12 Fun Things To Do This Weekend
It’s dealers choice this weekend: You can choose to go by conventional wisdom and declare this the first weekend of Autumn, or you can go by the equinox and cling on to Summer – which, judging by the heatwave in store, maybe the wiser move. But who are we to judge? To mark this, we’ve highlighted a host of options that fall into either category. Embrace the changing seasons by getting stuck into The Rugby World Cup, or enjoy the Indian summer by soaking up the sun at a Tequila or Boat festival.
Things To Do This Weekend, From Burlington Arcade’s Summer Garden To A DJ Set At The Southbank Centre
Head to an afrobeat discotec at the Mandrake Hotel
Kick off the weekend early with this fusion of disco and afrohouse music at The Mandrake, the Fitzrovia-based five-star boutique hotel and cultural hub. It has announced the relaunch of its Discodelic Night at Waeska Bar which will take place every Thursday from 9:00pm – 1:00pm.
Note that the Waeska Bar operates a strict dress code of smart casual, so entry may not be allowed if you are overdressed wearing ties, or underdressed wearing hoodies or sports shoes.
Get classy at this Burlington Arcade & Laduree summer garden
Ladurée and Burlington Arcade have teamed up to unveil Summer Story: An exclusive garden-style ice cream concept positioned in the heart of Burlington Arcade. The summer garden provides an elegant setting to Ladurée’s beautiful pastel-coloured vintage ice cream cart.
Designed and produced by Malachite Studio, the concept was born out of the desire to create an immersive and inviting floral space within Burlington Arcade, with inspiration drawn from Jardin des tuliers in Paris. Ice cream lovers will be able to choose from a selection of traditional artisanal Ladurée signature ice creams, including Plaisir Sucre (ice cream and Guanaja 70% chocolate), Lemon Meringue, and Ispahan (raspberry rose coulis topped with fresh raspberries, lychees and pink macaron).
When: 7th August to 24th September 2023
Where: Burlington Arcade, 51 Piccadilly, London W1J 0QJ
Website: laduree.co.uk
Keep summer going at this Tequila & Mezcal Festival
The festival invites enthusiasts – and casual fans alike – to stroll through Studio 9294 Hackney Wick, meeting experts who will share their knowledge, passion, and of course, Tequila and Mezcal with guests. Over twenty unique brands are set to make their debut into the UK market.
Tickets are available to purchase and are priced at £25 for a day admission.
Give your tastebuds a jolt with this anniversary supper club
Renowned Hampshire winery, Hattingley Valley, is teaming up with Vivek Singh’s trailblazing, modern Indian restaurant, Cinnamon Kitchen City, for an exclusive English wine pairing supper club to mark the restaurant’s 15th anniversary and 10 years of award-winning wines from Hattingley Valley.
Expect a canapé reception followed by five delicately spiced feasting courses each paired with different medal winning English Hattingley wines. Tickets are £95pp.
when: 8th September
Where: Cinnamon Kitchen, 4 Arches Ln, Nine Elms, London
Book Here: eventbrite.co.uk
Get cultural at the Southbank Centre
World-renowned DJ Honey Dijon is launching her new show The Honey Dijon Experience, at Southbank Centre on September 9th. As well as performing a live DJ set of her own songs and favourite tunes, remixed with the Radiant Baby Orchestra, she will also feature a line-up of uo and coming DJ talent taking the international music scene by storm.
Also included before the set is an intimate conversation with Honey Dijon and a special guest where they unpack everything in the world of music, fashion and culture.
Head to a Classic Boat Festival
For a fun and unique family day out, this annual boating extravaganza will see over 40 beautiful vintage and exquisitely preserved vessels assemble in the central basin of St Katharine Docks in London. These include the war heroes, the Dunkirk Little Ships, motorboats from the Bates Starcraft and Rampart ranges and other working vessels, including two steam tugs. There will also be an array of activities including live music, food talks and kids activities.
Visitors will be able to board some of the vessels and meet their caring owners, and each day is marked with an opening and closing salute of horns – and best of all, it’s completely free.
Get a different perspective of Andy Warhol at the Fashion and Textiles Museum
This weekend marks you last chance to jump into the unknown and virtually unrecorded world of textile designs by the influential pop artist and icon Andy Warhol, as this exhibition at the Fashion and Textiles Museum ends after September 10th. Dating from his early career as a commercial designer and illustrator in the 1950s and early 1960s, Warhol’s textiles are now considered an important part of his body of work.
The exhibition includes over 45 of Warhol’s textile patterns from the 1950s and early 1960s, depicting an array of colourful objects – ice cream sundaes, delicious toffee apples, colourful buttons, cut lemons, pretzels and jumping clowns exhibited both as fabric lengths.
When: Ends 10th September
Where: Fashion and Textiles Museum, 83 Bermondsey St, London
Website: fashiontextilemusuem.org
Sample a food festival at Lords Cricket Ground
The Ashes are over, and England have seemingly lost, drew and won all at the same time, depending on how you look at it. Thankfully, food is the perfect way to celebrate and commiserate. The home of cricket has turned into The Home of Food Festival for one weekend only, hosted by Tommy Banks, Michelin-starred Head Chef at The Black Swan in Oldstead.
Also in attendance will be Lisa Goodwith-Allen, Gareth Ward and Fallow, and the festival will feature cocktail masterclasses, a wine tasting, kids interactive cooking classes and much more. Tickets are £25 and kids go free.
Celebrate the start of the Rugby World Cup
Christmas has come early for all Rugby fans, as the World Cup in France kicks off with the Hosts taking on New Zealand on Friday night, with matches continuing right through the weekend (and for the next month and a half).
For those not lucky enough to travel to France, it gives us a great excuse to go to the pub with a group of friends – check out our Pub guide section for inspiration.
When: From 8th September
Where: All around London and UK
3 Events Worth Travelling for…
Explore the great outdoors at this Welsh walking festival
The heatwave that we were waiting for all summer has decided to arrive just when we had given up, so this weekend could be your last chance of the year to take full advantage for the weather outdoors. What better place to do so than in beautiful Wales, where the annual walking festival will be taking place in the Vale of Glamorgan.
There are walks of all different lengths, interests and difficulties, including llama farms, stunning coastlines and haunted forests.
When: 5th to 10th September
Where: vale of glamorgan, wales
Website: Valeofgalmorganwalkingfestival.com
Celebrate heritage at England’s largest festival of history and culture
If you weren’t already aware, every September thousands of volunteers across England organise events to celebrate its history and culture. It’s your chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences – all of which are free to explore.
Now in its third year, open days run from the 8th of September to the 17th and take places all over the country – head to their website and find some nearby wherever you live.
Test yourself at the Highland Games
Rounding into its final stages, its the most traditional of tradition: The Highland Games. This weekend’s events are taking place in Pitlochry, just at the southern entry point of the Cairngorms.
The sports involved are, how should we say, industrial? Sheer brute strength trumps grace for the most part, with most of the events involving throwing heavy weights around in a variety of ways. Spectating, rather than competing, might be a more attractive proposition.
