All weekend
EASTER/BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND: Get into the seasonal mood with egg and bunny hunts, a spring fair, and other Easter events in London. Alternatively, browse our recommendations for things to do in London on a bank holiday, from guided walks to little-known parks to sporting pursuits. The kids are covered too, with our guide to family-friendly Easter holiday events in London, covering exhibitions, shows and more for all ages.
BRITISH SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS: Catch the final three days of action at the London Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park, at the British Swimming Championships. Tickets are available for the public to watch both heats and finals, with swimming and para-swimming event schedules running concurrently, and the event playing a role in team selection for the world championships. 15-20 April
LIVES LESS ORDINARY: The dreamily-stained-glassed Two Temple Place hosts Lives Less Ordinary until Sunday. The free exhibition takes a deep dive into working-class representation in British art through more than 150 works by working-class artists, spanning painting, photography, film, sculpture and ceramics. It challenges the notion that art is the domain of the middle and upper classes. FREE, until 20 April
JOHN MORLEY: The first solo exhibition of work by painter John Morley in almost 30 years is at the Garden Museum until Sunday. John Morley: Artist Gardener showcases his paintings and pastels of flowers, fruits and garden plants, many of which have never been publicly displayed. Until 20 April
WUNDERBAR: Roll up, roll up – Continental Circus Berlin has arrived in Richmond. Head to its Big Top in Old Deer Park to experience thrilling circus acts from all over the world, including a jaw-dropping Colombian high wire act, Cuban hair hanging, and high-octane acrobatic displays by Tanzania's Continental Warriors. There’s even a Globe of Death, involving death-defying motorbike stunts inside a gigantic metal sphere. 11-21 April (sponsor)
VERSAILLES: Science Museum hosts the final few days of exhibition Versailles: Science and Splendour. Find out how the famous French palace became a major site of scientific thinking in the 17th and 18th centuries, from mapping the Moon, to pioneer Madame du Coudray, who trained thousands of midwives across rural France. Until 21 April. This is also your last chance to see the entirety of the museum's Exploring Space gallery. From 22 April, the gallery will be partly closed (and completely closed from June) to make way for a new space-themed display opening later this year.
BRASIL! BRASIL!: The Royal Academy is home to a major exhibition featuring over 130 works by 10 important Brazilian artists from the 20th century. Brasil! Brasil! The Birth of Modernism spans the 1910s-1970s, with works from rarely seen Brazilian private collections, as well as Brazilian public collections, most of which have never been exhibited in the UK. Until 21 April
TENDING: On at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith, Tending is an award-winning play exploring the daily lives of NHS nurses. Based on over 70 interviews, it captures the blend of humour and humanity in life on the wards, while raising important questions about caring for the caregivers in a strained healthcare system. 15 April-4 May (not Monday)
ROOF EAST: Stratford's summer party venue Roof East reopens just in time for the bank holiday weekend, on top of a multi-storey car park. Entertainment options this year include crazy golf, batting cages, glitter bowls, ping pong and open-air film screenings from Rooftop Film Club. Fried chicken from Chick 'n' Sours and Turkish dishes from Piddaji are among the food options, with a well stocked bar on site too. From 17 April
SONY WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS: One of our favourite annual photography shows, the Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition returns to Somerset House, showcasing images taken all over the world in the past year, spanning portraiture, documentary photography, architecture, sports and more. Previously unseen works by the 2024 Photographer of the Year Juliette Pavy are also on show. 17 April-5 May
1880 THAT: Wellcome Collection's latest exhibition, 1880 THAT: Christine Sun Kim and Thomas Mader, explores sign language and the right to communicate. It brings together new and recent work by the artists Christine Sun Kim and Thomas Mader which focus on the fallout of the Second International Congress on Education of the Deaf, held in Milan in 1880, and resulting in the sidelining and suppression of the teaching of sign language. FREE, 17 April-16 November (closed Monday)
Good Friday 18 April
INDIE BEER FEST: Brixton's London Beer Lab taproom celebrates Indie Beer Week with a three-day beer festival, featuring a curated beer list from independent brewers; big and small, old and new, from around the country. Your ticket includes three x ⅓ pint Festival Favourites, beer talks, and a blind beer tasting competition. 18-20 April
PASSION OF JESUS: Every Good Friday, Trafalgar Square is packed out with thousands of people gathering to watch The Passion of Jesus, a free retelling of the Easter story, with 100 actors taking part. Everyone's welcome, but it involves — spoiler — a crucifixion scene, so may not be suitable for younger kiddies. There are two performances, and it gets very busy. FREE, 12pm/3.15pm
