The best things to do this weekend in London

This De Beauvoir-based spot serves coffee in the day and wine at night in a rustic restored Victorian pub. The restaurant, Goodbye Horses, is connected to their coffee shop, Day Trip, so you can swing by for hot morning drinks during the day and wine and small plates come evening. Dishes are made with seasonal and sustainable produce, which can be enhanced by wine pairings recommended by drinks director Nathalie Nelles. The candle-lit lighting adds ambience as you dine to the soundtrack of vinyls spinning in the background.

Meatopia is back for four days of fire, smoke, and meat from 29 August to 1 September at Tobacco Dock. This carnivore's paradise brings together top chefs to showcase live-fire cooking and serve delicious meat, drinks, and more. Expect indulgence, brass bands, and sustainably sourced ingredients at this epic festival.

The 2024 Paralympics, running from 28 August to 11 September in Paris, will showcase the world's top athletes. Don't miss the chance to watch these incredible events live in London. Our guide highlights the best Paralympic screenings, ensuring you're ready to cheer for these inspiring competitors.

The Black Pound Marketplace returns on Friday, August 30, celebrating young Black entrepreneurs. Partnered with The Prince's Trust and TikTok, the event highlights Black-owned businesses. Expect stalls featuring clothing, accessories, skincare, jewellery, and homeware, all crafted by independent Black business owners. Shop and discover their inspiring stories.

The Totally Thames Festival returns this September, celebrating the iconic river with a variety of events across London. Expect dance, music, film, walks, foreshore clean-ups, and cruises. Highlights include performances, a climate cabaret game show, the Great River Race, and kid-friendly activities. The festival runs from 1st to 30th September.

Every Saturday in August, Islington Square mall is hosting the Woof About dog market alongside its regular Urban Food Fest. This weekly event caters to dogs with vendors offering fresh dog food, treats, stylish accessories, and unique services like canine gut testing and dog portraits. Running from 11am to 5pm, the market aims to give four-legged friends the attention they deserve while their owners enjoy the food festival.

An immersive exhibition dedicated to the beloved US sitcom "Friends" is coming to London this summer as part of the new Immerse LDN entertainment district. Fans can explore recreated sets, including the iconic Central Perk couch and Joey and Chandler's foosball table, reliving memorable moments from the show. Photo opportunities abound throughout.

Open on Sundays only, the Crystal Palace Museum explores the history of the architectural masterpiece that gave its name to the entire area. Three times the size of St Paul's Cathedral, the Crystal Palace was originally built to house the Great Exhibition, later relocated, and finally destroyed in a fire in 1936. You can see original bits and pieces at the museum, as well as photographs, scaled models, and other exhibits exploring the building's fascinating past.

The annual Sculpture in the City has returned for its 13th edition, transforming the urban landscape of the Square Mile into a free, accessible gallery featuring 17 artworks by 15 contemporary artists. Spread across the area between Liverpool Street, Aldgate, and Fenchurch Street, the exhibition runs until Spring 2025 and is accompanied by workshops, talks, and other events. You can download a map of the trail and learn more about the artworks on their website.

This August, Inside Out returns to London, celebrating art and culture in public spaces with free events, including guided walks, performances, and workshops. The festival also supports local artists with grants up to £10,000, promoting community engagement and diverse representation. Events run throughout the month—check their website for details.

Whether you're a Swiftie or an Anti-Hero, there's no denying Taylor Swift is the biggest star in the world these days. As such, it's certainly worth getting to know her a bit better, especially with the upcoming second part of her Eras Tour about to dominate London conversations again. The V&A is launching a free exhibition this weekend, highlighting 16 of the star's iconic looks and featuring unseen archival material, custom outfits, and more.

Camden Market marks its 50th anniversary with a summer of  events, running from June 30 to August 28. Highlights include pop-up festivities centred around art, fashion, music, and culture, many free to attend. Events start with South Asian Heritage Month, featuring community arts, health advice, food, kids' activities, and music.

