Things To Do This Weekend In London: 1-2 April 2023

All weekend

LONDON FOG: Bloomsbury's Charles Dickens Museum opens a new exhibition, Dickens and the London Fog, looking at how the capital's 'pea souper' years inspired the author, with the thick fogs featuring in his novels including Bleak House and David Copperfield. From 29 March

LONDON GAMES FESTIVAL: Thumbs at the ready for the return of the London Games Festival, which celebrates all aspects of the video gaming industry here in the capital. The programme includes networking events, exhibitions, an awards ceremony, and of course, plenty of gaming sessions. 29 March-9 April

MIFFY POP UP: A new pop-up shop dedicated to cartoon rabbit Miffy is open at 78 Shaftesbury Avenue. It's part of Chinatown's ongoing celebrations for the Year of the Rabbit, and will sell gifts, limited edition items, and merchandise that's never been sold in the UK before. Open daily, 12pm-10pm 29 March-3 July

PRINT FAIR: Print dealers and publishers from around the world gather at Somerset House for the 38th London Original Print Fair.Works by new artists are for sale alongside those by more established artists, with pieces by Picasso, Matisse and Tracey Emin all on display. 30 March-2 April

BBC EARTH: As announced last year, an immersive BBC Earth experience opens in Earl's Court, voiced by none other than Sir David Attenborough. It'll take you on an interactive journey through the seven continents, with a walk-through, 360-degree take on BBC show Seven Worlds, One Planet. 30 March-31 July

SIGN LANGUAGE: Somerset House Studios unveils a new commission by American sound artist Christine Sun Kim. Edges of Sign Language looks at how sound is used in society, and explores the limitations of American Sign Language. FREE, 31 March-21 May

WATER: The National Maritime Museum is as suitable place as any to hold an exhibition about water, and more specifically, Our Connection to Water. Works by seven artists are on display, each exploring what water means to them. Aya Mohamed, Artemis Evlogimenou, Dafe Oboro, Giya Makondo-Wills, JIUN Collective, Paul Malone and Seba Calfuqueo use photography, film, installations and other mediums to explore the cultural and spiritual side of H2O. From 31 March

TITANOSAUR: One of the most anticipated exhibitions of 2023 is Titanosaur: Life as the Biggest Dinosaur at Natural History Museum. The cast of a Patagotitan — one of the largest creatures ever to walk the Earth — goes on display, along with an exhibition about how it lived, and a chance to learn about other giant creatures on the planet today. From 31 March

BERTHE MORISOT: The first major UK exhibition of work by Berthe Morisot is unveiled at Dulwich Picture Gallery. 30+ works by the trailblazing Impressionist artist are on show, along with pieces by Reynolds, Gainsborough and Fragonard. 31 March-10 September

FAMILY FUN WEEKEND: It's that time of the month again, when Cutty Sark hosts a family fun weekend. It's included in the regular ticket price, and features workshops, songs and a chance to meet characters from the vessel's past, as well as the usual things to see and do on board. 1-2 April

ORATORIO OF HOPE: Croydon commences its year as London's Borough of Culture with Oratorio of Hope, performed at Fairfield Halls. The double-bill concert celebrates the talent of Croydon's youth through music, spoken word, song, dance, film and visual art. 1-2 April

CRAFTY FOX MARKET: Head to Canopy Market in King's Cross for the Crafty Fox Spring Market Weekend, featuring two days of stalls by independent artists and makers, as well as creative workshops. FREE ENTRY, 1-2 April

SPRING FESTIVAL: Spring gets underway at Battersea Power Station with the launch of its Spring Festival, a programme of mostly free events over the next two weeks. From Saturday, follow the giant flower trail for a chance to win prizes, and play in the Illustrated Playground (it's for all ages!). FREE, 1-16 April

PETER RABBIT: Easter isn't until next weekend, but the seasonal activities have already kicked off in Covent Garden, with a family-friendly Peter Rabbit Easter Adventure. It's a quest through the market, accompanied by various Beatrix Potter characters, in a bid to save Jemima Puddle-Duck, using notes, maps and other clues. Puppetry and live performances also feature. Various dates until 16 April

BIJIJOO: Saatchi Yates Gallery in St James's hosts the inaugural solo exhibition of Bijijoo — also known as American TikTok star Michael Todd Horne. The exhibition, Viral Monsters, consists of the large-scale paintings of amorphous, colour-drenched monsters for which Horne gained his online following. FREE, until 28 May

SCI-FI EXTENSION: Good news, sci-fi fans! The excellent Science Fiction: Voyage to the Edge of Imagination exhibition at the Science Museum has just been extended. Originally due to close in early May, the theatrical exhibition features iconic treasures from film and TV, including Star Wars, Star Trek and Doctor Who. Until 20 August

EASTER HOLIDAYS: Kids finished school for Easter? Wondering how to keep them occupied for the next couple of weeks? Take a look at our guide to Easter holiday events in London, including family-friendly shows and exhibitions, and plenty of free things to do too.

