Things To Do
Guide
Things to do in London This Week: 20 April – 26 April
Looking for things to do in London this week? We've got you covered
If you’re looking for things to do in London this week, look no further. Whether you’re after a Monday night gig, a midweek matinee or an activity to keep the kids busy after school on Friday, this weekly guide is packed with fun activities to enjoy with your friends, family or on your own. Highlights from this week (20 April – 20 April) include an array of comedic acts, Suzi Quatro‘s return to the stage, and Record Store Day 2026.
Theatre & Comedy
Spend an evening with the roaringly funny Chris Ramsey
- Where? Soho Theatre Walthamstow, 186 Hoe St, London, E174QH.
- When: Wednesday 22 April
Ηe proved that he can do a mean paso doble as a contestant at Strictly Come Dancing. But, the rest of the time, Chris Ramsey has been excelling at a steady supply of belly-achingly relatable moments on love and parenthood, from Taskmaster to hit weekly marital podcast Shagged. Married. Annoyed, that he’s co-hosting with his wife Rosie. Following his sell-out last tour, his brand-new stand-up show Here Man comes to London this Wednesday for a double whammy of comedy during two special live recordings. So strictly come laughing.
Get tickets to Chris Ramsey at Soho Theatre Walthamstow
Hop on a ride from Hammersmith to Harlem at Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
- Where? Lyric Theatre Hammersmith, King Street, Hammersmith, London, W6 0QL.
- When: Until 25 April
It’s a sweltering summer’s day in Harlem, and a band of West African braiders are feeling the heat at their buzzing New York salon. Demanding customers, lies and betrayal are all in a day’s work at Jaja’s African Hair Braiding; but writer Jocelyn Bioh weaves big dreams and immigrant life’s unexpected twists with a sharp eye and heartfelt wit on this Tony Award-winning comedy, directed by Monique Touko. Grab one of the few remaining tickets for the hit play this week, and have a much-needed laugh at a time when it strikes a truly topical chord on both sides of the pond.
Get tickets to Jaja’s African Hair Braiding at Lyric Theatre Hammersmith
Walk down Avenue Q with NYC’s most mischievous puppets
- Where? Shaftesbury Theatre, 210 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8DP
- When: 13 April – 29 August
Puppet nudity. Lucy the Slut. Bad Idea Bear: multiple Tony Award winner Avenue Q is packed with outrageous comedy and irreverent characters — and, two decades on, it’s back in the West End for a felt-tastic revival. Follow young Princeton and his fuzzy neighbours on New York’s rundown Avenue Q as they face a triple whammy of work, love and paying the bills, brought to you by original Broadway director Jason Moore (Pitch Perfect, Shrek the Musical) and puppet designer Rick Lyon. Expect the gang to get down and dirty. The struggle is real.
Sports
Music & Nightlife
Keep an ear out for Kikimiki’s feel-good jazz
- Where? Vortex Jazz Club, 11 Gillet Street, London, N16 8AZ.
- When: Wednesday 22 April
Centred around the vocals and original melodies of flautist Keira Chakraborty, Kikimiki smoothly surf a wave of styles, mixing uplifting harmonies and lyrical, laidback grooves. Band members are currently studying at the Royal Academy of Music, and are also part of Tomorrow’s Warriors, an organisation championing inclusivity and diversity in jazz. If you haven’t already spotted them at the likes of The London EFG Jazz Festival, see what’s brewing in the London jazz underground this Wednesday, Downstairs at Dalston favourite Vortex Jazz Club.
Get tickets to Kikimiki at Vortex Jazz Club
Embark on a pop-fuelled ABBA Voyage
Where? ABBA Arena, 1 Pudding Mill Lane, London, E15 2RU
When: Ongoing
ABBA’s last public performance took place on December 11, 1982. Sadly, we can’t send you back in time to see the pop supergroup in their prime, but we do have the next best thing. Blending state-of-the-art technology and some of the most beloved pop records in history, ABBA Voyage sees Sweden’s fab four return to the stage of a purpose-built arena, in truly spectacular fashion — as digital avatars. Join the glitter-studded gang and their 10-strong live crew on a jaw-dropping, 100-minute voyage, fuelled by back-to-back choruses that hit all the right notes for an evening of high-spirited singalongs and dancing.
Immersive Experiences
Dig into Ramses and the Pharaohs’ Gold at Battersea Power Station
- Where? NEON at Battersea Power Station, Circus Rd E, Nine Elms, London, SW11 8DQ
- When: Open daily
Tutankhamun may be the bigger name, but Ramses the Great and his influential 67-year reign catapulted Ancient Egypt to new heights 3000 years ago, through striking monuments, targeted military tactics and skilful diplomacy. Be transported back to the Valley of the Kings and Egypt’s golden age through 180 invaluable treasures, including the coffin of Ramses II, colossal sculptures, gold masks, animal mummies and priceless jewellery, that have travelled directly from the Egyptian Museum of Cairo to London. They will be displayed alongside virtual reality experiences that give the journey fresh depth, for a limited time only.
