11 Things To Book This Weekend
London weekends are usually jam-packed with more exciting events than you have time to attend, but this weekend is especially filled to the brim. It’s Diwali on Sunday, one of the biggest festivals of the year, and the Christmas events are starting to pick up some serious steam.
If you’re looking for ice skating, feminist exhibitions at Tate Britain or a November music festival, we’ve rounded up all the best things to keep your eye on for this weekend.
Things to do this weekend, from Diwali celebrations to early Christmas markets
Celebrate Diwali
Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, is India’s biggest celebration and takes place on Sunday. Symbolising the triumph of good over evil, there are a whole host of ways to enjoy and celebrate the occasion in the capital, which is usually marked by trails of candles, fireworks and delicious food.
One event to check out is Ealing Road Wembley, which features free entry, free henna, lots of activities for kids as well as lots of food. For a list of restaurants putting on celebrations for Diwali, check out our guide here.
When: 12.11.2023
Where: Various locations around London
Check out Women in Revolt! at Tate Britain
Coming to Tate Britain in November is new exhibition Women in Revolt!: Art, Activism and the Women’s movement in the UK 1970–1990, a major survey of feminist art by over 100 women artists working in the UK.
Women in Revolt! brings together a wide variety of mediums including painting, drawing, sculpture, performance, film and photography, and explores issues and events such as the British Women’s Liberation movement, the fight for legal changes impacting women, Punk and independent music, the visibility of Black and South Asian Women Artists, Section 28 and the AIDs pandemic, amongst many others.
When: 08.11.2023 – 07.04.2023
Where: Tate Britain, Millbank, London SW1P 4RG
website:tate.org.uk
Show off your skills at an ice skating rink
The London rinks are back, which means one of two things: You are about to embarrass yourself on the ice, or reveal a secret skill to your friends who can only watch on in awe as you glide seamlessly under the shadow of Somerset House.
Whichever camp you fall into, one thing is for certain – it’s not Christmas without an ice skating rink trip. Luckily for you, we have a guide to all the best ones in London, which especially comes in handy after the heartbreaking loss of the Natural History Museum rink.
When: noW
Where: vARIOUS LOCATIONS ACROSS lONDON
Attend The Earthed Climate Summit at the Barbican
Worried about climate change? Want some actual good news amid a whole lot of bad? The Earthed Climate Summit might be for you.
The event will champion the transformative power of ecosystem restoration and our human potential to restore nature, and feature a range of talks, workshops, panels on all day from restoration experts, nature teachers, urban growers, indigenous leaders and farmers.
When: 11.11.2023
Where: Barbican centre, Silk St, Barbican, London EC2Y 8DS
website:earthed.co
Enjoy a late-year music festival
You might have though that with winter comes the end of the music festivals. Well you would be wrong. Pitchfork Music Festival is back for the third time in November, and features a jam-packed schedule of over 70 acts, including Mercury Prize-winning jazz quintet Ezra Collective.
Set across 17 locations in the capital from the Royal Albert Hall to the Shacklewell Arms, this is the winter music festival you need to know about.
When: 07.11.2023 – 13.11.2023
Where: Various Locations across London
website: pitchforkmusicfestival.co.uk
Get prepared at the Independent Schools Show
Weekends are about fun, but let’s be honest, for adults sometimes they heavily sway towards life admin. Which is why we need convenient events that cut out most of the effort, so we can still keep some of our Saturday’s free.
Thankfully, that’s where the Independent Schools Show comes in. Returning to Battersea Evolution for the sixteenth year, the Independent Schools Show is the ideal opportunity for parents to meet the most prestigious independent schools without having to traipse hundreds of miles to visit each one. Plus, tickets are free when booked in advance.
When: 11.11.2023 – 12.11.2023
Where: Battersea Evolution, Carriage Drive North, Queenstown Rd, London, SW11 4NJ
website:schoolsshow.co.uk
Visit this eclectic Lutz Bacher exhbition at Raven Row
This unique exhibition at Raven Row explores the work of elusive American artist Lutz Bacher, who, through the use of music, sound and voice, plays with her own identity, American pop culture and sexuality.
Lutz Bacher, AYE!, initiated by the artist in collaboration with curator Anthony Huberman, includes films and installations featuring icons like Leonard Cohen, Princess Diana, Roberta Flack and James Earl Jones, along with a giant pit of sand, and other eclectic works. You might not understand all of it, but it will impact you in surprising ways.
When: 05.10.2023 – 17.12.2023
Where: Raven Row, 56 Artillery Lane
London e1 7ls
Website:ravenrow.org
Check out the Korean Film Festival at the BFI
Returning for its 18th edition, the largest Korean film festival outside of Korea takes place at the BFI, and will showcase a variety of films, ranging from new releases to independents to special strands, including the Women’s Voices strand.
Off the back of the work of Bong Joon-Ho and Park Chan-Wook, among others, Korean cinema has become one of the most renowned and influential of the 21st Century, and on the bill is everything from familial dramas to spy thrillers.
When: 02.11.2023 – 16.11.2023
Where: BFI Southbank, Belvedere Rd, London SE1 8XT
website:bfi.org.uk
Try out one of the best Taiwanese restaurants in the capital
Offering some of the best Taiwanese in town, head down to Din Tai Fung for your dose of fluffy buns, crispy wontons and steamed dumplings. Their famous Steamed Pork Xiao Long Bao are a must, while sipping on one of their signature cocktails.
WHERE: Various Locations in London
website:dintaifung-uk.com
2 events worth travelling for
Visit the first of the Christmas markets
The Christmas markets are coming, and Manchester is the first of the big ones to launch. Mulled wine, cinnamon donuts, mince pies, hot toddy’s, knick-knacks of seemingly every variety – all your favourites will be coming back.
Why Manchester are launching their market quite so early is anyone’s guess – to help forget about the perpetual drizzle, perhaps? Or the form of Manchester Utd? Either way, if you just can’t wait for it to launch in your own city, make your way there.
When: From 10.11.2023
Where: Piccadilly Gardens , Manchester, Greater Manchester, M1 1AF
website:visitmanchester.com
Take the musical pulse of the city at the Sound of Belfast
Head to Ireland for music festival Sound of Belfast, an annual event that captures the heart and soul of this vibrant city. With an impressive line-up of 62 events spread across 25 venues across Belfast, this festival is a testament to the city’s diverse musical landscape.
Sound of Belfast is led by local musicians, artists, promoters and producers that work to showcase their craft, spanning all genres, from trad to jazz, rock to blues, and folk to pop.
When: 09.11.2023 – 19.11.2023
Where: Various locations in Belfast
Website: soundofbelfast.com
