What's on in London this week: 20 - 27 May 2024
Discover our pick of events in London this week: 20 – 27 May 2024.
Clerkenwell Design Week 2024
Clerkenwell Design Week (CDW) returns this week for its 15th year. With new venues, expanded spaces, and over 600 curated events, it remains the UK's premier design festival. Highlights include exhibitions, installations, talks, workshops across 12+ venues, featuring 300+ design brands.
Date: 21 - 23 May 2024. Location: Clerkenwell. Website: clerkenwelldesignweek.com.
Steve Messam's inflatable textile installations at Clerkenwell Design Week 2023.
Chelsea Barracks x House & Garden Spring Fair
Experience the Spring Fair at Chelsea Barracks this week, celebrating the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The event will transform the barracks into a lively centre for shopping, talks, seminars, and dining. The artisan market will feature stylish products from independent makers and brands such as Sharland England, The Oxton Liqueur Company, and Gaze Burvill. House & Garden will host seminars led by their editors, featuring prominent figures in design and horticulture.
Date: 22 – 25 May 2024. Location: Chelsea Barracks. Website: chelseabarracks.com.
Cold Water comes to Park Theatre.
Cold Water
Cold Water is a new play by Tightrope Theatre, currently on show at the Park Theatre in London. The play is an intimate and honest exploration of longing, regret, and the fear and overconfidence that comes with entering the real world. The story follows two friends, Emma, a young actor who has moved back in with her parents, and Matt, a former creative industry worker who is now a full-time teacher. As they spend more time together, Emma finds herself drawn into Matt's life and begins to question her own ambitions. The play is a funny and moving examination of what really drives us.
Date: 14 May - 1 June 2024. Location: Park Theatre (Park90), 13 Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, London N4 3JP. Price: from £22.50. Book now.
Sarāb to play at Ronnie Scott’s this bank holiday Monday.
Sarāb at Ronnie Scott’s
This Bank Holiday Monday, Sarāb will perform at Ronnie Scott's, blending Arabic music, jazz, and rock. Led by trombonist Robinson Khoury, with singer Climène Zarkan and guitarist Baptiste Ferrandis, the Paris-based band creates a soundscape merging contemporary jazz with Arab traditions. Their performance promises a captivating musical journey, combining Eastern and European influences.
Date: 27 May 2024. Time: 6pm. Location: Ronnie Scott's, 47 Frith St, London W1D 4HT. Price: £30 – £45. Book now.
Communion at Bold Tendencies
Bold Tendencies is back for the summer season, transforming a disused car park in Peckham into an art venue. This year’s theme is Communion, delving into community resilience amidst crisis. The sculptures based on this theme feature works by artists such as Saelia Aparicio, Adam Farah-Saad, Olu Ogunnaike, Yoko Ono, and Martin Parr, each offering poignant reflections on social and ecological justice. Other highlights on their extensive summer programme of music, literature, and dance include an opening concert featuring six centuries of music to the grand finale with Mahler's Symphony No. 2. Special performances by acclaimed artists like Maki Namekawa and Julia Bullock, alongside a centenary celebration of James Baldwin, will be complemented by experimental dances and literary events exploring Franz Kafka's work. Don't miss Frank’s Cafe on the rooftop for food, drinks, and city views.
Click here for their full programme of events.
Date: 17 May – 14 September 2024. Location: Multi storey Car park, 7th-10th Floors, 95a Rye Ln, London SE15 4ST.
Bristow (2016), Adel Abdessemed on display at Bold Tendencies.
RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024
The Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show returns to London this week, featuring a theme celebrating the legacy of Octavia Hill, a pioneering social reformer and founder of the National Trust. Organised in collaboration with Blue Diamond Garden Centres and Ann-Marie Powell Gardens, the show highlights Hill's advocacy for accessible green spaces and the joy of plants and flowers in everyone's life, emphasising the transformative power of gardens for wellbeing.
Date: 21 - 25 May 2024. Location: Royal Hospital, Chelsea, London, SW3 4SL. Price: from £47.85. Book now.
London in Bloom
As RHS Chelsea Flower Show returns to the city, an array of floral celebrations will take place across London, perfectly timed to coincide with this iconic event. Click here to discover where to find floral festivals in London this week.
King Kong Chelsea in Bloom 2023. Photo by MTotoe.
May Bank holiday festivals in London
The May bank holiday typically signals the start of festival season in London. Click here for our guide to the music festivals happening in the city during the final bank holiday weekend in May.
Rinse FM x Project 6 Festival. Photo by Amy Fern Photography.
