What’s on in London this week: 28 October - 3 November 2024
Discover our pick of events in London this week: 28 October - 3 November 2024.
Melek Zeynep Bulut’s Duo to debut at the Painted Hall
Duo, an installation by Turkish designer Melek Zeynep Bulut, opens this week at the Painted Hall of the Old Royal Naval College from 28th October to 3rd November. Originally set to debut during the London Design Festival, this work explores themes of duality and interaction, serving as an artwork within an artwork and encouraging audiences to reflect on the interplay between contemporary creativity and historical context. Click here for more.
Date: 28 October - 3 November 2024. Location: Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval College, London SE10 9NN. Price: Tickets: £16.50. Concessions available. Book now.
Celebrate Diwali in Isla with Rav & Tarunima
Celebrate Diwali at Isla with award-winning authors and chefs Ravneet Gill and Tarunima Sinha, offering a special short menu inspired by Northern Indian flavours from 1st to 3rd November 2024. There will be a delightful selection of dishes, including Beetroot Chop with Chilli Chutney, Aloo Tikki Chaat, Grilled Masala Paneer in Makhni Gravy, and Gajar Halwa. The menu is available for lunch and dinner, perfect for enjoying with friends and family fireside.
Date: 1 - 3 November 2024. Location: Isla, The Standard Hote , 10 Argyle St, London NW1 2ST. standardhotels.com.
Courtesy of Melek Zeynep and London Design Festival.
Fireworks displays in London
This week will see the return of dazzling fireworks displays in honour of Bonfire Night, as London prepares to celebrate this historic event on 5 November. Bonfire Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Night, commemorates the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, when Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Click here for our guide to 15 fantastic locations in London to see fireworks displays.
Víkingur Ólafsson & Yuja Wang: Two Pianos
This week at the Southbank Centre, piano superstars Yuja Wang and Vikingur Ólafsson will perform an exciting concert featuring works for two pianos and four hands, spanning three centuries of music. The programme includes Schubert’s Fantasia in F minor, Thomas Adès’ arrangement of Conlon Nancarrow’s Studies for Player Piano, John Adams’ Hallelujah Junction, and Rachmaninov’s two-piano version of Symphonic Dances, along with pieces by Berio and Cage. The performance runs for approximately 2 hours and 5 minutes.
Date: 1 November 2024. Price: 7pm. Location: Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX. Price: from £15. Book now.
This week will see the return of dazzling fireworks displays in honour of Bonfire Night on 5 November.
An Evening with Fran Lebowitz
Fran Lebowitz, celebrated cultural satirist and unapologetic social commentator, takes the stage to share her sharp insights on American life. Known for her Netflix series Pretend It’s A City, directed by Martin Scorsese, Lebowitz brings her trademark wit to topics ranging from her New Jersey upbringing and high school expulsion to her New York City life in the ’70s and work with Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine.
Date: 28 October - 5 November 2024. Location: Barbican Hall, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS. Book now.
Winter Market
The Southbank Centre’s Winter Market is back to kick off the festive season, featuring traditional alpine-style chalets with indulgent drinks and delicious street food from pop-up bars and independent craft traders. Enjoy a variety of dishes, including truffle burgers, duck wraps, and lobster buns, along with sweet treats like Dutch pancakes and churros. Warm up with mulled wine or hot chocolate while exploring unique gifts, jewellery, and decorations by independent creatives.
Date: 1 November – 26 December 2024. Location: Queen’s Walk, alongside the River Thames from Jubilee Gardens to Waterloo Bridge, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX. Price: Entry is free, with no ticket required.
Click here for more on what to expect at the Southbank Centre this winter, including their annual Winter Light Festival.
Disciples will kick off the Hacienda Sounds series by PATRÓN on Friday 1st November, at Los Mochis City.
Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) with Disciples at Los Mochis
Join Disciples as they kick off the Hacienda Sounds series by PATRÓN on 1 November, at Los Mochis City. The trio, will provide an electrifying soundtrack to the celebration. Guests can indulge in exclusive PATRÓN cocktails, including the Blood Moon, Jalisco Margarita, and El Barrio, each crafted to embody the spirit of the fiesta. Click here to discover more Hacienda Sounds events.
Date: 1 November 2024. Location: Los Mochis City, 100 Liverpool St, London EC2M 2AT. Price: from £35pp. Book now.
