Things to do in London in March 2026
As March arrives in London, the city begins to shake off the winter chill with plenty to see and do. Food lovers can enjoy British Pie Week, while families can mark World Book Day at Battersea Power Station with storytelling and workshops. There will be major exhibition openings, including Hurvin Anderson, David Hockney and a celebration of designer Elsa Schiaparelli, alongside music, theatre and dance from I’m Every Woman: The Chaka Khan Musical to contemporary ballet, jazz talks with Celeste and piano recitals by Evgeny Kissin. Literary fans can discover new voices at the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award, and young creatives can join the Young Barbican Takeover. From theatre on refugee experiences to repair workshops celebrating sustainability, here is our guide to things to do in London in March.
Speaking Futures x Diasporas Now Artist Takeover
Image courtesy of ICA London
#FLODown: The Institute of Contemporary Arts will host Speaking Futures x Diasporas Now Artist Takeover, marking the culmination of Diasporas Now’s yearlong residency. Responding to the collective’s evolving notion of ‘home’ as both a physical space and a shared feeling, the event will bring together artists and collaborators from across the programme for a collective closing chapter. The takeover will feature live performances by Bullyache, SERAFINE1369, RIEKO, Lulu Wang and Paola Estrella, alongside supporting artists; all-day screenings; an installation by Furmaan Ahmed; round table discussions; and a live broadcast with Montez Press Radio. The evening will conclude with a DJ set from Black Obsidian Sound System (B.O.S.S.). Together, the event will propose a forward-looking vision of cultural institutions as artist-centred, collaborative spaces that nurture grassroots movements and support future generations of creatives.
Date: 7 March 2026. Location: Institute of Contemporary Arts, The Mall, St James’s, London SW1Y 5AH. Price: from £16. Concessions available. Book now
Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art
Tears dress with veil, designed by Elsa Schiaparelli and Salvador Dalí, summer 1938. Photograph © Emil Larsson. Courtesy of Victoria and Albert Museum, London
#FLODown: The Victoria and Albert Museum will open an exhibition dedicated to the Italian designer Elsa Schiaparelli. Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art will focus on the development of the House of Schiaparelli from the 1920s to its current direction under Daniel Roseberry, showcasing over 200 objects including garments, artworks, photographs, perfume, and jewellery. Highlights include the V&A’s iconic ‘Skeleton’ and ‘Tears’ dresses, as well as pieces that challenged fashion norms through collaborations with artists such as Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau. The exhibition also examines Schiaparelli’s London studio and her role as a pioneering businesswoman, reflecting on her influence and the relevance of her ideas in contemporary design.
Date: 21 March – 1 November 2026. Location: Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Rd, London SW7 2RL. Price: from £28 weekdays/ weekends. Book now
Click here for our guide to art exhibitions opening in London in March.
British Pie Week 2026
Image courtesy of Libertine London
#FLODown: March marks British Pie Week (2–8 March), a celebration of the nation’s beloved pies from classic steak and kidney to inventive gourmet creations. Across London, restaurants, pubs, and bakeries embrace the week with special menus, with the Holborn Dining Room at Rosewood London serving indulgent lobster and shepherd’s pies, The Guinea Grill offering hearty traditional favourites, and Brumus at the Haymarket Hotel presenting pies from starters to desserts.
Click here for our guide to find the best pies in London for British Pie Week.
Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award 2026
Bernardine Evaristo
#FLODown: The Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award 2026 celebrates emerging literary talent with an evening of readings and discussion chaired by Booker Prize winner Bernardine Evaristo. Attendees will hear from the shortlisted authors across fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, showcasing the best work by British and Irish writers aged 35 or under. Established in 1991, the award has recognised some of the UK and Ireland’s most influential young voices, including Sally Rooney, Jay Bernard, Raymond Antrobus, and Max Porter. Evaristo, a globally best-selling author and Professor of Creative Writing at Brunel University, brings her expertise and insight to the event, highlighting the next generation of literary innovators.
