. 7.30pm
Friday 2 February
BLACK CULTURE MARKET: St John's Waterloo hosts the Black Culture Market, a celebration of African and Caribbean culture and commerce. Black businesses selling gifts, cards, prints, jewellery, male grooming kits, skincare, clothes and accessories are all present, so you can buy products directly from the people who made them. 2-3 February
JAPANESE FILMS: Japanese Film Festival The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme is at the ICA (and other UK locations) from today, with films on this year's theme, Unforgettable: Memories, Times and Reflections in Japanese Cinema. It begins with the UK premiere of Ishikawa Kei’s false-identity drama, A Man. 2-11 February
SIX NATIONS: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France and Italy go head-to-head once again in the Six Nations rugby tournament, beginning with France taking on Ireland tonight (the other four teams all play tomorrow). Whoever you're cheering on, here's where you can watch Six Nations in London. 2 February-16 March
RAZE CABARET: Queer performing arts charity Raze Collective are at Rich Mix for a night of drag, burlesque, pole and vocal performances. The show is followed by an afterparty with a live DJ. 7pm
COMEDY: South African comedian and Netflix star Gilli Apter is at The Book Club in Shoreidtch for the Hilarious Deep Amazing London Comedy Show, in which she talks about relationships, AI, kids, not-kids, sandwiches, the past and your future, weaving the audience into her set. 7.30pm
LAST FLIGHT OUT: The great aviatrix Amy Johnson flew out from Croydon on some of her most daring escapades (including the first female solo flight from England to Australia). Tonight, Jenny Lockyer reprises her one woman show, Last Flight Out, in which she plays Johnson, in a venue in central Croydon. 7.30pm
Saturday 3 February
KEW ORCHIDS FESTIVAL: You know spring is on its way when the Orchids festival returns to Kew Gardens. This year is Madgascar's turn in the spotlight; the country is home to some of the world’s rarest plant species so being able to see them at Kew is a real treat. They're accompanied by horticultural sculptures of Madagascan wildlife, including lemurs, and there's a chance to learn about Kew's conservation centre in Madagascar. 3 February-3 March
ENTANGLED PASTS: JMW Turner and Ellen Gallagher. Joshua Reynolds and Yinka Shonibare. John Singleton Copley and Hew Locke. Just some of the artists featured in the Royal Academy's new exhibition, Entangled Pasts, 1768-now, which brings past and present together for a look at art's role in shaping narratives of empire, enslavement, resistance, abolition and colonialism. 3 February-28 April
LUNAR NEW YEAR: London's Lunar New Year celebrations take over the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, which hosts a day of free, family-friendly activities themed on the Year of the Dragon. Watch Taiwanese ribbon dance and Korean harp performances, see a martial arts demonstration, learn to play mahjong, and find out about traditional Chinese tea ceremonies, among many other activities. FREE, 10am
WINTER WASSAIL: Get yourself over to Barnes to witness the Barnes Common Winter Wassail. Taking place at the Vine Road Recreation Ground, a Wassail Master oversees a session of storytelling, crafts and singing, in keeping with the traditional rural celebration to hope for an abundant crop in the coming year. 10am-1pm
CINEMA HISTORY: Another chance to catch Nigel Smith's guided walk around the grand old cinemas of Islington. "In addition to such landmarks as the Screen on the Green, you'll see some buildings that were once cinemas as well as a few intriguing places where all trace of their cinematic past has vanished." 11am
OPEN GARDEN: Bell House in Dulwich opens its two-acre garden to the public, giving you a chance to explore its Walled Garden, House Garden, and other areas, with tea and coffee available. 11.30am-1pm
THAMES WALK: It's one of the dreamiest bits of London. Join guide Laura Agustin for a four-hour amble along the riverside between Richmond and Twickenham, taking in grand houses, a riverside pub, plenty of wildlife and... some naked ladies? Noon
MISERABLE RICH: Indie fivesome The Miserable Rich are at Rough Trade West in Notting Hill to play an acoustic set of tracks from their new album, Overcome, and to sign records. 5pm
BURLESQUE EVENING: Get your gladrags on for a night of glitz and glamour in the form of An Evening of Burlesque. Cabaret, comedy, music and circus acts are all on the line-up, recommended for age 18+. 7.30pm
Sunday 4 February
DINOSAUR SHOW: Aimed at 4-11 year olds and their families, the Great Big Dinosaur Show is at Artsdepot in North Finchley. Inspired by Simon Mole’s book, A First Book of Dinosaurs, it features poems, raps and songs about the prehistoric creatures. 11am/2pm
VINTAGE FAIR: Head to Chelsea Old Town Hall for the Frock Me! Vintage Fashion Fair and browse and buy vintage and antique clothing, jewellery and textiles from 60 exhibitors from all over the UK. The fair spans the period from the Victorian era to recent designer labels. 11am-5.30pm
BAWDY BANKSIDE: How much do you know about the riotous past of Borough and Bankside? Join Historic London Tours for a two-hour ramble through "booze, brothels and the Bard". Repeated on Sunday. 11am
MICHAEL ROSEN: Spend an afternoon with children's author and poet Michael Rosen at Alleyn's School in Dulwich. The event celebrates his book Getting Better, a memoir about the loss of a child, living with chronic illness, and coming close to death. 2.30pm
MEDIA SCANDALS: Fiona Fox, author and founding director of the Science Media Centre, talks about the the biggest science scandals which have made it into the media, spanning topics including animal research, GM foods and the pandemic. She advocates for scientists talking to the media, and shows the damage and misunderstandings which can occur when scientists are silenced. Watch in person at Conway Hall, or online. 3pm-4.30pm
MAD HATTER TEA PARTY: Enfield's Millfield Theatre hosts a Mad Hatter's Tea Party to mark World Cancer Day, raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support. Your ticket includes sandwiches and cakes, unlimited tea and coffee, a glass of Bucks Fizz, and live entertainment. There's also a competition for best mad hatter hat or costume. 3pm
NT'S LOFT: There's free/cheap gospel, soul and rap music to be had at NT's Loft in Hackney this evening, courtesy of the house band and guest vocalist. Accompany the sounds with a cocktail or glass of organic wine. FREE before 7.30pm (£5 after)
