The best things to do this weekend in London

Cato in Covent Garden channels the spirit of New York's cocktail scene right into the heart of the West End. Nodding to Alexander Cato, often cited as the first bartender to achieve celebrity status, the bar unfolds across three contrasting settings, from the high-energy House of Julep to an intimate lounge and a boundary-pushing drinks lab. Alongside the cocktails, there's a line-up of classic American bar bites.

National Margarita Day on Sunday 22 February sees the return of El Tequileño's Margarita Mile, a nationwide celebration of the tequila classic. Cocktail bars and Mexican restaurants across the UK will be serving special margaritas and deals all week, with organised crawl routes in both Central London and East London. There's also a “Map Your Marg” planner for anyone keen to design their own margarita trail.

The Barbican Centre is hosting a rare weekend of purely acoustic works by Japanese electronic innovator Ryoji Ikeda. Setting aside his usual digital tools, Ikeda focuses on strings, percussion, and voice, using classical instrumentation to explore symmetry, spectrum, and mathematical form. Performed without amplification across multiple venues, the concerts spotlight the raw resonance of live sound and offer an intimate look at this lesser-known side of Ikeda's practice.

Marking 50 years of Aardman, the Young V&A in East London is hosting “Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends”, a major exhibition celebrating the studio's stop-motion legacy. Featuring more than 150 items – including original puppets, props, sketches, and concept art – it lifts the lid on the craft behind the beloved characters while tracing the wider history of stop-motion through pieces from the V&A collection. Designed with families in mind, the exhibition also includes hands-on activities.

The two-week-long Lunar New Year festivities kick off on 17 February, welcoming the Year of the Horse with food, entertainment, special deals, and more across London. The main event is the Chinese New Year parade, which takes place on Sunday 22 February, but there's lots to discover throughout the festive period – check out our guide to Lunar New Year in London for all the details.

Hackney Flea Market hosts some of London's largest pop-up vintage events, drawing crowds of keen bargain hunters. Some of the UK's most experienced vintage traders will congregate in Hackney over the weekend to display their wares. Expect a lively, treasure-hunting atmosphere and stalls piled high with everything from retro furniture and fashion to records, curios, collectibles, and standout homeware pieces.

This week is February half-term, and by the time the weekend rolls around, many parents are likely to be scraping the bottom of the barrel for ideas on what to do with the kids. Our guide to things to do this half-term is ready to jump in with a few last-minute ideas, and we've also compiled a list of restaurants where kids eat free during half-term, so you can wrap the week up with a nice meal out for everyone.

The Mundo Pixar Experience lands in Wembley Park (from 13 February). Set inside a purpose-built space the size of a small aircraft hangar, the immersive exhibition brings 14 Pixar worlds to life – from shrinking down in Andy's Room in “Toy Story” to stepping onto the “Monsters, Inc.” Scare Floor and grabbing a snap with Lightning McQueen at Flo's Café. Expect scenes from “Inside Out 2,”, “Coco", “Up” and more, complete with cinematic soundtracks and themed scents.

The annual Orchid Festival will once again fill Kew Gardens, this year celebrating its 30th anniversary with a Chinese inspired display. Elaborate floral installations celebrate Chinese biodiversity through orchids, lanterns, dragons, and sculptural planting, while also spotlighting Kew's global work in plant science and conservation. The daytime festival is complemented by After Hours sessions in the dark, paired with live music, fashion walks, and hands-on workshops exploring Chinese culture.

With country music's growing mainstream appeal, line dancing has become a fun and social way to let loose, and Lil' Nashville has established itself as the home of line dancing in London. Weekly one-hour beginner classes take place on Wednesdays and Saturdays for ages 12+, while Sunday sessions cater to intermediate dancers looking to refine technique and tackle more dynamic choreography. After each class, the dance floor stays open for social dancing, with food and drinks rounding out the full Lil' Nashville experience.

The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme returns in February with the UK's largest annual celebration of Japanese cinema, themed Knowing Me, Knowing You: The True Self in Japanese Cinema, examining how identity is formed and questioned. Spanning social drama, comedy, sci-fi, and horror, the programme brings together both landmark works and contemporary releases that explore the fragile, subjective nature of selfhood.

The historic Cutty Sark hosts monthly live sea shanty performances that bring its maritime past to life on the atmospheric 'Tween Deck. Resident groups The HogEye Men and Swinging the Lead perform traditional, unaccompanied working songs rooted in real seafaring experience and deep historical knowledge. Included with the standard ticket, performances run three times a day, with Saturdays led by The HogEye Men and Sundays by Swinging the Lead.

If your weekend plans could use a reset, Planetarium Go! UK at Battersea Power Station offers a quietly impressive way to switch off. Step inside a 360° dome and drift through galaxies, planets and deep-space visuals via a series of short, accessible films. It's family-friendly, under-fours go free, and the whole thing feels more meditative than mind-blowing – in a good way. Ideal for curious kids, science fans, or anyone who wants to look at something bigger than their inbox for an hour.

A new weekly farmers market is launching in Peckham on 24 January at The Belham Primary School, serving the Peckham, Dulwich, and Camberwell area. More than 25 traders will offer seasonal produce, meat, seafood, cheese, baked goods, preserves, and plants. With street food and live music, it promises to be as much a social hang-out as a place to shop.

The Royal Air Force Museum is launching a series of hands-on, family-friendly workshops where children can build models of iconic aircraft like the Supermarine Spitfire and the infamous Messerschmitt. The Airfix Model Club runs across ten weekends in 2026, guiding young engineers through each project. Participants receive an engineer's licence to track their progress, unlock a mystery model, and enjoy discounts on Airfix kits in the museum shop.

