Discover our pick of events in London this week: 4 - 10 November 2024.

Pitchfork Music Festival

Pitchfork Music Festival returns to London for its fourth edition, with live music over six days. This edition promises an eclectic mix of genres, including avant-rock, post-punk, psych-pop, UK rap, and deconstructed dance music. Events will take place at prominent venues like The Barbican, KOKO, Fabric, The Roundhouse, and Village Underground, as well as intimate spaces such as Hackney Church and St Mathias Church.

Date: 5 -10 November 2024. Click here for full event and artist line-ups.

Christmas Light Switch-on events

This week marks the beginning of London’s Christmas lights switch-on, bringing festive displays across the city. Starting on 5 November 2024, Oxford Street will be the first to light up, featuring 300,000 energy-efficient LED stars. Look out for A Big Day of Joy on 7 December, with live performances supporting Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity. Then, on 7 November 2024, Regent Street and St James’s will unveil their Spirit of Christmas angels, alongside a new Wishing Tree in St James’s Market. Also on 7 November 2024, Carnaby Street will debut its Into the Light theme, with sculptural light displays and hourly illuminations.

Daniel Barenboim & West-Eastern Divan Orchestra

This week, experience the power of hope through music with the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, featuring young Israeli and Arabic performers. Co-founded by Daniel Barenboim and Edward Said, this ensemble has symbolised hope in a conflict-ridden region for 25 years, bringing together young musicians from the Middle East. In a special concert, Barenboim will join the orchestra to perform an exquisite repertoire, culminating in Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4.

Date: 4 November 2024. Time: 7.30pm. Location: Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX. Price: from £15. Book now.

30 Years of Bugged Out!

Bugged Out!, one of the UK’s most iconic club nights, is celebrating its 30th anniversary at DRUMSHEDS on 9 November. Originally launched in 1994 at Manchester’s Sankeys Soap, the event has hosted cutting-edge acts like Daft Punk and Green Velvet. The anniversary lineup features The Chemical Brothers, Modeselektor (DJ set), and Octave One (live), promising a memorable celebration of electronic music history. In celebration of Bugged Out!’s 30th anniversary, click here to look back at the cutting-edge flyers and artwork.

Date: 9 November 2024. Location: Drumsheds, 6 Glover Dr, London N18 3HF. Price: from  £27.50 + BF. Book now.

CRIPtic Arts: The Acts

This gripping theatre production, led by CRIPtic Arts’ Artistic Director Jamie Hale, brings together some of the UK’s most exciting disabled artists in a series of powerful, original performances. Set in a bustling but dysfunctional theatre, the show presents a range of work: a solo piece on love, joy, and cancer; a comedy on the challenges neurodivergent people face in sharing their stories; a multisensory meditation on isolation and moon landings; and a live art show about empowerment. Against intense time pressures and limited budgets, these artists push boundaries, calling for an artistic revolution that values and supports disabled creatives.

Date: 8 - 9 November 2024. Location: Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS. Price: £18 +BF. Book now.

Voila! Theatre Festival

Voila! Theatre Festival returns this week with a multi-venue, panlingual celebration, marking its 10th anniversary with its biggest line-up yet. Voila! 2024 showcases a diverse mix of cultures, stories, and aesthetics focused on challenge and change, uniting international talent across languages and theatrical styles. Kicking off on 4th November at The Cockpit with the Miniatura scratch and opening night, the festival invites audiences to experience innovative performances from artists around the world.

Date: 4 – 24 November 2024. Location: At The Cockpit, Applecart Arts, Barons Court Theatre, Theatre Deli, The Questors Theatre – Studio, The Space Theatre, Upstairs at the Gatehouse, Camden People’s Theatre & Playground Theatre. Click here for the full line-up of events.

Chunky Move 4/4

Eight dancers perform Antony Hamilton’s 4/4, a striking blend of choreographic precision and physical endurance. This unique work balances unity and individuality, with duets and quartets weaving through hypnotic patterns against a minimalist backdrop. With backgrounds in krump, freestyle hip-hop, house, and contemporary dance, the performers’ diverse styles highlight this distinctly Australian piece—a meditation on meticulous and mesmerising choreography amidst a world of commotion.

Date: 8 November 2024. Time: 7.30pm. Location: Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall. Price: £20. Book now.

Skate Brent Cross

Skating season is back, and Brent Cross is celebrating with the launch of its first-ever rink this week, transforming the John Lewis car park into a festive winter wonderland. Enjoy a mix of seasonal fun with ice skating, Santa storytime, and holiday shopping—all in one place.

