The Time Out London hot list
The biggest and best things happening in London this week
This year we're welcoming April with open arms – not only do we say hello to springtime and sunshine (here's hoping, anyway), but also to a whole load of excellent events. This month brings us the likes of The London Marathon, Pick Me Up Art Fair, Record Store Day, the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, and, lest we forget, the Oxford and Cambridge Goat Race. If that lot hasn't excited you enough already, the upcoming four-day Easter weekend (Fri Apr 18 – Mon Apr 21) should put a smile on your face this April.
Below is a handful of great happenings in the city just this week. Got a tip for something hot happening next week? Tweet us your suggestion and it might just make our top ten!
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The ten hottest things to do this week
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Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs
From Thursday
Thu Apr 17 – Sun Sep 7. Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 9TG
Towards the end of Henri Matisse's life, the French master could no longer paint so instead turned to scissors and paper. The bright and bold works he created in this very late period have become some of his most iconic – think of the striking, multi-coloured 'The Snail' already housed at Tate Modern. He may have lost his ability to handle a paintbrush, but Matisse lost none of his brilliant vision and compositional know-how. The 120 works on display at Tate Modern this summer will be amongst the best you will see anywhere in the country this year.
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Easter weekend
Friday to Monday
Fri Apr 18 – Mon Apr 21.
The first bank holiday weekend of the year is finally here so grab your diary and get organising. Every year, Easter treats us to a whole four days of holiday – need we mention a whole load of chocolate eggs – which proves the perfect opportunity to get out and about in the capital. Whether you plan to paint hard-boiled eggs, party hard all weekend long or pursue the Easter Bunny for cocoa-based satisfaction, get cracking with your Easter plans pronto.
See our guide to Easter in London
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Berwick St Record Store Day
Saturday
Sat Apr 19. Berwick Street Market, Berwick Street, W1F 0PT
Berwick Street is home to the biggest concentration of indie record shops in London, which makes it the perfect place for a free mini-festival on Record Store Day, wouldn't you say? For a second year, an outdoor main stage will host live acts all afternoon: the line-up is still under wraps, but performers last year included Frank Turner, Matthew E White, Wire and Steve Mason. More live artists and DJs are scheduled to play smaller stages around the area, with DJs, music quizzes and parties taking place in some shops. It's not all about the music, either – special events on the day include a street food market, special Record Store Day discounts on clothes, and music-related art and design sessions.
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The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Released Friday
Released Fri Apr 18. Cinemas nationwide
Spider-Man has always been the people’s superhero. He’s a high-school dweeb whose supernatural powers allow him to fight crime but don’t offer him any help at all in dealing with the everyday problems of being a teenager. Girls, friends, parents, authority – he’s on his own. In this sequel to 2012's 'The Amazing Spider-Man' life-threatening concerns arise in the form of Jamie Foxx’s recluse-turned-power-conductor Electro and Dane DeHaan’s childhood buddy-turned-spoilt rich kid Harry Osborn. And it's DeHaan that is by far the best thing here, and his scenes with Garfield have an integrity lacking elsewhere. Foxx, too, is very watchable: the effects make-up is spectacular and his character is intriguingly downtrodden, if dubious in its portrayal of the mentally ill.
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The Rose
A stop for solid tipples in Southwark. 123 Snowsfields, SE1 3ST
Once an unremarkable Southwark pub with a good jukebox, the Rose re-emerged in the summer of 2013 after a two-year closure and refurbishment, sporting a dashing new look – dark wood, bronze-topped tables and posh pork scratchings. Behind the bar, cocktails are of the hot-right-now pre-mixed and barrel-aged varieties, complete with a £9 price tag. For something stronger there’s a dedicated martini menu; cask ales and craft beers come from Red Squirrel, plus there are bottles from Beavertown, Kernel and the like. The menu’s a daily changing bill of pub classics – four types of pickles and sausage rolls for salt-craving snackers, carb-centric platefuls for the famished. Oh, and be sure to check out the remarkable floor made of one- and two-pence pieces in the downstairs hallway – Instagram gold if ever we saw it.
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Lock Tavern Festival
Thursday to Sunday
Thu Apr 17 – Sun Apr 20. Lock Tavern, 35 Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AJ
Egg hunts? Sunday lunch with the family? Church? No way – easily the best way to spend your Easter weekend is in one of Camden's finest nightspots, watching some really great bands. From Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday The Lock Tavern hosts four nights of fun, with live music and DJs performing alongside pop-up food stalls and art exhibitions. The best bit? Tickets are totally free – book in advance for guaranteed entry and a free slice of pizza, or just turn up on the day and try your luck.
