12 Unique Things To Book This Weekend
The evenings are brighter, the events are better, and everyone is happier – welcome to April. This weekend brings new exhibitions, the new and improved London Zoo reptile house, anniversary dance parties and a cocktail made by Stanley Tucci, what’s not to love?
Scroll on for our guide on what to do this weekend.
Discover a past Britain at this new exhibition
Photographer Nick Waplington released the book Living Room in 1991, showcasing the daily life of friends, family, and neighbours in the Broxtowe housing estate in Nottingham, England, where Waplington spent many years making thousands of images. The result was a sensation, and now Hamiltons Gallery has an exhibition with never-before-seen images from the same time.
This extensive archive of unseen photographs revisits and refashions Waplington’s iconic work from a contemporary vantage point.
when: 14.03 – 25.05
where: 3 Carlos Pl, London W1K 2EU
website: hamiltonsgallery.com
Visit the new Reptile House at London Zoo
The reptile room has been closed for some time, either due to some refurbishments, or a salamander uprising which was covered up after the Zoo refused to grant them their own amphibian house.
Either way, it’s new and improved. From the Philippine crocodile and Galapagos tortoise to the Giant Chinese salamander and Mangshan pit viper, this is the best place to see reptiles and amphibians alike outside the Amazon.
where: London zoo, Outer Cir, London NW1 4RY
website: londonzoo.org
Celebrate this anniversary at Boiler Room
We’ve all thrown up a Boiler Room video on YouTube to impress someone, but why not bring someone along to a real one?
Ballantine’s True Music turns 10, and to launch celebrations, long-standing partner Boiler Room will be hosting a series of pop-up shows across the globe.
The first celebration will take place in London on Thursday 4th April, headlined by Grammy award-winning DJ and producer Sarz, alongside some very special surprise guests.
when: 04.04
where: 15 Bateman St, London W1D 3AQ
website: ballantines.com
Try out this Michelin-starred supper club
Michelin-starred Istanbul restaurant Arkestra is making its way to London after announcing a residency at Carousel in Fitzrovia.
Established by husband-wife duo Cenk Debensason and Debora Ipekel, Arkestra is known for its genre-defying, bold cooking, and Istanbul’s first jazz-kissa inspired listening bar, dedicated to hosting international and local talent.
Guests can expect dishes like duck breast with apicius sauce, seabass with sushi rice ice-cream ginger ponzu, and nori chips, and a yoghurt pannacotta with baklava crisps and sumac.
WHEN: 02.04 – 06.04
WHERE: 19-23 CHARLOTTE ST., LONDON W1T 1RW
Dance to a Ceilidh jam on Southbank
What do you get when you mix the fiddle and beatboxing? We’re not sure, but we’re excited to find out at this special funked-up jam on Southbank.
Folk Dance Remixed is a fresh, quirky collision of traditional, hip-hop, and folk dance and music styles, including maypole, clogging, ceilidh, street, house, and breakdance, with a hint of African dance and Bollywood.
when: 07.04
where: Riverside terrace, Southbank
website: southbankcentre.co.uk
Head to this beauty pop-up
Beauty aficionados will rejoice in the opportunity to experience a transformative Radical Botany Facial at The Wildsmith House, nestled within the iconic Liberty London on Regent Street, for a limited time only (until April 8 th 2024)
This curated facial isn’t just about skincare – it’s a full-on sensory experience. From guided breathwork to gentle cleansing and exfoliation, every step is designed to nourish your skin and soothe your soul. Utter bliss in the heart of the city.
when: Until 08.04
where: The Wildsmith House, Regent Street, London
website: wildsmithskin.com
Taste Stanley Tucci’s newly created cocktail
For years we knew Stanley Tucci as one of our favourite actors. Little did we know, this was merely a side hustle – his true passion was in cocktail-creation. A lockdown-negroni video began the phenomenon, and now he has helped create a new cocktail with gin brand Tanqueray no.TEN.
Beginning on April 3rd, no.TEN is partnering with top bartending talent for a series of residencies, beginning with Ago Perrone from The Connaught Bar for the rest of the month, with more scheduled throughout the year.
when: 03.04 – 30.04
where: 16 Carlos Pl, London W1K 2AL
website: tanqueray.com
Check out this exhibit in a historic building
This exhibit, Premise, brings together work from a group of artists, featuring paintings, on canvas, linen, or paper, and installations, all in conversation with the history and ethos of Queen Alexandra’s House (QAH).
QAH is a historic hostel for female students, which has played an important role in supporting the arts, and is the first exhibition to take place in the house in over 100 years.
when: 04.04 – 19.04
where: Queen Alexandra’s House Bremner Road, South Kensington London SW7 2Q
website: elvamulchrone.com
Visit Barbican Conservatory’s late nights
Cloud Songs on the Horizon is artist Ranjani Shettar’s first major institutional show in Europe and features five large-scale suspended sculptures across the entirety of the Conservatory space.
The exhibition is open until July, but Friday gives you a chance to see it during one of the special late-night openings, offering visitors a chance to explore the much-loved tropical oasis after hours.
when: 05.04
where: Barbican conservatory, Silk St, London EC2Y 8DS
website: barbican.org
Take part in the London Hat Walk
Bad hair day? Fear not, this Sunday you can wake up, throw on whatever ridiculous hat you find lying around, head outside and no one will think twice.
2024 marks the 10th anniversary of the very first London Hat Week. To mark the occasion is a very special edition of the London Hat Walk in collaboration with other groups hosting hat walks in other cities around the world. From Lagos to Oslo, Dublin to Sydney, people will be wearing hats and walking. Attend hatless at your own risk.
when: 07.04
where: St James’s Church, 197 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9LL
website: londonhatweek.com
Visit this exhibition exploring the importance of nature
Gauguin and the Contemporary Landscape is an exhibition of five paintings exploring the enduring influence and appeal of nature on artists working over a century apart.
At the centre of the exhibition is a rural scene by Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) painted in Brittany in 1890. It is shown alongside works by two contemporary artists who have also redefined landscape painting: Peter Doig (b. 1959) and Mamma Andersson (b. 1962).
when: 29.04
where: Ordovas, 25 Savile Row, London W1S 2ER
website: ordovasart.com
One event worth travelling for
Head to Edinburgh for a Science festival
This two–week extravaganza takes place from 30 March until 14 April, where science will be brought to life through an exciting array of events, workshops, shows, and talks for all ages.
What does the future hold for us? Where will we be as individuals, as a community, as a planet in 10 years time? All of these questions may not be answered, but you’ll definitely be closer to knowing then you were before – and maybe even leave a little more hopeful.
when: 30.03 – 14.04
where: Around edinburgh
website: edinburghscience.co.uk