Get tickets to Ramses and the Pharaohs’ Gold at Battersea Power Station
Time travel to 19th-century Paris at CHAT NOIR!
- Where? The Lost Estate, London W14 9PL
- When: Until 20 September
What if, for one night this week, you could leave London behind and step into the bohemian playground that was 1890s Montmartre? Enter CHAT NOIR! the birthplace of the world’s first cabaret, recreated by UK immersive masterminds The Lost Estate. A candlelit, velvet-clad, secret society of dancers, illusionists, musicians and mimes, with impresario Rudolphe Salis, at its pulsing core. A three-course banquet of French haute cuisine and naughty cocktails await for a delicious taste of Parisian Belle Époque. Just seat back, take a sip and let an anarchic mix of art and absinthe capture your senses. What happens in Paris, stays in Paris.
Step into a multi-sensory art experience at FRAMELESS
- Where? FRAMELESS, 6 Marble Arch, London W1H 7AP
- When: Open daily
When you really love a painting, you don’t want to just look at it — you want to live in it. An immersive experience redefining the concept of art exhibition as we know it, FRAMELESS assembles 42 famous artworks by great masters like Cezanne, Kandinsky, Dali, Klimt, Van Gogh and many more, turning each classic into a full-blown, multi-sensory spectacle. Across four distinct galleries, you can now step into a world Beyond Reality, see Colour in Motion, learn The Art of Abstraction and see stunning new perspectives of The World Around Us in a series of eye-popping displays that take each artwork to a whole new level.
Community & Culture
Let your creativity blossom at Green Shoots!
Where? Southwark Park Galleries, 1 Park Approach, Southwark Park, London, SE16 2UA
When: 12 April – 11 October
A Grade II-listed park with a 150-year history in Bermondsey, Southwark Park offers peaceful moments to enjoy any time of year. But, this week and every second Saturday of the month, families have a fresh reason to visit, beyond the beautiful spring scenery. Join artists Abigail Hunt and Alexa Lowe at the Southwark Park Galleries for Green Shoots!, their free, drop-in family sessions exploring the flora and fauna in the garden of the Lake Gallery, then inviting kids to get down and dirty by creating their own eco-friendly masterpieces. Recommended for children up to 11.
Experience wartime London through art
- Where? Imperial War Museum London, Lambeth Road, SE1 6HZ
- When: Until 1 November
During the Second World War, the British government commissioned artists to document how the war transformed the city and its people. Many of these works have now made their way into the Imperial War Museum’s Beauty and Destruction: Wartime London in Art, a free exhibition of paintings, drawings, photographs and oral histories zooming in on a city on fire, its residents lost, displaced, but also beautifully resilient. From St Paul’s Cathedral to the Docklands, see life in wartime London unfold in vivid detail — while kids can also engage with the artworks on a family-friendly ‘stamper’ trail.
Escape into Sholto Blissett’s imaginary landscapes
- Where? Pilar Corrias Gallery, 2 Savile Row, London W1S 3PA
- When: Until 2 May
There’s no shortage of magical scenery in the capital this time of year, but artist Sholto Blissett opens a new, more surreal dimension: Orders of Magnitude, his first exhibition at Savile Row’s Pilar Corrias Gallery explores humanity’s relationship with nature in a series of fictional landscapes that go beyond geography and chronology, and into the realm of magical realism. Playing with illusion and scale, he invites you to rethink acquired knowledge of beauty and wildness, objects and environments with a central message: that nothing exists in isolation.
Spot the wildlife at Islington’s hidden Gillespie Park
- Where? Gillespie Park, 10 Tannington Terrace, Gillespie Rd, London N5 1LE
- When: Open daily
It’s Islington’s largest nature reserve, yet still an unsung gem: you can discover Gillespie Park daily from 08:00 to dusk (unless there’s a match at the nearby Arsenal Emirates Stadium), and enjoy its ponds, paths and woodland at your own pace, among 244 species of plants, 94 species of birds and 24 types of butterflies, according to the local council. The park’s Ecology Centre also educates visitors on wildlife, gardening and sustainable living – so keep an eye out for free green fun as the weather warms up, from butterfly walks to drag story time.
Ramp up your enthusiasm at The Grove DIY skatepark
Where? The Grove DIY, 520 Lordship Lane, London SE22 8LF
When: Ongoing
When a group of crafty skateboarders spotted a disused, littered pub car park on Dulwich’s Lordship Lane during lockdown, they saw the perfect opportunity. Fast forward six years and The Grove DIY is a beloved, well-maintained local community space, where skaters of all ages, abilities and backgrounds roll in to hang out, practice new skills and enjoy free workshops, skate jams, art exhibitions and live music. A car boot sale is also coming up on Sunday 19 April, with all proceeds from hosting tables going towards The Grove ramp fund.
