Things to do this weekend is sponsored by Wandsworth Arts Fringe.
All weekend
BANK HOLIDAY: If you're lucky enough to have a three-day weekend, take a look at our guide to spending a bank holiday in London, with plenty of ideas of places to go and things to do, plus where to eat and drink, whatever your budget.
GEORGIAN FILM FESTIVAL: A century after Georgia became independent, the London Georgian Film Festival is showcasing the country's best contemporary cinema, including 10 UK premieres. What's more, over half the films screened are directed by women (take note, Hollywood). Regent Street Cinema, £18, book ahead, 1-8 May
CANADA NOW: Discover the best new cinema from the Great White North in the heart of Soho at the Canada Now film festival. Eight films are playing across four days, beginning with the untold story of indigenous Canadian influences on blues, folk, jazz, rock, rap and metal in Rumble: the Indians Who Rocked the World. Curzon Soho, £8, book ahead, 3-6 May
KERB DOES ALCHEMY: Things are about to get spicy at Southbank Centre's Alchemy festival. Street food savants KERB are bringing a flash flood of flavour with a South Asian food festival. Drool over delicious dishes from India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan, with 29 traders cooking up a storm all bank holiday weekend. Southbank Centre, free entry, just turn up, 3-7 May
GERMAN BIERFEST: Best bust out that Lederhosen because it's time for Bierfest London. Expect schnitzels, bratwurst, a live Oomph band, a pop-up German village and stein upon stein of the best freshly brewed Bavarian beer. Ducketts Common (Harringay) free entry/book ahead for some events, 4-6 May
NOSTALGIC BARN: Pay a visit to a barn dating all the way back to the 15th century. Today the Upminster Tithe Barn functions as a Museum of Nostalgia, packed to rafters with 20th century curiosities and old agricultural machinery. You can get a good old blast from the past at its open weekend. Upminster Tithe Barn (Upminster), free entry, just turn up, 10.30am-4pm, 5-6 May
CANALWAY CAVALCADE: London's biggest, brightest and best waterways festival returns to Little Venice. The Inland Waterway Association's Canal Cavalcade brings over 100 colourful canal boats, in all their glorious pageantry, to the Grand Union Canal for a weekend of live music, Morris dancing, real ale, and fun for all the family. Don't miss the illuminated boat procession. Little Venice, free, just turn up, 5-7 May
BBQ CLUB: Here's hoping there's some decent weather on the way: Jimmy Garcia's BBQ Club opens on the South Bank this Saturday, for the summer season. Burgers, monkfish, prawns, squid — you name it, this place is grilling it. Washed down with an honest menu of 'Good Wine', 'Great Wine' and 'Excellent Wine'. Until August
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It’s all fun and games in Wandsworth this May
Wandsworth Arts Fringe is back for its ninth year this month, and with a programme jam-packed with more than 180 events, there’s something exciting going on in every nook and cranny of the borough.
The two-week cultural bash boasts everything from cabaret, comedy, theatre and workshops, all with plenty on to entertain all the family. Theatrical highlights including Hikapee Theatre’s Moonfall — an enchanting staging of a magical children’s story about sibling relationships — and Esprit Concrete’s Grit, tackling the issue of mental health through parkour, dance and storytelling.
The centrepiece of it all? Shillington Park will be transformed into Battersea Circus Garden, complete with obligatory Big Top tent. It’ll play host to a fantastic programme of contemporary circus over the course of the festival, including Nikki & JD’s breathtaking show, Knot, charting the quest for the ideal lover.
Wandsworth Arts Fringe is on from 4-20 May. Click here to view the full programme of events.
Saturday 5 May
CREATIVE FLOW YOGA: Unleash your imagination at a guided free movement yoga session specifically designed to prep your mind, body and soul for creative tasks. If that's not enough to get your juices flowing, the class will be followed by a workshop where you'll make a vision board to take home as a gentle reminder to be and feel creative. Geffrye Museum (Hackney), £21, book ahead, 10.30am
PINT-SIZED SHAKESPEARE: Infinite Jest theatre company have squeezed all the magic of A Midsummer Night's Dream into an hour-long production especially for kids. With puppetry, live music and audience interaction, your little ones will be Bard buffs in no time. Age 5+. Pleasance Theatre (Islington), £10, book ahead, 2pm
FAIRY TALE CAFE: Welcome to a world of heroes, legends, and sleeping princesses. Spoken word artists Hel Robin Gurney and James Webster offer two different takes on immersive myth and fairy tale at The Poetry Cafe. Step into the shoes of beloved characters, good and evil alike, in an immersive choose your own adventure, before entering a dark realm where all magic has a price. The Poetry Cafe (Covent Garden), £9, just turn up, 2pm-5pm
FREE TACOS: Yep, you read that right. Whole Foods in Piccadilly are celebrating Cinco de Mayo by giving away 100 free tacos for one afternoon only at their newly opened, preservative-free Taquería. All you need to do is quote the password: Cinco de Mayo. Whole Foods Market (Piccadilly), free, just turn up, 3pm-5pm