BUBBLE MAN: Louis Pearl, AKA The Amazing Bubble Man, is at Woolwich Works for a family-friendly show of his science and bubble tricks. Expect square bubbles, bubbles inside bubbles, fog-filled bubbles, giant bubbles, bubble volcanoes, and people inside bubbles. Lots of bubbles, basically. 2pm
MESSIAH ON GOOD FRIDAY: For the 149th time, the Royal Choral Society performs Handel's Messiah at the Royal Albert Hall on Good Friday — a tradition that's only ever been interrupted by the Blitz and Covid. 150 singers are conducted by the choir's Music Director Richard Cooke, and accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and a quartet of soloists. 2.30pm
ACADEMY OF ANCIENT MUSIC: As always on Good Friday, Barbican hosts a rendition of Bach's St John Passion, performed by the Academy of Ancient Music. 3pm
BAD FRIDAY: Windmill Brixton hosts Bad Friday, a BBQ all-dayer festival featuring eight live bands, including Belfast garage punk trio Jock, feminist garage-rockers the Baby Seals, and the gothic darkwave pop of Border Widow (featuring ex-members of Big Joanie). Barbecue food is included in your ticket, with vegan options available. 3.30pm
Saturday 19 April
CRUX FESTIVAL: Audiovisual music event Crux Festival takes over Rich Mix in Shoreditch for its second edition. The programme features an array of electronic music and audiovisual performances each evening, both headline acts and emerging performers. During the day there are talks from artists and industry figures, workshops and shorter open-mic sets, networking opportunities and a Sunday jam session. 19-20 April
DAWN CHORUS WALK: Make a very early start on Easter Saturday, and get to the London Wetland Centre in Barnes for 5am to join a guided dawn chorus walk. Hear the birds sing as the sun rises over the reed beds, lakes and ponds, and learn to identify the different species by the sounds they make. Bring your own binoculars and wrap up warm. 5am
ANIMATED FILMS: This week's Family Film Club at Barbican Cinema is a special edition, with the London International Animation Festival presenting a programme of Amazing Animated Shorts for two-seven year olds. Watch 16 short films from all over the world, including about an ambitious dung beetle who can't stop rolling poo, and a restless little rhino who won't go to bed. 11am
HORNIMAN SPRING FAIR: A highlight of Easter every year, Horniman Museum's spring fair takes place in the grounds, with traditional games, crafts, a family disco and an Easter bonnet parade, among street food traders and other stalls. 11am-4pm
DRAG BRUNCH: This is the first weekend of this year's season at Between the Bridges on South Bank, and it's starting strong with a drag brunch. Resident queen Miss Leigh Ding hosts, joined by guests Tayce and Cara Melle for party tunes while you enjoy an hour of bottomless bubbly. 11.30am-3pm
VAISAKHI FESTIVAL: Vaisakhi — the Sikh and Punjabi cultural festival — falls on 14 April this year, but London's main celebration returns to Trafalgar Square a few days later, namely today. The free festival features live entertainment and performances, martial arts demonstrations, a showcase of Sikh art, plus food and drink stalls. FREE, 12pm-6pm
BRIXTON ACTIVISM WALK: Join Laura Agustin for a tour of Brixton, focussing on the various minority communities who have made it home and a centre of activism. Like Brixton itself, the walk is hard to summarise in one sentence, so check out Laura's full description, which includes "Windrush, squats, uprising and gay lib". 1pm-3.30pm
DINOSAUR ADVENTURE LIVE: The Big Jurassic Storm is the new production by Dinosaur Adventure Live, bringing giant dinosaur puppets and models on stage at Fairfield Halls. Join a mission to find a hidden code, reboot a satellite and save the dinosaurs from a huge storm. 2pm/4.30pm
JHAM!: Head to Southbank Centre for Jham!, a family-friendly free Indian dance performance and workshop for all ages. A beatboxer, a saxophonist and a traditional Karnatik vocalist perform alongside four Kathak and Bharatanatyam dancers, followed by a dance and beatbox workshop. FREE, 2pm/5pm
SATURDAY COMEDY: Diane Spencer, Ed Kear, Prince Abdi and Gavin Webster taker to the stage in Greenwich to say funny things, at tonight's Saturday Night Comedy at Up The Creek. From 8.45pm
IMPROV COMEDY: 3: An Improvised Comedy Show comes to Soho Theatre, with three improv comedians creating a theatrical comedy experience in front of you, taking three audience suggestions, and using three pieces of set and a live musician. Ambika Mod (of One Day on Netflix) stars. 9.30pm
SCARED TO DANCE: The Shacklewell Arms in Dalston hosts regular club night Scared To Dance, featuring guest DJs Honeyglaze and resident Paul Richards. Anouska Sokolow, a member of Honeyglaze, is behind the decks for the first time, offering a mix of post-punk, indiepop, new wave, and art rock. 11pm
Easter Sunday 20 April
EASTER SUNDAY: Be aware that special trading laws apply on Easter Sunday, meaning that shops which usually open on a Sunday may stay closed today. Also worth checking museums, restaurants and other attractions before you leave home, to make sure they're open as usual.
