The sweet, sweet weekend. The land of no alarms, no commutes, no colleagues
Obviously, you want to make the most of this precious time, to squeeze every last drop out of the days before you even have to contemplate going to work on Monday morning. So, we’ve rounded up all the best things to do in London this weekend into one handy place, meaning you can go from bottomless brunch to that new exhibition with ease.
After a long and cold winter, we’re embracing all things spring – the weather is still changeable so we’ll not be up on the rooftop bars and out in the beer gardens just yet but we’re counting down the days until al fresco drinking and dining is back.
Still looking for things to do in London this weekend? Check out what’s on at the theatre in London, find the best London bars or hit up one of the hottest new London restaurants. It’s a funny one weather-wise this week with the temperatures taking a dip but there’s plenty to keep you entertained indoors this weekend, including celeb car boots, charity gigs and dumpling making masterclasses.
Make The Famous Georgian Hand-Folded Soup Dumplings Khinkali At DakaDaka
With modern Georgian restaurant DakaDaka, owners Giorgi Mindiashvili and Mitz Vora are reimagining one of the world’s oldest cuisines and showcasing the country’s 8000-year winemaking heritage. Open-fire cooking is front and centre at the Mayfair restaurant, with a wood-fired hearth and a charcoal grill at the heart of the open kitchen, which is turning out contemporary takes on Georgian culinary traditions, including the famous hand-folded soup dumplings Khinkali. And you can learn how make Khinkali at this masterclass, held exclusively for our INSIDERS on Sun 17th May. DakaDaka’s chef patron Mitz Vora will be leading the session, where you’ll have a go at making three different types of Khinkali – Scottish girolles, Iberico pork pluma & aged beef, and three cheese – before getting to try the fruits of your labour. Get your tickets here.
Sun 17th May 2026, 11am start
10 Heddon Street, London, W1B 4BX
@dakadaka.london
Shop for a Good Cause at the Women for Women International Car Boot Sale
Once again the #SheInspiresMe sale is being held on the fifth and sixth floors of the Selfridges Car Park in collab with the department store’s RESELFRIDGES resale platform, and this year it’s going to be bigger than ever before. For its tenth anniversary edition, the car boot sale will feature a range of vintage, pre-loved, past season and new designer fashion alongside beauty products from top brands. A whole host of designers, industry names and stylists, including Laura Jackson, Alice Temperley, Jasmine Hemsley, Sarah Harris, Eugenie Niarchos, Charlotte Olympia, and Noor Fares will be donating pieces, and you’ll be able to shop from the likes of Jimmy Choo, Rixo, Hunza G, By Rotation, Coach, ME+ EM, 111SKIN, Nobody’s Child and Charlotte Tilbury. All proceeds will go to Women for Women International, a charity that helps women survivors of conflict rebuild their lives.
Sat 16th May 2026
Selfridges Car Park, London, W1A 1AB
womenforwomen.org.uk
Artists for Gaza Is Hosting a Spring Fundraiser
A whole host of musicians and DJs will be getting behind the decks at Scala in King’s Cross for an Artists for Gaza fundraising event. Founded by visual artist, writer, DJ and club promoter Chris Sullivan, Artists for Gaza has raised over £55,000 for UNICEF with its previous events, and this one on 17th May will be looking to raise even more funds, this time for Health Workers 4 Palestine to rebuild maternity wards, fund mobile clinics, and pay stipends to medics in Gaza. Paul Weller, Bobby Gillespie (Primal Scream), Madness, Glen Matlock (The Sex Pistols), Jerry Dammers (The Specials), Kevin Rowland (Dexys Midnight Runners), Aitch B (Soul II Soul), Gilles Peterson, Howie B, Clive Langer, Andy Mackay (Roxy Music) and Scratch Perverts co-founder DJ Prime Cuts are just some of the artists who’ll be behind the decks.
Sun 17th May 2026, 4pm – 12am
Scala, 275 Pentonville Road, London N1 9NL
artistsforgaza.org.uk
Get 50% Off Your Bill at The Black Book
The Black Book, the wine bar from Master Sommeliers Gearoid Devaney and Xavier Rousset, is offering our INSIDERS 50% off the bill. That’s right, half price for one month only. Tucked into the heart of Soho, The Black Book was built for people who want to drink well. The idea is simple: make great wine more accessible. Expect a tight, thoughtful by-the-glass list for casual drinking, alongside something far more serious if you want to push the boat out. It’s also one of the few wine bars in Soho with a late licence – it’s open until 1am Wednesday and 3am Thursday, Friday and Saturday. And with a new menu now in play, there’s more reason to stay. Find out how to get 50% off your bill here.