Date: 1 November 2024 - 5 January 2025. Location: Brent Cross Shopping Centre Prince Charles Dr, Brent Cross, London NW4 3FP. Price: £15/ £13. Adults/Children. Book now.

Canary Wharf Ice Rink

Ice Rink Canary Wharf has reopened and will remain open until 23 February 2025. Skaters can enjoy the 875 sqm rink in Canada Square Park throughout the festive season.

Date: 26 October 2024 – 23 February 2025.  Location: Ice Rink Canary Wharf, Canada Square Park, Canary Wharf, E14 5AB. Price: Adult/Teen: £21.95 / Children : £16.95. Super off-peak from £13.95. Book now.

Cinema

Bread and Roses (15) + ScreenTalk with director Sahra Mani and executive producer Malala Yousafzai

Bread & Roses, an Apple Original documentary directed by Sahra Mani and executive produced by Malala Yousafzai, offers a powerful look into the struggles of Afghan women after Kabul’s fall to the Taliban in 2021. The film follows three women in real-time as they fight to regain their autonomy, highlighting their resilience amid harrowing circumstances. Produced with Jennifer Lawrence and Justine Ciarrocchi, Bread & Roses captures the spirit and strength of Afghan women and will be followed by a special Q&A with Mani and Yousafzai.

Date: 8 November 2024. Time: 6. 15pm. Location: Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS. Price: £14.50 + BF. Book now.

Arts & Culture

Opening this week

Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael: Florence, c. 1504

This exhibition explores the rivalry and influence among Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael in Renaissance Florence. Highlights include iconic works like Michelangelo’s Taddei Tondo, Leonardo’s Burlington House Cartoon, and Raphael’s Bridgewater Madonna, capturing the creative energy of Republican Florence.

Date: 9 November 2024 – 16 February 2025. Location: Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD. Price: From £19. concessions available. Book now

The Great Mughals: Art, Architecture and Opulence

The V&A will explore the cultural richness of Mughal Hindustan during the reigns of Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah Jahan. Featuring portraits, jewelled artefacts, and carpets, it delves into Mughal art’s Iranian influences and interactions with European traders.

Date: 9 November 2024 - 5 May 2025. Location: V&A Museum, Galleries 38 & 39, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL. Price: From £22. Concessions available.Book now.

As We Rise: Photography from the Black Atlantic

As We Rise: Photography from the Black Atlantic, opening at Saatchi Gallery, celebrates African Diasporic culture with images from the Wedge Collection, Canada’s largest privately owned collection of Black art. Curated by Elliott Ramsey, it features work by renowned and emerging Black artists from Canada, the US, the Caribbean, the UK, and Africa, exploring themes of community, identity, and power.

Date: 5 November 2024 – 20 January 2025. Location: Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Road, London SW3 4RY. Price: From £6. Book now.

Louis Blue Newby & Laila Majid: Inner Heat

Goldsmiths CCA presents an exhibition by Louis Blue Newby and Laila Majid, blending drawing and sculpture to explore online visual culture, gender fluidity, and public-private boundaries in visual media.

Date: 8 November 2024 – 12 January 2025. Location: Goldsmiths CCA, St James’s, London SE14 6AD. Price: Free.

Picasso: printmaker

The British Museum will host an exhibition dedicated to Picasso, featuring approximately 100 prints, including rarely seen pieces from his iconic 347 Suite (1968). This showcase highlights his lifelong experimentation with printmaking, spanning early works such as The Frugal Meal (1904) to the Vollard Suite (1930–1937). The exhibition reveals Picasso’s creative process and the significance of his collaborations with master printers.

Date: 7 November 2024 – 30 March 2025. Location: The British Museum Great Russell St, London WC1B 3DG. Price: Adults from £11, Members and under-£16s free. Book now.

Anastasia Samoylova: Adaptation

This survey of American photographer Anastasia Samoylova at Saatchi Gallery examines environmental adaptation and resistance. Works from five major series explore the interplay between human impact and nature.

Date: 5 November 2024 – 20 January 2025. Location: Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Road, London SW3 4RY. Price: From £6. Book now.

William Morris & Art from the Islamic World

William Morris & Art from the Islamic World explores the profound influence of Islamic art on William Morris’s work. The exhibition showcases a remarkable collection of rare textiles and ceramics, including a notable 17th-century Ottoman velvet hanging used as his coffin pall, and highlights the contributions of his daughter, May Morris.

Date: 9 November 2024 - 9 March 2025. Location: William Morris Gallery, Forest Road, London E17 4PP. Price: Free. Book now.

ret rie vers by Stanislava Kovalčíková

This solo exhibition by Kovalčíková explores themes of memory, identity, and introspection. Known for her layered narratives and expressive style, Kovalčíková uses colour and texture to create a dreamlike atmosphere.

