Things To Do This Week In London: 17-23 February 2025

Half term fun, plus concerts, comedy and more.

Things to do this week is sponsored by Art Fund.

All week

HALF TERM: With most schools closed for the week, take a look at our guide to February half term events in London, including family-friendly shows and exhibitions, one-off events and more. There's even a section on free things to do, ideal if you're on a budget. 15-23 February

GORGEOUS GEORGIANS: West London National Trust property Osterley Park & House has teamed up with Horrible Histories for a family-friendly trail focusing on the Georgians. Explore the house and grounds as you take part in 10 activities giving you an insight into Georgian life. 17 February-31 August

BALLET SHOES: The first major stage adaptation of Noel Streatfeild's bestselling book Ballet Shoes is on at the National Theatre until Saturday. It's the story of three adopted sisters who fight to pursue their individual passions in a world which doesn't encourage ambitious women. Age 7+. Until 22 February

LONELY LONDONERS: Sam Selvon's novel The Lonely Londoners is set in the 1950s, following the life of a man who's just arrived from Trinidad to start a new life here. It was adapted for the stage and had a successful run at Jermyn Street Theatre, and now it's back at the Kiln Theatre in Kilburn, but only until Saturday. Our reviewer gave it ★★★★★. Until 22 February

SILK ROADS: Two exhibitions about the Silk Roads at two of London's biggest cultural institutions opened simultaneously back in September, and they both close this weekend. The British Library's A Silk Road Oasis: Life in Ancient Dunhang is a chance to learn about Dunhuang, at the edge of the Gobi Desert, once a bustling town on the Silk Road connecting China and the Mediterranean. The British Museum has a separate exhibition about Silk Roads, highlighting the fact that there was more than one such route, joining places as far apart at Scandinavia, Madagascar, Britain and Japan. Both until 23 February

CLUELESS: An eagerly-anticipated musical based on the iconic high school comedy has just opened in the West End and we’re like, totally bugging (in a good way). Clueless – itself a reimagining of Jane Austen’s Emma – has been given a Cher Horowitz-worthy makeover for the London stage by a majorly acclaimed team. The book is by the original film’s own writer-director (Amy Heckerling), while multi-platinum singer-songwriter KT Tunstall provides the original score. (sponsor)

PHOTOGRAPHERS' GALLERY: As always, the Photographers' Gallery closes multiple current exhibitions in tandem, in order to prepare the space for the next installation. Letizia Battaglia: Life, Love and Death in Sicily showcases work by the trailblazing Italian photographer; Deborah Turbeville: Photocollage focuses on the American fashion photographer; Ten.8 in Focus: The legacy of Black Image and Body Politics is a special archive display celebrating the renowned photography journal Ten.8 and its wider influence. All until 23 February

BARBIE: We were huge fans of Barbie: The Exhibition at the Design Museum, which combines nostalgia with just the right amount of information about the history of the doll, in an altogether aesthetically-pleasing setting. Well worth a visit, even if you weren't a huge fan of Barbie growing up — but it'll be popular this final week, so book ahead. Until 23 February

BATTERSEA LIGHT FESTIVAL: The closure of all of these light festivals must mean the lighter nights are coming... right? That's the thought we're clinging onto as we take a final look at the eight glowing installations which make up Battersea Power Station Light Festival 2025. FREE, until 23 February

CANARY WHARF ICE RINK: The last of London's seasonal ice rinks stays open until the end of this week, to make the most of the half term visitors. It's undercover, so great for rainy days. Until 23 February

PEA AND THE PRINCESS: Wimbledon's Polka Theatre is currently staging The PEA and the Princess, a high velocity twist on the classic fairy tale featuring a ninja princess on a mega-mission, and a very green baddie. Kids aged three to seven will appreciate this most. Until 30 March

EAT OF THE WEEK: The excellent Nun's Head pub in Nunhead has launched a permanent residency with Dough Hands — renowned for their crispy-based pizzas. Check out the pub's events calendar and get a date in the diary. Or just go along for a pint and a slice sometime.

CINEMA OF THE WEEK: London's got a brand new cinema; the 48-seat Arzner in Bermondsey has a focus on LGBTQ+ films, and is named for the openly-gay golden age Hollywood director Dorothy Arzner. It starts screening from this Thursday — with tickets/memberships available to buy right now.

