Things to do this weekend is sponsored by The Lost Estate.
All weekend
HENRY VIII'S JOUST: Hampton Court Palace embraces its Tudor history with a jousting event, a recreation of those which King Henry VIII himself would have taken part in. Pick your favourite knight and cheer them on in the tournament, in between falconry displays, and visiting the rest of the palace and grounds. 2-6 August
PALACE CINEMA: One of our picks of outdoor cinemas in London this summer, The Luna Cinema pitches up at Hampton Court Palace for film screenings with the majestic building as a backdrop. Catch Top Gun: Maverick on Saturday evening and The Great Gatsby on Sunday. 3-6 August
PETER RABBIT: Head to Morden Hall Park for an outdoor theatre performance of The Tale of Peter Rabbit, aimed at families with children age 3+. Watch the story of Peter and his cousin Benjamin's escapades into Mr McGregor's garden, with two shows each day. It takes place in the open air in the Rose Garden, so dress for the weather! 4-6 August
HIP HOP WEEKENDER: Dance collective Fiya House takes over free festival Summer by the River for a weekend of free hip hop pop-up performances, dance battles and interactive workshops. Saturday is family day, so take the kids along to learn some steps, while Sunday is social dance day. FREE, 5-6 August
FAMILY FUN WEEKEND: It's the monthly Family Fun Weekend on board Cutty Sark in Greenwich, with activities and workshops in which to take part, in addition to marvelling at the beautiful ship. Actors dressed as characters from Cutty Sark's past roam the decks interacting with visitors, and you can dress up, or join in with a sea shanty choir. 5-6 August
ROUNDHOUSE COMEDY FESTIVAL: Traditionally, the London comedy scene quietens down a bit in August, as comedians head north of the border for Edinburgh Festival. But the laughs keep coming in Camden at Roundhouse Comedy Festival, which launches on Saturday with an opening gala, and a live recording of podcast Nobody Panic. Sunday features Kojo Anim and Josh Glanc, with the line-up continuing into next week and beyond. 5-23 August
BRUSHSTROKES TO BRANDS: Ladbroke Grove's Museum of Brands opens a new display, Brushstrokes to Brands, putting the spotlight on still-life oil paintings of big-brand products. Confectionery wrappers, nostalgic items and heritage brands all feature. 5 August-25 November
ART TRAILS: Looking for free, outdoor fun? London has several art trails in situ at the moment. Hunt out 56 Morph sculptures in the City, 15 gorillas in Covent Garden, knitted post box toppers in south London, or this year's Sculpture in the City commission in the Square Mile. All FREE.
GO BEYOND LONDON: Hunt out a model solar system. Visit a sunflower farm. Take a stroll around a beautiful lake. Visit another town or city. Just some of the ideas in our Beyond London section which has inspiration for day trips and weekends away from London.
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Travel back in time to New York City’s wildest speakeasy
Up for a really spectacular evening out? How does red hot jazz, ice cold cocktails, and dazzling dancing amid the art deco glamour of a 1930s nightclub sound? This is The Greatest Night Of The Jazz Age — and, trust us, it certainly lives up to its superlative moniker.
The Greatest Night Of The Jazz Age is the latest immersive event from masters of the craft, The Lost Estate. It's inspired by The 58th Street Country Club, a real-life Prohibition Era speakeasy so hedonistic that Federal agents shut it down on its opening night. This bourbon-fuelled playground has been fantastically reimagined by design studio Darling & Edge, at The Lost Estate's sprawling west London home. On arrival, you’ll be welcomed by the club's founder — legendary socialite Belle Livingstone — who’ll regale you with scandalous stories and introduce an incredible array of performers.
Sink decadent drinks while you're wowed by an award-winning ensemble of dance. Get your groove on yourself as the six-piece house band sets the stage ablaze with jazz classics. Enjoy a stirring live performance from singer Ayesha Scott (Ronnie Scott's, The Vortex). And that’s not all — if you opt for dining tickets, you’ll get to devour an indulgent three-course feast designed by Executive Chef Ashley Clarke (SmokeStak, Temper Soho, Gordon Ramsay Group) alongside all that entertainment.