Over at the British Museum, you can dive into “Hawai'i: a kingdom crossing oceans” – the museum's first major exhibition of 2026. At its core is the tragic 1824 London journey of King Liholiho and Queen Kamāmalu, retold through objects, artworks, and first-hand accounts. By pairing historic pieces with contemporary Kānaka ʻŌiwi voices, the show balances beauty with critical reflection on how and why these objects now reside in a London gallery.

On every second Sunday of the month, the Vagina Museum in Bethnal Green hosts the Writer's Gym, a meetup for budding storytellers. Taking place in the museum café, the workshop offers a chilled, supportive environment with fresh prompts each session to encourage playful experimentation and creativity. Open to all genres and abilities, it welcomes anyone from complete beginners to more seasoned writers.

Wes Anderson fans have a solid reason to swing by the Design Museum this weekend, as the director's archive of around 600 props, costumes and sketches goes on show. The big draw is the three-metre-wide model of the Grand Budapest Hotel, which looks just as sweet in person as it does on screen. You can also check out the “Asteroid City” vending machines, Margot Tenenbaum's fur coat from “The Royal Tenenbaums” and plenty of tiny stop motion pieces from “Fantastic Mr Fox” and “Isle of Dogs”. It is expected to get busy, so booking ahead is advised.

“Dark Secrets: The Esoteric Exhibition” is an immersive exploration of the occult, folklore, and the supernatural, featuring over 1,000 rare artefacts across 27 themed rooms. From cursed dolls and voodoo fetishes to the “Malleus Maleficarum” and Jimi Hendrix's jacket, the display weaves together history, myth, and pop culture. Set in the atmospheric tunnels of The Vaults beneath Waterloo Station, it offers a theatrical deep dive into humanity's enduring fascination with the unknown.

Paddington Bear is coming to the stage this November in a brand-new musical at London's Savoy Theatre. Featuring original songs by Tom Fletcher of McFly and directed by Luke Sheppard of “& Juliet” fame, the show brings the beloved story of the marmalade-loving bear from Peru to life. Suitable for audiences aged four and up, “Paddington the Musical” promises a heart-warming adventure for everyone.

The Photographers' Gallery marks the centenary of the photobooth with “Strike a Pose! 100 Years of the Photobooth,” an exhibition celebrating the device's cultural legacy and playful charm. Featuring archival portraits, posters, and memorabilia, it traces the booth's journey from 1920s innovation to modern revival. Visitors can also step inside a restored 1960s photobooth to create their own photo strips and see its inner workings in action.

Tate Modern's “Nigerian Modernism” brings together over 50 artists who transformed Nigerian art during the years around independence, breaking with colonial traditions and forging new identities. The show traces the networks connecting Nigerian cities like Zaria, Lagos, and Enugu with European art centres, highlighting collectives such as the Zaria Art Society and Mbari Artists' and Writers' Club. With works spanning painting, sculpture, and more, the exhibition underlines Nigeria's bold artistic innovation and its enduring influence on global modernism.

The Design Museum's “Blitz: the club that shaped the 80s” exhibition explores the short-lived but iconic Covent Garden nightclub that helped define a decade. Featuring over 250 rarely seen objects, the show includes Spandau Ballet's original synthesiser, handwritten lyrics, and striking outfits worn by the “Blitz Kids.” The exhibition highlights how figures like Boy George, Visage, and designers Stephen Jones and Michele Clapton transformed music, fashion, and media forever.

The David Bowie Centre at V&A East Storehouse is the permanent home of the music icon's vast archive, featuring over 90,000 items covering his lengthy career, including costumes, instruments, diaries, lyrics, and photographs. Visitors can access a working archive through the V&A's Order an Object service and enjoy curated displays, film screenings, and installations celebrating Bowie's cultural legacy.

On the third Sunday of each month, Chiswick transforms into Cheesewick for London's only dedicated cheese market. Held at Old Market Place, it features over 200 cheeses and gourmet treats from UK cheesemongers, with seasonal specials and new traders keeping the selection fresh. Run by local women, the market champions community spirit and supports charities through regular donations.

“Squid Game: The Experience” at Immerse LDN invites visitors to take part in five thrilling games inspired by the hit Netflix series, minus the deadly consequences. Following successful runs in cities like New York and Seoul, the immersive event lets participants compete for points in iconic challenges like Red Light, Green Light. After the adrenaline rush, you can unwind with soju cocktails in a themed Korean Night Market.

Open on Sundays only, the Crystal Palace Museum explores the history of the architectural masterpiece that gave its name to the entire area. Three times the size of St Paul's Cathedral, the Crystal Palace was originally built to house the Great Exhibition, later relocated, and finally destroyed in a fire in 1936. You can see original bits and pieces at the museum, as well as photographs, scaled models, and other exhibits exploring the building's fascinating past.

“Stranger Things: The First Shadow,” a prequel to the popular Netflix series, is making waves in London's West End as a major theatrical hit. The play, unfolding the backstory of the series' villain Henry Creel, is co-directed by Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin, and has been praised for capturing the essence of “Stranger Things” as well as putting on an astounding visual feast.

Head on a Greek journey to the island of Skopelos for an unforgettable evening of dining and dancing at this “Mamma Mia”-inspired event. As the sun sets, discover yourself at Nikos' family-run taverna, feasting on a tasty four-course Greek meal, including dishes like Greek mezze, salad, confit lamb shoulder, and slow-cooked beef with garlic-roasted potatoes. A live band will play iconic ABBA tracks throughout the night, ensuring the dance floor stays lively with their best hits. 

Our event calendar highlights the top things to do in London.