Monday 17 February

CURL POWER: Hair stylist and author Charlotte Mensah is at the Horniman Museum leading a curl masterclass, aimed at parents and carers who want to learn how to care for their child's curls, afro or mixed heritage textured hair. Take part in small workshops and receive one-to-one guidance. 10.30am/1.30pm

SHADOW PUPPET SHOW: Take the kids along to Kensington Central Library for a clown and shadow puppetry show. The story is inspired by German film director Charlotte (Lotte) Reiniger, known as The Queen of Silhouettes, and the 35-minute show is followed by a puppetry workshop. Age 3+. 11am

MAGNA CARTA: City Guide Jill Finch gives a free lecture about the role the City of London played in the creation of the Magna Carta, bringing King John to the negotiating table with his rebellious Barons. Takes place at Guildhall Library, but you can also watch online. FREE, 2pm-3pm

JOEL GION: The Brian Jonestown Massacre's Joel Gion joins the Rock 'n' Roll Book Club at Walthamstow Trades Hall tonight, to talk about his 2024 memoir, In the Jingle Jangle Jungle. Expect salty stories of life on the road, fuelled by prodigious narcotic intake. 7pm-11pm

CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: Find out about the life of Clive Staples Lewis, author of The Chronicle of Narnia. Professor Ronald Hutton talks about Lewis's time at Oxford University and his conversion to Christianity, as well as how his faith came to shape his stories. It's an online talk, hosted by the Last Tuesday Society. 7.30pm-9pm

LIVE MUSIC: Harp and percussionist duo Eleanor Dunsdon and Gregor Black are at the Green Note in Camden for an evening of live folk music, showcasing their blend of Scottish clarsach and Irish bodhrán. 8.30pm

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Tuesday 18 February

THE BULLRING: During the 80s and 90s, the Waterloo underpasses were home to a ‘cardboard city’, populated by up to 200 homeless people. The Bullring, as it was known, was dispersed in 1998 to make way for the IMAX cinema, and is now largely forgotten. A new exhibition in the crypt of St John’s Waterloo looks at the history of the site, with personal accounts, artworks and a unique set of photographs. 18 February-2 March

IMAGINE FESTIVAL: Southbank Centre's Imagine Festival is back for February half term, celebrating all facets of kids' literature, theatre, dance, and music. The programme is packed, catering to all ages and budgets (plenty of events are FREE!), spanning performances and workshops. 18-23 February

SCAVENGER HUNT WALK: Take the whole family on a scavenger hunt guided walk themed on the Great Fire of London. Meet your guide near the Tower of London, and hear about what happened in London during The Great Plague of 1665 and The Great Fire of London of September 1666, as told in the diaries of Samuel Pepys, while visiting places including the site of Pepys' house, and where the fire broke out. 10.30am-12.30pm

AHDAF SOUEIF: The author of Booker Prize-shortlisted The Map of Love, Ahdaf Soueif is at St-Martin-in-the-Fields off Trafalgar Square tonight, talking about conflict and empathy, inequality and power, climate crisis and wonder through storytelling and action. It's part of The Conversation series. If you can't make it in person, there are also online tickets for this discussion. 6.30pm-7.30pm

THIN PLACES: Vanessa and George of London Dreamtime host an evening of discussion, live music and storytelling on the theme of thin places — locations where the boundary between the physical and spiritual world feels thin — in London. Takes place at Safehouse in Peckham. 6.30pm-8.30pm

POTTERY CLASS: Ceramicist Sampada Gurung leads a relaxing hand-built pottery session in the taproom at Boxcar Bar & Grill in Mayfair. Learn simple hand-building techniques to create your own pottery pieces to take home — all materials are included, and no experience is necessary. 7pm-9pm

CHARITY COMEDY: Comedians Ria Lina, Iain Stirling, Hal Cruttenden, Glenn Moore, Esther Manito, Nick Helm and Rosie Jones are on the bill at Laugh Till It Hurts, a charity comedy show at the Comedy Store in Leicester Square, in aid of Cornwall Hospice Care. 7.30pm

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Wednesday 19 February

RUSH HOUR CONCERT: Swing by St John's Waterloo on your way home from work for its latest rush hour concert. Sinfonia Smith Square joins forces with musicians from Britten Sinfonia for a performance of works by Benjamin Britten, giving you somewhere to sit out the bulk of the rush hour crowds before heading home. 6pm

ROBOT WORKFORCE: Excited about the prospect of a robot workforce? Or does the idea not compute with your idea of a healthy future? The topic is up for discussion at Debate London's event at the Windsor Castle pub in Victoria tonight. 6.30pm-9.30pm

PHIL WANG: Tonight's Knock2Bag comedy show at MOTH Club in Hackney is headlined by Phil Wang, with support artists Ben Pope, Sarah Roberts, Freddie Meredith and Samira Banks. Seating is limited, so arrive early. 7pm

PUBSCI: Regular event PubSci does exactly what the name suggests, bringing science to the pub. Tonight, at the Old King's Head in Borough, Institute of Explosives Engineers' board member Mark Hardman talks about the history of big bangs and explosive materials in England, from the Gunpowder Plot through to more recent government secrets. 7pm-9pm

