What's on in London this week: 13 - 19 November 2023
Discover our pick of events in London this week: 13-19 November 2023.
Kew at Christmas
Kew at Christmas is back, marking the beginning of the festive season at Kew. Celebrate this beloved tradition by experiencing the dazzling light displays. This year, new features will include illuminated flowers and a record-breaking light tunnel! Rediscover classic attractions like the Christmas Cathedral and Fire Garden, all beneath a starry night sky and with traditional Christmas treats, and, of course, mulled wine.
Date: 15 November 2023 – 7 January 2024. Location: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Richmond TW9 3AE. Price: from Adult: from £22.50, Family: from £69, Child 4 – 16: from £15, Under 4s free. Book now.
Image: Palm House light show at the 10th Christmas at Kew. © Raymond Gubbay Ltd, Richard Haughton.
Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink
The Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink is set to return this week, offering a wonderful winter experience against the backdrop of the historic Tudor palace. Whether you're enjoying a romantic evening or making lasting memories with your family, the ice rink is the perfect place for a magical winter adventure. And while you're there, don't forget to explore Hampton Court Palace, Henry VIII's famous residence.
Date: 17 November 2023 - 7 January 2024. Location: Hampton Ct Way, Molesey, East Molesey KT8 9AU. Price: from £19/£14 adult/child. Book now.
Canada Goose x Selfridges Cinema Takeover
Canada Goose is hosting a takeover at Selfridges Cinema to celebrate female strength and empowerment. The initiative strives to inspire and empower women while showcasing female talents in the film industry. The week-long cinematic series includes notable films like The Woman King and Legally Blonde.
Date: 9-15 November 2023. Location: The Cinema at Selfridges, 40 Duke St, London W1U 1AT. Price: £20. Book now.
Image: Hyde Park Winter Wonderland. Image courtesy of Hyde Park Winter Wonderland.
Winter Wonderland
This week, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland returns for its 15th edition, featuring classic attractions like the UK's largest outdoor Ice Rink, Zippos Christmas Circus, Cirque Berserk performances, and the towering Giant Wheel. New highlights include the Magical Ice Kingdom, an expanded Real Ice Slide, and six fresh attractions, including the world's largest transportable Starflyer. With a huge range of experiences, there's something for everyone, complemented by mouthwatering street food and the lively 80s-themed Bar Ice.
Date: 17 November 2023 - 1 January 2024. Location: Hyde Park, London. Price: Entrance is free during off-peak hours; standard tickets start from £5, and peak tickets from £7.50. Book now.
Sergio Mendes at the Barbican Centre
Three-time GRAMMY Award-winner and Oscar-nominated musician Sergio Mendes, known for his legendary Brazilian sounds, is gracing the Hall at the Barbican with his presence. Throughout his six-decade career, Mendes has consistently infused his music with an enduring spirit of joy. From his pioneering contributions to bossa nova, collaborations with jazz legends, and chart-topping hits like Never Gonna Let You Go, to his modern reinventions with artists like the Black-Eyed Peas and John Legend, Mendes' music radiates infectious joy.
Date: 15 November 2023. Time: 7.30pm. Location: Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS. Price: £37 - £50.50. Book now.
Image: Glide at Battersea Power Station from 10 November 2023 - 7 January 2024. © MTotoe.
Glide at Battersea Power Station
Glide is now open at Battersea Power Station in partnership with Jo Malone London. Enjoy picturesque Thames views, three interconnected rinks, vintage fairground rides, live entertainment, and the return of The Glass House bar. Don't forget to explore the Jo Malone immersive experience!
Date: 10 November 2023 – 7 January 2024. Location: Battersea Power Station, London SW11 8BJ. Price: £8.50/£12.50 child/adult. Book now.
