It’s officially autumn this weekend, so start prepping for chillier, windier, rainier days ahead. If you wanna inject some sunshine into an otherwise dreary-looking weekend, head to the Next Day Solar pop-up which is all about harnessing solar energy. This weekend is also your last chance to catch Punchdrunk’s latest immersive production, Burnt City, so make some time for that. Feeling nostalgic? Head to Broadway Market to see the return of famous pie & mash shop F. Cooke which will be back in Hackney for one day only. And if you’re a fashion fanatic, take a trip to the V&A which has just opened a major Chanel exhibition. There are plenty more fun things to do in London this weekend (many of which are totally free), so we’ve hand-picked the very best. Get your plans here.
Planning ahead? Here’s what’s on in London this October
1. Eat at F. Cooke One Last Time
After 120 years spent serving pie, mash and jellied eels to Hackney, F. Cooke shut up shop on Broadway Market in 2020, leaving the gorgeous Grade II-listed shop empty. Now, F. Cooke fam is coming back to Broadway Market for one day only this September. Swing by the shop’s hatch from 11am on 23rd September and feast on traditional pies (made from scratch in the F. Cooke shop in Essex), mash, liquor and jellied eels. Bring cash and get down there early because once they’ve sold out, that’s your lot.
Sat 23rd September 2023, 11am – 5pm
9 Broadway Market, London E8 4PH
fcookepieandmash.co.uk
2. See the Royal Academy’s Survey of Marina Abramović
After being rescheduled twice due to the pandemic, the Royal Academy is finally presenting the first major UK survey of Serbian performance artist Marina Abramović. Known for her pushing her mental and physical endurance to the limit during with her work, such as living in a three-room home inside a NYC gallery for twelve days while fasting, Abramović is a performance art pioneer. This exhibition will showcase pieces from across the past 50 years, including video, sculpture, installation and performance – four of her performance pieces, ‘Nude with Skeleton’, ‘Imponderabilia’, ‘Luminosity’ and ‘The House with the Ocean View’, will be staged during the run by performance artists trained in the Marina Abramović method.
Sat 23rd & Sun 24th September 2023
Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD
royalacademy.org.uk
3. Try This One-of-a-Kind Pizza
Yard Sale Pizza has got a proper London legend on board for its latest collab, the Tayyabs Pizza. Yes the iconic Pakistani restaurant has given its karahi lamb keema to the YSP crew, who’ve added it to its tomato and fior di latte mozzarella base, topped it with fresh coriander and served it with a Tayyabs house recipe raita dip on the side.
Sat 23rd & Sun 24th September 2023
All Yard Sale Pizza locations
yardsalepizza.com
4. Visit the V&A’s Major Chanel Exhibition
The V&A’s hotly anticipated new exhibition explores Chanel’s approach to dressing women and the way that she redefined fashion – she created clothes for the modern woman, with tweed jackets and trousers offering a chic and practical alternative to the traditional corseted silhouettes of the day – as well as looking at her personal style and her legacy. It’s a must-visit for all fashion fans.
Sat 23rd & Sun 24th September 2023
Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL
vam.ac.uk
5. Find Something Special at the Big London Flea
The Big London Flea is back in town for its autumn edition. Taking over EartH in Dalston this September, the market will feature over 60 vintage traders, with furniture, records, homeware, lighting, prints, maps, clothing, artworks, one-of-a-kind finds and more all on sale. It’s just £1.50 entry, with on-site cafes and a sound system to keep you going in between all that bargain hunting.
Sun 24th September 2023, 11am – 5pm
13 Stoke Newington Road, London, N16 8BH
@biglondonflea
6. Explore This Solar-Powered Pop-Up
Renewable energy company Next Day Solar has opened London’s first solar-powered pop-up shop in Covent Garden. The store has two solar panels installed outside to provide on-site electricity generation and the interior has made use of recycled materials wherever possible to keep it sustainable. Inside you can shop from a range of solar products, including solar-powered toys, garden lights, charging power boxes and portable solar panels, and there’s also a space where you can find out more info on renewable energy and the benefits of using solar power.
Sat 23rd September & 24th September 2023
36 Neal St., London WC2H 9PS
nextdaysolar.co.uk
7. Catch the Second Weekend of London Design Festival
A celebration of all things design, London Design Festival’s finale is this weekend, with events, fairs, installations, pop-ups and exhibitions happening all over town. The event showcases London as a design capital of the world, highlighting different Design Districts across the city from Bankside to Shoreditch Design Triangle to Park Royal and spotlighting the greatest design talent from around the world.
Sat 23rd & Sun 24th September 2023
Various locations in London
londondesignfestival.com
8. Surround Yourself With Butterflies at This Immersive Exhibition
Hold a butterfly on the tip of your finger at this immersive botanical garden at Outernet London. Created in collaboration with Pixel Artworks, The Butterfly Trail is the world’s first mixed reality experience and it’s running on Outernet’s four-storey high, 16k wraparound screen. Using cutting-edge tech, The Butterfly Trail will take you through explorer Professor Peter Pelgrin’s Botanical workshop and inside his Glass House where you can interact with the space, release AR butterflies and trigger real-time animations using your smartphone.
Sat 23rd & Sun 24th September 2023
Charing Cross Rd, London WC2H 8LH
outernetglobal.com
9. Experience the ‘Burnt City’ Before it Closes
Renowned immersive theatre company Punchdrunk have returned to London, this time at One Cartridge Place, a former military arsenal in Woolwich, with their latest production Burnt City. It depicts the fall of Troy and the mythical world of Gods and mortals that rise from the ashes, and makes use of the opposing military arsenal buildings that house Troy and Ancient Greece, including neon backstreets, sprawling labyrinths and a colossal playground, and you’re free to dive in and explore as you like.
Sat 23rd & Sun 24th September 2023
One Cartridge Place, Woolwich, London SE18 6ZR
theburntcity.com
10. Grab Some Baked Goods at This New Indie Spot
Maya’s Bakehouse has officially opened in Tulse Hill – and there’s enough of Maya’s famous sourdough bread to go around. There’s also a range of other bakes on offer, including the likes of almond custard and poppy seed buns; chocolate and hazelnut buns; blackberry and custard buns; blackberry, custard and ginger crumble cakes; and hazelnut, rye and blackberry frangipane tarts.
Sat 23rd September 2023
37 Tulse Hill, London SW2 2TJ
@mayasbakehouse