LONDON GREEN SPACES
The Isabella Plantation
The Isabella Plantation, a 40-acre woodland garden in Richmond Park, dates back to the 1830s and opened to the public in 1953. It's famous for its evergreen azaleas, particularly the National Plant Collection of Wilson 50 Kurume Azaleas, which peak in late April and early May. The garden also features extensive collections of Rhododendron, Magnolia, and Camellia, and is managed organically to support native wildlife, offering a tranquil space for relaxation.
Opening hours: The Isabella Plantation is open all year, following the opening hours of Richmond Park. Except during deer culls from November to early December and February to early March, when they open at 7.30 am and close at 8.00 pm. Location: The Isabella Plantation, Richmond Park, Richmond TW10 5HS. Price: Free.
The Isabella Plantation, Richmond Park. Photo by Anna Saveleva.
Arts & Culture
Opening this week
REVERB by The Vinyl Factory
REVERB, an exhibition presented by The Vinyl Factory at 180 Studios, offers an immersive experience showcasing over 100 artists and musicians. The exhibit will feature a dynamic blend of installations, live performances, and thought-provoking discussions, focusing on the intersection of art and sound. Notable contributors include Theaster Gates, Es Devlin, and Julianknxx, alongside premieres by Kahlil Joseph and the late Virgil Abloh.
Date: 23 May – 28 September 2024. Location: 180 Studios, 180 The Strand, London, WC2R 1EA. Price: £20. Book now.
Virgil Abloh, 12-inch voices. REVERB by The Vinyl Factory opens at 180 Studios in May 2024.
Judith Chicago: Revelations
Judy Chicago, a renowned American artist, is known for her work that challenges the male-dominated art world and gives visibility to women's experiences. The exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery is the largest solo show of her work in a London institution and features drawings from throughout her six-decade career. The exhibition is organised around an unpublished manuscript from the 1970s, which will be published for the first time. The manuscript offers a radical retelling of history and a vision of a just and equitable world. The exhibition includes archival and never-before-seen artworks, as well as multimedia elements such as an AR app, video recording booth, and audio-visual components that allow visitors to explore the breadth of Chicago's practice.
Date: 23 May – 1 September 2024. Location: Serpentine North Gallery, W Carriage Dr, London W2 2AR. Price: Free.
#FLOFavourites: This Week
The Biba Story, 1964-1975
The Biba Story delves into the rise of Biba, the world's first lifestyle label, founded by Barbara Hulanicki in 1963 as a mail-order company offering affordable fashion for young women. It showcases how Biba revolutionised shopping and defined 1960s and 1970s fashion. The exhibit spans from the opening of the first Biba boutique in 1964 to the closing of Big Biba in 1975, featuring archival clothing, photographs, film, and materials selected by Hulanicki.
Date: 22 March – 8 September 2024. Location: Fashion and Textile Museum, 83 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3XF. Price: £12.65. Concessions available. Book now.
Twiggy reclining in Biba 1973 © Justin De Villeneuve, Iconic Images
Ranjit Singh: Sikh, Warrior, King
The exhibition Ranjit Singh: Sikh, Warrior, King delves into the life of Ranjit Singh, who rose to power by conquering the Punjab after years of Afghan invasions. As the undisputed Maharaja in the early 19th century, he led the Sikh Empire into a prosperous era marked by trade, arts, and military strength. Featuring nearly 100 artworks, including jewellery, weaponry, and historical objects from his court and family, the exhibition showcases items owned by Ranjit Singh and Maharani Jind Kaur. It provides a rare opportunity to see a remarkable collection of Sikh arms, armour, and other artworks assembled together for the first time.
Date: 10 April – 20 October 2024. Location: The Wallace Collection, Hertford House, Manchester Square, London W1U 3BN. Price: from £16. Concessions available. Book now.
Cinema
James Baldwin Through Film at the Barbican
The series of films and discussions is inspired by James Baldwin's book The Devil Finds Work, which explores Black representation in contemporary cinema. The series will delve into Baldwin's thoughts on American filmmaking, stardom, racial politics, and the impact of films on personal and social consciousness. Through a range of films and conversations, the series will examine how cinema reflects and shapes society.
Date: 2 - 22 May 2024. Location: Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS. Price: £13 +£1.50. Book now.
James Baldwin Through Film at the Barbican.
Venue & Pop-ups
M&M’s Soho pop-up
M&M’s will be popping-up in Soho this week.
Join M&M’S in Soho this week for a two-day pop-up celebrating the UK launch of M&M’S Minis. Create a mini chocolate version of yourself, sample the new product, and enjoy a mini replica of the M&M'S London store. The event starts on 21 May and includes character meet-and-greets, with M&M’S Minis available exclusively at the pop-up, M&M’S Store London, and online at mms.com.
Date: 21 - 22 May 2024. Time: Noon - 6pm. Location: The Mini M&M’S Store, (Black and White Soho Shop, 59 Greek Street).