Ekow Eshun: The Strangers
In the final week of the London Literature Festival at the Southbank Centre, British-Ghanaian writer Ekow Eshun presents The Strangers, his new book on five extraordinary Black men who reshaped history: Ira Aldridge, pioneering actor and abolitionist; Matthew Henson, the first man to reach the North Pole; Frantz Fanon, revolutionary thinker; Malcolm X, civil rights icon; and Justin Fashanu, the first openly gay professional footballer. Through their stories, Eshun explores Black art, culture, and politics across centuries, highlighting resilience and impact across diverse eras and continents.
Click here for more events from the London Literature Festival this week.
Date: 31 October 2024. Time: 7.45pm. Location: Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX. Price: from £15. Book now.
Blitz by Steve McQueen. Courtesy of Apple TV+
Cinema
Blitz (12A) (AD) + ScreenTalk with writer/director Steve McQueen
Academy Award-winning writer/director Steve McQueen returns with Blitz, a historical drama that follows 9-year-old George (Elliott Heffernan) as he navigates wartime London in search of his mother, Rita (Saoirse Ronan), during World War II. Sent to safety in the countryside amid the Blitz, George escapes and embarks on a journey through the city, encountering various characters, including a kind night warden (Benjamin Clementine) and a gang of thieves led by Albert (Stephen Graham) and Beryl (Kathy Burke). The film offers a vibrant portrayal of a diverse London during the war, shaping George’s views on race and identity. Following the screening, McQueen will join the audience for a discussion about his work.
Date: 31 October 2024. Location: Barbican Cinema 1, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS. Price: £14.50 +BF. Book now.
Arts & Culture
#FLOFavourites: This week
Farah Atassi: The Lost Hours
Farah Atassi’s work revisits major themes of modern and contemporary painting, exploring the relationship between models and artists without using real models. Instead, her figures are imagined constructs, developed from an art historical vocabulary. Atassi’s compositions blend geometric forms with an unrepresentational approach, depicting figures often in a state of rest or contemplation, suggesting a sense of ease and tranquility. The exhibition’s title, The Lost Hours, reflects these intimate, suspended moments that invite viewers to share in the harmony of her creations.
Date: 7 October - 9 November 2024. Location: Almine Rech, London Broadbent, House Grosvenor Hill W1K 3JH. Price: Free. alminerech.com.
Syncretic Voices
It’s the final week to experience Syncretic Voices, an exhibition hosted by Rajan Bijlani at the historic Fonthill Pottery in Primrose Hill. The exhibition unites artists and designers of South Asian origin, showcasing diverse practices and contrasting artistic disciplines. It explores the shared experiences of the South Asian diaspora, rooted in the historical context of the Partition of India in 1947.
Date: until 1 November 2024. Note: Attendance is by appointment only. To secure your visit, email RSVP@rajanbijlani.com.
The Lost Hours by Farah Atassi on show at Almine Rech until 9 November 2024. Photo credit Melissa Castro Duarte.
Emma McNally: The Earth is Knot Flat
This exhibition showcases Emma McNally’s intricate drawings and installations that explore the connections between geography and the climate crisis, inviting viewers to reflect on their relationship with the natural world.
Date: until 15 December 2024. Location: Drawing Room/Tannery Arts, Unit 1b New Tannery Way, 58 Grange Road, Bermondsey, London, SE1 5WS. Price: Free. drawingroom.org.uk.
Chun Kwang Young: Inherent Memory
Chun Kwang Young’s exhibition features his Aggregation series, consisting of sculptures made from recycled mulberry paper. The works explore themes of memory and heritage, connecting Chun’s childhood experiences with contemporary art.
Date: until 1 November 2024. Location: Tristan Hoare, 15 Fitzroy Square, London W1T 6EA. Price: Free. tristanhoaregallery.co.uk.
The Earth is Knot Flat by Emma McNally on show at Drawing Room until 15 December 2024. Photo by MTotoe.
Nina Cristante: The Richest Man in Babylon
Nina Cristante’s exhibition draws inspiration from George S. Clason’s book, examining themes of wealth and value through a blend of installation and sculpture, prompting discussions on materialism and ethics in contemporary society.
Date: until 24 November 2024. Location: Cell Project Space, 258 Barking Road, London E13 8EQ. Price: Free. cellprojects.org.
Olivia Erlanger: Fan Fiction
This exhibition by Olivia Erlanger explores identity and authorship through the lens of fan culture, blending various mediums to create immersive experiences that reflect the intersections of personal narratives and collective fandoms.
Date: until 23 November 2024. Location: Soft Opening, 13-15, 3rd Floor, 77 Crouch Hill, London N4 4AP. Price: Free. softopening.london.
Escaping Forward By Nacho Carbonell at Carpenters Workshop Gallery, until 25 January 2025. Photo by MTotoe.