Toklas Bakery Beaujolais Masterclass
This week, Toklas Bakery is celebrating the arrival of the 2023 Beaujolais Nouveau. Get ready for a special Beaujolais Masterclass led by the talented Sommelier Martina Marini from Les Caves De Pyrene. Explore wines like Domaine Gilles Paris 2019 Chiroubles 'Terroir' and Domaine Jean-Claude Lapalu 2022 Beaujolais-Villages Vieilles Vignes while discovering the diverse regions of Beaujolais and the secrets that make this wine so enjoyable. Alongside these wines, you'll be able to enjoy a selection of artisan bread, charcuterie, cheeses, and tasty madeleines to enhance your tasting experience.
Date: 16 November 2023. Time: 6pm - 10pm.Location: Toklas Cafe and Bakery, 9 Surrey St, Temple, London WC2R 2ND. Price: from £30. Book now.
Norah Jones at the Southbank Centre
Norah Jones fans are in for a treat this week as the Grammy-winning artist, known for her breakout album Come Away With Me, is set to perform at the Southbank Centre. This marks her first European tour since 2018, and the event is made possible by ESG. It promises to be a beautiful musical experience from the acclaimed singer.
Date: 16 November 2023. Time: 7.30pm. Location: Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. Price: £37.50 – £75. Book now.
Image: Norah Jones at the Southbank Centre. © Shervin Lainez.
Winter Light at Southbank Centre
The Southbank Centre's Winter Lights is back. For the next few months, the South Bank will be illuminated by outdoor artworks during the dark winter nights. Each featured artist explores contemporary topics such as individual and collective identity, the environment, and technology while using light and colour in creative ways. Visitors can discover these artworks as they wander the area, and it's completely free! The ideal time to visit is after dark, but the artworks are accessible whenever the Southbank Centre is open. Renowned artists like David Batchelor, Marinella Senatore, Kendall Geers, and Denman+Gould with Maeve Polkinhorn contribute to this outdoor exhibition. Click here for the full lineup of artists.
Date:13 November 2023 – 7 January 2024. Location: South Bank, SE1 8XX.
Nwando Ebizie: Writing the Future
In the final installment of London Sinfonietta's Writing the Future program, artist Nwando Ebizie creates a groundbreaking multi-sensory performance that blurs the lines between music, dance, and visual art. Through British Sign language, passionate dance, and immersive vibrations, this work challenges traditional concert experiences. It oscillates between romantic songs and nightmarish visions, offering a unique and engaging art-music event. Ebizie collaborates with D/deaf and disabled artists, including actor Sophie Stone, to develop this sensory-rich experience. Writing the Future supports early-career composers, including Ebizie, in creating innovative pieces in collaboration with mentors and world-class ensembles.
Date:15 November 2023. Time: 7pm & 9pm. Price: £15. Location: Colour Factory, 8 Queen's Yard, Hackney Wick, London E9 5EN. Book now.
Image: Nwando Ebizie. © Dimitri Djuric.
Sin Wai Kin and Planningtorock: manifesting alternate realities
Join artist Sin Wai Kin and musician Planningtorock in a unique exploration of world-building at the intersection of visual arts and music. Barbican Encounters hosts interdisciplinary dialogues, pairing influential figures from various creative realms to share their insights, inspirations, and creative processes, offering a condensed glimpse into their unique experiences.
Date: 16 November 2023. Time: 7-8pm. Location: Frobisher Auditorium 1, Barbican Art Gallery, Barbican Centre, London, EC2Y 8DS. Price: £15. Book now.
Christmas by the River
Starting this week, Christmas by the River 2023 at London's Tower Bridge is back for its 9th year. This festive market transforms the banks of the River Thames with traditional wooden cabins, festive lights, and a wide variety of products from different vendors. The market extends from Tower Bridge to the scenic Hays Galleria, making it a perfect destination to get into the holiday spirit.
Date:14 November 2023 – 2 January 2024. Location: 2A More London Riverside, London SE1 2DB. Price: Free.
Christmas by the river returns this week from 17 November 2023 - 7 January 2024.
