The City calendar is always bursting with things to see, do and experience. And this week is no different. Visitors to the area can expect to check out a whole host of festivals, exhibitions, films and music performances as the City finally heats up. These are the top events in the City of London this week.
GIG / nonclassical in Sky Gardens
Music promoter, record label and events producer nonclassical bring the best new classical, experimental and electronic music to the City skyline. Working with artists from across the new music scene, there will be site-specific performances, sound installations, and genre-bending DJ sets at two rooftop locations.
25 July, 6pm-9pm, free
Fen Court EC3M 5BA
EXHIBITION / London’s Grand Designs: building a capital city
London is home to some of the world’s most striking architecture and innovative engineering. Whether driven by divine purpose or the needs of a growing population, architects and engineers have shaped the identity of the city and the lives of Londoners. Starting with Wren’s St Paul’s Cathedral, this exhibition delves into the historical collections at London Metropolitan Archives to present the plans, drawings and photographs that record the development of some of London’s greatest buildings and structures.
2-13 July, Guildhall Yard and 15 July until
5 August, Aldgate Square, free
EXHIBITION / Lee Krasner: Living Colour
This exhibition celebrates the work and life of Lee Krasner – a key figure in American art. The first major presentation of her work in Europe for more than 50 years, the exhibition tells the story of a formidable artist, whose importance has too often been eclipsed by her marriage to Jackson Pollock.
Ongoing, tickets from £15
Barbican Centre, Silk Street EC2Y 8DS
DANCE / Wild
This daring new dance-circus production from Motionhouse explores humankind’s disconnect from its natural environment and questions if ‘the wild’ still shapes our behaviour in our increasingly urban lives. Using powerful physicality and daring feats to move through a forest of tall poles, this performance asks: where do we belong?
25 July, 12.30pm and 5.30pm
St Giles Terrace EC2Y 8DA
EXHIBITION / 325 years / 325 objects
Explore how money and the way we make payments have changed over the last three-and-a-quarter centuries. Celebrating the 325th anniversary of the founding of the Bank of England, this exhibition tells the story of the bank through 325 objects – one for every year.
From 22 July, 10am-5pm, free
Bank of England Museum EC2R 8AH
EVENT / Culture Mile Community Day
After the huge success of Culture Mile’s first ever Community Day, the fun returns. Explore your creativity with a jam-packed day full of exciting workshops and performances. With a whole host of activities from the LSO, Barbican Centre, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, and Museum of London, you’re bound to discover something new.
21 July, 11am-4pm, free
LSO St Luke’s, 161 Old Street EC1V 9NG
FESTIVAL / City Beerfest
Head to Guildhall Yard for an afternoon of beer, food, music and, hopefully, sunshine for this celebration of one of the world’s oldest inventions. Raise a glass with friends, colleagues or clients and enjoy some of the best beers and ciders from 16 breweries, all in support of the Lord Mayor’s Appeal.
18 July, 12.30pm-9pm, Entry to Guildhall Yard is free, beer packages from £13pp
Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE
CONCERT / Inside Out: Free outdoor concerts
The London Symphony Orchestra invites people to bring their picnics and enjoy the sunshine with live music on the front lawn of LSO St Luke’s – a perfect break from the office and great for families. With a variety of music styles from across the globe, there’s something for everyone. You don’t even need to book in advance, simply turn up on the day.
Until 19 July, 1.15pm-2pm, free
LSO St Luke’s 161 Old Street EC1V 9NG
WORKSHOP / Harry Potter Day at Leadenhall Market
In the famous books by JK Rowling, Harry Potter’s birthday is 31 July. This year, mark ‘Harry Potter Day’ at Leadenhall Market – also known as Diagon Alley in the famous series. Take part in a potion-making workshop and keep a look out for some familiar faces.
