What’s on in London this week: 3 - 9 February 2025
Discover our pick of events in London this week: 3 - 9 February 2025.
Orchid Festival
Kew Gardens’ annual Orchid Festival has returned, celebrating Peru’s vibrant flora and fauna. The Princess of Wales Conservatory features orchids, alpacas, flamingos, and large-scale photography by Peruvian artist Mariano Vivanco, as well as murals by Lima-born Gisella Stapleton.
Date: 1 February - 2 March 2025. Location: Princess of Wales Conservatory Kew, Richmond, London, TW9 3AE. Price: from £20. Book now.
Orchids at Kew Gardens, celebrating the remarkable biodiversity of Madagascar. © RBG Kew.
Alice Sara Ott: John Field & Beethoven
Alice Sara Ott performs Beethoven and John Field at Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre this Friday. The concert features Beethoven’s journey from his early piano sonatas to the mystical Op.109, alongside John Field’s atmospheric Nocturnes. This performance marks the launch of Ott’s latest recording on Deutsche Grammophon.
Date: 7 February 2025. Time: 7pm, run time 2 hours and 5 minutes (approx). Location: Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX. Price: from £17. Book now.
Vicki Igbokwe-Ozoagu’s Our Mighty Groove
Celebrate the opening of Sadler’s Wells East with Vicki Igbokwe-Ozoagu’s Our Mighty Groove with Uchenna Dance and young east London dancers. Experience club culture through theatre—watch, dance, and join the after-party in this electrifying fusion of house, waacking, vogue, African, and contemporary dance!
Date: 6 – 9 February 2025. Location: Sadler's Wells East, 101 Carpenters Rd, Stratford Cross, London E20 2AR. Price: from £15 + £4 building maintenance fee. Book now.
Vicki Igbokwe-Ozoagu’s Our Mighty Groove. Image credit Camilla Greenwell.
North London Laughs – A Charity Comedy Night
On 9 February 2025, Alexandra Palace Theatre will host a charity comedy night to raise funds for the Gastroenterology department at Great Ormond Street Hospital. The event will feature a star-studded line-up including Ed Gamble, Katie Norris, Bella Hull, Josh Weller, Emmanuel Sonubi, and Simon Brodkin, with Mark Maier as the host.
Date: 9 February 2025. Time: Doors open at 6.30pm. Location: Alexandra Palace Theatre, Alexandra Palace Way, London, N22 7AY. Price: from £40. Book now.
Seth Troxler at Fabric
Globally renowned DJ Seth Troxler headlines Fabric London with support from DJ Holographic and Tarzsa in Room 1, while Bradley Zero delivers an all-night set in Room 2.
Date: 8 February 2025. Time: 11pm - 7am. Location: Fabric London, 77A Charterhouse St, London EC1M 6HJ. Price: from £15. Book now.
Seth Troxler will be at Fabric on 8 February 2025.
London Symphony Orchestra: Half Six Fix – Walton with Sir Antonio Pappano
Get an evening dose of classic music at the Barbican with a Half Six Fix concert featuring William Walton’s First Symphony, performed by Sir Antonio Pappano and their LSO. Born from personal turmoil, the symphony opens with intense drama, followed by a snarky Scherzo and a tragic slow movement. The finale offers a more cinematic and celebratory mood. This powerful work is part of the LSO’s history, with the orchestra premiering the first three movements in 1934.
Date: 5 February 2025. Time: 6.30pm. Location: Barbican Centre, Silk St, City of London, London EC2Y 8DS.Price: £15 - £35. Book now.
London Symphony Orchestra: Half Six Fix – Walton with Sir Antonio Pappano.
Cinema
In Focus: Amir Naderi’s
Amir Naderi, known for his influential films made in Iran during the 70s and 80s, is having a selection of his works showcased at the ICA this week. The program highlights his transnational filmmaking journey, featuring films like Manhattan by Numbers (1993), Sound Barrier (2005), and Cut (2011). These films reflect his unique ability to blend cultural influences and his mastery of sound and movement in storytelling.
Date: 2 - 6 February 2025. Location: Institute of Contemporary Arts,The Mall,London SW1Y 5AH. Price: £14. Book now.
Amir Naderi, known for his influential films made in Iran during the 70s and 80s, is having a selection of his works showcased at the ICA this week.
Arts & Culture
Opening this week
Noah Davis
A UK-first institutional survey showcasing over 50 works by American artist Noah Davis, spanning painting, sculpture, and works on paper. The exhibition explores his figurative, emotional depictions of everyday life, with themes of politics, race, and history.
Date: 6 February - 11 May 2025. Location: Barbican Art Gallery, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS. Price: £18 + BF. Book now.
Ai Weiwei: A New Chatpter
Ai Weiwei’s latest works addressing contemporary issues like identity, politics, and memory, including installations such as F.U.C.K. and Go Fuck Yourself, alongside reinterpretations of classic artworks.
Date: 7 February – 15 March 2025. Location: Lisson Gallery, 27 Bell St, London NW1 5BY. More info.
Noah Davis, Untitled, 2015. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. © The Estate of Noah Davis. Courtesy The Estate of Noah Davis and David Zwirner. Photo: Kerry McFate.
