Gigs in London this weekend

All Points East returns to Vicky Park for its seventh edition in 2025. Since debuting in 2018, the festival has garnered a reputation for building some of the most exciting line-ups in the UK. Its headliners are often indie or dance-focused big-hitters, while its undercards are packed with cult heroes and rising stars you can say you saw first. As well as the ticketed weekend events, look out for All Points East In the Neighbourhood, the festival’s free midweek programme of community activities including film screenings, live sports, theatre, family fun and more.  When is All Points East 2025? All Points East returns in its usual slot in 2025, taking place in Victoria Park over the weekends of August 15-17 and August 22-24. How much are tickets? Each show is priced differently, as are the different levels of access on offer. Ticket prices for all 2025 shows are yet to be announced, but so far, general admission tickets range from £68.85 to £79.75, with VIP offerings available for between £112.65 and £154.75. If you want to beat the crowds to a prime spot, you can nab a primary entry ticket. There are also payment plans available if you’d prefer not to drop the full ticket price all at once. Really want to go but can’t afford to drop the full ticket price all at once? Payment plans are available. Every year APE also organises a free mid-week programme in collaborating with Tower Hamlets Council for locals called In The Neighbourhood. Details of 2025’s edition haven’t been...

Another year, another spectacular line-up of classical music. This year, the orchestral extravaganza will feature 86 concerts across eight weeks, with over 3,000 artists taking to the stage, with the majority of the action taking place inside the grand surroundings of London’s Royal Albert Hall.  Sakari Oramo will conduct the First Night of the Proms, with tenor Caspar Singh, baritone Gerald Finley, violinist Lisa Batiashvili – including the world premiere of The Elements by Master of the King’s Music Errollyn Wallen. The Last Night of the Proms will be conducted by Elim Chan and features trumpeter Alison Balsom and soprano Louise Alder, with two world premieres, by Camille Pépin and Rachel Portman.  And there’s plenty more in between. See international orchestras, including the Vienna Philharmonic, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Look out for major soloists, such as pianists Yunchan Lim and Sir András Schiff, violinists Hilary Hahn and Janine Jansen, and soprano Golda Schultz. Plus, there’ll be plenty of special events, including: Sir Simon Rattle conducting the Chineke! Orchestra for the first time, in their tenth-anniversary year; the first overnight Prom since 1983, featuring pianist and YouTube sensation Hayato Sumino; The Traitors Prom hosted by Claudia Winkleman hosts and exploring themes of treachery and betrayal in classical music; a new CBeebies Prom titled A Magical Bedtime Story; non-classical artists will present their...

Now in its fourth year, South Facing might still be a fledgling festival compared to some of the other events on the calendar, but it continues a long and impressive legacy of live music events at the Crystal Palace Bowl, which has previously hosted the likes of Elton John, Bob Marley, Vera Lynn and Pink Floyd. South Facing brings the same level of thrilling eclecticism with its line-ups for summer 2025. When is South Facing 2025? South Facing will return to Crystal Palace Bowl for several summer dates. Festival organisers have announced programming on August 8, 16, 22, 23, and 24. How much are tickets? Ticket prices vary depending on the show and the tier you’re interested in. General admission for events announced thus far starts at £39.50. Discounted tickets are available for kids for select nights of the festival, while early bird tickets are cheaper and tickets for some events can be reserved with a £10 deposit. Who’s on the lineup? The Crystal Palace bash has confirmed a diverse mix of events for its 2025 run. Hip-hop legend Busta Rhymes will take over on August 15, joined by Redman, Big Daddy Kane, Chali 2na and more. Multi-platinum Dutch dance duo Tinlicker play their biggest London show yet on August 16 while Basement Jaxx will also play two headline shows on August 22 and 23. The series also features takeovers from Flackstock, Mogwai & Lankum, Morcheeba, an intimate day festival celebrating the life of TV presenter Caroline Flack while raising money for mental...

The Arcola Theatre's alt-opera festival Grimeborn returns for its eighteenth year in 2025 and it’s as eclectic as ever, from a stripped back reworking of Wagner’s magnum opus Tristan und Isolde (Aug 13-16) to the first ever full staging of John Joubert’s final opera Jane Eyre (Aug 6-9)  and the return of last year’s bit of fun Sense & Senibility, The Musical (Aug 19-23) which is, you know, a bit more musical-y, and also last year’s Lucia di Lammermoor, which is, you know, bleak. See Arcola website for all shows and timings.

Do you remember when the first Gorillaz album came out? It felt like all of a sudden we were catapulted into a new era where weirdo comic book musicians made begrudging rock 'n' rollers, producing sardonic melodies with a vocalist that sounded kind of… familiar. Created by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett, Gorillaz is the artificial foursome of bassist Murdoc Niccals, singer 2D, drummer Russel Hobbs and guitarist Noodle, and House of Kong is their fabled homeland. This exhibition, of the same name, lifts a veil on how the group first came together to blow up a pre-digital world with the release of ‘Tomorrow Comes Today’ all the way back in 2000, and documents their past misadventures, musical innovation and ground-breaking virtual performances via an all-new immersive experience. Given the group’s track record of performing with *inhales* Elton John, Lou Reed, Mos Def, De La Soul, Little Simz, MF Doom, Jean-Michel Jarre, Tame Impala, Little Dragon, Grace Jones, Bad Bunny, Kali Uchis, Sidiki Diabaté, and many more, it’s sure to be a fascinating look into how the group became a global phenomenon, achieving success in some pretty unique ways. Taking place at London’s Copper Box for a limited run from August 8 to September 3, it all comes to a head with four special one-off performances by the group. 2001’s Gorillaz, 2005’s Demon Days and 2010’s Plastic Beach will all be played in full, while the fourth gig is tantalisingly billed as a ‘Mystery Show’. Each gig...