7 Glorious Things to do in London this Weekend (11-13 October 2019)

07 Oct 2019 | Updated on: 27 Sep 2022 | By Carly McCormack

This weekend, raise a glass to London Cocktail Week and explore the history of the Royal Borough

London Cocktail Week, across London (all weekend)

Forget Sober October London Cocktail Week’s celebrates its 10th anniversary in the capital this week. More than 300 bars across London are creating bespoke cocktails for the occasion, all priced at £6 with the purchase of a £10 digital pass. The Old Truman Brewery acts as the hub for festivities, hosting a Cocktail Village where you can find more than 30 pop-up bars and a host of Instagram-friendly immersive experiences. Recommended bars taking part in London Cocktail Week include Bourne and Hollingsworth Buildings in Clerkenwell; 12th Knot, atop Sea Containers on the South Bank; Adam Handling at the plush Cadogan hotel in Chelsea and Blind Pig at Social Eating House in Soho.

Date: 4-13 October 2019 Price: £10 digital pass Location: Cocktail Village, Old Truman Brewery, E1 6QR Closest Station: Shoreditch High Street

Website: drinkup.london

Pergola Paddington (all winter)

London’s notorious hangout Pergola Paddington is returning for its third winter season. As the long nights draw in, the 850-capacity site will transform into a fully covered, urban winter forest – guaranteed to keep revellers toasty this winter. The roof is going back on, so all will be fully protected from the elements. Guests will enter through a new tunnel of stars, arriving into a fully redesigned bar area, blanketed by fairy lights and a brand-new array of seasonal foliage and trees for a cosy winter atmosphere. Open five days a week, each of the food traders will be creating new dishes and putting on Christmas specials just for December; that means warming cocktails like mulled wine and hot toddy’s.

Opening Times: Wed: 4pm-11pm; Thurs, Fri, Sat:12pm-11pm; Sunday: 12pm-5pm Location: 5 Kingdom Street, Paddington Central, W2 6PY Closest Station: Royal Oak, Paddington

Gauguin Portraits at The National Gallery, Charing Cross (all weekend)

A retrospective of French post-impressionist artist Paul Gauguin opens this weekend at the National Portrait Gallery. Featuring near-50 works, the exhibit spans the length of his career from his early works to his later years spent in French Polynesia and it is the first of its kind to focus entirely on his portraiture paintings. To coincide with the exhibition, new biopic filmed in Tahiti, the Marquesas, France, and the UK will be screened at cinemas nationwide, which includes an exclusive filmed exhibition tour.

Paul Gauguin, Christ in the Garden of Olives, 1889, Norton Museum of Art, Gift of Elizabeth C. Norton 46.5 © Norton Museum of Art

Date: 7 October 2019-26 January 2020 Time: 10am-6pm Price: Mon-Fri £22, Sat-Sun £24 Location: Sainsbury Wing, The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross, London WC2N 5DN Closest Station: Charing Cross

Website: nationalgallery.org.uk

Chelsea History Festival, London (all weekend)

Immerse yourself in the history of London’s Royal Borough this weekend at the Chelsea History Festival. Collectively arranged by the National Army Museum, Royal Hospital Chelsea and Chelsea Physic Garden, this inaugural event brings together an esteemed line-up of speakers for a weekend of thought-provoking discussions and walking tours, alongside live music and entertainment from the British Army Jazz Orchestra and the Chelsea Pensioners Parade and Chapel Service.

Date: 9–13 October 2019 Price: free to attend Location: Royal Hospital Road, London Closest Station: Sloane Square

Website: chelseahistoryfestival.com

Aesop opens in Piccadilly (all weekend)

Aesop has joined Piccadilly Arcade, the prestigious shopping row that runs between Piccadilly and Jermyn Street. Akin to the Australian brand’s signature interiors, it artfully achieves both warmth and minimalism through pure lines, stone tiles and curved stucco walls. Beautifully displayed products include the Seeking Silence Facial Hydrator, which is the perfect antidote to this week’s dropping temperatures.

Location: 2 Piccadilly Arcade Street, James’s London SW1 Y6NH Closest Station: Green Park/Picadilly

Hammersmith Vintage Fair, Kensington (Sunday)

The monthly Vintage Fair in Hammersmith, originally established in 1999, is packed full of one-off wares and covetable pieces. Delve through rails of retro dresses and textiles from more than 60 stalls, alongside unique accessories and homeware, from one-off bargains to rare designer pieces.

Date: 13 October 2019 Time: 10.30am–4.30pm Price: £5 admission Location: Hilton London Olympia, 380 Kensington High Street, London, W14 8NL Closest Station: Kensington Olympia

Website: eventbrite.co.uk

NFL London, Tottenham (Sunday)

Embrace American football fever as the NFL returns to London for a series of knuckle-clenching matches, starting this weekend. This Sunday, cheer on Chicago Bears versus Oakland Raiders, followed by Carolina Panthers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers (13 October), Cincinnati Bengals vs Los Angeles Rams (27 October) and Houston Texans vs Jacksonville Jaguars (3 November). For the ultimate experience, upgrade to the hospitality package for premium seats, a hot buffet, three hours of flowing drinks before the game and also refreshments at half time and post-game.

Date: 13 October 2019 Time: 2pm onwards Price: from £7.85 Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, 782 High Rd, Tottenham, London, N17 0BX Closest Station: White Hart Lane

Website: nfl.com

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