Things To Do This Weekend In London: 5-6 April 2025

Huge new exhibitions and galleries, a music festival, and Easter holidays fun.

All weekend

COMEDY IMPROVATHON: Now in its 15th year, The London 50 Hour Improvathon is back at Pleasance Theatre in Islington for a 50-hour completely improvised comedy soap opera in 25 episodes. Think Moulin Rouge meets The Greatest Showman, with performers becoming increasingly sleep-deprived as time goes on. No need for you to watch the whole thing though — tickets are available for each episode individually. 4-6 April

ROADSIDE: New one-person show Roadside is playing at the Cockpit Theatre. Apparently the first theatre play set in, and created by, the UK's New Traveller community, it tells the story of Milly, who questions whether life on the road is what she wants. 4-6 April

SEA SHANTY SINGERS: All weekend, sea shanty groups give performances on board the Cutty Sark. Included in your admission ticket, see groups Swinging the Lead (Sunday) and The HogEye Men (Saturday) giving renditions of traditional working songs. 5-6 April

CRO CRO LAND: Indie music festival Cro Cro Land takes over Stanley Arts in South Norwood, with 40 bands performing over two days. The lineup spans from gritty punk-rock to dreamy indie-pop, with Billy Nomates and Go Girl headlining Saturday, and Big Joanie on Sunday. 5-6 April

STREETHUNT GAMES: Take your family on an alternative Easter hunt this year, visiting historical London locations as you crack secret codes. StreetHunt Games offers two outdoor, self-guided mysteries: The Case of Colombia's Finest involves employees with shady pasts and secrets at a coffee company, while in Will Breaker you'll need to solve a trail of puzzles to prove you're worthy of inheriting your uncle's estate. Both are suitable for all skill levels (age 10+), and you can choose to play against the clock or at your own pace. (sponsor)

ED ATKINS: Tate Britain hosts the first major UK exhibition of work by Ed Atkins, one of the most influential British artists working today, best-known for creating computer-generated videos and animations. On display here are moving image works from the last 15 years alongside writing, paintings, embroideries and drawings, weighing the digital up against the physical. 2 April-25 August

FIXING OUR BROKEN PLANET: As Londonist reported back in February, the Natural History Museum opens a new (FREE!) gallery, its first in almost a decade. Fixing Our Broken Planet explores the biggest challenges currently facing our planet, with over 250 specimens on display including a Sumatran rhino, parasitic worms and whale's earwax. Likely to be very busy this first weekend, and throughout the Easter holidays. FREE, from 3 April

GIUSEPPE PENONE: Sculptures and works from 1969 to today by Italian artist Guiseppe Penone go on display at Serpentine South Gallery, extending beyond the gallery into the surrounding park too. Penone is a leading figure in the Arte Povera movement which celebrates the simplicity of natural materials and artistic techniques, and the works on display here showcase the relationship between humans and the natural world, FREE, 3 April-7 September

MUDLARKING: The London Museum Docklands opens Secrets of the Thames: Mudlarking London's Lost Treasures, a new exhibition showcasing artefacts sourced from the Thames foreshore, including a Tudor knitted hat, a medieval gold ring with an inscription, and a Viking-era dagger. 4 April 2025-March 2026

EASTER HOLIDAYS: The middle two weeks of April are the Easter holidays for the majority of London schools. If you've got children or teenagers to entertain, take a look at our Easter holidays events guide — we've covered shows, exhibitions and one-off events, as well as some free things to do. 5-21 April

CATS IN CARTOONS: The Cartoon Museum puts felines in the spotlight for its Cats in Cartoons exhibition. The greatest cats to grace comics, newspapers and magazines feature, including Bagpuss and Garfield. The show explores why we're so drawn to cats. 5 April-7 September

NAOMI IN FASHION: At the V&A, the NAOMI In Fashion exhibition puts the spotlight on the career of model Naomi Campbell, via the creative output of the many photographers and designers who've worked with her. As with all V&A fashion exhibitions, it's likely to be very popular in its final days, so do book ahead. Until 6 April

THE FOREST WITHIN: 72 voice choirs and sounds of nature feature in The Forest Within, a screen-free, immersive experience at St Stephen's Church in Dulwich. The hour-long experience surrounds you with dawn chorus recordings captured from 18 simultaneous points. Until 6 April

DARKFIELD ARCADE: Immersive experience experts Darkfield take over the basement of Shoreditch Town Hall for Arcade. They're not ordinary arcade machines though — you can enter the world of the game and choose your own unique journey through a world ravaged by war, with the decisions you make determining whether you come out on the winning or losing side. Until 12 April

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Saturday 5 April

LONGPLAYER LIVE: As part of Roundhouse Three Sixty festival, the 25th anniversary of Longplayer is marked with a 1000-minute long performance. Longplayer is a 1000-year long piece of music, installed at Trinity Buoy Wharf at the start of the millennium, and though it plays automatically, today's performance features 18 young musicians. 7.20am-midnight

LEYLINE WALK: Join writer and filmmaker Zachary Denman for a guided walk tracing the Parliament Line, a ley line that runs from Enfield to Parliament Hill. Begin at Alexandra Palace and wander through Muswell Hill and Highgate before ending at Hampstead Heath. 1pm

