All weekend
DESIGN AND DISABILITY: Described as both a celebration and a call to action, the V&A's new exhibition, Design and Disability, looks at where and how disabled, d/Deaf, and neurodiverse people and communities have contributed to design history and contemporary culture. Find out how disabled folks have designed everyday objects through their own experience and expertise, and get an insight into how design can be made more equitable and accessible for all. From 7 June
OCEAN COURT: After a year-long roof refurb, the National Maritime Museum's Ocean Court reopens on Saturday, with a brand new floor map. The Spilhaus Projection is a map of the world according to fish, showing one, interconnected ocean. Objects on display include technical instruments from Greenpeace's first ship in 1978. Look out for a series of events to celebrate the reopening. FREE, from 7 June
LAMBETH COUNTRY SHOW: The annual two-day Lambeth Country Show pitches up in its usual Brockwell Park spot for all manner of entertainment spanning sheep shearing, vegetable sculptures, live music, chocolate making, and... a wall of death, featuring daring motorbike stunts. FREE ENTRY, 7-8 June
LONDON OPEN GARDENS: London Open Gardens Weekend is a chance to explore the city's green spaces via open days, tours and talks. They range from allotments, to small private gardens, to the likes of Eaton Square Garden, usually only accessible to residents with a key. In all, over 100 places take part this year. 7-8 June
BARNET MEDIEVAL FESTIVAL: See re-enactments of the Battles of Barnet 1471 and the Second Battle of St Albans 1461, as well as displays by the gunners, archers and mounted knights at this year's Barnet Medieval Festival. There's also a medieval market, craft displays and an exhibition of medieval art. Note there's a new venue for 2025: Lewis of London ice cream farm, just north of Barnet. 7-8 June
LONDON MAP FAIR: The largest antique map fair in Europe, London Map Fair unfolds at the Royal Geographical Society in South Ken this weekend, with cartography ranging from the 15th-20th centuries, and costing between £10 and £100,000. Whether you're looking for something to transform your living room, or just want a free nosey around, everyone's welcome. FREE ENTRY, 7-8 June
LONDON RIVERS WEEK: Celebrating London's waterways, London Rivers Week comes to a close with events all weekend, including a sketching session at Walthamstow Wetlands, an art session using plastic found in rivers, and a guided walk through Elmbridge Meadows in Surbiton. Until 8 June
MEAN GIRLS: Also ending this weekend is Mean Girls the musical, which brings its run at the Savoy Theatre to a close. Based on the 2004 film of the same name, it tells the story of home-schooled Cady Heron who becomes involved with 'The Plastics' when she starts at a new high school. Until 8 June
FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY: See photographs shortlisted for the World Food Photography Awards on display at the Museum of the Home. The pictures hail from all over the world, and showcase all of the ways food affects our lives, from growing, harvesting and cooking, to eating, celebrating and surviving. 3 June-7 September
SERPENTINE PAVILION: The 2025 Serpentine Pavilion is unveiled in Kensington Gardens on Friday, designed by Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum and taking the form of a curving, lozenge-like structure. The temporary building remains in situ throughout the summer. FREE, from 6 June
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A free festival for all ages celebrating science and the arts
Exhibition Road is the home of many great London institutions — think Imperial College London, the Natural History Museum, Science Museum, V&A and Royal Albert Hall. And on Saturday 7-Sunday 8 June, this South Kensington quarter becomes even greater, thanks to the Great Exhibition Road Festival!
For one action-packed weekend this much-loved annual celebration invites you to experience cutting-edge experiments, mind-bending technology, music, dance, art and lots more besides. What's more, it's all utterly FREE to enjoy!
Fancy a peek at the line-up? Well there's Insect Yoga (where you get to flex and stretch like a creepy crawly), the Popcorn Factory (feat. a nonstop popcorn machine), a game show where you decide what's the Weirdest Object in the Universe, an invite to tuck into food from the future… Oh, and the chance to dance at the tiniest disco in the universe!
All the above is just scratching the surface. Be sure to register for the latest updates and be the first to find out about free tickets for popular talks, workshops and shows.