Nacho Carbonell: Escaping Forward
This exhibition presents a series of innovative works by Nacho Carbonell, merging functionality and artistry. His pieces challenge traditional boundaries between design and art, exploring resilience and creativity.
Date: until 25 January 2025. Location: Carpenters Workshop Gallery, 3 Albemarle Street, London W1S 4HE. Price: Free. carpentersworkshopgallery.com.
Jack Whitten: Speedchaser
Jack Whitten’s retrospective exhibition showcases his innovative approach to painting, using diverse materials and techniques to explore themes of speed and perception, inviting viewers to engage with the history of abstract art.
Date: Until 21 December 2024. Location: Hauser & Wirth, 23 Savile Row, London W1S 2ET. Price: Free. hauserwirth.com.
Three Women by Claudette Johnson at the entrance of Brixton railway station. Image by Angus Mill Photography. Courtesy of TfL.
Public Art
Claudette Johnson: Three Women
Claudette Johnson, a Turner Prize 2024 nominee, has unveiled her first public artwork, Three Women, at Brixton Underground station as part of Transport for London’s Art on the Underground programme. This triptych, inspired by her earlier work Trilogy 1982-86 and Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, reflects the Black female experience and challenges traditional narratives in Western art. Three Women not only celebrates the strength of Black individuals but also highlights the vital role of public art in shaping community identity. Click here for more.
Three women can be seen at the entrance to Brixton station now.
Halloween with LEGO® at Battersea Power Station
On 26 October, from 6 pm, the LEGO® Group will transform Battersea Power Station into a ‘Factory of Creativity’ as part of its “Play is Your Superpower” campaign. This projection features animated artwork with LEGO Minifigure assembly, a giant ‘LEGO Vortex,’ and robotic arms bringing the façade to life. Visitors to the LEGO® Battersea store from 26 October to 1 November can also enjoy a Halloween hunt and build a free LEGO spider on 26 October (10am – 12pm) and 27 October (12pm – 2pm).
Date: 26 October - 1 November 2024. Time: 6pm -11pm. Location: Battersea Power Station, Circus Rd W, Nine Elms, London SW11 8DD. batterseapowerstation.co.uk.
On 26 October, from 6 pm, the LEGO® Group will transform Battersea Power Station into a ‘Factory of Creativity’ as part of its “Play is Your Superpower” campaign.
#FLOFavourites: Pick of the Week
Free event of the week
Arts in the Garden: Light & Colour
Diwali celebration will take place at the Queen Elizabeth Hall Roof Garden, featuring craft, stories, and rangoli inspired by nature and the Ramayana.
Diwali celebrations will take place at Queen Elizabeth Hall Roof Garden this week, featuring crafts, stories, and rangoli inspired by nature and the Ramayana. Participants can create clay hand diyas and contribute to a community rangoli using natural materials, with a quieter area available for smaller motifs. Storyteller Niall Moorjani will share the journey of Rama and Sita from darkness to light at 12 noon, 1:30 pm, and 3 pm. This event also highlights the work of British-South Asian artist Kaajel Patel.
Date: 31 October 2024. Time: 11.30am. Location: Roof Garden, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX. Price: Free. southbankcentre.co.uk.
Interview of the week
In conversation with Hannah Regel
Hannah Regel.
Poet and novelist Hannah Regel’s debut novel, The Last Sane Woman, is a compelling exploration of the emotional lives of two aspiring artists living at different times, yet connected by the discovery of a box of letters in a forgotten feminist archive. It is an assured study of friendship, success, envy, and what it means to be an artist.
Click here for the full interview.
Food of the Week
Lolo Bermondsey Street
Lolo, José Pizarro’s latest restaurant on Bermondsey Street. Image courtesy of Lolo.
Lolo, José Pizarro’s latest restaurant on Bermondsey Street, boasts a warm and inviting atmosphere, ideal for savouring his enticing Spanish dishes. As the fourth London venture from the acclaimed chef, Lolo features a minimalist aesthetic complemented by artworks from notable artists, including Tracey Emin, who currently has an exhibition at White Cube Bermondsey, just a few minutes from the restaurant.
Location: 102 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3UB. Website: josepizarro.com. Instagram: @jose_pizarro.
Cause of the week
Thames 21
Photo by Pollard Lucien.
Thames21 offers rewarding volunteering opportunities through river clean-ups aimed at tackling pollution in our waterways. Volunteers play a crucial role in removing litter to enhance the natural environment for both wildlife and the community. Recent efforts have led to the collection of 4,350 plastic bottles and over 27,000 wet wipes from the Thames. To get involved, you can check the ‘What’s On’ calendar for upcoming clean-up events.