#FLOFavourites: Pick of the Week
FREE EVENT OF THE WEEK
5&20 Group Show and Halima Cassell Solo Show
Brookfield Properties and the Crafts Council are co-curating two free exhibitions celebrating British contemporary craft for their milestone anniversaries: 20 years of the Collect Art Fair and five years of the Brookfield Properties Craft Award.The '5&20' group show, held at 99 Bishopsgate, features over 30 rare artworks from the Crafts Council Collection by visionary artist-makers such as Edmund de Waal, Peter Collingwood, and Julian Stair. This exhibition explores the evolution of contemporary craft, showcasing works that have shaped the art world’s perception of craft. Sculptor Halima Cassell’s solo show at 30 Fenchurch Street, features her project 'Virtues of Unity.' Cassell, the 2024 winner of the Brookfield Properties Craft Award, is known for her distinctive and dynamic sculptures, which reflect on identity using globally sourced clay.
Date: 16 May - 27 September 2024. Location: 5&20 Group Show - 99 Bishopsgate, EC2. 'Halima Cassell' Solo Show - 30 Fenchurch Street, EC3.
Sculptor Halima Cassell MBE with her installation ‘Virtues of Unity’ on display at her solo show as the winner of the Brookfield Properties Craft Award 2024 | 30 Fenchurch Street, London.
Food of the week
Don KOKO at Café KOKO
Don KOKO has launched at Cafe KOKO. Photo by Mike Portlock.
Café KOKO in Camden has launched Don KOKO at the iconic music venue KOKO, offering a unique dining experience every Friday evening with face-offs between pizza and taco creations. They have launched a menu with limited edition slices and tacos crafted by DJs, musicians, and head chefs. The inaugural showdown features singer/songwriter SG Lewis with his FOREVERDAYSS pizza slice, featuring pepperoni, hot honey, burrata, Parmesan, and red onion, while social media sensation What Willy Cook counters with his Forbidden Surf and Turf taco, boasting shredded chicken and crushed scampi fries. Additional menu highlights include shiitake mushroom and chipotle cauliflower tacos and Higher Power pizza. Complementing these dishes are Italian and Mexican-inspired cocktails like Strawberry and Jalapeño Palomas and Hibiscus Mezcal Negronis, making for the perfect pre-show meal.
Date: Every Friday. Location: Cafe KOKO Ground Floor, 74 Crowndale Rd, London NW1 1TP. Instagram: @cafekokocamden and @donkokofc.
Interview of the week
In conversation with EKLEIDO
EKLEIDO. Photo by Stephanie McMahon.
EKLEIDO, a choreographic duo formed by Hannah Ekholm and Faye Stoeser, brings together their extensive dance backgrounds in contemporary, commercial, and underground dance scenes. Their performances for live shows and film blend contemporary dance with underground club styles like New Way Voguing, bone-breaking, and threading.
Click here to read the full interview.
Cause of the week
Haven Network
The Haven Network
Haven is a survivor-led organisation offering confidential counselling and support for victims and survivors of sexual abuse or domestic violence, including families and partners. Services include telephone and email support, fortnightly women's support groups, and monthly coffee drop-ins for those feeling isolated. Haven also seeks enthusiastic volunteers to become trustees, assist in the office, or help with fundraising, with all proceeds supporting counselling services in the community. Click here to find out how you can get involved.
Website: havennetwork.org.uk.
Upcoming events
Brazilian Singer Marina Sena returns to the Jazz Café
Following a sold-out performance at Village Underground in 2023, double Latin Grammy nominee Marina Sena returns to London for a headline show at the Jazz Café. Sena, known for her innovative blend of samba, funk, carioca, trap, reggae, and axé, gained rapid fame in Brazil with her 2021 debut album, De Primeira. She has since built a global fan base, headlined major festivals, and released her acclaimed 2023 album, Vício Inerente. Sena has been named "Brazil's new musical phenomenon" by GQ Portugal and won three Multishow Brazilian Music Awards.
Date: 30 June 2024. Time: 7pm. Location: Jazz Café, 5 Parkway, London, NW1 7PG. Price: £25-£30. Book now.
Brazilian Singer Marina Sena returns to the Jazz Café this June.
Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition 2024
The Royal Academy's 256th Summer Exhibition, curated by Ann Christopher RA, focuses on "making space" with sculptures, paintings, and textiles by invited artists and Academicians. The Architecture rooms, curated by Assemble RA, will explore innovation in workspaces, featuring notable architects and industrial prototypes. The exhibition includes tributes to late members and examines the intersection of art, architecture, and space-making.
Date: 18 June – 18 August 2024. Location: Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD. Price: £22 - £24.50. Book now.