The Great Exhibition Road Festival, South Kensington, Saturday 7-Sunday 8 June, free
Saturday 7 June
DRAG STORY HOUR: As part of Wandsworth Arts Fringe, The Rooftop at the Arches (next to Putney Bridge) hosts a drag story hour, with drag artists reading well-loved children's stories to young visitors and their parents/carers. Aimed at children up to eight years old. 10am
SIKH VOICES: As part of London Festival of Architecture, take a tour of Hampton Court Palace focusing on the building's Sikh and Punjab heritage. Visit Faraday House, residence of Princess Sophia Duleep Singh, watch a presentation on the Indian Army at the Palace exhibition by its curators, and tour the Palace learning about the Sikh and Punjab voices associated with it. 11am-3pm
SUMMER STREET FESTIVAL: King Street and Lyric Square are the places to head for the Hammersmith Summer Street Festival, with 100+ stalls plus live music and street entertainment. 11am-7pm
DOGGIE DAY: The Brunswick Centre in Bloomsbury hosts Doggie Day, a celebration of all things canine including stunt dog shows featuring famous pooches from TV and film such as Wonder Woman, Doc Martin and Midsomer Murders. Also on the programme: dog shows where your pooch could win prizes in categories including waggiest tale, best paw shaker, best coat, and best trick — and a canine fashion show with dogs taking to the catdogwalk in their best outfits. 11.30am-3.30pm
MAX IN THE PARK: Brockley Max festival culminates in Max in the Park, a free, family-friendly fun day in Hilly Fields offering stalls, live music, workshops, a storytelling tent, a raffle, and food and drink stalls. FREE, 12pm-6pm
KEVIN & PERRY GO LARGE: Celebrate 25 years of cult comedy film Kevin and Perry Go Large, with a trance-heavy day rave at Ministry of Sound. Dust off your glow sticks, channel your inner superstar DJ and cut loose to classic dance and trance sounds from the likes of Signum, Lange, Leena Punks, Eyeball Small, Keith Mac, Tristan Ingram, Joe Bonner, Sam Mitcham, Danny Vito and Jack Osman. 2pm-10pm
FOLK FESTIVAL: Treat your lugholes to an afternoon of folk and roots music at Magpie's Nest Festival, happening at Master Shipwright's Palace in Deptford. Wander from stage to stage in the gardens, with an unplugged stage inside the house itself, listening to performers from all over the world including Malawian band Gasper Nali, Canadian songwriter Dana Sipos, and Balkan vocal trio Alkanna Graeca. Sounds like a very chilled afternoon/evening. 3pm-11pm
DUMPLINGS: Chubby Dumpling pops up at Good as Gold in Brockley for an evening of delicious dumplings (think lobster, crab, chicken satay) served alongside other Chinese and Hong Kong-inspired family dishes including fresh steamed scallops, and slow cooked ox cheeks. You'll need to book tickets for this set menu. 7.30pm-10pm
LOST MUSIC OF AUSCHWITZ: A new opera-ballet to commemorate 80 years since the liberation of the concentration camp, The Lost Music of Auschwitz features music created from a collection of music manuscripts which were written, arranged and performed by the prisoner orchestras, and remained hidden in archives until recently. It's on at Bloomsbury Theatre. 7.30pm
Sunday 8 June
CROSSNESS LIVE HISTORY: Visit Crossness Pumping Station in Abbey Wood for an interactive mystery theatre event. The family-friendly immersive adventure is set in 1865, when London's brand new sewage system was about to be unveiled, and it's up to you to solve puzzles, learning about the building's history as you go. 10am/12pm
FOOTBALL SHIRT FAIR: The Retro Football Fair is at Big Penny Social in Walthamstow, taking the form of a dedicated vintage football fair with a vast array of retro shirts and football merchandise to browse and buy. 10am-4pm
ANTIQUES FAIR: The Adams Antiques Fair takes place at the Royal Horticultural Halls in Westminster, with over 130 exhibitors selling antique jewellery, silver, decorative pieces and collectables. If you're keen to be first in, get there early, as a queue usually forms before opening. 10am-4.30pm
HERITAGE BUSES: London Bus Museum's semi-regular heritage day sees buses dating from the 1950s-70s ply the 418 route between Epsom and Kingston. Just turn up anywhere along the route and wait for an RT-Type or original Routemaster to come along. You can board for free, and might even get a facsimile ticket to keep if there's a conductor on board. Ding ding! FREE, 10am-5pm
PECKHAM SALVAGE YARD: Dive into a treasure trove of vintage furniture, reclaimed industrial fixtures, lighting, and salvaged electricals at Peckham Salvage Yard, taking place at Copeland Park. Homewares, curiosities, collectibles, and surprising oddities are among the items being sold by stallholders. 11am-5pm
BBQ: The summer season sees STK Steakhouse in Stratford launch its Sunday BBQ series, offering brisket sliders, prawn skewers, tandoori cauliflower and suchlike served alongside vibrant cocktails, rooftop views and DJs. From 12pm
SPLAT: Children's high-energy theatre show Splat! comes to Greenwich Theatre. The physical comedy production was created in collaboration with award-winning deaf artist and filmmaker Brian Duffy, so is naturally accessible to deaf and non-verbal audiences as well as non-English speakers, and young children still learning to talk. It's set inside a colourful artist's studio where two very different painters must learn to collaborate, taking the audience on a whirlwind journey through art history. Age three-seven. 12pm/2.30pm
EID ON THE SQUARE: Eid Al Adha celebrations are back in Trafalgar Square today, with Eid on the Square, a day of Islamic-inspired music, food and family activities, including appearance from kids' favourites Omar & Hana, drumming workshops and Uzbek and Afghan cuisine. Otherwise, see directly below for an alternative option. FREE, 12pm-6pm
EID BY THE RIVER: The London Bridge Islamic Centre presents Eid by the River, a celebration of Eid Al Adha, alongside the river near Tower Bridge. People from all backgrounds are welcome (Muslim or otherwise) to enjoy a range of performances including poetry, nasheed songs and comedy as well as children's and family activities. FREE, 12.30pm-7.30pm
JAZZ AND BLUES: Croydon's esteemed Oval Tavern hosts a double bill of free music goodness today. Things get cracking from 1pm with Jazz in the Afternoon, followed by the blistering Blues at the Oval from 6pm. Just buy a pint and settle in. FREE, 1pm and 6pm
SILENT FILMS: Barbican Cinema screens A Colour Box, a programme of early and pre-Technicolor short silent films featuring butterflies, fairies, fireworks and crystals. Here, they're accompanied by music composed by the Electronic & Produced Music Department at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. 3pm
NOSFERATU: The Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square screens 1922 silent film Nosferatu, an adaptation of Dracula which some recognise as the first ever horror film. Musician Hugo Max accompanies the screening with live scoring. 8pm
ALDBAIDAR DUO: The Albaidar Duo, comprised of musicians Kristýna Farag and Marwan Alsolaiman, bring together Arabic folk and classical music, rooted in Syrian traditions. Catch them live at Aces & Eights in Tufnell Park, using a unique blend of instruments, including the oud and Western flute. 8pm
