Things To Do This Weekend In London: 11-12 March 2023

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All weekend

Travis Alabanza sitting at a small table, against a backdrop of bright pink and yellow walls
Last chance to catch Travis Alabanza at Southbank Centre. Image: Elise Rose

CEZANNE: Tate Modern's Cezanne exhibition displays the still lifes, landscapes and paintings of French artist Paul Cezanne, exploring how his tendency to break the rules changed painting forever — and this is its final weekend. Our art critic gave it a 5* review. Until 12 March

TRAVIS ALABANZA: Performance artist Travis Alabanza performs their show Burgerz in a final run at Southbank Centre. Born as a result of someone throwing a burger at Alabanza as part of a transphobic slur, it explores the trans experience through the medium of burgers. 8-12 March

BALLET BLACK: British dance company Ballet Black was established to address the lack of diversity in professional ballet, by championing Black and Asian performers. This weekend, catch the company in a double bill of new and original work at Barbican, choreographed by Will Tuckett and Mthuthuzeli November. 8-12 March

DISNEY ON ICE: A treat normally reserved for the Christmas period, family show Disney On Ice is back at Wembley with new production Discover the Magic, featuring modern and classic Disney characters from Coco, Frozen, Toy Story, Beauty and the Beast and others. 9-12 March

A tube map with a 3D model of a man with a cane and bowler hat, lifting his right leg very high in a silly walk
Silly Walks by Patrick Boyd is one of the artworks available at The Affordable Art Fair. Image: Woolff Gallery

AFFORDABLE ART FAIR: Prices for artworks start at £50 at the Affordable Art Fair, which is held at Evolution Battersea. Thousands of contemporary artworks are for sale, with special events including DJs, late night openings, and a mural created live on site. 9-12 March

THE OTHER ART FAIR: The Other Art Fair takes over the Old Truman Brewery for four days of artwork that's accessible to all. Affordable and original pieces are up for grabs, alongside immersive installations, live performances and a bar. 9-12 March

WOMEN OF THE WORLD: Three-day festival Women of the World, celebrating women, girls and non-binary people takes place at Southbank Centre, tackling topics including miscarriage, women's safety, fat activism, childcare costs and a history of Bengali activism. There's also a marketplace where you can browse and buy products from female-led businesses. 10-12 March

A panel of four women on stage at WOW Festival. Three are sitting in armchairs and one sits in a wheelchair.
WOW Festival is on all weekend

COUNTRY TO COUNTRY: Three days of country music comes to The O2 as Country To Country festival returns. Rising Nashville stars take to the stage between sets from headline acts including Thomas Rhett, Lady A and Zac Brown Band. 10-12 March

CRAFTERAMA: Head to Alexandra Palace for Crafterama, a weekend covering paper crafts, stamps, decoupage, beading, resin art, needle crafts and more. Exhibitors from all over the country show off their craft materials and tools, offering shed-loads of inspiration for your next project. 11-12 March

ITALIAN FILMS: 12 different films are screened at mini festival Cinema Made In Italy at Cine Lumiere. Fascism, the Pope and gang crime are some of the topics covered in both fiction and non-fiction films, including In Viaggio on Saturday and The Lord of the Ants on Sunday. 9-13 March

OSCAR WEEK: With the Oscars taking place late on Sunday night into the early hours of Monday, Barbican Cinema is screening this year's nominated films over the course of a week. There are seven to choose from this weekend, including Tár on Saturday and Elvis on Sunday. 10-16 March

QUEEN'S CORGIS: The Wallace Collection unveils a free new display, The Queen and her Corgis, featuring photographs depicting the late monarch's close relationship with the dog breed. FREE, 8 March-25 June

Saturday 11 March

Queen Elizabeth II wearing a sage coloured jacket and leaning on the wall of a flowerbed, with a corgi next to her shoulder
Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral Castle with one of her Corgis, 28 September 1952. Bettmann / Contributor via Getty Images. Featured in a new exhibition at Wallace Collection.

SMARTPHONE PHOTOGRAPHY: Up your photo game at Bishopsgate Institute's smartphone photography workshop, focusing specifically on fashion photography and portraits. Spend some time out on the nearby streets shooting pictures, before heading inside to learn how to edit them. 11am-1pm

CHEESE AND BEER TASTING: Cheese and wine is a common combo, so why not cheese and beer? That's the thinking at Wimbledon Brewery, which hosts a tasting session pairing seven artisan cheeses with beers created by a master brewer. Age 18+ (obviously). 1pm

CABABABARAVE: As part of the ongoing (though soon closing) VAULT Festival, enjoy a cabaret-inspired show for babies and their parents/carers. Cabababarave was created by two mums who were bored of the usual baby events, and features cabaret performances interspersed with baby sensory moments, ending in a rave. 2pm

ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY: Spend the evening with judges and astrophotographers involved in this year's Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition exhibition at the National Maritime Museum. Find out how incredible photos of space are taken, and view this year's exhibition of winning and shortlisted images. 6pm-8pm

GRACE CAMPBELL: Head to Alexandra Palace to see comedian Grace Campbell in her brand new show, A Show About Me(n), which tells the story of how she let go of her need for male validation. Age 16+.7pm

CALLING PLANET EARTH: Head to Croydon's Fairfield Halls for Calling Planet Earth, a live music show celebrating the sounds of the 1980s. Songs by Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, The Human League, Tears For Fears, Depeche Mode and many others are performed by a live band, with symphonic arrangements. 7.30pm

Three four-legged stalls, each with a different colour cushion, on a wooden floor with a bookcase in the background
Pimp up your pad at the Midcentury Modern on Sunday.