Date: Until 16 November 2024. Location: Emalin, The Clerk’s House, 118A Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6JN. Price: Free. emalin.co.uk.

Abi Morocco Photos: Spirit of Lagos 

The Spirit of Lagos exhibition showcases Abi Morocco Photos, a renowned Lagos studio that captured the vibrant style of 1970s Lagosians. Run by John and Funmilayo Abe, one of the few husband-and-wife teams in Nigerian photography, the studio’s striking black-and-white portraits reflect the spirit of a transformative era.

Date: Until 22 March 2025. Location: Autograph Gallery, Rivington Place, London EC2A 3BA. Price: Free. autograph.org.uk.

Machine Painting

Machine Painting explores the intersection of human creativity and machine-generated processes. Featuring works created by or inspired by technology, it questions the role of the artist and redefines traditional boundaries in painting. Through AI, algorithms, and digital tools, artists examine the relationship between human intuition and machine precision.

Date: Until 14 December 2024. Location: Modern Art, Helmut Row, 7 Bury Street, London SW1Y 6AL.  Price: Free. modernart.net.

Human Stories: Unreported Uprisings by Inès Elsa Dalal

This photography series highlights social movements and uprisings that are often overlooked by mainstream media. Dalal’s powerful images capture resilience and activism, providing a platform for underrepresented voices and drawing attention to the socio-political struggles that shape communities.

Date: Until 17 November 2024. Location: Now Gallery, The Gateway Pavilions, Peninsula Square, Greenwich Peninsula, London SE10 0SQ. Price: Free. nowgallery.co.uk.

Akube Remix by Abdulrazaq Awofeso

Akube Remix, a solo exhibition by Abdulrazaq Awofeso at Ed Cross, showcases sculptures made from repurposed wooden pallets that mimic second-hand clothing shipped from the West to Africa. Through intricate details like designer logos and stylistic elements, Awofeso critiques global consumption, waste, and identity.

Date: Until 20 December 2024. Location: Ed Cross Fine Art, 19 Garrett Street, London EC1Y 0TY. Price: Free. edcrossfineart.com.

Pop-ups & Venues

Archive Sale at Greenwich Design District

Greenwich Peninsula’s Design District is holding a two-day Archive Sale this weekend, offering curated hand-crafted items from top London creatives, including Helen Kirkum Studio’s upcycled sneakers, Wizard Works’ cycling bags, Ryan London’s leather accessories, Made by Manos ceramics, and Champion 3D’s 3D-printed designs.

Date: 8 - 9 November 2024. Location: Ground Floor, Building D4, Greenwich Design District. The event is open to the public, with registration via the following link: designdistrict.co.uk.

#FLOFavourites: Pick of the Week

Free event of the week

Gramicci's in-store library

Gramicci, the renowned lifestyle and climbing brand, has opened a fully-functioning, free community library at its Earlham Street store. Named the Gramicci Library, this in-store hub offers over 100 guidebooks on outdoor climbing across the UK, covering bouldering, sport, and trad climbing throughout the British Isles. Climbing enthusiasts can borrow books with issued library cards, gaining access to a wealth of information on the UK’s best climbing spots.

Location: Gramicci, 3 Earlham St, Seven Dials, London, WC2H 9LL. gramicci.co.uk

Interview of the week 

In conversation with Saff Williams

Saff Williams is the Curatorial Director at Brookfield Properties, bringing over fifteen years of experience in the arts.

Click here for the full interview.

Food of the Week

Friends of Ours at the Serpentine Gallery

Friends of Ours, a popular Shoreditch brunch spot, is launching a six-month pop-up inside the Serpentine North Gallery’s Zaha Hadid building. Known for globally inspired brunch dishes, the menu includes options like baked brioche toast with quince compote, Vietnamese brisket stew, and poached eggs with nduja butter and labna. They will also be serving their speciality coffee alongside a selection of wines and beers from East London Brewery.

Location: Serpentine North Gallery, West Carriage Drive, London W2 2AR. Website: friendsofourscafe.com. Instagram: @thefriendsofours.

Cause of the week 

Girlguiding

Girlguiding empowers girls aged 4 to 18 by providing fun, friendship, and adventure in dedicated spaces for girls where they can express themselves, build confidence, and challenge stereotypes. With over 300,000 members participating as Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, and Rangers, girls engage in activities that foster skills and support their passions. Volunteers are essential to Girlguiding, serving as inspiring role models and creating a nurturing environment for girls to learn and grow. Anyone aged 13 and above can volunteer, with flexible roles available to match individual interests and schedules. To volunteer, click here to register your interest.