What’s on in London this week: 20 - 26 January 2025
Discover our pick of events in London this week: 20 - 26 January 2025.
Battersea Power Station's Light Festival
Battersea Power Station’s Light Festival returns for its fifth year from 23 January 2025, featuring eight light art installations, including four UK debuts and a bespoke creation for the station. The free event will showcase works by British and international artists both inside and outside the Grade II listed building, with special roaming performances on 23, 25, and 26 January.
Date: 23 January - 23 February 2025. Time: 8am - 11pm. Location: Battersea Power Station. Website: batterseapowerstation.co.uk.
Click here for more Winter Lights festivals taking place in London this month.
Spin me a Yarn by Studio Vertigo.
Brú Theatre: Not a Word
Brú Theatre’s new production, part of MimeLondon 2025, uses mask, music, and movement to honour Irish navvies who emigrated to build foreign lands. Through a labourer’s reflections, it celebrates resilience and the beauty in the mundane. Featuring live music, it offers a poignant tribute to self-exiled workers, inspired by Galway’s language and landscapes.
Date: 21 - 25 January 2025. Location: The Pit, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS. Price: £18 +BF. Bo
London Art Fair 2025
London Art Fair returns this week with over 120 galleries, showcasing modern and contemporary art. Highlights include the Prints & Editions section for first-time collectors, an installation by Ya La’ford, and works by artists like Francis Bacon and Bridget Riley. The Sainsbury Centre is this year’s Museum Partner, offering a curated selection of world-class art.
Date: 22 - 26 January 2025. Location: Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, Islington, London, NI OQH. Price: from £19. Book now.
London Art Fair 2024. Image credit MTotoe.
Out-Spoken Masterclass: January
For poetry lovers, dive into a three-hour weekend workshop with leading poet Anthony Anaxagorou to unlock new creative ideas. Out-Spoken’s Poetry Masterclass, a monthly workshop, is open to all ages and abilities, from beginners to advanced poets. Work with some of the UK/US’s most revered poets and learn their methods for crafting beautiful, original poetry. Presented in association with Out-Spoken.
Date: 26 January 2025. Time: 1pm. Location: Royal Festival Hall, Sunley Pavilion, Level 3, Green Side. Price: £27. Book now.
Looking for Giants at the King’s Head Theatre
Looking for Giants is a one-woman show exploring obsession, gender, and the stories we create around desire. Through a monologue in three parts, the narrator enters the minds of the men she’s fixated on, blurring the lines between self and obsession. From a university tutor to a fleeting dating app match, the show reflects on how we transform others to fit our needs and in turn, become someone else. Tackling lofty themes with comedy, authenticity, and honesty, Looking for Giants examines how desire and fantasy shape our identities.
Click here for our review of Looking for Giants.
Date: 14 - 26 January 2025. Location: King's Head Theatre, Our address is 116, Upper Street, N1 1QN. Price: £10 - £25. Book now.
Jason Singh Drifters live AV show © Julian Fraser.
Canary Wharf’s Winter Lights Festival
Canary Wharf’s Winter Lights Festival is back from 21 January 2025, lighting up the area with a dazzling display of art. This free event features 11 new installations alongside some favourite permanent pieces, showcasing light-based works by both renowned and emerging artists. Highlights include Benedikt Tolar’s glowing bathtubs, Atelier Sisu’s sparkling Evanescent Droplets at Cabot Square, and a luminous flying bird by Luminariste. Lucid Creates also presents a striking light portal at Wood Wharf.
Date: 21 January - 1 February 2025. The festival runs nightly from 5 to 10 pm. Location: Canary Wharf. Price: Free. canarywharf.com.
Salena Jones at Ronnie Scott’s
Salena Jones will perform at Ronnie Scott’s this week, continuing her remarkable five-decade presence in the British jazz scene. She first performed there in 1965, where a record-breaking seven-week run followed. Over her career, Salena has collaborated with icons like Louis Armstrong, Sarah Vaughan, and Antonio Carlos Jobim, releasing forty-three solo albums and twenty-two singles since 1949.
Date: 26 January 2025. Location: Ronnie Scott's, 47 Frith St, London W1D 4HT. Price: £15 - £25. Book now.
Cold Fire, 2023 by Shahid Bashir © Shahid Bashir.
Curator’s introduction to the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize 2024
This week, exhibition curator Clare Freestone hosts a talk on the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize 2024. Now in its 17th year, the exhibition showcases exceptional contemporary photography from emerging talents, amateurs, and professionals. The talk offers the perfect opportunity to delve into the fascinating stories behind the portraits, from formal commissions to intimate, spontaneous moments.
