London offers plenty of unconventional and offbeat ways to celebrate love in all its forms. Whether you're in the mood for wrestling, eerie horror screenings, or a sweaty, pulsating queer rave, here are ten events to make the most of Valentine's—whether with partners, besties, dates, or even on your own.
EXHIBITION OPENING
OPEN CALL LOVE GROUP EXHIBITION AND PUBLICATION LAUNCH
PHOTO BOOK CAFE
Old Street | 12 February - 25 February
Taking shape as a one day group exhibition accompanied by a publication, aligning with Valentines Day, Love is a celebration of all forms of love. The exhibition will engage with how love is represented from a diversity of international gazes. With an attempt to articulate love and love’s strength to resist and revolutionise, from both those who have been joyfully gifted and those who existed within the melancholy of love.
Invited guest judge, renowned Director and Photographer Felicity Ingram will review all submissions. Selecting the final photographers who will have their photograph(s) presented within a one day group exhibition held at The Photobook Cafe.
All details here.
FILM
ALL IS JOY
Soho | 14 February 19:00
A toxic Valentines day double feature screening Gun Crazy (1950), a horned-up, pulpy, razor-sharp B-movie noir masterpiece, and Blonde Death (1984), a savage blast of underground anarchy.
The Nickel is home to the most subversive, bewildering, sensational, fearless, sublime, shocking, transgressive, death-defying, psychedelic, psychotronic, bizarre, rebellious, baffling, degenerate cinematic treasures - from the silent era to the digital age.
SCREENING & PERFORMANCE
DYKE VIDEO DUNGEON PRESENTS A VALENTINE SPECIAL
GOLDIE SALOON
Hackney | 14 February 21:00
Have your eyes touch the screen and feel the static pleasures. DVD will feature rare erotica: a silent film from the 1930s, voyeurism in Abney Park Cemetery, trans masc piss play and leather bondage for a selected group of cruising eyes on St. Valentines. With an intimate performance by emilyn claid at midnight. The evening will be curated and hosted by Sweatmother.
Tickets are sold-out but get on the waitlist, you might get lucky!
WORKSHOP
HACKNAKEY X GASHTRAYS: CLAY WITH BAE
FILLY BROOK
Leytonstone | 14 February 19:30 - 21:30
Treat your loved ones to a flirty valentines evening of creative play, and recreate your plus 1’s in clay (and lots of drawings of each other too).
The venue, Filly Brook also has a restaurant with delicious food and drinks available, so valentines dinner is sorted!
No experience necessary! Expect some quick and cheeky exercises that aim to prioritise fun over perfection.
Secure your tickets here.
FILM
CATEGORY H: I LOVE YOU TODEATH!
RIO CINEMA
Dalston | 14 February 23:30
Category H horror club returns for a late-night double bill of love, romance and corpses with two rarely screened tales of forbidden love, Kissed (1996) and Blood Delirium (1988).
The screening will begin with Lynne Stopkewich’s Canadian morgue romance Kissed (1996). Sandra Larson is an embalming student, and after getting a job in the local morgue she discovers that her fascination with dead bodies extends far beyond the clinical and towards necrophilia.
Get your tickets here.
Blood Delirium (1988), an Italian straight to video film exploring duality, painting and love after death! When Saint Simon, a painter who believes himself to be the reincarnation of Vincent Van Gogh, finds himself a widower he feels at a loss.
WRESTLING
LESBIAN WRESTLING: VALENTINE VIOLENCE
MONICA WRESTLING STUDIO
Walthamstow | 14 February 19:30
They say it's a thin line between love and hate. So what better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than watching some of the most famous lovers in history settling their relationship gripes in the ring?
Sex and Rage is back with another wrestling event, and this time, it's personal - hotter, spicier and wilder than ever before! Ever wondered how Anthony and Cleopatra settled their scores, or how Shrek and Fiona argue over whose turn it is to sully the swamp? No relationship is perfect, and the bad babes of the Sex and Rage wrestling ring are here to air out their romantic grievances.
All info and tickets available here.
PARTY
HAUS OF INTRUSIVE THOTS: A VALENTINE'S DAY SPECIAL
THE YARD
Hackney Wick | 15 February 22:00 - 03:00
This time The Yard is serving something sexy on Valentine’s Day to bid farewell to the venue as we know it. They sold out the last one to raucous acclaim. Expect even more outrageous performances across drag, burlesque, clown and performance art featuring some very prestigious guests… Dress code: Marital Ritual.
FILM & PERFORMANCES
SAPPHIC CINEMA: PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE
THEATRESHIP
Canary Wharf | 14 February 18:30 - 01:00
Part of Theatreship's guest curated nights - where contemporary artists take over the renovated 111-year-old cargo ship to highlight the stories they want to tell.
Cellist, performer and artist Abi Asisa returns to present the eleventh edition of Sapphic Movie Nights, an event dedicated to highlighting FLINTA (femme, lesbian, intersex, non-binary, trans) stories within queer cinema. Join a screening of Céline Sciamma's Portrait of a Lady on Fire followed by a live performance by Paloma León in response to the film.
PARTY
ZIBER VII: BE MY VALENTINE
79 STOKE NEWINGTON ROAD
Dalston | 14 February 21:30 - 04:00
Ziber returns to the legendary, sweaty, grotesque basement in Dalston for a special edition on Valentine’s Day All lonely hearts, horny couples and mystical throuples, find or revive your disgusting love in the hellfire of the Ziber cesspits.
Ziber is a queer party launched in London in 2023, revolving around EBM, Industrial and Italo with a grotesque performative element. In between a leather bar, a derelict club, a candy shop and a house party, Ziber has been pinpointed as as the ‘hottest new queer night’ in East London.
Ticket here.
POETRY & JAZZ
SPIT NIGHTS:POETRY &IMPROV JAZZ
THE MINISTRY
Borough | 15 February 19:00
An evening featuring the talent in poetry and jazz, a relaxed platform for poetry, spoken word, and music, showcasing how entertaining and moving they can be using nothing but words.
LATE OPENING
LATE AT TATE BRITAIN: 80s VALENTINES SPECIAL
TATE BRITAIN
Pimlico | 15 February 18:00 - 22:00
In response to The 80s: Photographing Britain exhibition celebrate love and nostalgia with music, a writing workshop, wax carving, life drawing, a speed dating session and more.
Find out about the full programme here (note that some workshops need to be booked in advance).
