Things To Do This Weekend In London: 19-20 October 2024

A chocolate festival, a flamenco drag show, and a daytime disco.

All weekend

RANJIT SINGH: In its final weekend is Ranjit Singh: Sikh Warrior King, the current exhibition at the Wallace Collection which explores the life of great Sikh leader Ranjit Singh (1780–1839). 100 items, including jewellery and weaponry, demonstrate how his leadership led to a golden age of trade and arts, and a formidable army. Until 20 October

STREATHAM FESTIVAL: Guided walks, dancing and workshops are among the events on the Streatham Festival programme this final weekend, celebrating creativity in the local area. Highlights include art deco-themed guided walks, and readings of some of Terry Pratchett's work. Until 20 October

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WIMBLEDON BOOKFEST: Clare Balding, Tom Parker-Bowles, Robert Harris, Nina Stibbe, Rick Stein, Zeinab Badawi and Baroness Warsi are among the speakers at Wimbledon BookFest this weekend, with events at venues around central Wimbledon. The festival continues into next week too, so check out the programme and get booking. 17-27 October

WILDLIFE ART: The Natural Eye 2024 is the 61st annual exhibition of the Society of Wildlife Artists, and it takes place at Mall Galleries. Works by artists from the UK, mainland Europe, North America and beyond are on display, spanning several mediums and depicting species including insects, foxes, tigers, wild dogs, frogs, sea creatures and bears. 17-27 October

DAVID HOFFMAN: The Museum of the Home has a new exhibition paying tribute to the work of protest photographer David Hoffman, who began working in the East End in the 1970s, documenting issues such as homelessness and racism. Curated by The Gentle Author, the crowdfunded exhibition coincides with the publication of David Hoffman’s monograph, Endurance & Joy in the East End 1971–1987. 15 October-30 March

MARILYN MONROE: A new exhibition about the life and work of actress Marilyn Monroe opens at The Arches in London Bridge in time for this weekend, showcasing 250 objects including clothing, shoes and private letters. From 17 October

OM YOGA SHOW: Head to Alexandra Palace for the Om Yoga Show, apparently the biggest yoga gathering in Europe, with open classes led by the world's top teachers, along with 200 exhibitors offering yoga accessories, clothing, jewellery, retreats and more. 18-20 October

SPANISH RIDING SCHOOL: The Lippizaner horses of the Spanish Riding School (which is actually based in Vienna) travel to London for three shows at Wembley Arena. They train at the oldest riding academy in the world, specialising in classic horsemanship, and this is a chance to see them in a dressage show, hosted by Nicki Chapman. We recently had the opportunity to see them in rehearsal in Austria, and were seriously impressed, so if you're into horses, don't miss this. 18-20 October

OASIS EXHIBITION: Shortly after the reunion tour went on sale, an exhibition of Oasis memorabilia was announced. Together We'll Fly is the largest collection of Oasis pieces ever seen in one place, including guitars, tickets, backstage passes, records and more. You can see it at the Cumberland Hotel near Marble Arch but it's not cheap. That said, the £45 tickets are raising money for the Teenage Cancer Trust. 18-20 October

HALLOWEEN AT KEW: We've put together a guide to London's Halloween events, but worth a specific mention is Halloween at Kew, which begins on Friday evening. New for this year, and by the same team as the magnificent annual Christmas at Kew, it's a spooky light trail through the gardens after dark, though fire gardens, glowing pumpkins and an illuminated haunted wood. 18-26 October

BLOOMSBURY FESTIVAL: Bloomsbury Festival celebrates the area's arts, culture and science, through more than 100 events across nine days, including theatre, music, exhibitions, talks and walks. Highlights this weekend include an autumn market at the London Welsh Centre, a calligraphy workshop, and a walking tour around the Rugby Estate, though there's plenty more to choose from too. 18-27 October

MUSICAL CON: Apparently the world's biggest musical theatre fan convention, Musical Con takes over ExCeL Centre for two days of live performances, workshops, masterclasses, and a chance to meet musical theatre stars. Lucie Jones, Layton Williams and Miriam Teak Lee are among the famous faces scheduled to appear. 19-20 October

PUMPKIN PICKING: A reminder that several farms in and around London currently have pumpkins waiting to be picked. Pop on your wellies and head for one of these pumpkin patches for a day of orange gourds, and in some cases, other Halloween and autumnal themed events and activities.

OKTOBERFEST: Plenty of opportunities to raise a stein to Oktoberfest this weekend, including parties at Boxpark Wembley, the Bermondsey Bierkeller, and London Oktoberfest. Our guide to the beer-centric celebrations in London has all the info you need.