The Greatest Night Of The Jazz Age takes place every Thursday to Sunday in August, then every Tuesday to Sunday until 24 September. Tickets start at £69.50 — get yours while you can!
Saturday 5 August
FAMILY FILM CLUB: Cross your fingers for good weather and take the whole clan along to an open-air film screening at Canada Square Park in Canary Wharf. Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical is this week's film choice — take along a picnic blanket and snacks, and get there in plenty of time to bag a decent spot. FREE, 10.30am
MUSEUM OF NOSTALGIA: Ever heard of the Museum of Nostalgia? You'll find it in a barn on the London-Essex border, and though it began as an agricultural museum, it now houses domestic items too, including old vacuum cleaners, TVs and record players, children's toys, typewriters, woodworking tools and more. It opens to the public twice a month — including today. FREE (donations welcome), 10.30am-4pm
EUROPEAN WAR ART: Anna Lavelle, art curator at the National Army Museum, offers a special guided tour around the museum's new permanent gallery, Conflict in Europe. It's a chance to get an insight into some of the more intriguing artworks in the collection, including Lady Butler's paintings of the Battle of Waterloo, and the first world war imagery of Richard Tennant Cooper. 11am
FAMILY SILENT DISCO: Kids got excess energy to burn in the school holidays? Take them along to Museum of London Docklands for a family silent disco. With own set of headphones, you can sing and dance to songs from the past and present as a family — or all do your own thing. And pssst! parents — this is your chance to embarrass your offspring like never before. 12pm-3.30pm
FILM QUIZ BRUNCH: Gather your musical mates and try your hand at the Sounds Familiar Music Quiz, while enjoying a bottomless brunch. More than 100 songs feature in the quiz, spanning various genres and decades, and your ticket includes two hours of bottomless prosecco. Food is available to buy separately at the venue, the Old Queen's Head in Angel. 12pm-4pm
LATINO LIFE: The UK's largest Latin music festival, Latino Life takes place in Walpole Park in Ealing for a day celebrating UK-based Latin-American, Spanish and Portuguese performers. Singer Lucy Calcines headlines. 12pm-10pm
CORK STREET CARNIVAL: Cuban music promoter Ruben Cordero directs the Cork Street Carnival in Mayfair, featuring an afternoon of music from the West African and Latin-American diasporas. Acts include the London Lucumi Choir, the Dave Pattman Afro-Cuban trio featuring Randy Lester, and Bangladeshi-British pianist Kishon Khan. Cuban food is in the offing too. 12.30pm-6pm
BANDSTAND LIVE: It's always worth heading to Horniman Museum Gardens to enjoy the views over the London skyline — but even more so today, when there's free live music at the bandstand. Music producer Tash LDN hosts an afternoon of R&B, jazz and neo-soul tunes, performed by Eleazar, Aaliyah Jasz, Tino Xoul, Ruth Brown and Nathalie Lindi. FREE, 1pm-5pm
AUSTRALIAN BALLET: The Australian Ballet brings its first international tour under the leadership of Artistic Director David Hallberg to the Royal Opera House — the company's first time at the venue in 35 years. Today's the final day to catch a performance of one of George Balanchine's most loved works, Jewels. 1.30pm/7.30pm
BARNSBURY: Not a part of town many of us regularly visit perhaps, but Barnsbury in Islington is one of London's most beautiful quarters. Occasionally historic, too. London on the Ground tours leads a walk around "fine Georgian squares, secret gardens and London's smallest nature reserve", while teach about the area's rich history. 2pm
SEWING MACHINE MUSEUM: The monthly open day at London's little-known Sewing Machine Museum takes place this afternoon. It's home to more than 600 of the machines, including one which was owned by Queen Victoria's daughter. We visited it ourselves back in 2018. FREE (donations appreciated) 2pm-5pm
