Things To Do This Weekend In London: 8-9 February 2025

Super Bowl screenings, Six Nations matches and loads more to keep you busy.

All weekend

HEW LOCKE: Artist Hew Locke has curated a selection of objects in the British Museum which are tied to Empire and Colonialism, and displayed them alongside his own new works, in What Have We Here? which explores, questions and challenges narratives of British imperialism. This weekend is your last chance to see the exhibition. Until 9 February

KIDS' LIT FEST: Head to Herne Hill for a children's literature festival celebrating poetry, performance, writing and illustration. 'Reach for the stars' is this year's theme, and highlights this weekend include author Joseph Coelho leading a creative workshop. 4-9 February

SIX NATIONS: The Six Nations rugby tournament sees two matches on Saturday (including England vs France at 4.45pm) and a further match on Sunday. Our guide to where to watch the Six Nations in London features bars, pubs and other venues screening the tournament — you'll want to book or get there early to be sure of a seat.

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STRICTLY LIVE TOUR: Were you glued to the latest series of Strictly? Now's your chance to catch the live show as the Strictly Come Dancing tour comes to The O2. Past contestants Jamie Borthwick, Wynne Evans, JB Gill, Tasha Ghouri, Montell Douglas, Sarah Hadland and Shayne Wardare strutting their stuff, watched by judges Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Motsi Mabuse and Craig Revel Horwood. 7-9 February

NETBALL NATIONS CUP: Stratford's Copper Box Arena hosts the second and final weekend of the Vitality Netball Nations Cup, with teams Vitality Roses, Ugandan She Cranes, Malawi Queens and South African SPAR Proteas going head-to-head in a bid to take the trophy. 8-9 February

PRIDE OF ENGLAND: Pitzhanger Manor's current exhibition is Pride of England, a celebration of art, identity and football. Central to the exhibition are England's Three Lions, sculptures made from recycled materials by artist Matt Small and young people in Ealing. The lions are surrounded by portraits of the Euro 2020 football squad, and two new commissions of footballers Chloe Kelly and Bukayo Saka, who have links to Ealing. Until 23 February

ORCHIDS FESTIVAL: The Orchids festival is now open at Kew Gardens, putting Peru in the spotlight; the country is home to some of the world's rarest plant species, so being able to see them in London is a real treat. They're accompanied by horticultural sculptures of Peruvian wildlife, and a chance to hear from Kew scientists about their research trips to South America. Until 2 March

SOLDIER MAGAZINE: The official magazine of the British Army, Soldier celebrates its 80th birthday this year, an anniversary being celebrated in a free display at Chelsea's National Army Museum. Learn about the publication's history, from being launched by Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery in 1945, to its journalists travelling all over the world today. FREE, 4 February-6 July

SOMAYA CRITCHLOW: London-based British artist Somaya Critchlow's debut show The Chamber opens at Dulwich Picture Gallery, offering a response to the gallery's own collection of historical paintings. View six newly commissioned works, including three large figurative paintings, as well as Critchlow's preliminary sketches. 4 February-20 July

LONDON STORIES: Lauderdale House in Highgate opens new exhibition London Stories, showcasing incredible aerial drawings of the capital by artist Paul Hiles. Look out for the small details Hines adds in to each of his images as you admire bird's eye views. FREE, 5 February-3 March. The same venue also has Rivers and Bridges, Hope and Joy, a free exhibition of colourful multimedia paintings by artist Hilary Rosen, running on the same dates.

DICKENS IN DOUGHTY STREET: One of our picks for things to look forward to in London this year was the centenary of Bloomsbury's Charles Dickens Museum, which is being marked by a special exhibition. See Dickens' original manuscripts, personal letters and rare first editions, including some of the first objects acquired by the museum when it opened a century ago. 5 February-29 June

NOAH DAVIS: View an exhibition dedicated to the paintings of late artist Noah Davis, which capture both the everyday and historic milestones of the US from his viewpoint. It's on at Barbican Art Gallery, and our art critic chose it as one of his 2025 highlights. 6 February-11 May

JAPANESE FILMS: Taking place in several towns and cities around the UK, the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme showcases films made in Japan. Eight films are shown at the ICA this weekend as part of the London strand, including comedy Let's Go Karaoke! and literary adaptation Broken Commandment, about Japan's hidden class system. 7 February-31 March

LGBT+ HISTORY MONTH: February is LGBT+ History Month, with walking tours, kids' events and all manner of other happenings in the capital. Our guide to LGBT+ History Month events has plenty of ideas, so have a read and get booking.

Saturday 8 February

WINTER WASSAIL: Get yourself over to Barnes to witness the Barnes Common Winter Wassail. Taking place at the Vine Road Recreation Ground, a Wassail Master oversees a session of storytelling, crafts and singing, in keeping with the traditional rural celebration to wish for an abundant crop in the coming year. 10am-1pm

LABYRINTH: Cult classic 1986 film Labyrinth is today's screening at Barbican's Family Film Club. Introduce younger members of the family to David Bowie as the Goblin King, who seizes a young baby and attempts to take him to the middle of a labyrinth to turn him into a goblin. 11am

WEDDING SHOWCASE: Getting married soon? The Marylebone Hotel hosts a wedding showcase, with a range of florists, photographers and stylists showcasing their work. The hotel's own event spaces are decorated wedding-style too, in case you're on the look out for a venue as well. 12pm-4pm

FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE TOUR: An actor in the role of Florence herself leads a family-friendly tour around the Florence Nightingale Museum, telling the story of the 'Lady with the Lamp' and pointing out some of the most interesting objects in the museum's displays. 2pm

AVATAR IN CONCERT: Hear the soundtrack from animated TV show Avatar: The Last Airbender performed live at Southbank Centre. Atwo-hour special recap of the show's three seasons is displayed on a full-size cinema screen as an orchestra performs live. 3pm/7.30pm

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HOUSING CRISIS BENEFIT GIG: Rooz Studios near Old Street is the venue for a UK housing crisis and Punk 4 The Homeless benefit gig. Acts including Segs Jennings, Tara Rez and The Duel and Rites of Hadda perform live, with proceeds being split 50/50 between Punk 4 The Homeless and a UK charity TBA. Doors 7pm

CHICAGO BLUES BROTHERS: The Chicago Blues Brothers are back with their RESPECT greatest hits tour after successful runs at London’s West End theatres. The show, at Fairfield Halls in Croydon, features vibrant performances of Blues Brothers tracks by a talented band and soul singers. 7.30pm

ROSALIE MINNITT: Comedian Rosalie Minnitt — featured in The Telegraph's Funniest Shows of the Fringe 2024 — is crafting a new show, which you can get a sneak peek at, at the Pleasance in Caledonian Road tonight. 7.40pm-8.40pm

GAY WITCH SEX CULT: Last chance to catch the current run of comedian Andrew Doherty's show Gay Witch Sex Cult at Soho Theatre, following two previous sell-out runs. It's about a gender reveal party for the unborn child of a gay couple, an event which takes a sinister turn. 10.15pm

Sunday 9 February

CLASSICAL COFFEE MORNING: Start your Sunday right at a Classical Coffee Morning at the Royal Albert Hall. Harpist Jamaal Kashim performs works by S Bach, Nino Rota and Joe Hisaishi in the building's Elgar Room, while you enjoy a hot drink and pastry (included in your ticket). 10am

FAMILY RAVE: Local company Hotsy Totsy holds one of its family raves at Big Penny Social in Walthamstow. All generations are invited to take to the dance floor together while a DJ spins the tunes. Face painting is available too, and the event is aimed at children aged eight and under, and their families. 10am-12.30pm

LGBTQ+ HISTORY TOUR: Join a Bow Street Police Museum tour to explore LGBTQ+ history in the Covent Garden area. Hear about the Molly Houses of the 18th century, the arrest and trial of Oscar Wilde, and other ways in which law and order has governed the lives of queer identifying people throughout history. 11am

MENAGERIE OF ELEPHANTS: Take the kids along to Lambeth's Garden Museum for a free creative session, where you can create a colourful collage of elephants, inspired by the current Lost Gardens of London exhibition. Suitable for ages 3-12 and parents/carers. FREE, 11am-12.30pm

PALACE HISTORY TOUR: Visit a Victorian chapel, a Tudor great hall, Georgian dining rooms and a museum on a Fulham Palace history tour. An expert guide offers an insight into the long and fascinating history of the former the home of the Bishops of London. Age 14+. 12.30pm-1.45pm

POP UP PAINTING: Try your hand at recreating Gordon Bruce's Winter Light at today's Pop Up Painting session at the London Art Bar in Holborn. All art materials are provided and an artist is on hand to give you tips, to perfect your canvas which you can take home with you. 3pm-5.30pm

SUNDAY CONCERT: Flautist Daniel Shao, who recently won the Royal Over-Seas League Wind Competition, takes part in a specially-curated programme of music at Conway Hall. He's joined by other emerging artists in a performance of works spanning some three centuries, by the likes of Mozart and Vivaldi. 5.30pm-8.30pm

SADLER'S WELLS EAST: Last chance to see Vicki Igbokwe-Ozoagu's Our Mighty Groove, starring young dancers from the local area — the very first production at the brand new Sadler's Wells East dance theatre. Check out the full upcoming programme at the new venue, which has a 550-seat auditorium, dance studios, a public performance space for free performances, a restaurant and a bar. 6pm

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CHARITY NIGHT: Comedians Sara Pascoe, Mark Simmons, Jojo Sutherland, Jo Caulfield and Lauren Pattison perform in a fundraising show at the Leicester Square Theatre, along with musicians Charlotte Elizabeth, Abbie Gathard, Choir Of Man star Rob Godfrey and the Funk2K Band. The event raises money for Haematology Cancer Care and Brave. 7pm

DAWN PENN: First emerging on reggae's rocksteady scene in the 1960s, you'll almost certainly recognise Dawn Penn's mid-1990s hit No, No, No. 30 years further down the line she's still at it — and tonight you can catch her at the Fox & Firkin in Lewisham. 7pm

COMEDY: A trifling fiver gets you into JK Comedy at Nell of Old Drury in Covent Garden, where six pro comedians each do a seven-minute set. 7.30pm-8.45pm

SUPER BOWL: It's Super Bowl Sunday, when two of America's finest NFL teams, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, face off against each other. Assuming you're not jetting off to New Orleans to watch in person, here's a guide to Super Bowl screenings and parties in London. It runs into the early hours, so consider booking Monday off work. Kick-off 11.30pm, though events begin earlier in the evening.

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