London’s rolling out the all-new festivals, brunch spots, art installations, sustainable shopping experiences, Carnival celebrations and pop-up restaurants, so you won’t be caught short of things to do. Get your weekend plans here.
1. See Gaia Before it’s Gone
Luke Jerram, the artist who hung that model of the moon in the Natural History Museum in 2019 and has done the Earth at the Old Royal Naval College, is back with showing Gaia as part of the Kensington & Chelsea Festival. The illuminated 3D installation features detailed NASA imagery of the planet’s surface accompanied by surround sound from composer Dan Jones and will be hung indoors in St John the Baptist Church.
Sat 6th August 2022
St John the Baptist Church, Holland Road, London W14 8AH
kcfestival.co.uk
2. Shop Sustainably at The Corner Store
Stories Behind Things, the platform founded by Jemma Finch that promotes conscious consumption, is teaming up with slow fashion brand Vestiare Collective and ethical chocolate makers Tony’s Chocolonely for a new sustainable concept residency, The Corner Store, in Shoreditch. The pop-up shop will be running a whole programme of community events, panels, workshops and industry meet-ups, including a clothes switch and an authenication session. Plus, you’ll be able to shop innovative products from 35 sustainable brands, including footwear from Allbirds, plant-based toothbrushes from SURI and organic tampons from Daye.
Sat 6th & Sun 7th August 2022
100 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6JQ
storiesbehindthings.com
3. Try Plaquemine Lock and Michael Gratz’s One-Off Menu
Islington pub Plaquemine Lock is getting into the summer spirit by hosting a series of Cajun boucheries, day-long celebrations of food and drink, with guest chefs taking over the grills. Michael Gratz from Prairie Fire will be there this Saturday, slinging smoked baby back ribs, slow-cooked hickory pit beans with burnt ends, cheesy charred corn and coleslaw.The Plaq Lock crew will be pouring the bourbon cocktails and bringing in some of their fave jazz musicians to keep the party vibes going.
Sat 6th August 2022
139 Graham St, London N1 8LB
plaqlock.com
4. Head to a Vogue Ball or Street Party at This Bright Land
This summer, This Bright Land has transformed the courtyard at Somerset House into a colourful wonderland full of pop-ups, street parties, live music and a giant ferris wheel. The brand new festival celebrates London culture and community and is a way to platform both established creatives and grassroots communities. It all kicked off this week and this weekend there’ll be plenty to get involved with, including the first of their weekly Vogue Balls and a street party held by Drag Syndrome.
Sat 6th & Sun 7th August 2022
Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA
somersethouse.org.uk
5. Eat at Carousel’s Latest Incubator Space
After christening their new incubator space No.23 with Goila Butter Chicken, Carousel has welcomed its next resident, Lucky Buns, and it’s the first opening outside of the States for the East Coast burger brand founded by Alex McCoy. Lucky Buns takes inspo from different burger cultures from around the world, so you can expect absolutely stacked burgers like the Lucky Bun (double beef patties, gouda cheese, Lucky sauce, rocket, charred red onion & house dill pickles), the Bogan Bun (double beef patties, bacon, gouda cheese, bacon XO jam, Lucky sauce, rocket, charred red onion & house dill pickles) and the Hot Tiger Bun (fried chicken thigh, spicy AF habanero-Szechuan chilli oil, buttermilk ranch, Chinese mustard & shaved onion), alongside sides like Mumbo Nugs (crispy buttermilk chicken, spicy Thai chilli mumbo sauce, fried, chillies, peanuts & herbs), Loco Moco fries with Hawaiian curry gravy, and Dirty Cadillac Nachos (with braised pinto beans, dive bar green chilli queso & charred jalapeno crema). Go hungry because these are monster burgers and go thirsty because they’ve got frozen raspberry margs on the drinks list.
Sat 6th & Sun 7th August 2022
19-23 Charlotte Street, London W1T 1RL
carousel-london.com
6. Explore the Public Artworks in the City of London
If you work or travel through the Square Mile, you may have noticed it’s looking a little more vibrant than usual thanks to the appearance of new public artworks. Brookfield Properties are behind the new additions to the area, which form part of the developers’ summer arts and events programme, with artists like Anna Lomax, Christian Ovonlen, Latoya Okuneye and Aisha Seriki exploring themes celebrating diversity, playfulness, dynamics within Black communities and mental wellbeing.
Sat 6th & Sun 7th August 2022
Various City of London locations
brookfieldproperties.com
7. Brunch at Bombay Bustle
Bombay Bustle is taking its brunch to a new level by running it all weekend long. Weekend Chillies really does have something for everyone, with the menu featuring everything from pork sorpotel (pickled pulled pork, poached egg, white cheddar hollandaise & warm curry leaf brioche) and uttapam mutta roast (eggs, rice pancakes & tomato chutney) to Chettinad double fried chicken and chilli paneer to Bombay Bustle classics like dum lamb biryani and chicken tikka makhani – and that’s before you get onto the likes of gulab jamun tiramisu and saffron milk cake at the dessert station. If you have trouble narrowing it down (and you will because all the food here is fantastic), there’s also a set Bundle Brunch menu on offer. You’ll also be able to check out the capsule collection of table linen from Dandelion, the lifestyle label from Bombay Bustle’s founder Samyukta Nair, which is all about making memories around the table.
Sat 6th & Sun 7th August 2022
29 Maddox Street, London W1S 2PA
bombaybustle.com
8. Catch Mythomania at Maddox Gallery Before it Closes
The Connor Borthers are showing drawings and canvases from their latest collection The Regression Series with Mythomania at Maddox Gallery Westbourne Grove. The body of work started from art therapy sessions that the pair did during lockdown where they were asked to draw sixty second sketches of whatever came to mind. These childlike drawings were then then developed into paintings featuring fantastical creatures like dragons, unicorns and dinosaurs, which nod to the creative freedom of childhood, juxtaposed with text that reference modern anxieties and obsessions.
Sat 6th & Sun 7th August 2022
112 Westbourne Grove, London W2 5RU
maddoxgallery.com
9. Celebrate Carnival at Brixton Village
Brixton Village is getting in on the Notting Hill Carnival festivities with a new programme of events in celebration of Caribbean culture. In the run-up to the carnival itself, which is takes place across the August Bank Holiday weekend, Brixton Village will be welcoming a range of artists, performers and musicians who’ll be taking over the market with events centred around dance, music, and education that anyone can get involved in.
Sat 6th & Sun 7th August 2022
Brixton Village, Coldharbour Ln, London SW9 8PS
@brixton.village
10. Eat Banh Mi at Viet Populaire
After popping up at the old XU site last winter, JKS and Luke Farrell are bringing back their bánh mì concept Viet Populaire for another pop-up, this time at Arcade Food Hall. Inspired by Hanoi-style streetside dining, Viet Populaire will be centred around bánh mì, with baguettes baked daily and fillings including pâté, butter mayo, head cheese (pressed ham with offal, tongue & fat), roast pork, pickles & fresh herbs; tofu, tomato sauce, pickles & fresh herbs; and a brekkie version with fried egg, paté, butter mayo, pickles & fresh herbs.
Sat 6th & Sun 7th August 2022
103-105 New Oxford St, London WC1A 1DB
@VietPopulaire