CAPTAIN AMERICA: 14-19 year olds are invited to a free screening of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, with free pizza, popcorn, sweets and soft drinks provided. It's part of a series of Wellcome Collection events inspired by the current Genetic Automata exhibition, exploring race and identity in an age of avatars, cinema, video games and DNA ancestry. Cultural producer, curator and educator Drea Asibey introduces the film, and hosts a discussion afterwards. FREE, 2pm-5pm
NO ORDINARY LIFE: 2021 documentary film No Ordinary Life tells the stories of five pioneering camerawomen, Mary Rogers, Cynde Strand, Jane Evans, Maria Fleet and Margaret Moth. Between them, they covered huge global events, disasters, wars and uprisings, including Tiananmen Square and the Arab Spring, in an industry that was male-dominated. Watch the film at Bertha DocHouse in Bloomsbury this afternoon. 4pm
BIG BELLY COMEDY: Six comedians grace the stage at Vauxhall's Big Belly comedy club tonight, namely: Adam Coumas, Andrew Mensah, Jeff Innocent, Red Richardson, Dane Buckley and Romina Puma. 7pm-10pm
YOUTH PROM: The BBC Proms continue, with an eclectic programme of live music, including Prom 28: National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. Head to the Royal Albert Hall to experience South African soprano Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha performing in Richard Strauss's Four Last Songs, accompanied by the National Youth Orchestra. 7.30pm
SOUL CITY: Every Saturday night, Camden's Jazz Cafe hosts Soul City, a club night with a soundtrack of soul, disco and house from various decades. 10.30pm-3am
Sunday 6 August
FLOWER PHOTO WALK: Expert photography tutor Marissa Roth leads a photo walk around Columbia Road Flower Market, allowing you to hone your photography skills in a beautiful environment, with an expert on hand to guide you. 10am-12pm
STYLE AND SCANDAL: Footprints of London guide Michael Duncan leads a walking tour around the St James area, focusing on its scandalous and bohemian history. Hear stories of courtiers, courtesans, poets and politicians who tried — and often failed — to climb the social ladder in this part of town. 11am-12.30pm
OPEN GARDEN: Bell House — a Georgian house in Dulwich, built for a former Lord Mayor of London — opens its usually private garden to the public. Visit the Walled Garden, where kitchen produce is grown, and the House Garden, with roses and a woodland walk. Suggested donation of £5, but free tickets are available. 11.30am-1pm
CRAFT FAIR: Solo Craft Fair hosts a market at Between the Bridges on the South Bank, with 60+ makers and designers showcasing and selling clothes, jewellery, art and plants. 12pm-5pm
FREE JAZZ: Social London Orchestra rock up (or should that be jazz up?) at the cavernous Clapham Grand, to perform Skip Martin's Scheherajazz — a golden Hollywood take on Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade. FREE, 2.45pm-5pm
PAINTING & PROSECCO: Unleash your creativity at London Art Bar in Holborn, where today's Painting & Prosecco session is inspired by Banksy's Flying Balloon Girl. Create your own version of the artwork, under the guidance of a professional artist, with a drink to help you along. All art supplies are included and no painting experience is needed. 3pm-5.30pm
WIFE MATERIAL: Married couple Heleana and Sophia Blackwell are at Angel's Bill Murray, looking back on their relationship, by way of comedy, poetry, song and dance in Wife Material, a show covering everything from being slut-shamed by your bank, to the similarities between Italian and West Indian mothers. 3.30pm
SUMMER SOUNDS: Spend your Sunday evening at a picnic concert in the grounds of Strawberry Hill House in Twickenham. Live music comes courtesy of 1940s swing/1950s rockabilly trio The Polka Dots, and you can bring your own picnic, pre-order one to collect on site, or buy snacks from the cafe when you arrive. 4pm-7.30pm
PARK OPERA: More into opera than swing? Opera Brava offer a one-off open-air performance of The Barber of Seville within the Inner Circle of Regent's Park, open to adults and children, and featuring a cast of international singers. 6.30pm
SHIRT TAIL STOMPERS: For a livelier end to your weekend, jazz and swing band The Shirt Tail Stompers take over Upstairs at Ronnie Scott's for an evening of live music. 8pm