Date: 23 January 2025. Time: 1pm - 2pm. Location: Law Photography Studio, National Portrait Gallery,St Martin's Place London, WC2H 0HE. Price: £10 (£8 Members / concessions). Book now.
Make It: Fashion
The V&A Museum’s monthly Make-It workshops offer hands-on, family-friendly activities inspired by the Museum’s collections and exhibitions. This season, the focus is on textiles, fashion, printmaking, and design. Sessions run from this weekend through February.
Click here to learn more about upcoming seasons.
Cinema
The Girl with the Needle
Set in post-WWI Copenhagen and based on a true story, Magnus von Horn’s film follows Karoline, a young factory worker facing unemployment, abandonment, and an unplanned pregnancy. Taken in by the charismatic Dagmar, who runs an underground adoption agency, the two form a close bond—until a shocking revelation turns their lives upside down.
Date: until 22 January 2025. Location: Institute of Contemporary Arts,The Mall,London SW1Y 5AH. Price: £10. ica.art/films.
The Girl with the Needle (Pigen med nålen), dir. Magnus von Horn, Denmark/Poland/Sweden 2025, Danish with English subtitles, 123 min., 15.
Arts & Culture
Opening this week
Brasil! Brasil! The Birth of Modernism
Brasil! Brasil! The Birth of Modernism at the Royal Academy will feature over 130 works spanning the 1910s to the 1970s by ten pivotal Brazilian artists. Showcasing the rich diversity of Brazilian art, the exhibition draws from rarely seen private and public collections, with many works being shown in the UK for the first time. Highlights include pieces by Modernism pioneer Anita Malfatti, as well as influential artists such as Geraldo de Barros and da Motta e Silva.
Date: 28 January - 21 April 2025. Location: Main Galleries, Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD. Price: £23.50 - £25.50. Book now.
Tarsila do Amaral, Landscape with Bridge, 1931. Oil on canvas, 39.5 x 46 cm. Private collection. Courtesy of Almeida & Dale Galeria de Arte – Photo: Sergio Guerini. © Tarsila do Amaral S/A.
SOIL: The World at Our Feet
SOIL: The World at Our Feet at Somerset House highlights soil’s vital role in sustaining life. Through artworks, scientific objects, and innovative approaches, the exhibition explores soil’s biodiversity and its connection to all living things. It stresses the importance of protecting this vital resource for the future, offering a message of urgency and hope for a more sustainable relationship with the Earth.
Date: 23 January - 13 April 2025. Location: Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA. Price: £18.50/£15.00 concessions.Book now.
Fairy Story: Last Night, I Dreamt of Manderley
Alison Jacques will present a group exhibition curated by Daniel Malarkey this week, featuring over 30 artists from five continents. Taking its title from the opening line of Daphne Du Maurier’s novel Rebecca, the exhibition reinterprets the themes of romance, magical landscapes, and imaginary beings often found in children’s stories. Rather than idealised narratives, the artists explore darker themes such as deception, defiance, betrayal, bravery, and the complexities of love and morality. Featured artists include Maggie Hambling, Patrizio Di Massimo, Theodora Allen, Anna Calleja, Ernie Barnes, Maeve Gilmore, Roger Brown, and Chidinma Nnoli.
Date: 24 January – 8 March 2025. Location: Alison Jacques, 22 Cork Street, London W1S 3NG. Price: Free. Book now.
Click here for more exhibitions opening in London this week.
Arista by France Bourély.
#FLOFAVOURITES
Each Place Its Own Mind
Each Place Its Own Mind at Edel Assanti features nine artists exploring humanity’s connection to the natural world. The exhibition challenges human exceptionalism and highlights the interconnectedness of all living things through works in various mediums, including Mirtha Dermisache’s asemic writing, Anna Hulačová’s sculptures, and Noémie Goudal’s photography.
Date: 17 January - 15 March 2025. Location: Edel Assanti, 1B Little Titchfield St, London W1W 7BU. Price: Free.
Last chance to see
Zanele Muholi at Tate Modern
Celebrating the work of South African visual activist Zanele Muholi, this exhibition showcases intimate portraits and powerful self-representations, challenging social and cultural norms.
Date: until 26 January 2025. Location: Tate Modern, Bankside London SE1 9TG. Price: from £18; concessions available. Book now.
<Read-Only Memory>: Amelia Bowles & Caroline de Lannoy at IONE & MANN
This exhibition features works by Amelia Bowles and Caroline de Lannoy, showcasing their exploration of memory and its preservation through art. Bowles, a graduate of City and Guilds of London Art School, has previously exhibited at IONE & MANN in her solo exhibition Wayfinding in March 2024.
