Here are the top things to do in London we’ve curated for you. Our Hot List is a weekly drop of the hottest upcoming events across London’s arts and culture scene, uncovering what you really shouldn’t miss.
ART & CULTURE FESTIVAL
THE TOM OF FINLAND ART & CULTURE FESTIVAL
VARIOUS VENUES
21 September to 22 September
Tom of Finland’s work significantly shaped global perceptions of gay men and, more importantly, how they viewed themselves. The Foundation's mission is to protect, preserve, and promote queer and erotic art. To mark its 40th anniversary, the Festival will take place in London, Berlin, and Los Angeles, bringing together erotic artists, vendors, performers, DJs, and galleries.
Full programme and tickets here.
THEATRE
OSTAN
PARK THEATRE
Finsbury Park I 18 September to 12 October
Written by Fringe First winning playwright Arzhang Pezhman - a first-generation refugee from Iran - Ostan explores the realities of the UK immigration system.
Rebin has been stuck in the UK immigration system for almost a decade, settling into a routine: working at a local hand carwash, playing online games with loyal customer Noah, and repeatedly applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain. But when the owner, Shapur, proposes using the struggling business as a front for a human trafficking enterprise, Rebin’s routine is about to be shattered.
More information and tickets here.
EXHIBITION
LAP-SEE LAM: FLOATING SEA PALACE
STUDIO VOLTAIRE
Clapham I 18 September to 15 December
Lap-See Lam's first UK institutional show at Studio Voltaire expands on her 2024 presentation for the Nordic Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. Lam's new series of works explores themes of separation, displacement, and collective memory. Inspired by the 'Sea Palace', a three-storey floating Chinese restaurant shaped like a dragon that sailed from Shanghai to Europe in the 1990s, Lam examines the translation and mistranslation of cultural heritage. She reflects on her family's history through the kitschy, decadent decor of Chinese restaurants in Western Europe, using the dissonant symbol of the 'Sea Palace' to explore these themes.
More information and tickets here.
Lap-See Lam's will be in conversation on 12 October: tickets here.
FILM
CINE REAL: CHINATOWN
CASTLE CINEMA
Homerton I 22 September & 26 September
Often considered as a masterpiece in the neo-noir genre, Chinatown (1974), directed by Roman Polanski, follows private investigator J.J. "Jake" Gittes, played by Jack Nicholson, who is hired to investigate the suspicious activities of Hollis Mulwray, the city's water commissioner. Initially, the case appears to be about infidelity, but Gittes uncovers a far more complex and sinister conspiracy involving land, water rights, and political corruption.
Cine-real is one of the only film clubs in the UK to exclusively play films from original 16mm prints.
More information and tickets here.
IMMERSIVE VR
GOLIATH: PLAYING WITH REALITY
SHOREDITCH TOWN HALL
Shoreditch I 24 to 28 September
Goliath: Playing with Reality is a Virtual Reality animated performance, winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best VR Immersive Work at the 78th Venice International Film Festival.
Through mind-bending animation and heartfelt dialogue, it explores the power of gaming communities in this true story of so-called ‘schizophrenia’. Echo (narrated by Tilda Swinton) guides you through the many realities of Goliath, a man who spent years isolated in psychiatric institutions but finds connection in multiplayer games.
More information and tickets here.
MOVING IMAGES
ARTISTS' FILM INTERNATIONAL 2024: SOLIDARITY
FORMAT HQ
London Bridge I 26 September to 26 October
Artists' Film International 2024 will present film works from fifteen international artists or artist collectives, diversely exploring the ways in which solidarity can be articulated through moving-image. Considering solidarity as a collective form of resistance, togetherness and interdependence, the fifteen films address the ways in which solidarity is needed, and can cultivate radical imaginaries that have the potential to transform our wider, collective experience.
Launch event: MASS live at FormaHQ on 26 September.
More information and tickets here.
DANCE
MARIKISCRYCRYCRY: GONER
THE PLACE
King's Cross St Pancras I 28 September
Touching on the topics of abuse, Caribbean migration, alienation, belonging, addiction, and violence, Goner is utilising the formal tools of solo authorship and the aesthetics of horror to create radical visual culture from the marginalised perspective, and to tease out and establish a Black tradition of horror for the live context.
More information and tickets here.
DOCUMENTARY
TEACHES OF PEACHES + Q&A WITH PEACHES
BARBICAN
Barbican I 24 October
Weaving together exclusive archival gems with dynamic tour footage, this documentary captures the transformative journey of Merrill Nisker into the internationally acclaimed cultural powerhouse Peaches. Her fearless originality has challenged social norms, dismantled stereotypes, and confronted patriarchal power structures. Through biting wit, she advocates for LGBTQIA+ rights and tackles issues of gender and sexual identity, leaving an indelible mark on popular culture.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Peaches.
More information and tickets here.
ALBUM LISTENING EXPERIENCE
HANIA RANI PRESENTS NOSTALGIA + Q&A
INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ARTS
Temple I 25 September
Hania Rani's forthcoming live album Nostalgia is the first album to present her music juxtaposed with her own evocative analogue photos of the studios. Rani gives us a closer look not only at a body of work but the entire artistic trajectory all seen through the artists eyes. Nostalgia will be presented as an audio-visual experience with the album played in full for the first time and accompanied by a specially commissioned film presenting Rani’s accompanying photos and text on the cinema screen.
The screening will be followed by an Artist Q&A with Mari* (Gondwana Records) and a post event signing session.
More information and tickets here.