London Symphony Orchestra/Duncan Ward with Abel Selaocoe
Abel Selaocoe, a musician and composer known for blending South African and European traditions, makes his debut with the London Symphony Orchestra this week. He presents his highly anticipated cello concerto, Four Spirits, alongside the folk-inspired music of Béla Bartók and a jazz-infused piece by Gary Carpenter. This unique collaboration, conducted by Duncan Ward will be preceded by free concert performances by Guildhall Jazz musicians in the Barbican Foyers.
Date: 16 November 2023. Time: 7.30pm. Location: Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS. Price: £10 plus booking fee. Book now.
Chelsea King’s Road Christmas lights
Chelsea's Christmas lights will be switched on on this weekend. Festivities begin at noon with family-friendly entertainment, featuring mulled wine, mince pies, Santa and his reindeer. The moment of magic happens at 5 pm, accompanied by a dazzling fireworks display, a mesmerising light show, and a sprinkle of fresh snow to complete the experience.
Date: 18 November 2023. Time: from Noon. Location: King’s Road Chelsea. Price: Free.
King’s Road Christmas lights will be switched on 18 November 2023. @kingsroad.london.
wellness
Jazz Yoga with Yoga Brunch Club & Live Music
Enjoy an exciting yoga experience with Emily-Clare Hill, complemented by live music from cellist and composer Francesca Ter-Berg at the Royal Festival Hall, part of the EFG London Jazz Festival. This unique class combines yoga and live music, promoting the mind-body connection. Francesca's music blends various influences, offering a distinctive sonic experience. Yoga mats are provided, or you can bring your own.
Date: 19 November 2023. Time: 10.30am. Location: Level 5 Function Room, Green Side, Royal Festival Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. Price: £25. Book now.
Arts & Culture
Opening this week
Ainu Stories: Contemporary Lives by the Saru River
The exhibition, Ainu Stories Contemporary Lives by the Saru River, sheds light on the contemporary lives of the Ainu people in southern Hokkaido, Japan. It explores the revival of their language, textiles, crafts, and traditions, with a focus on four key themes.
Date: 16 November 2023 – 21 April 2024. Location:Japan House London 101-111 Kensington High St, London W8 5SA. Price: Free. Website: japanhouselondon.uk
Image: The Cipsanke boat festival in Nibutani. Photo by Ogawa Masaki.
Together We Art: Architect of One’s Life
Together We Art at Cromwell Place features a consortium of 18 renowned and emerging international architects and multi-disciplinary artists, including notable figures like Alice Anderson, Thomas Heatherwick, Matthew Hilton, and Nathalie Du Pasquier, as well as emerging talents like Jamie Morgan and Sven Mouton. These artists generously donate their remarkable artworks for the exhibition in support of Life Project 4 Youth. This event not only showcases the artistic and architectural talents of this diverse group but also underscores their commitment to empowering the next generation and raising funds for LP4Y.
Date: 15 - 19 November 2023. Location: Lavery Studio, Cromwell Place, 4 Cromwell Pl, South Kensington, London SW7 2JE. Website: cromwellplace.com.
Christo And Jeanne-Claude: Boundless
Boundless, a retrospective exhibition celebrating the artistic careers and creative synergy of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, opens at Saatchi Galleery this week . This exhibition explores their early collaborations, iconic projects, and their unique approach to art, all personally approved by Christo before his passing. It pays tribute to their love and innovation, contextualised alongside their artistic contemporaries such as Jean Dubuffet, Yves Klein, and Lucio Fontana.
Date: 15 November 2023 - 22 January 2024. Location: Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York’s HQ, London, SW3 4RY. Price: from £12. Book now.
Image: Image: Christine Kowal Post, Amazons Installation, 2000.