CINCO DE MAYO: Celebrate all things Mexican at Pop Brixton's Cinco de Mayo fiesta. Maria Sabina will be providing the tacos and tequila while you dance the day away to the hottest bands and DJs Mexico has to offer. It's also a chance to see Pop's vibrant new 'Around the World' theme, featuring a Moroccan tea room, a Japanese Zen garden, and a Caribbean beach. Pop Brixton, free entry, just turn up, 3pm-midnight
LOVE SUPREME: Camden's The Roundhouse is getting jazzed up for a day long festival of jazz, funk and soul. Bombay Bicycle Club brainchild Mr Jukes headlines, with Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles, Moon Hooch, and many more bringing barrier busting contemporary jazz to north London. The Roundhouse (Camden), £27, book ahead, 3.30pm
THE VAVENGERS: A cadre of creatives dedicated to fighting social injustices — particularly FGM — invite you to an exhibition that celebrates the female form. Your ticket includes one free beer, but if that doesn't tickle your fancy you can also BYOB. All proceeds go directly towards building a new hospital ward in Somalia, that treats fistula, an FGM related disease. Unity Hall (Islington), £13, book ahead, 6pm-10pm
SLIME TIME: Be a big kid at Gallery Different, where you'll whip up your very own batch of millennial pink slime. After you've got your fix, you can get stuck into the interactive displays, which include kinetic sand, a ball pit and a bathtub filled with orbeez. Did we mention there's also champagne? Gallery Different (Fitzrovia), £20, book ahead, 8pm-11pm, until 6 May
SILENT DISCO SHOW: Don a pair of headphones, grab your glowsticks, and get ready to bust a move at a silent disco that's so much more than a silent disco. Crazy cabaret, bad-ass breakdancers and stunning circus acts will be lighting up Underbelly Festival's Spiegeltent as you boogie on down to the music that's all in your head. Underbelly Festival (Southbank), from £17, book ahead, 9.15pm
Sunday 6 May
PRINT FAIR: All aboard the art bus. Peter Blake's mobile work of art has rocked up at the Royal Academy of Arts, where you'll find live music, food trucks and workshops — make sure you sign up to the doubledecker's screen printing session. The Royal Academy of Arts (Piccadilly), £12, book ahead, 10am-6pm
SCIENCE EXPLORATION: Help your kids discover the magic of science at this hands-on family exploration session from Okido. Play with electro dough, craft your own callipers and meet the elusive Messy Monster. Institute of Imagination (Lambeth), £4 adult/£8 child, book ahead, 10.30am-12pm/1pm-2.30pm
CODING LESSONS: Learn how to create a work of art on your laptop at this coding workshop. You'll be guided by artist Jonathan Munro, whose artworks make use of computers to explore audience interaction. Attendees must provide their own laptop. Allia Future Business Centre (Hackney), £25.75, book ahead, 11am-1pm
TUDOR MAY DAY: Join a Shakespearean theatre troupe, learn how to maypole dance and explore an Elizabethan merchant's house at Eastbury Manor's Tudor May Day celebration. There's fun for all the family, including springtime-themed arts and crafts to keep the kids occupied while you enjoy live music and a cheeky scone. Eastbury Manor House (Barking), free entry, just turn up, 11am-4pm
FUN ON THE FARM: Celebrate Beltane at Kentish Town City Farm, where festivities include face painting, badge making and live music. As well as meeting the farm's four legged friends, you can earn your certificate in goat grooming. Kentish Town City Farm, £1/50p entry, just turn up, 12pm-4pm
BEER BATTLE: Craft beer connoisseurs can put their expertise to the test at Street Feast's epic battle of the breweries. You'll try 20 of their favourite lagers and ales in a double blind taste test before voting for your favourite. There's plenty of carbs to line your stomach with — street food offerings include rosemary salted fries, rotisserie chicken, and salt beef short ribs. Public (Woolwich), £15, book ahead, 12pm-9pm
PORTOBELLO LIVE: See rock royalty and superstar DJs alongside rising stars from the worlds of music, film, spoken word and art perform at Notting Hill's most iconic venues. Two-day festival Portobello Live features ska and reggae legends Gaz Mayall and The Trojans, former Sex Pistol Glen Matlock, and many more. Portobello Road, £20, book ahead, 12pm-midnight
BUNGA BUNGA SUPPER CLUB: For two whole hours you can scoff as much pizza as you like, washed down with bottomless bellinis at Bunga Battersea's bank holiday supper club. After you've had your fill, you can put your new-found Dutch courage to good use by taking to the stage as the lead singer of a live band with Rockaoke. Bunga Bunga (Battersea), £35, book ahead, 7pm-10pm
ROGUE OPERA: Can love set you free, or is it always a battle for dominance? Find out at Rogue Opera's intimate new production of Bizet's greatest opera, Carmen. Tonight's performance includes a pre-show touch tour for blind or partially sighted theatregoers, and the venue's disability access is excellent. Tara Theatre (Earlsfield), £18, book ahead, 7.30pm, until 8 May
ROOM WITH A JEW: Let award-winning comedian Josh Bor tickle your funny bone with an hour of brilliant stand up. As well as being crowned Jewish Comedian of the Year, Josh has supported the likes of Jack Whitehall and Alistair McGowan on tour. You might have seen him comparing curries and kebabs over on Buzzfeed video. Chickenshed Theatre (Cockfosters), £10, book ahead, 8pm