Saturday 1 April

Note the date. Believe nothing. Trust no one. Question everything.

EASTER EGG HUNT: Riverscape in Silvertown offers an Easter egg hunt around the Royal Wharf area. It begins with craft workshops in the morning, where children can help to decorate the eggs, to be hidden around the vicinity for the hunt in the afternoon. 10.30am-5pm

SEWING MACHINE MUSEUM: The monthly(ish) opening of the London Sewing Machine Museum takes place today, giving you the chance to ogle 600+ of the objects. What's that? You didn't know London has a Sewing Machine Museum? Not many people do, but we visited in 2018 to take some of the mystery out of the place. FREE, 2pm-5pm

FROM PIAF TO POP: Head to Wilton's Music Hall for two final chances to see Paris! From Piaf to Pop, the latest show by chanteuse Christine Bovill. It sees her travel into the 60s and the Americanisation of French music: le yé-yé. 2.3opm/7.30pm

CELYA AB: Last chance to catch the current run of Swimming, comedian Celya AB's show, at Soho Theatre. It's about moving from Paris to Birmingham, finding yourself and learning to swim at 25, and it sold out at the Edinburgh Fringe last year. 7pm

CARMINA BURANA: Experience the majesty of Carl Orff's magnum opus at Royal Festival Hall. Over 200 voices accompany the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the iconic venue for an unforgettable performance of Carmina Burana — a cantata based on the medieval poetry collection of the same name. 7.30pm (sponsor)

SOUNDS QUEER: Live music night Sounds Queer offers a space for artists and audiences to feel safe to express themselves honestly, while celebrating the diversity of queer live music. DJ sets and drag performances feature alongside the live music, all taking place at Rich Mix. 7.30pm

COMEDY MUSICAL GALA: Comedy meets music at the April Fool's Day Gala at Cadogan Hall, hosted by 'the world's first classical music hooligan' Rainer Hersch. Evelyn Glennie, Zeb Soanes, Earl Okin and James Oldfield are on the programme, and the event raises money for charity Help Musicians UK. 7.30pm

SKYLINES BOAT PARTY: An evening of River Thames-based revelry awaits on a party cruise of epic proportions. We're talking two decks of club classics, house, Afrobeats and R&B, a pub-priced bar, and stunning views as you sail in style from Westminster Pier to the secret after-party venue. Boat departs 8pm (sponsor)

DAVID BOWIE PARTY: Independent club night Scared To Dance takes over The Victoria in Dalston for a David Bowie special, with guest DJ Jessica Gladstone. Dance the night away to Heroes, Starman, Changes, Modern Love, Sound and Vision, Ashes to Ashes and more. 10pm

FOREVERLAND: If you're the kind of raver who doesn't get the party started till almost midnight, Foreverland: Dopamine Afterdark should be on your radar — starring Tough Love, Jess Bays, Gotsome and more, the glowstick-waving festivities go on through the night at Village Underground. 11pm-5am

Sunday 2 April

AMAL AGAIN: After returning to London on Wednesday, Little Amal leads an interfaith celebration for Londoners, as Easter, Passover and Ramadan coincide. Catch her at JW3 in North Finchley for Passover storytelling, a Christian celebration featuring gospel choirs and steel pans in South Hampstead, and a Ramadan lantern parade and Iftar event in King's Cross. FREE, 9.45am-6.30pm

CROYDON AIRPORT MUSEUM: Formerly London's main aviation hub, Croydon Airport doesn't see much action these days, but once a month its Visitor Centre hosts an open day. See inside the micro-museum to get an idea of the airport's history, including exhibitions inside the world's oldest air traffic control tower. 10am-3pm

STUFF & NONSENSE: Take the kids along to Big Penny Social in Walthamstow for Stuff & Nonsense Family Show, a comedy performance aimed at 6-10 year olds and their families. It features the Barmy Brothers, a rodeo cowboy, dancing chickens, a singing windmill and lots of pancakes. 10.30am-12pm

ELEPHANT ESCAPE: In 1884, two elephants broke free in Parliament Fields and went on a rampage through the streets of N19, only stopping when they got trapped in a basement. Hear the full story and follow the route they took on this walking tour with guide Jane Parker. 11am-1pm

FALLEN STATUES: Author and social commentator Alex von Tunzelmann is at Conway Hall to discuss the subject matter of her book Fallen Idols. Hear about 12 statues around the world, from Bristol to Virginia to Antwerp, which were pulled down or destroyed in recent years in protest against the people they depicted. Find out why they were put up in the first place, and why they were challenged. 3pm

MAX PORTER: Author of Grief is the Thing with Feathers Max Porter is at Southbank Centre for a dramatic reading of scenes from his new novel, Shy, with actors Ruth Wilson, Toby Jones and David Alade. There's also a conversation between Porter and Wilson. 7.30pm

MUSICAL THEATRE RAVE: To mark this year's Olivier Award, Heaven is throwing a Musical Theatre Rave — pumping out all your fave theatre anthems, and featuring cameos from stars of the West End. 9pm-3am

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