Old Royal Naval College

In the short, dark days of midwinter, it’s pretty rare that you get a chance to bask in the sun’s warm glow. That is, unless you pay a visit to Greenwich’s Painted Hall over the next couple of months to catch Luke Jerram’s latest installation. A to-scale sculpture of our sun, complete with sunspots and filaments, Helios is the most recent addition to the British artist’s ongoing series of large-scale celestial installations (which also includes Gaia and Museum of the Moon). Accompanied by a soundscape created by acclaimed composers Duncan Speakman and Sarah Anderson, the seven-metre-tall sculpture is suspended from the ceiling of the Old Royal Naval College’s magnificent Baroque dining hall, which also plays host to a programme of wellbeing-focused events to mark the occasion. These include a sustainable fine dining experience helmed by Douglas McMaster from pioneering zero-waste restaurant Silo, a Valentine’s Day dinner, a Tibetan meditation session and a celestial silent disco featuring ‘cosmic pop songs’ and themed cocktails.

This summer, some contemporary dance music greats will take up residence at a stunning venue. Labyrinth On The Thames – masterminded by promoter Labryinth – will see different artists from the world of electronic music takeover the Old Royal Naval College (a UNESCO World Heritage Site!) for six days of unmissable performances. Two headliners have been confirmed so far; South African DJ and producer Black Coffee kicks off the double-weekender with his mix of house, soul and traditional African rhythms on Friday August 1, while London-based dance music label Anjunadeep – whose artists include Lane 8, Yotto, and Dusky – will be curating the line-up on Sunday August 10. Keep your eyes peeled for the rest of the line-up – it looks set to be a banger.