Theaster Gates: 1965: Malcolm in Winter: A Translation Exercise
An exhibition by American artist Theaster Gates, honouring the archive of late journalist Ei Nagata and his wife, Haruhi Ishitani, who preserved Malcolm X’s legacy in Japan. The exhibition features architectural interventions, installations, films, and archival displays, exploring Blackness in Japan.
Date: 7 February – 6 April 2025. Location: White Cube, Bermondsey, 144-152 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3TQ. More info.
Galli: So, So, So
Galli’s first major solo exhibition in the UK, exploring the body, corporeality, and identity through paintings, books, collages, and drawings.
Date: 7 February – 24 May 2025. Location: Goldsmiths CCA, St James’, New Cross, London SE14 6AD. Price: Free. More info.
Galli in her studio, 2003. Photo: Edeltraud Veidt.
Somaya Critchlow: The Chamber
Somaya Critchlow’s first solo exhibition in a UK public institution, featuring new figurative paintings inspired by classical poses and Ovid’s Metamorphoses and Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber. Critchlow explores power, mythology, and history, offering a contemporary take on the Old Master collection.
Date: 4 February – 20 July 2025. Location: Dulwich Picture Gallery, Gallery Road, London SE21 7AD. Price: Entry included with a Gallery admission ticket. More info
Last chance to see
Hew Locke: What Have We Here?
This is the final chance to see What Have We Here? at The British Museum, an exhibition co-curated with Guyanese-British artist Hew Locke. The exhibition explores the legacies of British imperial power, showcasing the Museum’s treasures alongside lesser-known objects from Africa, India, and the Caribbean, as well as newly commissioned works by Locke.
Date: until 9 February 2025. Location: British Museum, Great Russell St, London WC1B 3DG. Price: From £16.Book now.
Hew Locke with The Watchers, the British Museum © Richard Cannon.
Artist Talk
Citra Sasmita at the Barbican Centre
Join artist Citra Sasmita and curator Lotte Johnson as they discuss the inspiration behind Into Eternal Land, Sasmita’s first major UK exhibition. They will explore the creation of a sensory world for her Barbican commission and her artistic practice in Indonesia.
Date: 4 February 2025. Time: 7pm. Location: Barbican Centre,Silk Street, London,EC2Y 8DS. Price: Free, but ticketed. Book now.
#FLOFavourites: Pick of the Week
Free event of the week
Concrete Garden: Imagining Worlds
Barbican Conservatory.
Get creative at a day of drop-in readings, live events, and workshops in the Barbican Conservatory. Writers, readers, and artists will come together to discuss worldbuilding, speculative fiction, and the power of creativity in fostering belonging and community. Enjoy readings by Nikita Gill, Ariana Reines, and So Mayer, plus explorations of influential texts by The Feminist Duration Reading Group and a queer speculative discussion by Big Dyke Bookclub. There will also be open mic sessions to get involved in. This is a free event, but tickets are required.
Date: 9 February 2025. Location: Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS. Price: Free. Book now.
Interview of the week
In conversation with Shula Carter
Shula Carter, Our Mighty Groove Rehearsals, Image Credit Ellie Kurttz.
Shula Carter is an East London-based dancer trained in contemporary, ballet, and modern dance. She trained at the Vestry School of Dance and later at LMA London. Her credits include performing at the UEFA Cup Final opening ceremony with Lenny Kravitz. Shula will be part of Vicki Igbokwe-Ozoagu’s Our Mighty Groove, a production exploring the transformative power of the club dancefloor, set to open at Sadler’s Wells East in Stratford in February 2025.
We spoke to Shula about her career and her role in the upcoming production. Click here for the full interview.
Food of the week
Holy Carrot’s new weekend brunch menu
Holy Carrot Brunch. Beca B Jones Photography.
Holy Carrot, a stylish and sustainable restaurant in Notting Hill, is launching a new plant-based weekend brunch menu. Head Chef Daniel Watkins has crafted seasonal dishes such as JENKI Matcha Glazed Waffles, Iberico Tomatoes with Silky Aubergine Caviar, Golden Koji ‘Honey’ Toast, and the signature Shakshouka with Fermented Tofu. The menu also features freshly brewed coffees, teas, matcha, and signature drinks like the Holy Carrot Spritzer, a mix of Cynar, Carrot Molasses, Sparkling Wine & Soda Water. Served on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am-1pm.
Location: Holy Carrot, 156 Portobello Rd, London W11 2EB. Website: holycarrot.co.uk Instagram: @holycarrotrestaurant
Cause of the week
Blackfriars Settlement
Lorna May Wadsworth, How you doin?
Blackfriars Settlement is a charity offering services to the local community, focusing on combating isolation and loneliness among older adults. Volunteers can support various activities, such as running clubs, helping with behind-the-scenes tasks, and making members feel welcome. Key roles include interacting with elderly participants at clubs like Frank’s Club and Forget-me-not Club, assisting with food at the Lunch Club, offering one-to-one support at the Computer Club, and aiding visually impaired members at the Crusoe Club. Volunteers receive training, supervision, and a travel reimbursement, and gain experience in social care and community support. A minimum commitment of 2 hours per week is required.
Click here to discover more about how you can get involved.