Read more about The Lock Tavern Festival
Fancy another festival this summer? See our 2014 music festival calandar
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Kensington Palace Egg Hunt
Friday to Monday
Fri Apr 18 – Apr Mon 21. Kensington Palace, The Broadwalk, Kensington Gardens, W8 4PX
Kensington Palace will be getting into the springtime spirit with an egg trail through the gardens, live performances and storytelling over the long weekend. If you're entertaining the kids this Easter, keep them sweet with the code-cracking chocolate hunt, then let them unleash their creative side with a very festive bonnet making class. As much as we're excited to see the Easter Bunny shuffling around the palace grounds, we'll also be keeping our eyes peeled for Wills and Kate emerging from their living quarters and bringing bonny Prince George out for a seasonal jolly. We can but hope…
Read more about Kensington Palace Egg Hunt
Keep the kids sweet this bank holiday with more Easter events
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Christathon
Sunday
Sun Apr 20. Trinity, 202-206 Borough High St, SE1 1JX
Worship at the altar of the pint this Easter on this pub crawl which sees participants dress in Jesus garb and visit biblically named pubs to raise money for charity. The basic Christ costume checklist involves a white tunic, long wig and a beard, but Roman centurions, Mother Marys and Judases are also welcome (as are Zombie Christ and Elvis Christ). If you can't make it to the start you can catch up with the Jesi (plural of Jesus, obvs) along the way by calling the Christathon hotline.
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Susan Calman
Saturday
Sat Apr 19. Udderbelly, Jubilee Gardens off Belvedere Rd, SE1 8XX
Feisty Scot Calman – a regular on Radio 4's 'The News Quiz' and as seen on 'Have I Got News For You' and 'QI' – is back in town and back with a brand new show. Taking to the stage at the South Bank's Udderbelly festival this Saturday, the wonderfully funny Calman will bring her usual mix of silly (often cat-related) thoughts and political jabs. Prepare for some serious LOLs this weekend, people.
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Kitsuné Easter Special
Saturday
Sat Apr 19. Village Underground, 54 Holywell Lane, EC2A 3PQ
French electro and electro-pop label Kitsuné are back to give east London a Gallic once-over like only they know how, with a bulging all-night bill of DJs and live acts from their ever-growing roster. Hamburg roof-raisers Digitalism are the big draw this Saturday night: they play a live set of pumping electro-house with support by young duo Beataucue, who hail from Caen in northern France.
Looking for more fun in London?
Just announced concerts
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And our readers recommend...
Richard Hamilton
'Great historic exhibition - a chance to see some iconic work first hand and a must see for all those interested in art and design and the the way we see the world today.' Ann Smith
- Tate Modern Bankside, SE1 9TG
- Thu Apr 17 - Mon May 26
The Cheapside Hoard: London's Lost Jewels
'The wonder lies not in the size of these gems, but in their delicacy. This exhibition is made up of dozens of tiny, dazzling universes... it was impossible to choose a favourite.' Darren Ross
- Museum of London 150 London Wall, EC2Y 5HN
- Thu Apr 17 - Mon Apr 28
Want to share your thoughts with the rest of London? Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to join in our weekly discussion of the last seven days.
Users say
9 comments
The service at Blanchette is the worst ever! Food and coffee is pretty average. DON'T GO THERE
We are in the midst of planning our honeymoon to London in December 2013. This site is going to be great for us to plan things to do and places to see!! Thanks :)
I can defintiely recommend the Elmset and Dragwood exhibition, Tomorrow, at the V and A. It's an amazing installation with a very atmospheric vibe. Really accesible and also wryly amusing.
Just thought I'd point out that the NT Films on the Flytower stuff actually happened a year ago, not in 2013. You might want to amend that.
Forty Hall Farm Festival this Saturday in Enfield! Fun for all the family with kids entertainment all day, Enfield's Got Talent Competion and farm tours. Live bands from 5pm and special headline act, the world's greatest Coldplay tribute band Coldplace! http://www.fortyhallfarm.org.uk/news/festival-tickets-now-on-sale.html Cheaper than the Affordable Art Fair and way better than Superman!
As regulat KewGarden visitors we were v disappointed with the Incredibles> Carrot patch is boarded up and the boating lake was only using half the boatsx so was fully booked. did not live upto expectations
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