Things To Do This Weekend In London: 15-16 March 2025

A palace garden tour, St Patrick's Day celebrations and Six Nations finals screenings.

All weekend

ST PATRICK'S EVENTS: Though St Patrick's Day isn't until Monday, plenty of places roll out the green carpet this weekend, with St Patrick's Day parties, special menus and other Irish-themed events. See Sunday (below) for details of the huge, free parade and festival.

AFFORDABLE ART FAIR: Prices for artworks start at £100 at the Affordable Art Fair, held at Evolution Battersea. Thousands of contemporary artworks are for sale, with special events including late night openings, and a family hour at the weekend. 12-16 March

THE LITTLE PRINCE: Beloved children's book The Little Prince has been adapted for the stage, in a show bringing together dance, aerial acrobatics and video mapping technology. It opens at the London Coliseum for a limited run, following seasons in Paris, Sydney, Dubai and a season on Broadway. Tickets here. 12-16 March

COUNTRY TO COUNTRY: Three days of country music comes to The O2 as Country To Country festival returns. Rising Nashville stars take to the stage (several stages, actually) between sets from headline acts including Lainey Wilson, Dierks Bentley, and Cody Johnson. 14-16 March

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RAILWAY MODELLING: Model railway enthusiasts from all over country gather at Alexandra Palace for the London Festival of Railway Modelling. 35+ exhibitors show off their layouts, and there's a chance to pick up rarer scales and gauges. 15-16 March

MURDER TRIAL: True crime production company Tigerslane Studios launches a new season of theatrical experience Murder Trial Tonight – The Doorstep Case at Sadler's Wells. The story begins on screen, before coming to life on stage, telling the story of a woman who returns home to find her daughter murdered on her doorstep. The courtroom drama plays out in front of you, with the audience voting on a verdict for the victim's accused boyfriend at the end of the night. 15-16 March

GISELLE: See a modern theatrical twist on the romantic ballet Giselle at the Royal Opera House. Part of the ongoing Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels Festival, Swiss director and actor François Gremaud retells the story of Giselle in a solo performance set to live music. 15-16 March

DISNEY JR: Take the kids along to Royal Festival Hall to see Disney Jr. Live on Tour. The Let's Play show is quite the medley of characters, featuring Mickey Mouse and all his pals, including Minnie, Goofy and Ariel, as well as the Puppy Dog Pals, Ginny and Bitsy from SuperKitties and Team Spidey from Marvel’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends. 15-16 March

NOWRUZ FESTIVAL: Lauderdale House's Nowruz Festival — celebrating Persian New Year — peaks this weekend, with several free events including a Nowruz bazaar, free talks and a family day with Persian-inspired arts and crafts. FREE, until 16 March

TRANSCESTRY: The Lethaby Gallery at Central Saint Martins hosts new exhibition TRANSCESTRY: 10 years of the Museum of Transology, marking a decade of collecting by the Museum of Transology, which is home to the world's biggest collection of objects and stories celebrating trans, non-binary and intersex lives. Over 1,000 objects are included, spanning items that commemorate private gender milestones and medical ephemera alongside hundreds of protest placards from mass public rallies. 11 March-11 May

CRAFT OF CARPENTRY: Step into the world of Japanese master carpenters at Japan House, and learn about the tools and craftsmanship behind Japan's temples and shrines. The centrepiece of the Craft of Carpentry exhibition is a life-size reconstruction of the Sa-an teahouse in the Daitoku-ji temple in Kyoto. FREE, 12 March-6 July

PLIED AND PREJUDICE: The Vaults on Waterloo's Leake Street host Plied and Prejudice, an adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel, telling Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy's story as you’ve never seen it before, with five actors playing 20 characters, set at a grand ball at Pemberley. From 13 March

DRESS CODES: The written and unwritten rules of dressing at the royal court are explored in Dress Codes at Kensington Palace, which showcases a rare survival of Queen Elizabeth II's childhood clothes, debutante dresses, court suits and clothing worn by members of the Royal Family such as Princess Margaret and Diana, Princess of Wales. 13 March-30 November

SOUNDS OF BLOSSOM: Kew Gardens is going all out for blossom season this year, with a musical soundtrack playing in the gardens' blossom hotspots. The new pieces of music were composed and recorded by students from the Royal College of Music, and are included in your entry ticket. 15 March-6 April

Saturday 15 March

FAMILY CONCERT: Experience works from composers who lived and worked in London, including George Handel, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Felix Mendelssohn and Errollyn Wallen, in a family concert at Sinfonia Smith Square. Plus there's a chance to meet the musicians and try their instruments after the show. 11.30am

GREAT HANDEL REVIVAL: As part of the London Handel Festival 2025, journalist and early music scholar Sir Nicholas Kenyon is at Handel & Hendrix in Mayfair to talk about why Handel's music has see a rise in popularity in the last 50 years. Your ticket includes access to the museum. 2pm

SCIENCE DEMOS: As part of the 200th anniversary celebrations for the Royal Institution's Christmas lecture, catch the highlights in one show. The British Science Association showcases the best science demonstrations seen in the annual lectures — expect flames and loud bangs aplenty. 2pm-3.15pm

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SIX NATIONS: Big day for rugby fans as the final three matches of this year's Six Nations play out. It's Italy vs Ireland at 2.15pm, England vs Italy at 3pm, and Scotland vs Wales at 4.45pm. These bars, restaurants and venues around London are all showing Six Nations, but you'll want to book ahead/arrive early today, as they're likely to be rammed.