CLIMBING THE RAINFOREST: How do scientists climb some of the tallest trees in the world and what do they study once they're up there? The Royal Institution hosts forest ecologist Robin Hayward to give live demonstrations of the specialist equipment that makes canopy exploration possible, and what scientists learn about ecosystems by doing so. The family-friendly event takes place at 2pm with an adults version at 7pm

HERE & NOW: Fan of bold, modern ballet? Get yourself down to the Royal Academy of Music for Here & Now. This touring production celebrates McNicol Ballet Collective’s fifth anniversary, and includes the world premiere of an innovative new work set to live music, Liquid Life. Discover it alongside other repertoire highlights that celebrate the relationship between movement and music. 2.30pm/7.30pm (sponsor)

THREADED: Acoustic fusion trio Threaded pop up at the Green Note in Camden for an afternoon of music inspired by world folk culture, nature, stories and personal experiences. Expect to hear influences from traditional folk and contemporary classical music. 2.30pm

HEAD OVER HEELS: Catch the final performances of musical comedy show Head Over Heels at the Bridewell Theatre. It uses the music of 1980s rock band The Go-Gos to retell Sir Philip Sidney's 16th century book The Arcadia, about a royal family on a journey to save their kingdom. 2.30pm/7.30pm

ALTERATIONS: Lyttelton Theatre at the National Theatre stages the final performances of Alterations, a play about a tailor running a small business who works through the night to complete a large order, causing him to question what price he is willing to pay for success. 2.30pm/7.30pm

BLACKSTAGE PRESENTS: AUDACITY: Pole dancers of colour are in the spotlight at Blackstage Presents: Audacity, an international pole dancing competition at Clapham Grand. Blackstage is a Black Queer sex worker-led company centring BPOC pole dancers. 6.30pm-10.30pm

SOME ENCHANTED EVENING: The English Musical Theatre Orchestra is at Richmond Theatre, serenading the audience with orchestral renditions of showtunes from productions including Oklahoma, The Sound of Music, South Pacific, The King and I. In total, 26 musicians and two singers take part in the performance. 7.30pm

SCARED TO DANCE: Regular alternative music night Scared To Dance is back at The Victoria in Dalston, and this time comedian Elis James is the guest DJ, joining resident DJ Paul Richards to play post-punk, indiepop, new wave and art rock music until the small hours. 10pm

Sunday 6 April

HALF MARATHON: The London Landmarks Half Marathon takes place in central London today. You can see the full route here if you want to get down there and cheer the runners on. Regardless, be aware of road closures, including some bus services being rerouted, for the duration of the event. And if you fancy taking part next year, pre-registration is already open.

GURU NANAK: Barbican hosts a day of events exploring Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, and his deep connection with music. Attend a talk exploring Guru Nanak's philosophy, and watch a short film about a community of Pakistani Muslim musicians with deep-rooted ties to the Sikhs through a centuries-old music tradition, among other events. 9.45am-5pm

TURANDOT: See the Royal Ballet and Opera's current production of Puccini's opera Turandot, in an Encore screening at Barbican Cinema. It's a pre-recorded version, filmed earlier in the current run at the Royal Opera House. 2pm

THE BACH CHOIR: The Bach Choir’s annual performance of Bach’s St Matthew Passion, sung in English, takes place at Southbank Centre. Part I begins at 11am, followed by a two-hour break, and Part II at 2.15pm.

VINTAGE FAIR: More than 60 exhibitors rock up at Chelsea Old Town Hall for the Frock Me Vintage Fair, selling rare vintage and antique clothing, jewellery and textiles, including British labels such as Ossie Clark, Bill Gibb and Biba. 11am-5.30pm

PALACE HISTORY TOUR: Join a guide for a tour of Fulham Palace, the former home of successive Bishops of London. Visit a Victorian chapel, Tudor great hall and Georgian dining rooms, and discover a secret door while hearing about the palace's history. 12.30pm-1.45pm

OCCUPY TOTTENHAM: Rich Mix screens feature length film Occupy Tottenham, about community group Homegrown, who were told they had to leave their home, so chose to occupy it instead. It's followed by a discussion about wider issues of the housing crisis, private rent increases, and the effects of community action and local resistance. 2pm

LDN WRESTLING: LDN Wrestling returns to Fairfield Halls in Croydon for an afternoon of various wrestling styles, showcasing the stars of LDN Wrestling in a family-friendly show. 3pm

REGENT'S CANAL WALK: Black History Walks offers a guided walk along Regent's Canal, focusing on the surrounding area from an African/Caribbean perspective. Hear about uncredited Black inventors who changed the world, railways, rivers and Black British Civil Rights, and British sewage in the Caribbean, among other topics. 3pm-5pm

DAVID LYNCH: Attend a celebration of the late filmmaker David Lynch, at the Victoria in Dalston. Watch his final feature, Inland Empire (2006), introduced by lecturer and podcaster Dr Lindsay Hallam, followed by an evening of music selected from and inspired by Lynch and his films. 4pm

THE DRAG CIRCUS: Circus drag superstar Luspinda hosts as the Drag Circus makes its return to the Two Brewers in Clapham, an evening of entertainment promising hoops, clowns, a strongman, acrobats, and a seal. 7pm

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