Sat 16th & Sun 17th May 2026
23 Frith St, London W1D 4RR
blackbooksoho.co.uk
Watch War Horse Gallop Back Into London
Nearly two decades after it debuted on the National Theatre stage, War Horse is returning from a tour and galloping back to the National Theatre. Based in Michael Morpurgo’s beloved novel, which follows Albert’s journey to the trenches of wartime France to bring his horse Joey home, the show won fans around the world for its incredible puppetry.
Sat 16th May 2026
National Theatre, South Bank, London SE1 9PX
nationaltheatre.org.uk
Go to the Movies, 1999-Style, at Genesis
This spring is shaping up to be a bumper time for film fans. Not only is the Rio celebrating 50 years of community cinema with a packed programme of screenings and events, but another beloved East London cinema is slashing its prices. Genesis is rolling back its ticket – and its popcorn – prices to what they were in 1999, in honour of its 27th birthday. Across this weekend, you’ll be able to catch Spice World The Movie, Seven Samurai, Shrek, Space Jam, Good Time and Fist of Fury for just £3.50. And with 1999 popcorn and drinks prices running too, this’ll be one bargain night out at the pictures.
Sat 16th & Sun 17th May 2026
93-95 Mile End Road, London E1 4UJ
genesiscinema.co.uk
See the World’s Largest Outdoor Exhibition of Henry Moore Sculptures
Henry Moore: Monumental Nature is the largest outdoor exhibition of the artist’s work ever presented, with over 100 pieces, including 30 monumental sculptures, on display. The sculptures is set amongst Kew Gardens (a pretty stunning backdrop in itself) with more than 70 works on paper, models and smaller artworks displayed in the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art. Moore is one of Britain’s greatest-ever sculptors and became famous for his large-scale bronzes depicting abstract figures. The exhibition at Kew, part of a dual-site celebration along with Wakehurst in Sussex, showcases Moore’s iconic sculptures in the way they are meant to be seen – outdoors, surrounded by nature – as well as dive into his creative process and the connection he had to the natural world.
Sat 16th & Sun 17th May 2026
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, TW9 3AB
kew.org
Check Out the Louis Vuitton Hotel
London is no stranger to immersive pop-up experiences from big name fashion houses and now Louis Vuitton is getting in on the act by opening a pop-up hotel in Mayfair. The brand is celebrating 130 years of its iconic monogram and you can see a lot of it throughout the hotel. There’s a Keepall Lobby, a nod to the travel bag that was first introduced in 1930, where you can take your own items in for care and repair; the Speedy Room, dedicated to another famous LV bag, where Pharrell Williams’ latest reinterpretation is also on show; and the Neverfull Gym, showcasing the carry-all’s strength, rather than a place for you to work out. You’ll work up an appetite browsing all those bags, so it’a a good thing there’s a cafe and bar on-site. Cafe Alma is serving afternoon tea and a set menu, with cocktails and champagne on offer in Bar Noé,
Sat 16th & Sun 17th May 2026
28 Berkeley Square, London, W1J 6EN
louisvuitton.com
Look Back on the Wildest Year of Britain’s Wildest Decade at This Exhibition
Three decades on, the Barbican Music Library is looking back at 1996, the wildest year of the 90s and the height of Cool Britannia with the 1996: 30 years on exhibition. Curated by author, broadcaster and former editor of The Sun Dominic Mohan, the free exhibition is the place to relive the 90s and the time when London was the epicentre of music, fashion, football, politics, and art. Check out original costumes worn by the Spice Girls; previously unseen Oasis memorabilia; photography by Jill Furmanovsky and Derek Ridgers, and personal items the likes of Paul Oakenfold, Dave Pearce and Judge Jules.
Sat 16th May 2026
Barbican Centre, Silk St, London EC2Y 8DS
barbican.org.uk
Jimmy Garcia Is Doing Rotisserie Chicken on the South Bank
It’s not summer in London without a pop-up from Jimmy Garcia (this will be his tenth year doing it) but instead of bringing back his BBQ Club, he’s launching a new rotisserie concept. Rotate by Jimmy will celebrate rotisserie cooking, with a menu of rotisserie chicken served by the quarter, half or whole bird; chicken caesar baps; charred cauliflower; chicken-dripping potatoes; truffle fries with Old Winchester cheese; charred corn ribs with lime and chilli salt; heritage tomato and basil salad; and dips like smoky BBQ, salsa verde, buffalo-style sauce, gravy, and blue cheese. The space itself has also had a redesign, with a weather-proof cabana and riverside views for all the tables.