You've probably noticed, but just in case your address for the past couple of years has been “1 Under a Rock Rd” – Barbie has made a major comeback on the back of Greta Gerwig's blockbuster film. The iconic doll is celebrating its 65th anniversary in 2024 and is the star of a major new exhibition at London's Design Museum, exploring her evolution from 1959 to the present. The exhibition offers the chance to see rare and unique items from the Barbie archive in California, thanks to a partnership with Mattel.

Step into the nostalgia of a British seaside town at Walthamstow's Big Penny Social. Until early September, the courtyard of the UK's largest beer hall becomes 'Walthamstow-on-Sea', featuring a sandy cove. Lounge in deck chairs, sip draught beers and frozen cocktails from the beach bar, and snack on traditional treats like fish and chips, soft-serve ice cream, and penny sweets.

Launching at the V&A on Saturday 22 June, “NAOMI: In Fashion” explores the career of Naomi Campbell, showcasing items from her wardrobe alongside designer archives and V&A exhibits. The exhibition, produced in collaboration with Campbell, covers her journey from being scouted as a teenager to her supermodel years, relationships with designers, global fame, and impact on fashion, and is slated to be one of the year's unmissable events.

Celebrated immersive theatre company Punchdrunk has extended the run of its latest success, a retelling of a classic gothic mystery. Narrated by none other than Helena Bonham Carter, “Viola's Room” takes visitors on a chilling sensory adventure lasting one hour. It was originally slated to run for just one month, but has been extended thanks to demand.

The opening of the Serpentine Pavilion is a major fixture on London's art scene. The 2024 pavilion, designed by Korean architect Minsuk Cho, opened to the public on 7th June. The unique design includes a number of distinct spaces that connect the South Gallery with the wider park. It's free to visit and will stay open until October.

The exhibition at Tate Modern, running until October 13, spans 400 years and highlights the journeys of women who became professional artists, including pioneers like Mary Beale, Elizabeth Butler, Angelica Kauffman, and Laura Knight. It features over 150 works, exploring how these women challenged societal expectations and stereotypes by pursuing careers in art and tackling subjects typically reserved for male artists, such as history paintings, battle scenes, and nudes. The exhibition delves into the historical challenges and triumphs of women in the art world, from Tudor times to WW1.

London's Design Museum has opened an exhibition honouring Enzo Mari, one of the most influential Italian designers of the 20th century, renowned for his multifaceted career as an artist, teacher, and theorist and his commitment to socially responsible design. The extensive retrospective spans Mari's 60-year career and features over 300 works, including furniture, children's books, and conceptual installations, complemented by archival insights into his design philosophy and tributes from contemporary London-based designers.

The UK's most extensive exhibition of Yoko Ono's work features over 200 pieces that span her seven-decade career as an artist and activist. The exhibition, in collaboration with Ono's studio, includes a diverse range of works such as instruction pieces, installations, films, and music, delving into themes of peace, feminism, and the everyday, often using the sky as a symbol. This exhibition redefines Ono's legacy beyond her Beatles association, affirming her as a trailblazer in conceptual and participatory art.

“Stranger Things: The First Shadow,” a prequel to the popular Netflix series, is making waves in London's West End as a major theatrical hit. The play, unfolding the backstory of the series' villain Henry Creel, is co-directed by Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin, and has been praised for capturing the essence of “Stranger Things” as well as putting on an astounding visual feast.

Lightroom, an immersive art gallery in King's Cross, has unveiled “The Moonwalkers: A Journey With Tom Hanks”. This immersive experience, narrated by Tom Hanks, uses advanced projection and audio to explore the historic Apollo missions and the current Artemis programme for manned lunar exploration. Co-written by Hanks and Christopher Riley, the experience also features interviews with Artemis astronauts, offering a unique perspective on this new chapter of space exploration.

Head on a Greek journey to the island of Skopelos for an unforgettable evening of dining and dancing at this Mamma Mia-inspired event. As the sun sets, discover yourself at Nikos' family-run taverna, feasting on a tasty four-course Greek meal, including dishes like Greek mezze, salad, confit lamb shoulder, and slow-cooked beef with garlic-roasted potatoes. A live band will play iconic ABBA tracks throughout the night, ensuring the dance floor stays lively with their best hits.