All weekend
SAMURAI: Legendary Japanese Samurai warriors come out swinging at a large new exhibition at the British Museum. It explores the samurai’s enduring legacy in games, fashion and film, with objects including the suit of armour sent by Tokugawa Hidetada to James VI and I, a Louis Vuitton outfit inspired by Japanese armour; and the popular, loosely historical video game Assassin’s Creed: Shadows. 3 February-4 May 2026
NATIONAL GALLERY IN CROYDON: 30 life-sized reproductions of masterpieces from London’s National Gallery are on display at locations around Croydon for The National Gallery: Art On Your Doorstep. Explore Queen’s Gardens, Croydon Minster, Whitgift Shopping Centre and Park Hill Park in the centre of Croydon to view reproductions of George Stubbs’ Whistlejacket, Van Gogh’s Sunflowers and Bathers at Asnières by Seurat, among other artworks. FREE, 3 February-5 July 2026
KINOTEKA: Polish film festival Kinoteka has a packed programme this weekend, offering contemporary and classic Polish cinema, documentaries and special events. Among the weekend’s options is a double-bill screening of Hunting Flies and Roly Poly at BFI Southbank, the former being a rare comedy by celebrated director Andrzej Wajda. 4 February-29 March 2026
BLOODY BARNES: Things get mysterious in SW13 this weekend, as crime writing festival Bloody Barnes takes over OSO Arts Centre. It kicks off with a murder mystery dinner on Thursday, followed by a series of events featuring the likes of local authors Sarah Govett and Biba Pearce, as well as ex-homicide detective Graham Bartlett and award-winning author Mark Billingham. 6-8 February 2026
KEW ORCHIDS FESTIVAL 2026: You know spring is on its way when the Orchids festival returns to Kew Gardens. 2026 is China’s turn in the spotlight, with floral dragons, koi carp and pandas brightening up the glasshouse, showcasing some of the country’s many native orchid species. Orchid Lates are back too, offering adults-only evening events among the blooms, celebrating Chinese culture and food. 7 February-8 March 2026
URSULA THE SEA WITCH: Ursula, villain of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, tells her own tale of sex, sorcery and suckers in Unfortunate: The Untold Story Of Ursula The Sea Witch at The Other Palace. Expect a pop soundtrack and filthy humour in a show that’s very definitely NOT for kids. 6 February-5 April 2026
WATER PANTANAL FIRE: The Science Museum opens free photography exhibition Water Pantanal Fire, showcasing shots by documentary photographers Lalo de Almeida and Luciano Candisani, who’ve captured the threats faced by the Pantanal wetland which spreads across Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. FREE, 6 February-31 May 2026
PHOTO PORTRAIT PRIZE: See the work of talented young photographers, gifted amateurs and established professionals in the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize at the National Portrait Gallery. Both formal commissioned portraits and more spontaneous and intimate moments feature — see full details of the prize winners. Until 8 February 2026
Saturday 7 February
WINTER WASSAIL: Get yourself over to west London to witness the Barnes Common Winter Wassail. Taking place at the Vine Road Recreation Ground, a Wassail Master oversees a session of storytelling, crafts and singing, in keeping with the traditional rural celebration to hope for an abundant crop in the coming year. 10am-1pm
OUT AT SEA: One of our LGBT+ History Month picks, the National Maritime Museum’s Out at Sea is a free, family-friendly day celebrating queer maritime history through workshops, storytelling and special tours. FREE, 11am-4pm
MUSEUM STORE TOUR: Ever heard of the Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre? Located in Kidbrooke, it’s home to 70,000 of the artefacts from the Royal Museums Greenwich (RMG) collection, and you can visit today on a behind the scenes tour, getting a closer look at items related to Titanic, Antarctic expeditions and naval battles. Read about our visit for an idea of what to expect. 1.30pm
GREENWICH HIGHLIGHTS: Meanwhile, back in central Greenwich, Footprints of London guide Vivienne Lloyd leads a walking tour focusing on the town’s highlights, including Greenwich Market, the Old Royal Naval College and the Cutty Sark. Hear about the area’s history, from Saxon origins and Viking raids, to Tudor and Stuart royalty. 2pm-4pm
SEWING MACHINE MUSEUM: Your monthly chance to visit London’s Sewing Machine Museum, home to hundreds of the machines, including one which once belonged to Queen Victoria’s daughter. Entry is free, but charity donations are encouraged. Read about our visit. 2pm-5pm
SIX NATIONS: It’s the first weekend of juggernaut rugby tournament Six Nations 2026, with two matches taking place today (Italy Vs Scotland and England Vs Wales). Whoever you’re supporting find a pub or other venue in London which is showing all the Six Nations action, and prepare to spend a lot of time there over the coming month. 2.10pm/4.40pm
BALDWIN VS BUCKLEY: Theatre show Baldwin Vs Buckley restages the 1965 debate between James Baldwin, literary voice of the civil rights movement, and William F. Buckley Jr, America’s most prominent conservative intellectual, which asked if the American Dream came at the expense of Black Americans (although not in those words). Watch it at Wilton’s Music Hall. 2.30pm/7.30pm
JUST FOR ONE DAY: The story of the 1985 Live Aid concert is told through musical Just For One Day, featuring music by David Bowie, Queen, U2, Madonna, Elton John and others. Today’s shows are the final performances at the Shaftesbury Theatre. 2.30pm/7.30pm