Date: until 25 January 2025. Location: IONE & MANN, 1st Floor, 6 Conduit St, London W1S 2XE. Price: Free.
Installation view, <Read-Only Memory> by Amelia Bowles & Caroline de Lannoy at IONE & MANN. Photography is by Matt Spour.
Justin Dingwall: I See the Same Sky at Doyle Wham
South African artist Justin Dingwall presents his first UK solo exhibition, I See the Same Sky, at Doyle Wham. Dingwall uses photography to investigate contemporary societal issues and the human experience, offering a profound commentary on shared existence.
Date: until 25 January 2025. Location: Doyle Wham, Third Floor, 91a Rivington St, London EC2A 3AY. Price: Free.
Alvaro Barrington: Grace at Tate Britain
Alvaro Barrington presents a series of paintings and installations reflecting on themes of community, resilience, and personal history, grounded in vibrant, expressive imagery.
Date: until 26 January 2025. Location: Tate Britain, Millbank, London SW1P 4RG. Price: Free.
Tate Britain Commission Alvaro Barrington GRACE at Tate Britain 2024. Photo © Tate (Seraphina Neville).
Museum Lates
Museum Late at the Fashion and Textile Museum
Start your weekend early with a special Thursday evening late-night opening of Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s London. This week, the Fashion and Textile Museum also hosts a talk by the exhibition’s curator and art director, offering insights into the themes and stories behind their current exhibition.
Date: 23 January 2025. Time: 6pm - 8pm. Location: Fashion and Textile Museum, 83 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3XF. Price: £12.65 (Includes complimentary drink and exhibition entry). Book now.
#FLOFavourites: Pick of the Week
Free event of the week
Sketch and Photography session at Crystal Palace Subway
Photo © Historic England Archive.
Celebrate the restoration of the Victorian Crystal Palace Subway with a free Sketch and Photography Session this Thursday from 10am Bring your sketchbook, camera, or smartphone to capture the beauty of this historic space in your own style. The session marks the Subway’s reopening for its 160th anniversary and offers a unique chance to explore this hidden gem. Booking is required via Eventbrite.
Date: 23 January 2025. Time: 10am - 11am. Location: Crystal Palace Subway, Crystal Palace Parade, London SE19 2BA. Price: Free. Book now.
Creative Writing Workshop
The Wellcome Collection is offering a free Creative Writing Workshop on Thursday from 6pm. Led by library team member Katie Hanlon, the workshop is inspired by collection items exploring the theme of the sun. Participants will engage in activities such as slow looking and collaborative writing to develop their narrative voice, before creating their own piece. The session is open to all experience levels, and is ideal for both beginners and experienced writers seeking new inspiration.
Date: 23 January 2025. Time: 6pm. Location: Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Rd., London NW1 2BE. Book now.
Interview of the week
In conversation with Ann Tracy
Ann Tracy.
We spoke with Ann Tracy about her work and creative process. Tracy’s art is characterised by a distinctive blend of abstract and figurative elements. In Transmissions, she incorporates imagery of animals, plants, landscapes, and otherworldly forms to explore the social, political, and environmental challenges of our time.
Click here for the full interview.
Food of the week
CORD by Le Cordon Bleu
The Lobster & Sea Urchin Raviolo At CORD restaurant by Le Cordon Bleu.
We visited CORD by Le Cordon Bleu, a restaurant associated with the world-renowned culinary school, to try their à la carte lunch menu, and it did not disappoint. Highlights of the meal included the Balsamic Marinated Beetroots, the Lobster & Sea Urchin Raviolo, and the Highland Venison En Croûte. The bread selection was another standout, with the brioche bread paired with smoky butter being a firm favourite. The Hazelnut Soufflé was the perfect finale—light, full of flavour, and utterly delicious.
Location: CORD restaurant by Le Cordon Bleu, 85 Fleet St, City of London, London EC4Y 1AE.
Website: https://www.cordrestaurant.co.uk. Instagram: @cordrestaurant
Cause of the week
Little Wins
Lorna May Wadsworth, How you doin?
Little Wins is an initiative dedicated to connecting young people from underserved London communities with nature, teamwork, and personal growth opportunities. Through engaging, hands-on activities, they help youth develop essential life skills, build resilience, and unlock their full potential. You can join their mission to uplift and inspire the next generation by volunteering, donating, or spreading the word, and help create lasting positive change.
Click here to discover more about how you can get involved with Little Wins.