All weekend
HALF TERM: If you're looking for ways to keep tots and teens occupied on the final weekend of half term, browse our guide to spending half term in London for exhibitions, shows, and other family-friendly fun — including some activities which are completely free. Until 19 February
WHORLED: Make time to see the newest installation in the courtyard at Somerset House, unveiled on Thursday. Whorled (Here After Here After Here) by Jitish Kallat consists of two interconnected spirals designed to look like road signs, showing the distance from Somerset House to over 300 locations across the planet and beyond, including the Moon, Mars, and distant stars in the Milky Way. FREE, 16 February-23 April
STATUS QUO: Barbican Library has a new, free exhibition Celebrating Seven Decades Of Quo. As rock band Status Quo enters its seventh decade, get a glimpse through its history through photos, posters, memorabilia, and never-seen-before handwritten lyrics. FREE, 16 February-22 May
LONDON BOOKSHOP CRAWL: London Bookshop Crawl encourages you to visit as many independent bookshops as possible over the course of one weekend — with events at different shops around the capital (as well as online). The aim is to foster a community of book lovers, support London's independent bookshops, and discover new reads. 17-19 February
LONDON MOTORCYCLE SHOW: Start your engine for the London Motorcycle Show, wheeling into town for three days at ExCeL. See the latest bikes, kit and accessories, as well as a James Bond display. 17-19 February
MATILDA THE MUSICAL: If your tribe missed Matilda: The Musical when it was released in cinemas last year, book in for this weekend's Family Film Club at Barbican Cinema. It runs on Saturday and Sunday this week, giving you two chances to see Matilda, Miss Honey, Miss Trunchbull (played by Emma Thompson) and co on the big screen. 18 and 19 February
BEYOND THE STREETS: Saatchi Gallery's huge new exhibition, Beyond The Streets London, claims to be the most comprehensive graffiti and street art exhibition ever to open in the UK, featuring work by more than 100 artists, from huge-scale murals to train taggers. It takes over all five of the gallery's floors, so pace yourself. 17 February-9 May
LAST CHANCE TO SEE: It's the final weekend of a few major exhibitions in London. Catch them while you can:
- ALEXANDER THE GREAT: Alexander the Great's life spurred countless legends that go well beyond fact, and this thorough exhibition at the British Library leans fully into such mythical stories, looking at who he really was, and why he continues to captivate today. Until 19 February
- TURNER ON TOUR: See two paintings by JMW Turner on display side by side for the first time in a century, at the National Gallery. They depict the harbours of Dieppe and Cologne, and have been in a private collection in the US since 1914. FREE, until 19 February
- HIEROGLYPHS: The British Museum takes a deep dive into how the Rosetta Stone was used to translate Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, giving us a better idea of life back then. Until 19 February
- THE HORROR SHOW!: Head to Somerset House for a look back at the horror genre over the past 50 years, and how it was influenced by events happening in the world around us. Until 19 February
Saturday 18 February
IMAGINE CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL: Coinciding with half term, but worthy of a mention in its own right, is Southbank Centre's Imagine Children's Festival, an 11-day celebration of all facets of children's literature — and some of the events and activities (though not all) are free. Saturday is the final day, wrapping things up with a dance-theatre retelling of Rapunzel and family show Everything Has Changed. Until 18 February
FLAVOURSCAPES: Head to Regent Street and St James's for the second and final day of Flavourscapes, an outdoor food market with some rather unusual concoctions available, including liquid nitrogen ice cream, glow in the dark bao buns, and candy floss burritos. 17-18 February
WANSTEAD VINTAGE: Jewellery, vinyl, old tube maps, retro board game... Wanstead Vintage is a quarterly Aladdin's cave of pre-loved treasures waiting to be explored, and it's happening today. 10.30am-4.30pm