CINEMA COMEDY: Ria Lina showcases her work in progress at tonight's Collywobblers Comedy, joined by Mike Capozzola, Mara Mainka, Callum Mackenzie and a special guest. See it inside the vintage cinema room at the Fellowship Inn in Bellingham. 8pm-10.45pm

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Thursday 20 February

DISNEY ON ICE: 100 Years Of Wonder is the theme of the Disney On Ice show coming to Wembley Arena, starring characters including Minnie, Mickey, Moana, Disney Princesses, the Toy Story gang, Anna, Elsa and Olaf from Frozen, and plenty more familiar faces. 20-23 February

BFI FUTURE FILM FESTIVAL: 54 short films are on the programme for the BFI Future Film Festival 2025, along with masterclasses, workshops, screenings, and networking opportunities for 16-25 year old aspiring film makers. As well as showing at BFI Southbank, the films are available to watch online for free. Category themes this year include The City, Coming of Age, and Family. 20 February-6 March

ALTERATIONS: Lyttelton Theatre at the National Theatre opens Alterations, a play about a tailor running a small business who works through the night to complete a large order, causing him to question what price he is willing to pay for success. 20 February-5 April

SALT COSMOLOGIES: New, free exhibition Salt Cosmologies opens in the courtyard at Somerset House, taking the form of an 80m-long fabric installation representing the Inland Customs Line, a 2,500 mile-long 'hedge' created by the British to enforce salt taxation during colonial rule in India. The exhibition continues inside the building, focusing on other aspects of Britain’s imperial salt monopoly in India. FREE, 20 February-27 April

EASTENDERS WATCH PARTY: Join fellow Eastenders fans for a screening of tonight's special 40th anniversary episode, at Boxpark Wembley. As well as showing the live episode, the event includes games and quizzes, and you're encouraged to dress as an Eastenders character, so best dig out your Pat Butcher earrings. 6pm-11pm

BLACK LOVE STORIES: Waterstones Piccadilly hosts an evening celebrating Black love stories. Authors Tia Williams and Lizzie Damilola Blackburn discuss their respective romance novels A Love Song for Ricki Wilde and The Re-Write, in conversation with Ore Agbaje-Williams. 6.30pm

QUEER ANATOMIES: The Hunterian Museum stays open late for an event featuring medical historian Michael Sappol giving a talk on his new book Queer Anatomies. Hear about how 18th and 19th century anatomy illustrations — the only publications allowed to print sexual anatomy at the time — were often transformed to become monstrous, flirtatious, theatrical or transgressive. 6.30pm-8pm

LATE NIGHT JAZZ: One for night owls: head along to the Royal Albert Hall for Late Night Jazz, and watch Kurdish and Anatolian folk singer Gülseven Medar performing live with her band in the Elgar Room. Expect to hear folk, Alevi faith music, and jazz fusion, featuring vocals, double bass, harp, and tenbur. 9.30pm

Friday 21 February

BRITAIN'S COLONIAL ARMIES: Chelsea's National Army Museum hosts a free lunchtime talk about how soldiers from Africa were recruited, trained and mobilised during the Second World War. Historian John Concagh talks about the half a million Africans who were serving in British uniform by the end of the war, with one fifth involved in active combat across East Africa, Madagascar and Burma. FREE, 12pm-1pm

LGBTQ+ ARCHIVES: Head along to the London Archives in Clerkenwell for a chance to viewa selection of documents that speak to the lives and experiences of LGBTQ+ people. See items from the Lesbian London, Gerald Kremenstei and Clarence Allen collections. 12.30pm-2pm

LUNCHTIME RECITAL: Pianist Tommy Tai is at Croydon Minster for a free lunchtime recital. You're invited to bring your sandwiches (although the last time we went, absolutely no one else brought sandwiches...). FREE, 1.10pm-1.50pm

SUPPER CLUB: Masterchef: The Professionals finalists Santosh Shah, Philli Armitage-Mattin, Bart Van der Lee and Alex Webb team up for a special supper club at Cinnamon Kitchen City, along with executive chef Vivek Singh. Take part in a blind tasting session and vote for your favourite dish to crown the winner. 6.30pm-10pm (repeated tomorrow)

QUEER POETRY NIGHT: As part of Chelsea Physic Garden's A Dash of Lavender season, pop along to a queer poetry night in the garden. Bella Cox hosts, with performances by three headline poets, followed by an open mic session — sign up on the night if you want to take part. 7pm-9pm

CEILIDH CLUB: Make a lively start to the weekend at London Ceilidh Club at Grand Junction in Paddington. A live band provides the soundtrack and a caller helps you keep up with the steps in a three-hour event open to both beginners and more experienced dancers. 8pm

Saturday 22 February

SIX NATIONS: After a break weekend, Six Nations rugby tournament is back, with three games across Saturday and Sunday (including England vs Scotland on Saturday evening). Whoever you're supporting, find somewhere to watch with our guide to pubs, bars and other venues showing Six Nations in London.