SECRET DOME TOURS: The Old Royal Naval College relaunches its rather exciting Secret Dome tours. Climb the narrow, winding staircase and visit Christopher Wrens's dome, see the inner workings of the historic turret clock, and learn how the Royal Naval College was directly impacted by the Second World War. 3.30pm (and selected dates until September)
EASTER FAMILY DISCO: Fancy dress is encouraged for the family Easter disco at Big Penny Social, with bubbles, prizes and games, while DJs play songs for the whole family to dance along to. 11am-4pm
PALACE GARDEN TOUR: Join an expert guide for a tour of the gardens at Fulham Palace, and learn about some of the unusual specimens currently growing here. You'll also find out about some of the projects the garden team is working on to conserve the space for the future. Age 14+. 12.30pm-1.45pm
BRIDGET JONES: If you missed the latest Bridget Jones film when it was in cinemas, there's another chance to catch it today at Firmdale Film Club. The Charlotte Street Hotel screens Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, with the option to add on a three-course meal or champagne to your ticket (popcorn's already included). 5pm
ARTFUL DODGER: Legendary UK garage DJ Artful Dodger headlines the Easter Sunday rave at Queen of Hoxton. He takes over one room, while old school hip hop and RnB plays in a second one. 5pm-12am
PADDINGTON TRIO: Chamber ensemble the Paddington Trio take their turn in the spotlight at Conway Hall's Sunday Concerts series. Finnish violinist Tuulia Hero, Irish cellist Patrick Moriarty and American pianist Stephanie Tang perform works by Haydn, Schumann and Ravel. 6.30pm-8.30pm
SPECIAL KINDA MADNESS: Not one but two Madness tribute bands perform at the Half Moon in Putney. The Specials and the Madness 'Nutty Boys' team up for Special Kinda Madness, a night of 2-Tone and ska tunes by Suggs and the gang. 7pm
IMPROV COMEDY: It may be Easter Sunday, but the Comedy Store Players' regular improv comedy night is still going ahead at the Leicester Square venue. Neil Mullarkey, Josie Lawrence, Ruth Bratt, Lee Simpson, Richard Vranch and Kirsty Newton are among the members of the comedy troupe who take suggestions for characters, locations and themes from the audience. 7.30pm
LA DISCOTHEQUE: Inspired by the electricity of Paradise Garage and Studio 54's penchant for glitter and glam, La Discotheque leaves its Manchester home for a special event at Fabric. The full-club takeover includes three rooms of dance floor vibes, with sets from Artwork, Guy Williams, Pirate Copy, Daisybelle, Carly Foxx and more. 11pm-5am
Easter Monday 21 April
VINTAGE MARKET: So Last Century Vintage Market pitches up at Beckenham Place Mansion, bringing together 50+ traders selling mid-20th century furniture, lighting, homeware and ceramics, original posters, prints, books, records, antique maps and charts, vintage clothes (including for children) and much more. Find stalls both inside and outside the mansion building. 10am-5pm
BEER & BITES: Forty Hall in Enfield has a free-entry Beer & Bites festival, with food and drink stalls, and live music and open mic performances throughout the afternoon, all taking place on the lawn. FREE, 11am-4pm
ST GEORGE'S FESTIVAL: Ahead of St George's Day on Wednesday, the free London St George's Day Festival takes place in Trafalgar Square, with live music, dance and performances celebrating English culture, along with the chance to take a selfie with pearly kings and queens. FREE, 12pm-6pm
BIG DISNEY BASH: The Basement Orchestra takes over Big Penny Social for two concerts of some of the biggest Disney songs from the past 100 years: think the Lion King, Frozen and the Little Mermaid. There's a family-friendly matinee show, followed by an evening performance for grown-ups, and both are sing-alongs, so be prepared to join in. 2pm/6pm
PUB QUIZ: As with every Monday, the Old Blue Last in Shoreditch hosts a pub quiz up on the top floor. Maximum six people per team, with prizes and a rolling cash jackpot to be won. 7pm
MEMENTO MORI: Death expert Joanna Ebenstein gives an illustrated online talk about the ways that people in countries throughout time have related to death in a positive light. Compared to the contemporary Western world view of death as purely negative, many places have methods to prepare for a good death and afterlife experience. 8pm-9.30pm