KATE MOSSE: Author Kate Mosse brings her first one-woman show to artsdepot. Warrior Queens & Quiet Revolutionaries is part detective story, part love letter to history, with fun facts and mystery objects thrown in, and a preview of her new novel of the same name. 7.30pm

DARA Ó BRIAIN: Irish comedian and TV presenter Dara Ó Briain is at Croydon's Fairfield Halls for his latest show, So... Where Were We?, following on from his previous show which came to an end just before lockdown in March 2020. Expect stories, one-liners and some audience interaction — you've been warned. 8pm

I HATE IT HERE: I Hate it Here is an interactive piece of theatre about zero hours contracts and instability. Audience members at the Pleasance Theatre will participate in game shows, sign up for shifts, and have the chance to win at bingo, all to raise awareness of everything that's wrong with zero hours contracts. Tonight's the final show. 8.45pm

AVERAGE BEAR: Comedian, singer and actor Michelle Brasier brings her current show, Average Bear, to Soho Theatre for the finale of a week-long run. Hear about her personal experience living in the shadows of an hereditary illness, interwoven with the fictional story of Average, a bear with a problematic fear of hibernation, for a real rollercoaster ride of emotions. 9.15pm

Sunday 12 March

People rummaging in a warehouse filled with furniture, and homewares including clocks and a globe
Hunt out some bargains at Peckham Salvage Yard

SCI-FI FILM FEST: Science Museum hosts the Science Fiction Film Festival, tying in with its current Science Fiction exhibition. Watch classic films from the sci-fi genre, along with newer releases, in the museum's IMAX screen. Alien, The X Files and Blade Runner are all shown today. 8-12 March

MIDCENTURY MODERN: Taking place at Dulwich College, the Midcentury Modern is an interiors show of 20th century furniture, soft furnishings, wallpaper, glassware and other items to kit out your home for a retro vibe, as well as pieces by modern designers. 85 dealers and designers are scheduled to attend. 10am-4pm

PECKHAM SALVAGE YARD: 60 traders rock up at the Bussey Building and Copeland Park for Peckham Salvage Yard, selling vintage clothes, 20th century furniture, salvaged homewares and a few oddities. 11am-5pm

THE KING OF NOTHING: Take the family along to artsdepot for a performance of The King Of Nothing, a puppet musical inspired by the Emperor's New Clothes, about a vain king who's given a new suit to wear to an important parade. Suitable for ages 5+. 11am/2pm

ELIZABETH BLACKWELL: Chelsea Physic Garden marks International Women's Day with a talk about Elizabeth Blackwell, a Scottish botanical illustrator whose book was used as a reference work for physicians and apothecaries. Pamela Holmes, who has written a book about Blackwell, gives the talk. 11.30am

A woman with shamrock shaped comedy glasses, a green furry hat, and a green, white and orange feather boa, at the St Patrick's Day parade
London goes green for the St Patrick's Day Parade. Image: aurélien.

ST PATRICK'S PARADE: Central London becomes a sea of green as the St Patrick's Day Parade and Festival takes over the streets. Line the route between Hyde Park Corner and Trafalgar Square to watch the procession pass, then head to the finish line for a free festival of Irish culture.  FREE, 12pm

WOMAN ON THE ROOF: Head to the Prince Charles Cinema for a screening of Woman on the Roof, a film which looks at how older women are sidelined by society. It's a Polish film, part of the Kinoteka Polish Film Festival. 3.30pm

GAGGLE: Another highlight of VAULT Festival this weekend is Gaggle, a show of drag, dancing and debauchery by a drag collective of the same name. Bi-Curious George, Father JC, Papa Parmigiano and Spoiler Rotten all appear in the show, which started life in the basement of Soho Theatre. 4.15pm

TALE OF TAWAIFS - MEHFIL: Rich Mix hosts a live musical telling the true life stories of the two most famous courtesans (music and dance performers, usually hired to entertain the wealthy and elite) of India in the early 20th century. Tale of Tawaifs - Mehfil tells of Janki Bai and Zohra Bai, and their struggle against the patriarchy, told through acting, singing and dancing. 5.45pm

DICKENS AFTER DARK: Footprints of London guide Mark Rowland offers a virtual tour through the areas of London which Charles Dickens frequented at night. From the comfort of your own home, find out about the night walks Dickens used to take and how they inspired his writing. 7pm-8pm