Things To Do This Weekend In London: 1-2 March 2025

Exhibitions, guided walks, live music and oodles more.

All weekend

COLLECT 2025: Head to Somerset House for Collect 2025, an art fair specialising in contemporary craft and design. Over 400 artists are represented by 40 specialist galleries and dealers, with prices ranging from £500 to £50,000. You've got 50 grand kicking about, right? 28 February-2 March

JEWISH BOOK WEEK: Taking place at Kings Place in King's Cross from Saturday, Jewish Book Week hosts talks, film screenings and panel debates. Highlights this weekend include psychoanalyst Josh Cohen discussing his book, All the Rage, and a discussion about how Israeli identity and literature have been shaped by the events of 7 October 2023. 1-9 March

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LITERARY FOOTPRINTS: The guides at Footprints of London have once again put together a series of guided walks themed around literature, creating the Literary Footprints festival. Throughout March, join walks (and some virtual tours) on topics including Wolf Hall, Virginia Woolf, Charles Dickens, Monica Ali's Brick Lane and much more. Get started with a walk themed on Shakespeare on Saturday, and one about a book which shocked London, on Sunday. 1-31 March

LEYTON OF LONDON: Taking the form of an art trail, Leyton of London: Home Team is a free outdoor exhibition celebrating the fans, staff, players and community of one of London's oldest football clubs, Leyton Orient. Photography, film, audio and textile art by local artist Jake Green is on display in shop windows and other locations along Leyton High Road (map here). FREE, 1 March-4 April

LOST GARDENS: The Garden Museum's current exhibition, Lost Gardens of London, delves into the little-known history of some of London's most intriguing forgotten gardens. Pleasure grounds, private botanical collections, humble allotments and leafy squares all feature in the display, which uses artworks and other documents to showcase the lost green spaces. The exhibition closes on Sunday. Until 2 March

HERE WE GLOW: Also closing this weekend is Here We Glow, the free light festival at Westfield London in White City. Wander among the huge colourful bubbles of Evanescent, which glisten in the daytime sunlight before glowing incandescent at night, and look out for The Anooki, two Inuit-inspired characters, among six other illuminated artworks. FREE, until 2 March

KEW ORCHIDS FESTIVAL 2025: You know spring is on its way when the Orchids festival returns to Kew Gardens. This year is Peru's turn in the spotlight; the country is home to some of the world's rarest plant species so being able to see them in London is a real treat. You've got until Sunday to see them, in the toasty Princess of Wales Conservatory. Until 2 March

RETHINKING THE BRITISH MUSEUM: Visit the British Museum's newly reopened Reading Room to see a free display about the venue's future. Rethinking the British Museum showcases the ideas of five different architectural teams for the Western Range, an area containing around a third of the museum's galleries including the Egyptian sculpture gallery and the Parthenon Sculptures. FREE, until 2 March

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: Cirque du Soleil's latest show, Corteo, comes to an end at the Royal Albert Hall. It's a long-running Cirque show taking the form of a festive parade imagined by a clown, and offers a never-before-seen seating arrangement splitting the Royal Albert Hall in half. Until 2 March

EMBROIDERY EXHIBITION: View over 150 pieces of embroidery artwork at The Broderers' Exhibition at Bankside Gallery, organised by the Worshipful Company of Broderers. Both contemporary and traditional artworks are on show, and visitors can vote for the Viewers' Choice Award, from 20 shortlisted pieces. FREE, 25 February-2 March

LEIGH BOWERY!: Artist Leigh Bowery is the subject of a new retrospective at Tate Modern. Experience some of his 'Looks' alongside collaborations with artists including Michael Clark, Charles Atlas, Nick Knight, Nicola Rainbird, Mr Pearl and Lucian Freud, offering an insight into the creative scenes in London, New York and beyond during Bowery's lifetime. 27 February-31 August

MARCH EVENTS: With a new month kicking off this weekend, have a read of our guide to top events in London in March and get planning. It features new exhibitions and shows, art fairs, and one-off events which are likely to sell out in advance. March is also Women's History Month, with events going on throughout the month.

Saturday 1 March

ST DAVID'S DAY: Whether you're a Welsh person in London, or just an avid fan of all things from England's western neighbour, check out our guide to being Welsh in London, and find a little slice of Cymru just in time for St David's Day.

EMERY WALKER'S HOUSE: The former home of photographer and engraver Emery Walker, located by the river between Hammersmith and Chiswick, reopens to the public on selected days from today. Join a guide for a tour around the Arts & Craft house, and get the lowdown on the seriously impressive interiors, finishing up in the exhibition room where you can learn more about Walker's life and work. 11am/1pm

LIQUID DREAMS: The Mall Tavern in Notting Hill hosts beer festival Liquid Dreams, celebrating independent brewing. More than 40 brewers are represented, with two sessions today, and a choice of all-you-can-drink or pay-as-you-go tickets available. 12pm-5pm/6pm-11pm

SEETHING FESTIVAL: Community Brain (the folks behind Surbiton Ski Sunday) host the Seething Festival today — a day of live music and local traders, in honour of 'Lefi Ganderson — the Goat Boy of Mount Seething'. FREE, 1pm-5pm