MET OPERA LIVE: Today's performance of Beethoven's Fidelio by the Metropolitan Opera in New York is broadcast live to cinemas around the world, including Barbican Cinema here in London. British tenor David Butt Philip plays the role of political prisoner Florestan, with Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen as Leonore. 5pm

ICE HOCKEY: North London ice hockey team the Haringey Huskies take play at home, facing off against Bristol Pitbulls at Alexandra Palace. It's the team's final match of the season. 5.30pm

DRUM TAO: Japanese drumming ensemble Drum TAO presents the UK premiere of The Dream at Sadler’s Wells. Expect a combination of athleticism, large scale taiko drumming and precise choreography, with contemporary costumes and stunning visuals. Tonight's the final performance. 7.30pm

U OK HUN: Club night U OK HUN is back at Bethnal Green Working Men's Club, with DJs Victoria Peckham and Rita Lin spinning the tunes, and pop-up performances by drag, circus and podium performers. The BGWMC venue is currently under threat, and running a crowdfunder to help it stay open. 9pm-2am

SCARED TO DANCE: South London post-punk band Dry Cleaning are the guest DJs at club night Scared To Dance, at The Shacklewell Arms in Dalston. Dance to post-punk, indiepop, new wave and art rock music until the small hours. 11pm

Sunday 16 March

NOTTING HILL BLACK HISTORY: Join Black History Walks for a tour through Notting Hill, focusing on Black British Civil rights and Caribbean history in the area. Find out about pioneering African/Caribbean people, including West Indian Freedom Fighters, and Notting Hill Carnival founder Claudia Jones. 10.30am-12.30pm

RETRO GAMES FAIR: Traders from all over the UK come together for the Retro Games Fair at the Royal National Hotel in Bloomsbury, where retro video games, board games and merchandise are available to buy. 10.30am-4.30pm

CLASSICAL COFFEE MORNING: Classical music collective EMPOWER: Women Changing Music curate today's Classical Coffee Morning at the Royal Albert Hall.Watch a showcase of underrepresented female composers and musicians in the Elgar Room to mark International Women's Day. 11am

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HOLI DANCE FESTIVAL: Expect a day of colour, music, dance and authentic Indian culture as Magic of India celebrates the festival of Holi in Waterlow Park, Highgate. Everyone attending receives a packet of skin-safe powder colours to participate in the traditional colour-throwing, with Indian food available to buy, DJs playing a fusion of Bollywood and western music, and live performances by dancers and drummers. 12pm-5.30pm

ST PATRICK'S PARADE: London gets its annual greenwash today. The St Patrick's Day Parade begins at Hyde Park Corner, travelling through Piccadilly, St James's Street, Pall Mall, Cockspur Street and Whitehall, culminating in Trafalgar Square where a free festival goes on all afternoon. FREE, 12pm-6pm. Plenty of other places have St Patrick's events happening this weekend too.

PALACE GARDEN TOUR: Join an expert guide for a tour of the gardens at Fulham Palace, and learn about some of the unusual specimens currently growing there. You'll also find out about some of the projects the garden team is currently working on to conserve the space for the future. Age 14+. 12.30pm-1.45pm

CHARITY MUSIC MATINEE: The Bedford in Balham hosts Music In A Doll's House 2, an afternoon of live rock, power pop and melodic new wave music, raising money for Prostate Cancer UK. Red Letters, Oddly Valid, The Boston Brew and The John Johns are all on the programme. 1pm

IAN NAIRN'S LONDON: As part of Footprints of London's Literary Footprints festival, tour guide Stephen Benton leads a walking tour themed on architectural journalist Ian Nairn. Visit some of Nairn's favourite and not-so-favourite places in Westminster, hearing what he had to say about them in his 1966 book Nairn's London. 2pm-3.30pm

GIOVANNI PERNICE: Strictly Come Dancing professional Giovanni Pernice waltzes into Bromley's Churchill Theatre with his current touring show The Last Dance, taking to the stage along with his company of performers. 3pm

MYRA DUBOIS: Drag performer Myra Dubois takes up her regular Sunday slot at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, for an evening of raucous comedy and live music. 4pm-10.30pm

NETBALL SUPER LEAGUE: Local team London Pulse take on Nottingham Forest in the Netball Super League, in a home match at the Copper Box Arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. 6pm

SUNDAY CONCERT: Japanese violinist Coco Tomita makes her Conway Hall debut, headlining this week's Sunday Concert along with pianist Simon Callaghan. Enjoy an evening of live music as they perform works by Schubert, Debussy and Beethoven. 6.30pm-8.30pm

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