HMS PINAFORE: All aboard HMS Pinafore at the London Coliseum, as Gilbert & Sullivan’s opera set aboard a Royal Navy warship sails into the final show of its latest revival. Josephine, the captain’s daughter, falls for a lowly deckhand, despite her father’s plans for her to marry the First Lord of the Admiralty. 3pm
EDGAR ALLAN POE: Theatrical play Edgar In The Red Room is on at the Hope Theatre in Islington, themed around the mysterious death of poet Edgar Allan Poe, who was found delirious outside a tavern and later died. Music, movement and projections are used in this haunting and hallucinogenic re-imagining of his final nightmare. 7pm (and until 14 February 2026)
NEW COMEDY CLUB: The new KX Comedy Club is a weekly event at the Parcel Yard in King’s Cross, kicking off tonight with Paul Sinha from The Chase, along with Tom Ward, and a support act TBC. 7pm
ENFIELD FEASTS: Dugdale Arts Centre launches new supper club series Enfield Feasts with local chef Urvashi Roe serving up an Indian meal. Begin with a green chilli margarita before sampling dishes including steamed vegetable dumplings, beetroot chaat and chickpea masala. 7.30pm
HANDEL AND HENDRIX: Baroque and roll meets gospel and soul in new National Youth Theatre musical Handel and Hendrix, performed at St James’s Church in Piccadilly. A music super-fan visits Mayfair’s Handle and Hendrix Museum, located on the site where they both lived during different periods, and decides to stay forever. 7.30pm
DEEP AZURE: Chadwick Boseman’s 2005 play Deep Azure gets its UK premiere at Shakespeare’s Globe, with themes of violence, racism and police brutality. Inspired by the true events of university student Prince Jones, it’s a story of love, grief and justice in the wake of a man being killed by the police. 7.30pm (and until 11 April 2026)
SHADOWLANDS: Hugh Bonneville and Maggie Siff star in Shadowlands, a revival of the play about Narnia author C.S. Lewis and his relationship with spirited American poet Joy Davidman. See it at the Aldwych Theatre from tonight. 7.30pm (and until 9 May 2026)
OVER THE TOP: As part of Soho Rising Festival, comedian Jessica Durand performs her current show Over The Top at Soho Theatre Dean Street. Think of it as a love letter to fan-fiction culture, featuring her own Downton Abbey/First World War fan fiction. 8.30pm
Sunday 8 February
PORTUGUESE ROAST: The Macbeth in Hoxton has a proposition for you: a Portuguese roast dinner! That’s what’s (literally) on the table every Sunday for the foreseeable: think roast chicken with rice, potatoes and house-made piri-piri sauce. To soundtrack it, Rodger Grant of Soul Partizan Radio hosts a daytime broadcast of soul, funk and reggae.
DRINK, DEATH AND DEBAUCHERY: Join a Foundling Museum guide for a walking tour focusing on the boozy history of 18th-century London. Begin at Tottenham Court Road and end in Holborn, visiting St Giles, Seven Dials and Covent Garden while learning about the gin craze of the era, which inspired William Hogarth’s Gin Lane, as well as hearing about gallows, plague pits and prostitution. 11am
LUNAR NEW YEAR: Though the main celebrations aren’t for a couple of weeks, Lambeth’s Garden Museum starts Lunar New Year with a free family dance session. Join in with dance and movement activities, while learning about the monster of Nian and other myths and legends. Designed for ages two-eight. FREE, 11am-12.30pm
THE CARRIAGE DRIVER: As part of the Masterpieces of the Iranian New Wave series of Iranian films, Barbican Cinema screens the UK premiere of The Carriage Driver. The 1971 film is one of the finest examples of Iran’s classic popular comedies. The screening — shown in Persian with English subtitles — is introduced by season curator Ehsan Khoshbakht. 2.30pm
SPURS VS CHELSEA: Watch Tottenham Hotspur Women take on Chelsea Women in a Women’s Super League match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. K/O 2.45pm
WILDERNESS TALKS: Spend your Sunday afternoon in Smithfield’s Wilderness kitchen, leaning about the area’s Monasteries, Martyrs, Meat and Medicine, courtesy of Blue Badge guide Diane Burstein. The talk can be prefaced with a £25 Sunday lunch add-on (that starts at 1pm). 3pm
COMEDY SCHOOL SHOWCASE: The Comedy School presents a showcase of stand-up comedy at Backyard Comedy Club in Bethnal Green. Swing by to see recent graduates of the programme trying out their original material honed through a comprehensive training programme, offer some encouragement — and perhaps see a big name of the future. 3.30pm-5.30pm
ONCE ON THIS ISLAND: Get a flavour of one-act musical Once On This Island, as it comes to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane for a one-night-only concert. Tony Award–winner Alex Newell, Cedric Neal, Melanie La Barrie and Dujonna Gift all star in the Caribbean-set drama about a peasant girl who saves, and falls in love with, a boy from a very different background to her own. 7pm
KINDRED SPIRIT: Live music night Kindred was founded by Ivor Novello and Brit Award-winning songwriter Michelle Escoffery over a quarter of a century ago. Tonight it’s at Southbank Centre, showcasing talented performers including singer-songwriters Farah Audhali and Obi Franky, multi-instrumentalist and singer Amethyst, DJ Péjú, and female songwriter production programme YES WE ARE!. 7.30pm
SUPER BOWL 2026: It’s Super Bowl Sunday, when two of America’s finest NFL teams face off. Assuming you’re not jetting off to California to watch in person, here’s a guide to Super Bowl screenings and parties in London. It runs into the early hours, so consider booking Monday off work. Throughout the night