Date: 23 March 2026. Location: Frobisher Auditorium 1, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX. Price: £12 + £1.50 Booking fee. Book now
I’m Every Woman: The Chaka Khan Musical
Alexandra Burke for I’m Every Woman – The Chaka Khan Musical, © Danny Kaan
#FLODown: I’m Every Woman: The Chaka Khan Musical brings the legendary life and music of multi-platinum selling, 10-time GRAMMY® winner Chaka Khan to the stage from 5–28 March 2026. Starring Alexandra Burke, the world premiere musical celebrates Chaka’s five-decade career, 22 albums, 25 chart-topping hits, and 70 million records sold, featuring classics like I Feel for You, Tell Me Something Good, Ain’t Nobody, and Through the Fire. The production explores the woman behind the music, her rise to fame, personal battles, and journey of resilience, while showcasing stories of her iconic friendships with the likes of Joni Mitchell, Prince, Stevie Wonder, and Steve Winwood. Directed by Racky Plews, choreographed by Ebony Clarke, with music supervision by Mark Crossland and written by Nia T. Hill, this spectacular musical offers an emotionally charged, unforgettable celebration of Chaka Khan’s life, music, and legacy.
Date: 5–28 March 2026. Location: Peacock Theatre, Portugal Street, London WC2A 2HT. Book now
Ballet de Lorraine: Acid Gems and a Folia
Ballet de Lorraine. Image credit Laurent Philippe
#FLODown: This double bill presents the work of two of Europe’s most exciting contemporary choreographers, Adam Linder and Marco da Silva Ferreira, reimagining ballet through modern movement and visual style. Linder’s Acid Gems transforms the elegance of 1960s classical ballet into a neon-infused, 21st-century spectacle, blending traditional technique with street dance and theatrical intensity. Ferreira’s a Folia draws on a 15th-century Portuguese folk tradition rooted in ‘madness’, combining ancient ritual with modern club culture in a celebration of freedom, rebellion, and collective energy.
Date: 5–7 March 2026. Location: Queen Elizabeth Hall, South Bank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX. Price: £22 + £3.50 Booking Fee. Book now
Women in Jazz: In Conversation with Celeste
Celeste. Image credit Siam Coy
#FLODown: Celeste reflects on her musical journey, from the acclaim of her debut Not Your Muse to the personal insights behind her second album Woman of Faces, exploring resilience, self-discovery, and the art of translating life’s complexities into song. In conversation with music journalist Emma Warren, she discusses her genre-defying sound and the ways jazz continues to influence contemporary music, highlighting the women shaping the genre today. Warren draws on decades of experience documenting grassroots music and culture to uncover the stories behind Celeste’s distinctive voice and inspirations. Curated by Women in Jazz, a UK organisation tackling gender imbalance in the jazz scene, the event celebrates female singers, instrumentalists, composers, and producers through mentorship, live performances, and collaborative projects.
Date: 14 March 2026.Location: Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall, South Bank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX. Price: from £12 + £3.50 Booking Fee. Book now
Hurvin Anderson
Hurvin Anderson, Hawksbill Bay, 2020. Tate: Lent by Tate Americas Foundation, courtesy of Mala Gaonkar 2023. © Hurvin Anderson. Courtesy the artist, Thomas Dane Gallery and VeneKlasen
#FLODown: The first major solo exhibition of British artist Hurvin Anderson brings together over 80 of his paintings, spanning his entire career from student works to previously unseen new pieces. Anderson’s colour-drenched landscapes and interiors explore experiences of belonging and diaspora, reflecting his journey between the UK and the Caribbean. Many works feature family members, childhood memories, and culturally significant spaces such as barbershops, while layering locations and memories to examine the tension between personal and cultural heritage. Combining a profound sense of atmosphere with influences from British landscape painting, the exhibition highlights Anderson’s distinctive approach to identity, memory, and place.
Date: 26 March – 23 August 2026. Location: Tate Britain, Millbank, London SW1P 4RG. Price: £18. Concessions available. Book now
World Book Day at Battersea Power Station
Image courtesy of Battersea Power Station
#FLODown: Battersea Power Station launches A Station of Stories this March, marking the beginning of a year-long celebration of books and creativity as part of the National Year of Reading 2026. The programme begins on World Book Day, 5 March, with a Mr Men Little Miss takeover running from 5–8 March, featuring storytelling sessions, a treasure hunt inside the Grade II* listed Power Station, creative workshops, and a special story creation event with illustrator Adam Hargreaves. Families can also enjoy character photo opportunities and free activities across the launch weekend. On 7, 21 and 28 March, The House at Pooh Corner is staged at Arches Lane Theatre, adding family-friendly theatre to the month’s celebrations.