If Not Now, When? Generations of Women in Sculpture in Britain, 1960 – 2023
If Not Now, When?, is the outcome of a two-year research project called Hepworth's Progeny, funded by the Holberg Prize. It celebrates 28 female sculptors like Christine Kowal Post, Permindar Kaur and Katrina Cowling, highlighting their resilience in male-dominated spheres. Divided into three chapters, the exhibition explores the concept of time as experienced by women, addressing social roles, urgent issues like climate change, and historical injustices. The overarching theme is hope, found in the representation of femininity and the celebration of the gendered experience through unique perspectives.
Date: 15 November - 22 January 2024. Location: Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York's HQ, King's Rd, London SW3 4RY. Price: from £10. Concessions available. Book now.
Salifou Lindou Fouanta: Social Game
The Almas Art Foundation is hosting Social Game, a week-long celebration of Salifou Lindou Fouanta's art at the Africa Centre in London. The event features Lindou's iconic works, a documentary by the foundation, and a publication with contributions from Dr. Ruth Afane Belinga and Dr. Joseph Patrice Fouman. Lindou's art portrays the human struggle for dignity amidst societal and political pressures, with depictions of corrupt politicians and emigrant families. He also captures moments of connection and community. Lindou, a self-taught artist, has used various materials and is a founding member of the Kapsiki Circle, known for using art as a tool for social change. In 2022, he celebrated his 30th career anniversary and represented Cameroon at the Venice Biennale.
Date:14 November 2023 - 19 November 2023. Location: The Africa Centre, 66 Great Suffolk St, London, SE1 0BL. Website: africacentre.org.uk.
#FLOFAVOURITES: THIS WEEK
Bobby Barker: An Edible Family in a Mobile Home
Tate Britain presents a revival of Bobby Baker's iconic 1976 installation, An Edible Family in a Mobile Home, now gracing the South Lawn. Comprising life-sized edible cake family figures surrounded by period-appropriate 1970s newspapers, this remarkable installation is available for free visits during the initial four weeks of the newly launched Women in Revolt! Art and Activism in the UK 1970-1990 exhibition. If you visit this week, you might be lucky enough to get a slice of cake! For those who miss out, the installation will return for the final four weeks of the exhibition, offering another chance to indulge.
Date: 8 November – 3 December 2023 at 11am –5.30pm, 8 March – 8 April 2024 at 11am –5pm. Location: Tate Britain, South Lawn, Millbank, London SW1P 4RG. Website: tate.org.uk.
Image: An Edible Family in a Mobile Home by Bobby Barker at Tate Britain. © MTotoe.
Marina Xenofontos: Public Domain
Public Domain by Marina Xenofontos is an innovative commission combining architectural interventions and sculpture to explore the intersection of personal histories, cultural knowledge, and ideology. The exhibition questions the relationship between widely circulated images and deeply personal content, emphasising the role of everyday cultural materials in civic life and how social interactions are mediated by representations. Xenofontos elevates mass-produced objects, blending the anecdotal with the monumental and the material with the digital, creating a world that exists in both physical and virtual spaces, weaving together cultural histories, symbols, and future imaginings found in the materials, images, and memories that surround us.
Date: 6 October - 30 December 2023. Location: Camden Art Centre, Arkwright Rd, London NW3 6DG. Price: Free. Website: camdenartcentre.org.
Public Domain by Marina Xenofontos at Camden Arts Centre. Photo by MTotoe
Cinema
X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X
Anthony Davis's groundbreaking 1986 opera arrives at the Met with a fresh staging by Robert O'Hara, set to be screened at the Barbican this week. The opera reimagines Malcolm X as a timeless figure, featuring a cast of breakout artists including Baritone Will Liverman as Malcolm. Kazem Abdullah conducts the newly revised score, providing a jazz-inflected backdrop for Thulani Davis's libretto.
Date: 18 November 2023, Time: 17:55pm. Cinema 1, Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS. Price: £37 plus booking fee. Book now.