31 July, free
Leadenhall Market EC3V 1LT
EXHIBITION / The People’s Tower
Take part in an internationally acclaimed artistic project and help French artist Olivier Grossetête create a 20m tall building, inspired by Guildhall, out of cardboard boxes. Bring your family, friends or your colleagues to a box-building workshop and help to assemble the structure before ceremoniously destroying it.
15-21 July, free
Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE
TOUR / Huguenot Footsteps: Clerkenwell
Although not as well-known as the Spitalfields and Soho settlements, Clerkenwell was another of the London areas where many outstanding Huguenot craftsmen settled. Discover what they found there and what they brought to a locality that was fast becoming a London suburb on the very doorstep of the City.
11 July, 11am, tickets £10
Meet outside Farringdon Station
OPEN EVENT / Open Gardens
Make the most of this special opportunity to explore the peaceful gardens at The Charterhouse. Stroll around seven acres of delightful gardens which have been created as a peaceful haven for residents of the almshouse. You can spend a tranquil evening walking or sitting among the flora while enjoying an informal BBQ and bar.
12 July, 5.30pm-8.30pm (times vary), tickets £10
The Charterhouse Square EC1M 6AN
PARTY / Fiesta de Mexico
Revel in the vibrant cultural traditions of Mexico during this three-day fiesta. Savour typical street food and try your hand at dancing. In the evening, Guildhall Yard will come to life with the sounds of Mariachi, before some entertaining wrestling matches featuring mythical characters from Mexico’s ancient past take centre stage.
26-28 July
Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE
DINING / Lunch Market
Guildhall Yard hosts a regular lunch market with more than 20 stalls serving up mouthwatering dishes from around the world. From Greek wraps to American burgers, Japanese dumplings to Ethiopian vegan food, there is something for everyone to enjoy. If you still have room for dessert, there are also plenty of sweet treats on offer. Ditch the packed lunch, leave the office and get out into the fresh air.
25 July, 12noon-2.30pm
Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE
NEW RESTAURANT OPENING / Flor
On Thursday 11 July, following the huge success of Lyle’s, one of the world’s 50 best restaurants, James Lowe and John Ogier are heading to Borough Market to open a new wine bar, bakery and restaurant. Flor, inspired by the buvettes of Paris and the pintxos bars in San Sebastián, will be open all day. They’ll be focusing on sourdough bread and viennoiserie, produce and provenance-led cooking, and an approachable wine list. We really can’t wait to try out this new spot from the team behind Lyle’s – one of the few Michelin-starred restaurants in Shoreditch.
1 Bedale Street SE1 9AL
FESTIVAL / Club Soda Mindful Drinking Festival
Club Soda, the mindful drinking movement, is once again holding the UK’s only festival for sober drinkers this summer at Spitalfields Market. Visitors will get the chance to taste the newest wave of alcohol-free drinks, including beers, spirits, wines, kombuchas, shrubs, elixirs and a whole host of impressive cocktails invented by radical alchemists before soaking up the sunshine in a deck chair to enjoy live DJ sets from London’s musical talent.
20 July, free
Old Spitalfields Market, 16 Commercial Street E1 6EW
DANCE / Flirt with Reality
Dance meets cutting-edge technology in an inspiring new work by Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalists Another Kind of Blue. They are presenting the UK premiere of Flirt with Reality, which explores the very nature and extent of reality, and how borders have become blurred in our increasingly virtual world. Dancers collide with digital matter and drones in an imaginative, gravity-defying dreamscape of fantasy and rhythm.
Until 14 July, tickets £18-£40
The Peacock Theatre, Portugal Street WC2A 2HT
EXHIBITION/ Geoff Dunbar: Art into Animation
The multi-award-winning animation
work of Geoff Dunbar – whose films include Rupert Bear and the BBC’s The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends, will be exhibited at Barbican Music Library this month. Geoff Dunbar: Art into Animation will showcase some of the meticulously hand-crafted drawings created for the films by Geoff and his team of animators.
11 July to 30 September, free
Barbican Music Library, Silk Street EC2Y 8DS
Lead Image by Cameron Slater
