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Clock off and get ready for the weekend because there’s lots to fit in. Head to Camden Town Brewery’s open day, a Hitchcock-themed happening in an E11 cemetery or a night of stellar sounds at Jacques Greene’s set at Phonox. Winner!
CENTRAL
Maison St Germain, Soho Square, Fri-Sat, free. French elderflower liqueur St Germain are taking over Soho Square with a flower-filled pop-up bar.
The Encounter: Drawings From Leonardo To Rembrandt, National Portrait Gallery, all weekend, £8. Here you’ll find studies and life sketches by Pisanello and Rembrandt, drawings of friends and assistants by Filippino Lippi and gorgeous court portraits by Holbein the Younger.
NORTH
Mike Skinner & Murkage Present Tonga, Camden Assembly, TONIGHT, £5-£10. The Streets rapper and music and arts collective supply grime and UK garage, plus featured special guests.
Girls To The Front, Lock Tavern, TONIGHT, free. Residents and guests supply pop, punk, indie, rock and retro tracks from female performers including Hole, Bat for Lashes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and many more.
Camden Town Brewery Open Day, Camden Town Brewery, Sat, free. Have a snoop around the brewery as it opens its doors for a fun-packed, booze-filled open day.
Holi Festival of Colours, Wembley Park, Sat, £27.99-£42.99. Wembley Park hosts the 2017 edition of the Holi-inspired Festival of Colours. The actual Hindu celebration of Holi took place in March, so this is very much an excuse for an inclusive good time.
Tottenham Home Brew Beer Festival, Chicken Town, Sun, £16. Drench yourself in the frothy offerings of Tottenham’s micro breweries at the second instalment of this one-day beer fest held in local fried chicken spot, Chicken Town.
EAST
Hitchcock’s Home Pop-up Party, St John’s Church, TONIGHT, £16. The Master of Suspense is coming ‘home’ for a three-day party in an E11 cemetery. Get to know the Leytonstone lad at the mini ‘Hitch’ art gallery, and see his 1958 film ‘Vertigo’ with sound effects from the St John’s Church bell tower.
Bake for Syria, Columbia Road Flower Market, Sat, prices vary. The socially-conscious chef collective behind #CookforSyria have swapped savoury for sweet with the new #BakeforSyria, an interactive charity bake off at Columbia Road Market.
The Playground, London Fields, all weekend, free. De-stress in a ballpit at The Playground, an adults-only play area. No, it’s nothing kinky, just a straight-up playground filled with giant slides, jumbo swings and super-sized see-saws on London Fields.
Hackney WickED: DIY Open Studios, various locations, all weekend, free. Work your way through a series of studios housing artists, designers and makers around Hackney Wick at this annual open weekend.
Street Eats, Old Spitafields Market, all weekend, free. Haloodies, teetotallers and hungry Londoners take note: a booze-free, all-halal street food festival is coming celebrating the city’s vibrant street food community.
SOUTH
Girl from the North Country © Manuel Harlan
Jacques Greene, Phonox, TONIGHT, £5 adv. Montreal’s enigmatic and captivating talent, Jacques Greene, returns to Phonox for a powerful night of sound.
Girl from the North Country, Old Vic, Fri-Sat, £12-£67.50. Conor McPherson’s dark, evocative Great Depression drama, built around the songs of Bob Dylan.
Goat, O2 Academy Brixton, Sat, £29.50. The Swedish ensemble fuses psych-rock with experimental elements. Support from The Moonlandingz and Jane Weaver.
Briefs: Close Encounters, Underbelly Festival, all weekend, £25-£37.50. Aussie boylesque troupe Briefs are back with another gloriously cheeky live show.
The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4, Menier Chocolate Factory, all weekend, £40-£53. Sue Townsend’s painfully funny story about a nerdy teen gets a genuinely hilarious musical update.
WEST
Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Cadogan Hall, Fri-Sat, £39.50. Catch the Grammy Award-winning South African a cappella ensemble.
Asian Wellness and Vegan Festival, Richmond Adult Community College, Sat, £5. Are you overdue a detox? Go on a self-care overload at the first ever Asian Wellness and Vegan Festival in Richmond, where you’ll find all-day yoga, tai chi, Bollywood dancing and qi gong sessions.
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