HIGHGATE HERITAGE WEEKEND: Lauderdale House hosts the annual Highgate Heritage Weekend, celebrating the history of the local area through a selection of events including talks, a fair with local history societies represented, and a family fun day. FREE, 22-23 February

VAN GOGH HOUSE: The Brixton House where Vincent van Gogh lived between 1873-4 opens up for tours this weekend. It includes the chance to see artefacts uncovered during the recent renovation and conservation of 87 Hackford Road. You'll need to book. 22-23 February

LUXMURALIS: Light show Luminous by Luxmuralis opens at St Paul's Cathedral tonight, transforming the interior of Christopher Wren's dome into an immersive sound and light display inspired by the building's history. 22-28 February

JAZZ BRUNCH: Once a month, Marylebone's 108 Brasserie holds a jazz brunch, with live music to enjoy while you have antipasti, salads, seafood, and brunch dishes, followed by a trip to the Pie Room, where you can tuck into unlimited desserts. 12.30pm-4pm

MIGRATION TOUR: Working-class migrants, often maligned as 'economic migrants', do business, make families, invent objects, bring pleasures, help each other, fight and die together. Explore this rich history in the Saffron Hill and Hatton Garden area with tour guide Laura "The Naked Anthropologist" Agustin. 1pm

JACK AND EVE: Journalist Wendy Moore is at North Kensington Library to discuss her book Jack and Eve, about Vera ‘Jack’ Holme and Evelina Haverfield, suffragettes and life partners who carved radical new paths for women during the First World War. FREE, 2pm-3pm

ACTION MOVIE MARATHON: The legendary Prince Charles Cinema — whose future is currently uncertain — offers an action movie all-nighter marathon, running for almost 10 hours. Watch Heat (1995), Point Break (1991), Predator (1987) and Aliens (1986) one after the other. Not into action films? A Lord of the Rings all-nighter runs tonight too. 11.30pm

Sunday 23 February

LONDON WINTER RUN: Up for a physical challenge? Sign up for the London Winter Run, and power through a 10K, traffic-free route around London, raising money for Cancer Research UK. Not much of a runner? Line the route and cheer the fundraisers on. Even if you're not involved, be aware of road closures along the route today. From 9.30am

FARMERS' MARKET: The monthly Wembley Park Farmers' Market has over 25 traders selling everything from farm-reared and organic produce to vegan treats, Mediterranean goods, home-grown plants, organic wines, Italian deli goods, homemade pies and more. 9am-3pm

EATING STORIES: Theatre performer Pepa Duarte leads Eating Stories, a workshop in which you're invited to explore your personal relationship with food, by way of immersing yourself in various imaginative exercises. Takes place at Siobhan Davies Studios in Lambeth. 11.30am-1.30pm

VINTAGE SALE: Update your wardrobe at the Mile End Vintage Kilo Sale, which comes to the Ecology Pavilion in Mile End Park. Up to nine tonnes of vintage clothing dating from the 1960s onwards is available to buy, sold by weight (£20 per kilo), though there's no minimum spend, so shop well and you could pick up a few items for under £20. 11am-4pm

SNOWDROP SUNDAY: Finsbury Park's Museum of Homelessness wants members of the public to help plant thousands of snowdrops in the museum garden. Gardening gloves, tools, and hot drinks are provided, and everyone's welcome. FREE, 1pm-4pm

BABA YAGA: Love Shack on Cambridge Heath Road hosts two hours of fun from Connection With Wonder, based around Slavic folklore character Baba Yaga the witch. There's storytelling, talks, music and badge crafting. A bar too. Note: the event is adults only. 2pm-4pm

SINGLE AND THRIVING: Nicola Sawson, author of new book Single: Living a Complete Life on Your Own Terms, is at Conway Hall to talk about being unpartnered in a world designed for couples, and celebrating the opportunities of being single.3pm-4.30pm

CRAFT AND CHILL: Colour expert and Londonist contributor Momtaz Begum-Hossain runs one of her regular crafting afternoons for adults at Well Bean Co Cafe in the Royal Docks. All art and crafts materials are provided, no artistic experience is necessary, and the session runs on a pay-what-you-can basis, with a different project each month — this time, make yourself a pampering gift. 4pm

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