Pop-ups & Venues
Ham Yard Hotel X Sipsmith
Sipsmith and Ham Yard Hotel's rooftop pop-up is back, offering guests a cosy festive experience. Visitors can wrap up in tartan blankets, enjoy hot cocktails, and tuck into fire-cooked food. A unique interactive quiz, accessed by scanning a copper key, helps guests unlock the perfect martini from a selection of 15 new creations crafted by Ham Yard bartenders and Sipsmith's Master Distiller, Jared Brown. Each ticket, includes a Paloma-tini, a warm and inviting cocktail featuring Sipsmith London Dry Gin, Suze, and grapefruit and thyme syrup, along with a personalised martini.
Date: 15 November – 31 December 2023. Location: Ham Yard Restaurant & Bar, Ham Yard Hotel, 1 Ham Yard, London W1D 7DT. Price: £22. Book now.
Ham Yard x Sipsmith pop-up kicks off this week from 15 November - 31 December 2023.
The Telegraph x Smart Works Fashion Sale 2023
Get ready for a fabulous weekend of festive shopping at Somerset House in London, hosted by The Telegraph and Smart Works Charity on 18-19 November. You can shop from an array of fashion brands, including VARLEY, Hobbs, MISSOMA, and many more, all in support of a great cause.100% of the proceeds go towards helping unemployed women with clothing and coaching for job interviews through Smart Works.
Date: 18 - 19 November 2023. Time: 4.30pm. Location: Somerset House, Strand London WC2R 1LA. Price: from £20.21. Book now.
#FLOFavourites: Pick of the Week
FREE EVENT OF THE WEEK
Simmer Down: November
Simmer Down is a free monthly daytime dance event hosted at The Clore Ballroom in the Royal Festival Hall. It brings local communities together through the lively rhythms of reggae music, embodying a commitment to unity, joy, and a positive atmosphere. In collaboration with Tomorrow's Warriors, it seeks to unite musicians and local residents at the heart of London.
Date: 17 November 2023. Time:1.30pm. Location: The Clore Ballroom, Level 2, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. Website: southbankcentre.co.uk.
Interview of the Week
In conversation with Elisabeth Mulenga
Image: Elisabeth Mulenga. © Jack Thomson.
Elisabeth Mulenga is a dance artist whose work is at once unflinching, tender, and intimate, and takes inspiration from film directors to explore the human psyche. Mulenga is an alumnus of the eighth cohort of National Youth Dance Company (NYDC) and won the Choreographic Innovation Award in the final of BBC Young Dancer 2022.
Click here for the full interview.
Food of the week
Arvo Café Primerose Hill
Arvo Cafe is anything but an ordinary coffee shop. Situated in the heart of Primrose Hill, this cafe offers a visually stunning and inviting dining experience. With its warm, contemporary decor, plush seating, and soft, cozy lighting, it's the perfect spot for enjoying coffee or brunch with friends. Don't miss their seriously tasty pastries, like the irresistible pistachio croissants – they're a must-try.
Location: 57 Regent's Park Rd, London NW1 8XD. Instagram: @arvocafelondon
Tasty pistachio croissants at Arvo Cafe Primerose Hill. © MTotoe.
Cause of the week
SOS Children's Villages
Image: SOS Children’s Villages
SOS Children's Villages is a global charitable organization committed to assisting vulnerable children worldwide. In the Republic of Congo and other countries like Gaza, Sudan, Morocco, and Syria, they provide safe homes, family-based care, education, medical services, and psychological support for orphans. Their efforts also extend to raising awareness about child protection issues in local communities. You can explore ways to contribute to SOS Children's Villages' essential work by visiting their website.
Click here to discover the ways you can contribute to the work that SOS Children's Villages do.
Website: soschildrensvillages.org.uk
As ski season kicks off, resorts like St. Moritz, Gstaad, Courchevel, Aspen, Whistler, and Verbier are becoming vibrant cultural destinations. Beyond world-class slopes, these hotspots offer a range of art exhibitions and outdoor sculptures. This guide highlights the must-see art exhibitions this winter across Europe, the US, and Japan…