Date: 5–8 March 2026 (with additional events on 7, 21, 28 and 30 March 2026). Location: Battersea Power Station, Circus Road West, London, SW11 8DD. Book now
Young Barbican Takeover
Image courtesy of Barbican Centre
#FLODown: Young Barbican Takeover returns to the Barbican Centre on Sunday 29 March, presenting a one-day festival curated for and by young people. The event brings together live music, poetry, film screenings, workshops, a makers market, and a roller disco across the Barbican’s iconic spaces. Aimed at London’s emerging creatives aged sixteen and over, the festival celebrates collaboration, creativity, and community, offering activities from crafting and zine-making to dance, drama, and inclusive roller-skating sessions. Tickets are £12, or £10 for Young Barbican members.
Click here to discover more.
Paddy’s Week 2026
Image courtesy of The Yards Covent Garden
#FLODown: The Yards Covent Garden will host its first-ever Paddy’s Week from 13 - 20 March 2026, launching a new annual celebration of Irish culture, creativity and community in London’s emerging ‘Irish Quarter’. Building on the recent arrival of Guinness Open Gate Brewery London, the week will feature themed food and drink specials, Irish step dancing classes, pop-ups and surprise moments across the neighbourhood. A highlight will see a free Limerick Takeaway Van arrive on Saturday 14 March, offering visitors personalised poems crafted by resident ‘Limerick Chefs’. From limited-edition cocktails and Irish coffees to green matcha and bespoke nail art, Paddy’s Week 2026 will set the tone for a vibrant new tradition celebrating the spirit of St Patrick’s Day in the heart of the capital.
Date: 13 – 20 March 2026. Location: The Yards Covent Garden, St Martin’s Courtyard, London WC2E 9AB. theyards-coventgarden.co.uk
SUPPLIANTS OF SYRIA
Border Crossings SoS Landscape - credit Kıvanç Türkgeldі
#FLODown: SUPPLIANTS OF SYRIA is a multimedia theatre production by Border Crossings that reimagines the ancient Greek tragedy The Suppliants through the lived experiences of Syrian refugee women. Created with Syrian women in Turkey, it weaves filmed testimonies with live performance, music, movement and poetry, bringing urgent questions of asylum, displacement, belonging and responsibility into the present. Each performance includes a structured audience debate reflecting the democratic spirit of the original drama, with pre- and post-show talks by refugees and NGO workers, and live music and dance from local choirs and Syrian artists, extending the conversation and celebrating cultural talent.
Date: 3–8 March 2026. Location: Hoxton Hall, 130 Hoxton Street, London, N1 6SH. Price: £20.00(+ £4.00 fees). Book now
London Recycles: Repair Week
London Recycles’ Repair Week takes place from 2–8 March 2026
#FLODown: London Recycles’ Repair Week takes place from 2–8 March, bringing a city-wide programme of free and ticketed events focused on sharing practical repair skills, from textiles to tech. Celebrating craft and sustainability, the week highlights the Japanese art of Sashiko – a 400-year-old embroidery technique meaning “little stabs” – traditionally used to mend and strengthen indigo fabric with decorative white stitching. In-person Sashiko workshops will be held with Mads and Mend in Lewisham (4 March) and Fabrications in Hackney (14 March), alongside a range of community events including cycle repairs, cloth nappy mending, fashion mend-alongs, and creative workshops across London. Special Sashiko kits, assembled in Brixton using reclaimed denim from the iconic 1966 King’s Road boutique Granny Takes a Trip, provide everything needed to begin repairing ripped jeans, encouraging Londoners to embrace mindful mending and extend the life of their clothes.
Click here to discover the full programme of events.
Date: 2–8 March 2026 (with selected related workshops in March). Location: Various venues across London.
