Staying in the capital this weekend? Discover the best of London city with our definitive guide of the top things to see and do.
ART
Frieze London and Frieze Masters introduce a new format of online and offline activity this year, with The Institute of Melodic Healing (IMH), an ‘institute of sound and performance’ located at 9 Cork Street, Mayfair (and broadcast online from 6-11 Oct), Frieze Viewing Room, a virtual gallery space presenting major works by established and emerging artists, and Frieze Sculpture. Frieze Sculpture is an outdoor exhibition of 12 ambitious works by leading international artists across the English Gardens at Regents Park. Free to all.
DANCE
Greenwich Dance has commissioned social and street dance company Grounded Movement to bring live dance theatre to individual homes throughout the Royal Borough of Greenwich in celebration of Black History Month. The Ragtime to Grime – Bring It Home Tour is a powerful street dance and rap performance telling the story of troubled young people who feel mentally adrift and disenfranchised from history. Just 10-minutes long, the specially choreographed performance by Temujin Gill, featuring dancers Daniella May Selwood and Adrian Falconer, alongside rapper Sunanda Biswas, will take place at the end of a path or in a communal outdoor space in a physically distanced format. The original music is by Nick Ramm and features original lyrics by the late Nigerian-born hip hop artist Ty (aka Ben Chijioke).
NORTHERN LIGHTS
Known as the aurora borealis, The Northern Lights can be hard to spot so the folks at Nordic Spirit have decided to bring it to you with an immersive pop-up experience called #NordicSpiritNights. Taking place in Soho from 1-17 October, the space will operate as a Nordic Spirit shop during the day, but come evening, the space will transform into #NordicSpiritNights, a Scandinavian forest and fjord-like setting offering a 360°-experience featuring the Northern Lights, live DJ sets, sunset suppers and exclusive film screenings.
SHOPFRONT JOY
Artist Amy Broch has created a playful art installation in a previously empty shopfront where whimsical characters come alive and create ‘joy bombs’ – the artistic equivalent to photo bombing. JOY Bomb London – created by Broch after her husband’s ALS diagnosis – creates site-specific multi-sensory installations that transform ordinary spaces into mini-worlds of rainbow-filled delights. JOY Found Me is a site-specific, interactive installation for the ground floor window and first floor balcony areas of 48 Brook Street, created in collaboration with Illuminate Productions for Mayfair Arts Weekend. Available to view daily from 12pm-8pm, with interactive performances on Fridays and Saturdays from 12pm-8pm.
BRUNCH
Brothers BBQ and the Bush Theatre announce their first-ever brunch event, the Bless Up Bottomless Brunch, which is all about coming together and celebrating a love of good food and good music. The socially distanced event certainly won’t be short of funky tunes, brought to you by your host and soundtrack providers, Mixmaster DJ & K Pryme. Enjoy UKG, Funky House & Old School Vibes Hip Hop, R&B & Reggae/Dancehall classics while tucking into exciting street food options like the famous Brothers BBQ Sweet Love Burger, Boneless BBQ Jerk Chicken and their incredible waffle creation with Nutella or Biscoff Spread topped with Oreos and white chocolate – plus bottomless cocktails or prosecco. 2pm-8pm. Tickets £35pp.
SILENT DISCO
Static, the high-end boutique cycling studio in Nine Elms, near Battersea, is hosting a unique boat party ride aboard the Tamesis Dock floating pub this weekend. The boat party will feature an outdoor silent disco spin class session with Lauren and Chucky onboard the floating venue, which is moored near MI6 on Albert Embankment, followed by pizza and prosecco afterward (soft drinks or a bottomless upgrade will be available on the day). From 10am. Tickets are £45.
EAT
Street Feast’s founder Dominic Cools-Lartigue is behind this new food hall, set in the building that was once home to Mark Hix’s restaurant Tramshed. It’s a Grade II-listed former power station, and will now be home to street-food stalls from some of London’s best chefs. Grab West African snacks from Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen, flame-grilled dishes from St Leonards’ Andrew Clarke or buttermilk-fried chicken courtesy of James Cochran, head chef at Islington’s 12:51. There’s also art from the Zabludowicz Collection, and the Tramshed Project will donate food with the help of charities in the local community.
WATCH
The BFI London Film Festival has been moved predominantly online for the first time in its 64-year history. Get access, either at cinemas across the UK or from your sofa, to premieres of films such as Ultraviolence, in which director Ken Fero uses archival footage to document police involvement in cases of murder and manslaughter between 1995 and 2005; Academy Award-winner Steve McQueen’s Lovers Rock, which takes place in Eighties West London; and Ammonite, from God’s Own Country director Francis Lee and starring Saoirse Ronan and Kate Winslet.
MARKET
Pop into the ViewTube Farmers Market this Saturday, 10 October at Snoozebox Olympic Park to sample lots of delicious, organic produce. Enjoy award-winning vegan chocolate from Gemini Chocolate, organic sourdough bread from Celtic Bakers, seasonal vegetables from Brambletye Fruit Farm, vegan cheeses from I am Nut Ok, raw local honey from Bermondsey Street Bees and lots more. 10% off tea/coffee at Snoozebox while you’re dropping by. From 12pm – 4pm