CERAMICS MARKET: Browse and buy goods from over 60 ceramic artists at the Independent Ceramics Market, at Copeland Park and the Bussey Building in Peckham. Cups and sculptures are among the goods available from art students and graduates, and experienced artists. 11am-5pm
PEAKY BLINDERS: If you're missing your fix of TV show Peaky Blinders, join Footprints of London guide Rob Smith on a walking tour through the real London of Peaky Blinders. Hear the true story of the Sabini gang, and visit some of their haunts in what was London's Little Italy. 2pm-4pm
NEW ORLEANS PARTY: Mardi Gras isn't until Tuesday, but there's a lively New Orleans-style bash at The Prince in West Brompton today. American whiskey brand Southern Comfort hosts, with cocktails and slushies available all night, and live DJs headlined by Nathan Dawe. 3pm-midnight
TAP FACTORY: 12 oil barrels, one stepladder, four bins and a bucket take to the stage at Croydon's Fairfield Halls — along with eight performers. Tap Factory is a lively, family-friendly show bringing together dance, acrobatics, music and comedy. 7pm
ROOPA PANESAR: Musician Roopa Panesar — a celebrated sitar player, performing Indian classical and Hindustani music — is at Barbican for a live show. Hear tracks from her upcoming album, ATMA, for which she collaborated with several Indian classical and jazz musicians. 8pm
HEART OF BRASS: No Limit Street Band — a high-energy brass group — headlines Heart of Brass at Queen of Hoxton, an evening of upbeat covers of house, funk and disco tracks. 8pm
LEO GREEN: Saxophonist supreme Leo Green is currently doing a residency at swanky Covent Garden hotel Middle Eight, which includes two shows every Saturday. For hands-in-the-air jazzed-up renditions of everything from Ed Sheeran to Beyonce To Elvis, this is where it's at. 8pm-9.15pm and 10pm-11.15pm
PATTI HARRISON: Tonight's your final chance to catch comedian Patti Harrison performing her current show — a work-in-progress, as it turns out — at Soho Theatre. We found it highly distasteful and riotously funny — here's our full review. 9.15pm
Sunday 19 February
CRICK CRACK CLUB: Fairytale-teller extraordinaire Ben Haggarty is at Gunnersbury Park & Museum, telling the story of Jack and the 12 Dancing Princesses. The 50-minute-long tale of broken shoes, strange disappearances and enchanted mirrors is suitable for anyone aged five to 100. 11am-11.50am
HOUSEPLANT MARKET: Got a gap in your house that needs filling? Yesterday's Independent Ceramics Market expands today to include houseplants too — so you can leave with a new green friend, and a jazzy pot to display it in. 11am-5pm
PECKHAM RECORD FAIR: And under the same room as those pots and plants (above) is Peckham Record Fair. Basically, if you're looking to part with any money this weekend, while supporting independent traders, the Bussey Building is the place to head. 11am-5pm
QUEER BOTANICAL DRAWING: Head to Chelsea Physic Garden for an LGBTQ+ History Month event — a Queer Botanical Drawing Session. Designer and artist Edward Luke Thrush hosts the workshop, which looks at plants through a queen botanical lens. All materials are provided, though you can bring your own if your prefer. 1pm-4pm
CARNIVAL DO BRASIL: Over in Brazil, it's Carnival week this week, but if you can't make it to Rio, head to Wembley Park instead. Carnival Do Brasil at Boxpark is a party featuring Latin DJs and Samba dancers and bands. 3pm-11pm
POWER OF FOUR: Join not one, not two, but FOUR fabulous drag queens — including Mary Mac and Marsha Mallow — at Two Brewers in Clapham, for a party that, well, drags on from mid afternoon to the small hours of Monday morning. 4pm-2am
JIBANANANDA FESTIVAL: Rich Mix hosts a celebration of Indian-Bengali poet Jibanananda Das's 124th birthday. Sadly, the man himself is no longer with us, but that's not stopping poet Ahmed Kaysher from curating an evening of readings and performances of Das's work. FREE, 5pm
ELMORE QUARTET: Performing at today's Sunday concert at Conway Hall in Holborn is the Elmore Quartet, a group of string musicians who met at Royal Northern College of Music in 2017. They perform work by Haydn, Fanny Mendelssohn, and Brahms. 6.30pm
COMEDY GALA: Matthew Highton, Rosie Holt, Stewart Lee, Ania Magliano, Shazia Mirza, Simon Munnery and Bilal Zafar are among the comedians appearing at a comedy gala night at Bloomsbury Theatre, raising money for non-profit community radio station Resonance FM. 7pm
