8 Glorious Things To Do In London This Weekend (12-14 July 2019)

08 Jul 2019 | Updated on: 27 Sep 2022 |By Abi Sritharan

This weekend, enjoy a photographic exhibition by Lenny Kravitz and late-night art at the Serpentine, plus a Japanese extravaganza at London Olympia

The Royal Exchange Summer Equinox, Bank (Saturday)

Stretch in style this Saturday at the Royal Exchange. The historic shopping arcade is hosting a one-off yoga session, to celebrate the arrival of newly opened fitness space Equinox in the City. An energising yoga session will be followed by a nutritious Fortnum and Mason brunch of matcha pancakes with coconut yoghurt and lime curd; fresh fruit salad with mint syrup and a detoxifying apple, ginger, pineapple and turmeric juice, all while admiring the view surrounding The Royal Exchange.

Date: 13 July Time: 9am-12pm Price: £25 Location: Royal Exchange, EC3V 3LR Closest Station: Bank

Website: theroyalexchange.co.uk

Lenny Kravitz & Dom Pérignon Present Assemblage, Regent’s Park (all weekend)

A touring photographic exhibition by Lenny Kravitz arrives in London this weekend, created in partnership with Dom Pérignon. Assemblage offers an intimate glimpse inside a dinner party at Kravitz’s home in Los Angeles and features his daughter Zoë Kravitz, designer Alexander Wang and actors Harvey Keitel and Susan Sarandon. The exhibition is accompanied by a limited-edition bottle of Dom Pérignon champagne, created in collaboration with Kravitz.

Dinner, courtesy of 2018 Lenny Kravitz and Selfie Expo

Date: 12-13 July Time: 10.30am-7.30pm Price: Free Location: Number One, Park Village East, Regent’s Park, NW1 7PX Closest Station: Camden Town

Website: domperignon.com

Serpentine Galleries X COS, Knightsbridge (All Weekend)

Park Nights returns to the Serpentine this month, in partnership clothing brand COS. The series will feature poetry, theatre, music and arts created as a response to this year’s unveiled Junya Ishigami-designed Pavilion. This Friday, Danish artist Jacob Kudsk Steensen will display his work which uses virtual reality and video installations to explore how imagination, technology and nature intertwine. Shawanda Corbett of Cyborg Ceramics will take centre stage next week.

Park Nights 2018. Photo by Lewis Ronald.

Date: 5 July-21 September Time: From 6pm Price: Free Location: Serpentine Gallery, Kensington Gardens, W2 3XA Closest Station: Knightsbridge

Website: serpentinegalleries.org

Kew The Music, Richmond (All Weekend)

Kew the Music is a six-day festival set in the world-renowned Royal Botanic Gardens Kew in Richmond. This year’s headlining acts include Lewis Capaldi, Beverley Knight, Jools Holland, Rick Astley and Billy Ocean. Pack a picnic or pre-order a hamper that can be collected on the day, and enjoy amid Kew’s verdant surroundings.

Date: 9-14 July Time: From 5pm Price: From £30 Location: Kew Gardens, Kew, Richmond, TW9 3AB Closest Station: Kew Gardens

Website: kewthemusic.org

ONBlackheath, Blackheath (All Weekend)

Jamiroquai, Grace Jones, James Morrison and Rag ‘n’ Bone Man will be performing in Blackheath this weekend as part of South London’s family-friendly ONBlackheath festival. There will also be children’s entertainment from CBeebies presenters Mister Maker and Andy Day, while Street Feast will be cooking up a storm throughout the afternoon.

Date: 13-14 July Time: 12pm-10.30pm/10pm on Sunday Price: From £39.50 Location: Blackheath, SE3 9LE Closest Station: Lewisham

Website: onblackheath.com

Great British Food Festival, Chiswick (All Weekend)

Knives and forks at the ready as the Great British Food Festival returns for another year. The family-friendly travelling food festival brings together more than 100 restaurants, traders and chefs for a delectable day out, set in the historic grounds of Chiswick House. There will also be live music, cookery classes and treasure hunts throughout the afternoon.

Date: 12-14 July Time: 10am-5pm Price: From £6.70 (adult) and £3.70 (child) Location: Chiswick House and Gardens, Burlington Lane, Chiswick, W4 2RP Closest Station: Chiswick

Website: greatbritishfoodfestival.com

Olafur Eliasson: In Real Life at The Tate, Southwark (All Weekend)

Danish-Icelandic contemporary artist Olafur Eliasson presented The Weather Project at the Tate Modern 2003, transforming the Turbine Hall with a hypnotic semicircle of light, reflective of a burning sun. 16 years on, the artist returns for a landmark retrospective. The exhibition reflects pivotal moments in Eliasson’s career, including his investigations into space, motion and natural phenomena using light, colour and perception. Look out for Beauty (2007), a mesmersing indoor rainbow, and a special section devoted to the artist’s engagement with climate change. The Tate’s Terrace Bar has been transformed to resemble Eliasson’s kitchen in Berlin and is serving a new vegetarian menu for the duration of the exhibition.

Big Bang Fountain, Olafur Eliasson

Date: 11 July-5 January Time: 10am-6pm Price: £18 Location: Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 9TG Closest Station: Southwark

Website: tate.org.uk

Hyper Japan Festival, Hammersmith (All Weekend)

Hyper Japan Festival is transforming Olympia London this weekend for two days of cosplay, anime, sushi, sake and more. As well as exploring beautiful Japanese gardens, and opportunities to book an East Asian adventure, the festival is hosting the Japan Food Show. Made up of 50 exhibitors, the culinary extravaganza will showcase the latest food and drink trends of Japan, from black sesame lattes to purple yam tempura. You can also experience a matcha tea ceremony and load up on ingredients to make your own Japanese feast at home.

Date: 13-14 July Time: 12pm-8pm (Saturday), 9am-5pm (Sunday) Price: From £17 Location: Olympia London, Hammersmith Road, Hammersmith, W14 8UX Closest Station: Kensington Olympia

Website: hyperjapan.co.uk

Share