What’s on this week in London: 21 - 27 July 2025

Discover our pick of events in London this week: 21 - 27 July 2025

National Ballet of Japan: Giselle 

The National Ballet of Japan makes its long-awaited UK debut with Miyako Yoshida’s acclaimed production of Giselle, running from 24–27 July 2025 on the Main Stage at the Royal Opera House. Former Royal Ballet Principal and now artistic director of the company, Yoshida presents this classic tale of love, betrayal, and forgiveness with a striking set designed by award-winning British designer Dick Bird. This marks the first time the production has been seen outside Japan.

Date: 24 –27 July 2025. Location: Royal Opera House, Bow St, London WC2E 9DD. Price: from £27 to £127. Book now

Yui Negishi as Myrta and Artists of National Ballet of Japan, Photograph by Kiyonori Hasegawa.

Caleb Femi & Jordan Stephens: On the Dance Floor

Caleb Femi and Jordan Stephens, bestselling authors and friends, come together on stage to explore the significance of parties and dance floors in their lives. Inspired by Femi’s latest poetry collection, The Wickedest, the event dives into the vibrant culture of “shoobs” (parties) and the sense of community and freedom found on the dance floor. This 75-minute talk is part of the Dance Your Way Home summer series.

Date: 25 July 2025. Location: Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX. Price: from £15 + £3.50 booking fee. Book now

Signals: Trevor Mathison, Gary Stewart & Tansy Spinks

Signals: Trevor Mathison, Gary Stewart & Tansy Spinks is a multi-disciplinary audio-visual performance that connects the ICA’s 1980s archive to the present. Artists Trevor Mathison and Gary Stewart create live soundscapes using synthesis, sampling, and archive material, while Tansy Spinks improvises on violin in response to 1980s music and layered visuals. Featuring a kinetic sound sculpture that captures ambient sounds from The Mall and beyond, Signals weaves together narrative, memory, and sound to explore the cultural impact of a defining decade.

Date: 27 July 2025, 1pm – 9pm in hourly booking slots. Location: Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA). The Mall, London, Greater London, SW1Y 5AH. Price: £15 full price / £12.50 concessions. You may enter at any time during the hourly booking slot, and are free to leave and return throughout the day. (Includes a free exhibition ticket for the day of the event, accessed from a member of staff at the front desk). Book now

Black Industrial/Noise – Ultima Festival, Norway. Image by Manuel Madsen

Summer Street Party

The Covent Garden Summer Street Party is a one-day celebration taking place this Sunday, featuring exclusive discounts, pop-ups, personalisation services, and more across Monmouth Street and the surrounding area. Enjoy a festive atmosphere in the heart of Seven Dials with activities running throughout the day.

Date: 26 July 2025. Location: Covent Garden, Monmouth Street. coventgarden.london

BBY – SUMMER PARTY

The BBY – Summer Party is a daytime outdoor event taking place at Colour Factory in Hackney Wick, featuring performances from bby, Finn Foxell, Zino Vinci, saam sultan, WAAW, and Anolah & The Bonez. As part of BBY’s garden residency, it promises a lively mix of live music and DJ sets in an open-air setting. Tickets are around £18 and available via Dice, AXS, and more, with the event open to those 18+.

Date: 26 July 2025. Location: Colour Factory Garden, Ground Floor, Queen's Yard, London E9 5EN. Price: £18.03. Book now

Deptford Flower Show

The Deptford Flower Show takes place on Saturday 26 July 2025 at Deptford Market Yard, offering a free, colourful celebration of flowers, creativity, and community. Featuring free flower displays, demonstrations, a £5 flower tombola with prizes, secret garden visits, independent stalls, and food and drink from local vendors, the event is part of the Deptford X Fringe. Set along the Grade II listed Carriage Ramp, the show is organised by London writers and Lewisham florists Ru & Stu, who promote sustainability and inclusivity, providing a welcoming space for LGBTQIA+, local, and underrepresented makers to showcase their work.

Date: 26 July 2025. Time: 9am–4pm. Location: Deptford Market Yard. Price: Free.

The Fifth Step, Soho Place, 2025 Photograph: Johan Persson

Trippin x Barbican w. Mykki Blanco, Rat Section and more

Barbican, in partnership with Trippin, presents an evening of music, conversation, and immersive experiences to celebrate the summer programme Frequencies: the sounds that shape us. The event explores the role of sound as a connector to place, featuring a private view of the Feel the Sound exhibition and Rebel Radio Listening Hub. A panel discussion in the Conservatory will examine the deep ties between sound, place, and cultural memory. Live performances include queer U.S. rapper Mykki Blanco and experimental act Rat Section, with DJ sets from Nkisi and Scratchclart. Complimentary drinks will be provided by Casamigos and Showerings Cider, with a paid bar to follow.

