Things to do in London this week

Gallop down to Greenwich and you’ll find more than 40 pantomime horses trotting through the streets raising money for charity. ‘Film and TV’ is this year’s theme, so expect the nags to come dressed as some of your fave silver screen stars. The opening ceremony will feature a ‘Strictly Neigh Dancing’ dressage contest and the After Race Christmas Party will have live music, comedy and DJs. Everybody’s welcome at the bash, but if you think you’re capable of a charity canter, you’ll need to sign up in advance, by emailing entries@pantohorserace.org. 

Get ready for steamy cocktails, as Time Out throws its very own festival of cockle-rocking tipples. Hendrick’s, Monkey Shoulder, Glenfiddich and Reyka will be bringing together hot drinks, hot tunes and a hot winter vibe, while Night Tales’ resident Japanese izakaya Fat Baby and pizzeria Sons of Slice will be on snack duty. Down with mulled wine. It’s hot cocktail time!

Are you a devoted fan of solid dairy? Then Borough Market’s annual Evening of Cheese is for you, thanks to the 20-plus cheesemongers who have been invited to showcase their wares. Alongside the wheels of dreams you’ll find wines, ciders and chutney too.

Expect singing, dancing and an ‘explosion of sequins’ from comedy cabaret trio Glittery Clittery. The South Bank’s never seen so much festive, feminist realness. Merry Christmuff! 

Riposte magazine and Amnesty International UK have joined forces for this exhibition marking the seventieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Feast your eyes on work by women and non-binary artists including Esther Mahlangu, Guerilla Girls, Erin Aniker and Hattie Stewart. All profits from art sales will go to Amnesty, and there’s a programme of events, workshops and talks running alongside the show.

Find extra-special stocking-fillers made by local designers, as the Walthamstow workshop catches festive fever. Mulled wine and beers will be available from the bar and Walthamstow Dogs will be dishing up hot dogs to keep you fuelled. 

Brace yourself for a super-trippy VR installation that uses breath sensors, heart monitors and scent-dispersal systems to explore our connections to nature. Pop on a headset and find yourself in the canopy of a giant sequoia tree – the largest living individual organism on the planet. A blaze of light and colour awaits. 

Listen to choirs including the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir – finalists on Gareth Malone’s BBC Two show ‘Sing While You Work’ – belt out seasonal classics and sip on steaming mulled wine 52 metres above the ground on this Christmassy climb up the roof of the O2. Catch a performance of ‘Walking in the Air’ for the full immersive experience.

This festival of big-top spectacle, cabaret and classes celebrates 250 years of UK circus performances with family-friendly daytime fare and more adult evening shows. Mini-performances feature Chinese pole, acrobatics and fire, while workshops let both kids and adults try out juggling and the trapeze. 

Enter through a Narnia-style wardrobe into a new season of festive films screened in a snow-filled grotto. There’ll be a forest of Christmas trees, hot chocolate and up to three screenings a day of movies including ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’, ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’, ‘Elf’ and ‘The Holiday’.