Queen Elizabeth Hall

A Room for London

Things to do, Design, Installation, Architecture

• Critics' choice

Perched on top of the Queen Elizabeth Hall, with a commanding view of the river, this wonderfully whimsical temporary hotel room was designed by David Kohn Architects in collaboration with artist Fiona Banner in response to a competition organised by...

London Literature Festival 2013: Melvyn Bragg

Books and poetry

The BBC Radio 4 presenter launches and reads from his new novel 'Grace and Mary', about a son and his mother, who's memory is rapidly fading.

London Literature Festival 2013: Gavin Turk and Jarvis Cocker

Books and poetry

Highly respected journalist Miranda Sawyer draws artist Gavin Turk and musician Jarvis Cocker into a discussion about fame and identity. She'll be finding out how the two continue to make original art and music as their reputations develop.

London Literature Festival 2013: Rupert Everett

Books and poetry

The owner of one 'flabby bottom', who ought to 'call cut on his career' according to the Kenco advert that's all over our tellies at the moment, talks to a London Literature Festival audience about his recent role as Oscar Wilde in 'The Judas Kiss'. Everett...

Meryl Tankard's The Oracle

Categories, Dance

• Critics' choice

A UK premiere of Australian choreographer Meryl Tankard's ode to the 'Rite of Spring', marking the centenary of the revolutionary work. Tankard trained as a ballet dancer and was a long-time performer with Pina Bausch's Tanztheater Wuppertal, and her...

INTERNATIONAL PIANO SERIES Elisabeth Leonskaja

Piano recitals

• Critics' choice

The pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja entertains. Ravel: 'Valses nobles et sentimentales' 
Enescu: Piano Sonata in F sharp minor, Op 24 No 1 
Debussy: 'Le vent dans la plaine' (Préludes, Book 1 No 3)
 Debussy: 'La fille aux cheveux de lin' (Préludes, Book 1...

THE REST IS NOISE The Home Front

Categories, Classical & Opera

BBC Concert Orchestra under Keith Lockhart, with pianist Victor Sangiorgio. John Ireland: Epic March Music While You Work: Sounds of wartime broadcasting Sincerely Yours: Music by The Forces' Sweetheart Vera Lynn Clifton Parker: Seascape from 'Western...

THE REST IS NOISE Spira Mirabilis: Metamorphosen

Orchestral music, 20th century music (1900 – 2000)

• Critics' choice

Experience Richard Strauss' extraordinary 'Metamorphosen' in a new way. Spira mirabalis, the revolutionary orchestra made up of Europe's finest young musicians that perform without a conductor. Before a complete performance of the work, hear the players...

MELTDOWN: Cibo Matto

Alternative rock

• Critics' choice

Formed in New York in 1994, Cibo Matto bring their hypnotic, downtempo, trip hoppy indie to the Queen Elizabeth Hall for Yoko Ono's Meltdown festival. Like Ono, core members Yuka Honda and Miho Hatori are Japanese expats, and they've got further links...

MELTDOWN: Peaches – Cut Piece

Music, Performance art

Canadian porno-pop musician Peaches performs Yoko Ono's 'Cut Piece' for the artist's Meltdown festival. Audience members will be invited to cut away pieces of the performer's clothes.

MELTDOWN: Amadéus Leopold

Categories, Classical & Opera

Leopold – previously known as Hahn-Bin – isn't your average classical violinist. At only 25, he's worked with Madonna and the Scissor Sisters, appeared on a fashion magazine cover and played the Latitude rock festival. He performs in outlandish make-up...

MELTDOWN: Body/Head Featuring Ikue Mori + Mystical Weapons

Experimental and free improvisation, Alternative rock, Noise

• Critics' choice

Playing the night after her estranged husband and former Sonic Youth bandmate Thurston Moore, New York art-rock queen Kim Gordon links up with dissonant guitarist Bill Nace as Body/Head. At their performance for Yoko Ono's Meltdown festival, the duo will...

MELTDOWN: Deerhoof

Alternative rock, Pop

San Francisco's sweet, chaotic avant popsters – fronted by the eccentric-voiced Satomi Matsuzaki – bring to mind a rambunctious, sugar-coated and off-centre Sonic Youth, but with extra synthesisers. They perform at Yoko Ono's Meltdown festival, playing...

MELTDOWN: Marianne Faithfull/Bill Frisell

Classic rock, Pop

Gruff-voiced diva and counter-cultural national treasure Faithfull draws from her 40-year-plus recording career for Yoko Ono's Meltdown festival. Having survived the '60s and life with Mick Jagger, a period spent living rough in Soho as a heroin addict...

MELTDOWN: Boy George

Pop, Soul, New wave and post-punk

Making his second Meltdown appearance in as many years, national pop institution George O'Dowd returns with more glammed-up white soul and acoustic pop. His various brushes with the law have never seriously affected his popularity, and he's still singing...

Alexei Sayle

Stand-up, Solo shows, Big-name talent

After two sold-out runs at the Soho Theatre, the one and only Alexei Sayle is bringing his first stand-up comeback show to the Southbank Centre. It's his first solo show in over 16 years, and it's fair to say that modern comedy, in its current form, might...

Timber!

Circuses, Things to do

A new breed of 'authentic' circus for Bon Iver fans, perhaps? The wood axes and lumberjack saws should certainly bring a whole new flavour to the stage dare-devilry in this show from the Carabinier family of circus performers who live in the remote forests...

LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL: Hugh Masekela/Larry Willis

Categories, Jazz and experimental

• Critics' choice

Legendary South African campaigner, composer and jazz trumpeter Masekela performs in a rare intimate duo setting with long-time friend and pianist Willis. The pair will be performing from their latest album, 'Friends'. This event is part of the 2013 London...

LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL: Arild Andersen

Categories, Jazz and experimental

• Critics' choice

Norwegian bassist Andersen, who records for ECM, returns to London Jazz Festival with his new international quintet. He's recruited prodigious Scottish tenorist and composer Tommy Smith, Polish pianist Marcin Wasilewski – who will bring a patient, spaciously...

LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL: Tigran Hamasyan + Elina Duni

Categories, Jazz and experimental

• Critics' choice

Armenian-born piano prodigy Hamasyan adds raga-like rhythms to a sound that's otherwise inspired by Keith Jarrett. Here he performs his own vibrant, classical-influenced pieces, laced with the jaw-dropping improvisational virtuosity we've come to expect...

LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL: Gilad Atzmon

Categories, Jazz and experimental

• Critics' choice

A witty, Israeli-born multi-saxist and clarinettist, Atzmon specialises in a high-octane, Roland Kirk-ish brand of hard bop, with a garrulous, on-the-edge improvisatory style. He's here to look back on his extensive repertoire. This event is part of the...

Greg Davies – The Back of My Mum's Head

Stand-up, Solo shows, Big-name talent

The comedy giant (literally) and star of 'We Are Klang' and 'The Inbetweeners' is back with a new tour following his Foster's Edinburgh Comedy Award nominated 'Firing Cheeseballs at a Dog'. We've seen a work-in-progress version, and we can tell you that...