Things To Do This Weekend In London: 15-16 January 2022

At time of writing, the Covid-19 situation is fast changing, with new restrictions or staff shortages always a possibility, so do check that events are still going ahead before you set off.

All weekend

LAST CHANCE: This week is your last ever chance to skate on the Natural History Museum ice rink, as it enters the final few days of the final season. Take to the ice in front of the beautiful museum façade before warming up with hot drinks at the cafe alongside the rink. Natural History Museum (South Kensington), £11.50 adults, book ahead, until 16 January

CONSERVATORY CLOUD: Barbican Conservatory has had a bit of a makeover, in the form of Akari light sculptures by Isamu Noguchi. This week is your final chance to explore the huge greenhouse with the Japanese washi paper lights suspended overhead. Barbican, free, book ahead, until 16 January

LAST HUSSAR: National Army Museum unveils a new, short-run exhibition, featuring the work of British artist Tobias Wilkinson. His photos show the day to day life of the UK’s last tank regiment in Germany, The Queen’s Royal Hussars, before they returned to the UK in 2019. National Army Museum (Chelsea), free, book ahead, 10-28 January

MIME LONDON: Juggling, hand puppets, string puppets and short films all feature on the programme for this year's London International Mime Festival, which brings together performers from around the world for almost a month of shows. Too much choice? For our money, Gandini Juggling is always a treat. Various locations and prices, book ahead, 12 January-6 February

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: Luzia is the latest show from the ever-impressive Cirque du Soleil, who swing into town for six weeks. The show, which is set in Mexico, takes water and light as its inspiration, with trapeze artists performing through pouring showers. Hoop diving, acrobatic stunts and a surreal menagerie all part of the fun — and let's face it, with Cirque, you know it's going to be good Royal Albert Hall, from £43, book ahead, 12 January-27 February

LONDON SHORT FILM FESTIVAL: Taking place at several independent cinemas around the capital, the London Short Film Festival programme includes a wealth of new drama, documentary and animation short films, competition-winning films, and industry events such as Q&A sessions and speed-pitching sessions. Events this weekend include a programme of animated shorts and a low-budget film competition. Various locations and prices, book ahead, 14-23 January

24 HOUR CONCERT: The London Contemporary Orchestra undertakes the challenge of performing a continuous 24-hour concert, running 6pm Saturday-6pm Sunday. Choose whether you drop by for an hour or two, or see if you can go the distance with the orchestra and last the whole 24 hours. The full programme and schedule is on the website, so you can plan your time accordingly. Barbican Hall, £15-£20, book ahead, 6pm-6pm

Saturday 15 January

ROMAN LONDON: Kids and their families can join a Museum of London expert guide for a walk through the streets of Old Londinium, the area of the modern City of London which was once occupied by the Romans. Visit the remains of a Roman wall and the site of a lost amphitheatre. Age 5+. City of London, adult £8/child £6, book ahead, 10.30am

FAMILY FILM CLUB: Barbican's Family Film Club is back, and this week it's new Disney comedy Ron's Gone Wrong, about a futuristic personalised robot friend who malfunctions. The screening is followed by a talk by Christina Last, Data Scientist at the Alan Turing Institute. Usual rules apply — all kids must be accompanied by an adult, and all adults must be accompanied by a kid. Barbican Cinema, £3.50 adult/£3.50 child, book ahead, 11am

SUFFRAGETTE CITY: Join Footprints of London tour guide Oonagh Gay for a guided tour around the Holborn area, focusing on suffragette history. Visit the church where Emily Wilding Davison’s funeral cortège began, and the headquarters of the Women's Social and Political Union, and learn about topics such as the 1922 census boycott as you go. Holborn station, £12/£9, book ahead, 11am-12.30pm

STARS IN THE SKY: Family-friendly venue Half Moon Theatre hosts Stars In The Sky, a production which combines traditional storytelling and puppetry to tell the story of Stella, an old lady who wanted to play with the stars. Age 4+. Half Moon Theatre (Limehouse), £7, book ahead, 11am/2pm

LONDON IRISH: Edinburgh Rugby visit west London for this clash with London Irish in the EPCR Challenge Cup. Brentford Community Stadium, from £25 (adult) and £7 (children), book ahead, KO 3.15pm

CAROLINE: Part of Southbank Centre's Purcell Sessions, eight-person, London-based band caroline perform. The long-durational performance (approx. 360 minutes!) takes an improvisational form, so you won't know what to expect until you get there, but the audience can come and go as they please throughout the show. Southbank Centre, £15, book ahead, 4pm

LE GATEAU CHOCOLAT: See latest, super-camp show by drag duo Le Gateau Chocolat and Jonny Woo, dubbed 'the ebony and ivory of drag'. In Now That's What We Call Musicals, expect a riot of musical theatre, karaoke, dressing up, vaudeville and more across the 75-minute show — subtle it certainly isn't. Soho Theatre, from £12, book ahead, 4.30pm/7.30pm (and other dates until 22 January)

Sunday 16 January

ROBIN'S WINTER ADVENTURE: Aimed at ages 3-7, Robin's Winter Adventure uses puppetry, poetry and music to bring the story of a young boy's journey with his feathered friend alive on stage. ArtsDepot (North Finchley), from £9, book ahead, 11am/2pm

SORDID SOHO: Exactly how sordid is Soho? Hear the area's saucy secrets on this Look Up London walking tour, which goes behind Soho's recently cleaned-up image to tell stories of the characters who used to frequent the area. Soho Square, £20, book ahead, 11am-12.30pm

SALVAGE YARD: Keen to buy more second-hand goods in 2022? Get down to Peckham Salvage Yard where you'll find vintage furniture, homeware, clothes and collectables, sold by more than 50 different specialist traders. Well, it beats IKEA... Bussey Building (Peckham), £1 entry, just turn up, 11am-6pm

FAMILY TAKEOVER: The first in a series of family takeover days happens at Camden Art Centre today, with a focus on skin. It takes inspiration from the current Building As Body exhibition, and consists of a series of creative workshops. Camden Art Centre, free, book ahead, 2pm-4.30pm

PAINT STREET ART: Try your hand at painting, and create your own version of Banksy's Girl With Balloon at this Pop-Up Painting session. All materials are provided, as is expert guidance, and drinks are available to buy to get those creative juices flowing. Sipping Room (Canary Wharf), £34.99, book ahead, 3pm-5pm

SILENT CINEMA: BFI National Archive's curator Bryony Dixon and Dr Sarah Evans from the Royal Geographical Society give an illustrated talk about some of the early women explorers and their films. Rosita Forbes, Hettie Dyhrenfurth, Osa Johnson and aviation legend Amy Johnson all feature. BFI Southbank, £6.50, book ahead, 3.30pm-5pm

SUNDAY CONCERT: The Echéa Quartet, chamber music fellows at the Royal College of Music, are stars of the first Sunday Concert of the year at Conway Hall. Enjoy a programme of work by Haydn, Bartók and Beethoven. Conway Hall (Holborn) and online, £10-£14, book ahead, 6.30pm-8.30pm

COMEDY FOR THE CURIOUS: Laugh off those Sunday night blues with this comedy panel show, about relationships — which intriguingly features a generous dose of science, and a "Versus the Audience" game. Host Robyn Perkins is joined by Seann Walsh and Mark Silcox. The Bill Murray (Islington), £5.50, book ahead, 8pm-10pm

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