Saturday 19 October

IWM PODCAST LIVE: History buffs and podcast aficionados are invited to the Imperial War Museum for a day of live podcast recordings, covering all manner of topics related to history and conflict. You can pick and choose which sessions you attend, and the day is followed by an evening panel discussion event at the Churchill War Rooms (ticketed separately). 10am-5.45pm

BRITAIN'S BIGGEST BRANDS: Last day to see the Museum of Brands' current exhibition, Britain's Biggest Brands 2023, which delves into what we were buying most of last year. It uses data from The Grocer's annual list, bringing together companies you'd expect to feature (Cadbury, Coca-Cola, Walkers) along with a few surprises (anyone remember the Prime trend?). 10am-6pm

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CHOCOLATE UNWRAPPED: A treat for chocoholics, Chocolate Unwrapped spans four floors, following the cocoa journey from bean to bar... as in cocktail bar. Brands such as Pump Street, Knoops, Melt Chocolates, Bare Bones and Cocoa Runners showcase their chocolate bars, truffles, ganaches and cakes, and the experience finishes with hot chocolate from Knoops, smooth chocolate liqueur from Bouvery CV and cocktails from MayaJules mezcal. 11am-8pm

CLASSICALLY BLACK: At time of writing, there are still tickets available for some sessions of Classically Black, a day celebrating Black, Asian and ethnically diverse musicians and professionals working in classical music. The programme includes live performances, a panel discussion about representing Blackness on the classical music stage, and an emerging talent showcase. Takes place at Kings Place. 11.30am/7.30pm

FLAMENCO DRAG SHOW: Award-winning flamenco choreographer and dancer Manuel Liñán brings his flamenco drag show VIVA to Sadler's Wells. Watch a cast of seven perform rhythmic footwork, curving arms, and slaps to the thighs — all in full feminine glory. 2.30pm/7.30pm

GUILTY PLEASURES: Keeping with the trend of clubbing events which end at a reasonable hour, Guilty Pleasures hosts an afternoon/early evening party at Koko in Camden. The daytime disco has a playlist of 70s-00s guilty pop. Age 18+. 3pm-9pm

ILLEGAL EAGLES: Tribute band The Illegal Eagles swings by Cadogan Hall in Chelsea for a performance of covers of hits by rock band Eagles. Expect to hear the likes of Hotel California, Desperado, Take It Easy, New Kid in Town, and Life in the Fast Lane. 7.30pm

SOUND OF PHILADELPHIA: Sir Lenny Henry presents a special concert marking 50 years since the release of seminal track TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia), one of the defining songs of the Philly soul genre. Hits from Philadelphia International Records' extensive back catalogue are performed by special guest singers including Beverley Knight, Andrew Roachford, Omar Lye-Fook and Tony Momrelle, at the Royal Albert Hall. 7.30pm

Sunday 20 October

CHEESE MARKET: Foodies, sweep everything else in your calendar aside and make space for Chiswick Cheese Market. The monthly event brings together cheese traders from all over selling 200+ different cheeses every time, with special events too. This time around, there's cheese tasting for children, and a Christmas cheeseboard masterclass. And we've now written the word 'cheese' so many times, it's lost all meaning. 9.30am-3pm

A FIGURE OF SPEECH: Storytelling collective Crick Crack Club pops up at the British Museum for A Figure of Speech, a macabre and visceral show about our bodies and what they are capable of. Age 14+. 2.30pm

HOW SWEET THE SOUND: Gospel music competition How Sweet The Sound takes over the Royal Albert Hall for an evening of performances by gifted performers from around Europe. Choirs and spoken word artists compete across three categories for cash prizes. 6pm

QUEERA LYNN: The Olde Rose & Crown in Greenwich has another instalment of Queera Lynn's Big Quiz & Sing Along for you this evening, the title of which tells you everything you need to know. There's a bar tab up for grabs. FREE, 6pm-9.30pm

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COLLYWOBBLERS COMEDY: Fatiha El-Ghorri, Jimmy Tamm, Joe Haddad, Jo Romero, Mags Mchugh and Sean Little all perform at the Railway pub, for a special Streatham Festival edition of Collywobblers Comedy. As always, the venue offers a 30% discount on food before 7pm, so worth getting there early to make an evening of it. 7.30pm

LONDON SINFONIETTA: The London Sinfonietta begins its new season with a special concert celebrating the 150th anniversary of composer Arnold Schoenberg. Head to Southbank Centre to hear works by Schoenberg himself, as well as his pupil Anton Webern, and Elisabeth Lutyens, a composer who followed in his footsteps. Get there early for the pre-concert discussion with conductor Jonathan Berman, musicologist Jonathan Cross and Royal Holloway Professor of Music Julie Brown. 7.30pm

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