8 brilliant things to do in London this weekend

Activate spring mode and out you go! Fill your weekend with a bundle of fresh art exhibitions, Sheridan Smith’s return to the stage, stunning fashion sample sales, and the re-opening of Le Caprice (one of Princess Di’ s fave restaurants).

ART AFFAIRS

Sarah lim-murray white cat painting 2
Sarah Lim-Murray, The White Cat 2 Painting. See more of Sarah’s work at The Other Art Fair

Fancy freshening up your interiors? Bring your biggest tote to Battersea Park for this spring’s edition of the Affordable Art Fair (Wed 6 – Sun 10 Mar). You’ll browse through hand-picked works from over 100 galleries worldwide, everything from paintings to sculptures and prints, some for as little as £50. There’ll also be themed exhibitions celebrating International Women’s Day and interiors-focused sections. If you love all things indie art, Saatchi Gallery’s The Other Art Fair will showcase 120+ lesser-known talents at The Truman Brewery throughout the weekend (Fri 8 – Sun 10 Mar). The ethos here is to shake off haughty art elitism and display affordable and original works from diverse artists alongside performances, live DJs, and a fully stocked bar. Over 60% of the artists for this edition are female-identifying, as a nod to IWD. Love.

SEE THIS

Disney100 exhibition london

Ain’t no party like an arty party, and this weekend has some hot hitters. A real crowd pleaser, the Art of The Brick Lego exhibition finally landed at The Boiler House on Wednesday – after an impressive tour of 100+ cities. Brought to life by the minds behind Van Gogh’s immersive displays, the collection features over 100 works (that’s over a million Lego bricks), many of which draw inspiration from famous artworks. If you haven’t seen the Mona Lisa IRL, now’s your chance. 

Stick around East for Disney’s crown jewels at London Excel at the Royal Docks. Disney100 reopened this week after closing down in January and lucky for us, the second launch packs an equally magical punch – cue, 14 interactive installations, 250 rarely-seen artefacts, costumes, props, and memorabilia. If paint on canvas is more your speed, check out Angelica Kauffman’s celebrated works at the Royal Academy of Arts (until Sun 30 Jun). One of the most lauded artists of the 18th century, Kauffman was known for painting the celebs and elites of her time. 

TO THE STAGE

Tuppence Midlleton in The Motive and The Cue
Tuppence Middleton in The Motive and The Cue. Photo by Mark Douet.

Sheridan Smith has made her long-awaited return to the Gielgud Theatre stage in Opening Night (until Sat 27 Jul), a musical based on John Cassavetes’ influential film, only this time, it’s theatre director Ivo van Hove (you’ll know the name from the stage adaptation of A Little Life) who takes the reins, with lyrics and music from Rufus Wainwright. Also fresh in the West End, Billy Crudup is giving Saltburn a run for its money in the thrilling story of Harry Clarke – a charismatic conman who charms his way into some seriously wealthy circles – at Ambassadors Theatre from Sat 9 Mar. And if you haven’t caught The Merchant of Venice at Criterion Theatre or The Motive And The Cue at Noël Coward Theatre, get to booking as they both close on Sat 23 Mar. 

MUSIC MADNESS

Country2Country 2019 festival at The O2
Country2Country Festival, 2019. Photo by Luke Dyson.

Queen Bey has officially crowned country music cool again, just in time for the return of Country 2 Country fest at The O2 (Fri 8 – Sun 10 Mar). Now in its 10th year, the three-dayer is a brilliant way to dip your toes into the genre and offers a mix of chart-topping artists like Brad Paisley, plus up-and-comers and blasts from the past (hello, Colbie Caillat). Cowboy hats optional. 

WINE AND DINE

Morchella restuarant interiors, exmouth market
Morchella

Le Caprice is back! Well, it’s called Arlington now. Sitting in the same spot as it did before closing during the pandemic, the legendary restaurant left a huge hole in the capital’s celeb hangout scene – it was well-known for attracting everyone from Liz Taylor to Mick Jagger, oh and Princess Di even had a favorite table, lucky number nine. Told you it was glam. And now that restaurant duo Jeremy King and Chris Corbin are back in charge, we suspect it’ll quickly return to its former glory. Prefer a taste of the Med? Check out Morchella on Rosebery Avenue, just off Exmouth Market, a freshly opened restaurant that serves delicious seasonal Mediterranean dishes.

Forgot to RSVP to the Oscars? Erm, us too. But we did get a taste of what the A-listers will be eating at the Governors Ball, at Mayfair’s swanky hotel 45 Park Lane. The Oscars Menu is available at the hotel until Mon 1 Apr, read the Muddy verdict here.

GET OSCARS READY

Emma stone in Poor Things, 2023
Emma Stone in Poor Things, by Film4 Productions.

Speaking of Hollywood’s big night, The Barbican has collaborated with the Academy Awards to host a full week (Fri 8 Tue 12 Mar) of Oscar nomination screenings. Most of us have seen the blockbuster hits (Barbie, Oppenheimer, Poor Things) but it’s worth polishing your trivia on the other films ahead of the ceremony on Sunday. Past Lives, also on Friday, is phenomenal, as is Anatomy of a Fall (screening on Sunday afternoon).

FASHION FUN

A.P.C fashion brand bags

Fashion gals, start sharpening your elbows for a two-day sample sale from French brand A.P.C, where you can bag womenswear, accessories, homeware, and menswear for up to 70% off. We’re talking bags, shoes, and effortlessly chic staples for spring. It’s all happening at The Music Room in Mayfair (Fri 8 & Sat 9 Mar)MATCHES is also getting in on the action with a sale of up to 80% off, which, naturally, offers more brand variety, including A.P.C (double whammy), Ganni, Isabel Marant Etoile, Jacqemus, Victoria Beckham, and Simone Rocha. You’ll find Matches at fashion heaven, aka The Box, in Hackney (until Sun 10 Mar).

CELEBRATE SCIENCE WEEK

Royal Observatory Greenwich Planetarium
© National Maritime Museum, Greenwich

For some out-of-this-world fun, celebrate British Science Week at Greenwich’s Royal Observatory (Fri 8 Sat 17 Mar). Marking BSW’s 30th anniversary, this year’s theme is ‘Time’. That means brilliant themed workshops, talks, and tours with the observatory’s astronomers and curators. Plus, buckets of family-friendly activities. We’re especially giddy about the evening of Astrophotography, which includes a private viewing of the Astronomy Photographer of The Year 2023 exhibition and the observatory drop-in sessions where visitors can use the telescope. 

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