THE MEMORY OF JUSTICE: The British Academy screens 1976 film The Memory of Justice, on the topic of wartime atrocities. It covers the Nuremberg trials as well as the Algerian and Vietnam wars, and is introduced by international lawyer and author Professor Philippe Sands Hon FBA, as part of the British Academy's Age of Mistrust season. 2pm

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FRANK ZAPPA: Zappa fans won't want to pass over the opportunity of seeing Pygmy Twylyte perform songs of the late zany musician, with not one but two (entirely different) sets at the Putney Half Moon today. The first starts at 2pm, and the second at 7.30pm. Attend either, or indeed both — although kids can't go to the second show. 2pm and 7pm

SAIL TO HOPE: Head to 54 The Gallery in Mayfair for an afternoon of music and art. View the Sail To Hope art exhibition by visual artist Esra Kizir Gokcen, and enjoy a 45-minute solo set from celebrated saxophone virtuoso Tim Garland, surrounded by the artworks which inspired his Moment Of Departure album. Plus, Londonist art critic Tabish Khan moderates an artist talk, followed by a Q&A session. 3pm-5pm

MARDIS GRAS: Oriole cocktail bar in Covent Garden is channeling New Orleans vibes this afternoon, with an al fresco Maris Gras party in The Yards, featuring six-piece brass band The Fallen Heroes, food specials inc. po'boys and gumbo, and Orleans-style cocktails including sazeracs and vieux carrés. 3pm-6pm

COUNTRY NIGHT: Don your tassels and cowboy boots and head to Fairfield Halls in Croydon for A Country Night in Nashville. Performers Dominic Halpin and the Hurricanes cover songs by the likes of Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, The Chicks, Willie Nelson and Kacey Musgraves, recreating a honky tonk in downtown Nashville. 7.30pm

ROCK'N'ROLL EVENING: Enjoy an evening of rock'n'roll with live music from The Rebel Rockers, plus DJ Big Paul from Rockabilly Radio, all raising money for the excellent Whitewebbs Museum of Transport in Enfield. Age 18+. Note that the museum itself is closed during the event. 7.30pm

LIVE AT THE CHAPEL: Monthly Islington comedy club Live at the Chapel has David O'Doherty headlining this time, accompanied by Rachel Parris, Laura Smyth, Dane Buckley and Catherine Bohart. Takes place at Union Chapel. 7.45pm

MR P FROM HR: Catch the final performance of Mr P From HR at the Old Red Lion Theatre, part of the Freshest 2025 theatre festival. The show takes the form of an interactive drag king performance in which the audience takes part in an induction day for new staff at a posh department store, with sing alongs, quizzes and lip syncs. 8.30pm

SCARED TO DANCE: Regular alternative music night Scared To Dance is back at The Victoria in Dalston, and this time journalist, author and filmmaker Jon Ronson is the guest DJ, joining resident DJ Paul Richards to play post-punk, indiepop, new wave and art rock music until the small hours. 10pm

Sunday 2 March

WINTER SCULPTURE PARK: Claiming to be London's largest sculpture park, Winter Sculpture Park opens on the disused former Thamesmead golf course, with 40 artworks by 34 artists spread across 6.5 acres. FREE, 2 March-26 April

SO LAST CENTURY: The So Last Century vintage and retro fair pops up at Goldsmiths, University of London in New Cross, with 50 dealers selling mid-20th century furniture, lighting, homeware, vintage designer fashion, accessories and lots more. 10.30am-4pm

CLAY GNOME MAKING: Take the kids along to a clay gnome making session at the Garden Museum and build your own gnome out of air hardening clay, before decorating it with water-based paints. Aimed at 5-12 year olds on a first come, first served basis so arrive in plenty of time to get a spot. 11am-12.30pm

FROCK ME VINTAGE: Shop for vintage and antique clothing, jewellery and textiles as the Frock Me vintage fashion fair which comes to Kensington Town Hall, with over 100 dealers selling their wares, including several designer labels. 11am-5.30pm

BRAZILIAN CARNAVAL: While the 2025 Brazilian Carnival takes place in Rio de Janeiro and Salvador da Bahia, get your own slice of the action at Clapham Grand. The party venue offers an afternoon of samba, funk, house, hip hop and disco music from live performers and DJs, along with acrobats and other entertainment. 2pm-9pm

SWAN LAKE: Barbican Cinema screens Swan Lake, performed by the Royal Ballet, and recorded at the Royal Opera House last year. Watch the company's dancers perform the tale of love, treachery and forgiveness, accompanied by Tchaikovsky's score. 2pm

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UNNECESSARY DETAIL: The Festival of the Spoken Nerd crew bring An Evening of Unnecessary Detail to the Royal Institution, with scientists, experts and comedians taking over the stage to talk about whatever they like, in incredible detail. This time round, the line-up includes a glaciologist, a forest ecologist and a neuroscientist. 7pm-10pm

DREAM COUNT: Author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie launches her new book, Dream Count, in a special event at Southbank Centre. It's about a Nigerian travel writer living in America in the midst of the pandemic, and Adichie discusses it with Elizabeth Day. 7.30pm

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