Sat 16th & Sun 17th May 2026
Queen’s Walk, Southbank Centre, London SE1 8XX
@jimmyspopup
Check Out the New V&A East Museum
The V&A East in Stratford is opening this weekend and the opening exhibition is The Music Is Black: A British Story, which celebrates 125 years of Black music in Britain and showcases the contribution that it has made to culture both here and around the world. The immersive exhibition will use a mix of never-before-seen items, instruments, equipment, personal possessions, photography, film, and fashion to take visitors through a range of genres, including jazz, reggae, 2 tone, drum & bass, jungle, trip hop, garage, dubstep, grime and drill. The stories of a whole range of musicians, from early pioneers like Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Emile Ford and Janet Kay to pioneers like Goldie, Massive Attack, Jah Shaka and Saxon Sound to today’s groundbreaking artists like Sampha, Kano, Stormzy, Little Simz, Ezra Collective and FKA Twigs, will be explored in the show.
Sat 16th & Sun 17th May 2026
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, E20
vam.ac.uk
Spice it Up at the Phed Mark Pop-Up
If you want pad kaprao – the popular Thai street food dish made with stir-fried meat or seafood, holy basil, rice and crispy fried eggs – in Bangkok Phed Mark is one of the best places to get it. For two months this spring, Phed Mark will be taking over Platapian in Soho. Starters, like spring rolls and pork satay, will come from Platapian, with pad kaprao taking centre stage as the main offering, which will come in beef, chicken or veggie versions and varying spice levels. Phed Mark will also be doing a London special of stir-fried mama noodles with lobster, holy basil and a fried egg, especially for the takeover too.
Sat 16th & Sun 17th May 2026
15 Greek Street, London W1D 4DP
platapiansoho.com
See Aidan Turner and Lesley Manville on Stage
Marianne Elliot is directing a new production of classic French novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses, adapted by Christopher Hampton at the National Theatre. Aidan Turner, Lesley Manville, and Monica Barbaro are starring in the tale of love, power and social warfare, that sees aristocrats Marquise de Merteuil and Vicomte de Valmont turn on each other in a game of seduction and revenge.
Sat 16th May 2026
National Theatre, London SE1 9PX
nationaltheatre.org.uk
See New Works by David Hockney at Serpentine
David Hockney: A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts about Painting at Serpentine North is the artist’s first exhibition at the gallery. The show features new works from Hockney – five still lifes and five portraits of people in his close circle – all sharing a similar frontal composition and a recurring gingham tablecloth motif. The gallery will also display Hockney’s ‘A Year in Normandie’, a ninety-metre-long frieze inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry, depicting the changing of the seasons at his former studio in the French region. Working on his iPad, Hockney produced over a hundred images during the first Covid lockdown in 2020, recording the changes in light and weather during the spring. As lockdown lifted and the seasons shifted, he continued to digitally capture the whole cycle of the year, showcasing the ways that art and technology can come together and highlighting the beauty in the everyday. The whole digital print will be shown in the North Gallery, with a large-scale printed mural highlighting a scene from the spring cycle being presented in the garden.
Sat 16th & Sun 17th May 2026
Serpentine North Gallery, W Carriage Dr, London W2 2AR
serpentinegalleries.org
Watch Rebecca Lucy Taylor on Stage
After a stint playing Sally Bowles in Cabaret and launching her latest album A Complicated Woman with theatrical shows at the Duke of York’s Theatre, Rebecca Lucy Taylor, aka Self Esteem, is back on stage this year. She’s taking the lead role in the 50th anniversary revival of David Hare’s Teeth ‘N’ Smiles, which follows Maggie Frisby, the lead singer of a failing rock band as the 60s comes to an end. As well as playing Maggie, Taylor is also contributing original music to the show, joining the existing music and lyrics by Nick and Tony Bicât.
Sat 16th May 2026
Duke of York’s Theatre, St Martin’s Ln, London WC2N 4BG
teethnsmilesplay.com
Check Out the Biggest Ever Tracey Emin Exhibition at Tate Modern
Tracey Emin: A Second Life, the biggest show of Emin’s career, features over 90 works, including paintings, videos, neons, sculptures and textiles, showcasing the way she uses art and the female body to explore love, passion, trauma and healing. The show opens with her early work, including tiny photographs of her art school paintings from the 1980s and pieces from her first solo exhibition at White Cube. Many pieces connected to Margate feature in the exhibition, alongside works that address her experience of sexual assault and abortion. Her seminal installations, ‘Exorcism of the Last Painting I Ever Made’ and the Turner-Prize nominated ‘My Bed’, act as a bridge from Emin’s first life to her post-illness and surgery second life. This second life is represented with her large-scale paintings, and pieces that explore her experiences of cancer, surgery and disability, including her 2024 bronze sculpture ‘Ascension’ and a new documentary showing the stoma she now lives with.
Sat 16th & Sun 17th May 2026
Tate Modern, Bankside, London, SE1 9TG
tate.org.uk