Evgeny Kissin in Recital
Evgeny Kissin
#FLODown: Celebrated pianist Evgeny Kissin performs a solo recital showcasing the expressive breadth and technical power of the piano, with works by Ludwig van Beethoven, Frédéric Chopin, Robert Schumann and Franz Liszt. The programme features Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 7 in D major, a selection of Chopin’s Mazurkas, Schumann’s Kreisleriana, and Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12. Widely regarded as one of the world’s most sought-after pianists and a former Echo Klassik Soloist of the Year, Kissin is praised for his phenomenal technique and commanding stage presence, bringing both virtuosity and depth to this evening of Romantic and Classical masterworks.
Date: 31 March 2026. Location: Hall, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS. Price: From £18 (excluding £4 booking fee). Book now
London Symphony Orchestra: Family Concert
Image courtesy Barbican Cenrtre
#FLODown: The London Symphony Orchestra invites families to experience the magic of symphonic storytelling in Family Concert – The King Who Tried To Change His Fate. Storyteller Jan Blake brings to life a tale of a King and his quest to alter his destiny, accompanied by music from composers past and present, including Giuseppe Verdi, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Louise Farrenc, Ayanna Witter-Johnson, Leonard Bernstein, and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. The performance also features a brand-new sing-along song by Paul Rismann, encouraging audience participation. Designed for 7- to 12-year-olds and their families, the concert offers an engaging way to explore the instruments of the orchestra, with pre-performance workshops and themed activities that make live music fun and accessible for all.
Date: 8 March 2026. Location: London Symphony Orchestra Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX. Price: £12 - £18 + £4 Booking fee. Book now
Architecture on Stage: Anne Holtrop and Noura Al-Sayeh Holtrop
Barbican’s Architecture on Stage series continues with Anne Holtrop and Noura Al-Sayeh Holtrop
#FLODown: Husband-and-wife architects Anne Holtrop and Noura Al-Sayeh Holtrop explore the creation of a progressive architectural culture in their joint lecture Site: Bahrain, the latest talk in the Barbican’s Architecture on Stage series. Drawing on their work since 2015 on the award-winning Pearling Path project, which has helped reshape Muharraq, Bahrain, they reflect on this transformative heritage initiative and their broader contributions to architecture from their home in Bahrain. Anne Holtrop is known for projects including Museum Fort Vechten, Bahrain’s Pavilion at Expo Milano 2015, and key Pearling Path landmarks such as the Siyadi Pearl Museum and Suq al-Qaysariya, while Noura Al-Sayeh Holtrop serves as Advisor for Heritage Projects at the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities and co-curated Bahrain’s debut at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2010, which won the Golden Lion.
Date: 23 March 2026. Location: Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX. Price: from £15 + £3.50 booking fee. Book now
Sonic Essays: Edward George
Image credit Lee Kirk Fagan
#FLODown: Edward George explores Black sonic culture in a live adaptation of his Morley Radio essay series The Strangeness of Dub, examining reggae, dub, and versioning through history, philosophy, and a broad musical selection. Founder of the Black Audio Film Collective, he is joined by Dr Hannah Catherine Jones (aka foxymoron), whose performance includes improvised music and spoken word, breaking traditional artistic boundaries and highlighting sound’s capacity for reflection and healing. Part of the new Sonic Essays series, the evening celebrates the intersection of text and sound, offering a performance that delves into the cultural, social, and musical fabric of the Black diaspora.
Date: 5 March 2026. Location: Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall, South Bank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.Price: from £15 + £3.50 booking fee. Book now
David Hockney: A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts about Painting
A Year in Normandie (detail), 2020-2021, composite iPad painting © David Hockney
#FLODown: An exhibition dedicated to David Hockney will open at the Serpentine North Gallery, celebrating the artist’s recent work. A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts about Painting presents his monumental digital frieze A Year in Normandie (2020–2021) in London for the first time, alongside a new site-specific mural in the gallery garden. The exhibition also includes five still lifes and five portraits of Hockney’s family and carers, linked by direct compositions and a recurring gingham tablecloth motif, and is accompanied by a catalogue featuring a conversation with Hans Ulrich Obrist.
Dates: 12 March – 23 August 2026. Location: Serpentine North Gallery, Kensington Gardens, Lancaster Gate, London W2 3XA. Price: Free. serpentinegalleries.org