Date: 26 July 2025. Location: The Barbican Conservatory, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS. barbican.org.uk

The Fifth Step

The Fifth Step is a gripping new play by David Ireland, showing at Soho Place from 19–26 July. It follows James, a long-time member of Alcoholics Anonymous, who becomes a sponsor to newcomer Luka as they navigate the complex road to sobriety. As they reach Step 5—confession—their fragile bond is tested by buried secrets that threaten their recovery. Starring Martin Freeman and Jack Lowden, and directed in-the-round by Finn den Hertog, this 90-minute production delivers emotional intensity with sharp, dark humour.

Date: 19 - 26 July 2025. Duration: 90 minutes, no interval. Location: 4 Soho Pl, Charing Cross Rd, London W1D 3BG. Price: from £25. Book now

BBC Proms

The BBC Proms, having kicked off last week, are now in full swing this week (21–27 July 2025), with highlights at the Royal Albert Hall including Mahler’s Seventh, Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique, a French night with Randall Goosby, and the spine-tingling Traitors Prom hosted by Claudia Winkleman. Premieres by Tom Coult and Mark Simpson feature alongside Beethoven’s Fifth and Saint-Saëns’s Egyptian Concerto. Tickets start at £11, with many concerts broadcast on BBC TV, Radio 3, and BBC Sounds.

Click here for the full programme of events.

Image credit THLT LCX

Wellness

Reiki Healing + Sound Bath

Reiki Healing + Sound Bath at The Mandrake is a calming 60-minute experience featuring hands-on Reiki alongside the soothing tones of crystal singing bowls. Guided by House of Moon facilitators, the session promotes deep relaxation, stress relief, and energetic balance. Suitable for all, guests are encouraged to arrive early and may bring personal crystals to support their healing journey.

Date: 26 July 2025. Time: 11 am – Noon. Location: The Mandrake, 20-21 Newman Street, London W1T 1PG. Price: from £35. Book now

Nadie es Inocente, dir. Sarah Minter, Mexico 1986, 57 min.

Cinema

Youths

Youths, opening at the ICA this week, is a film programme presenting 15 works that explore how young people navigate and reshape reality through collective identity and resistance. Spanning decades and continents, from punk gangs in 1980s Mexico to a modern-day film club in Nigeria, the selection includes rare fiction and documentary films that engage with youth as a social and political force. Many of the films shift between modes and genres, offering layered portrayals of rebellion, belonging, and self-definition. The series opens with Sarah Minter’s Sábado de mierda and Nadie es inocente, and is presented in collaboration with Taddeo Reinhardt.

Date: 24 July - 17 August 2025. Location: ICA, The Mall, London, Greater London, SW1Y 5AH. Price: from £14. Concessions available.

Click here to discover the programme of films that will be on shown over the next month.

Arts & Culture

Opening this week

Virtual Beauty

Virtual Beauty, opening at Somerset House, is a thought-provoking exhibition exploring how digital culture and emerging technologies are reshaping traditional definitions of beauty. Featuring works by over 20 international artists, it will examine the impact of artificial intelligence, social media, and virtual identities on self-image through interactive installations and pioneering artworks. Highlights include ORLAN’s Omniprésence and Amalia Ulman’s Excellences & Perfections, alongside AI-generated portraits and explorations of digital self-expression by artists such as Minnie Atairu, Isamaya Ffrench, and Andrew Thomas Huang. Co-curated with HEK (House of Electronic Arts, Basel), Virtual Beauty will challenge visitors to reflect on identity, authenticity, and who holds the power to define beauty in a post-internet world.

Date: 23 July – 21 September 2025. Location: Terrace Rooms, Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA. Price: Pay What You Can. somersethouse.org.uk

Hyungkoo Lee. Altering Facial Features with WH5 (2010). Courtesy of the artist.

Future of Food

Future of Food is a free exhibition opening at the Science Museum that explores how science and innovation are transforming what we eat and how it reaches our plates in a rapidly changing world. Featuring over 100 objects from a 3500-year-old loaf of bread to the first Quorn burger McNuggets cricket-based snacks and lab-grown steak it examines the role of biotechnology agroecology and global food traditions in shaping a more sustainable food system. Visitors can explore climate-resilient crops microbial dairy alternatives and cutting-edge food technologies alongside stories from farming communities across the world from the Amazon rainforest to urban rooftops in Singapore. Designed for ages seven and up the exhibition includes interactive digital displays and a multiplayer game that helps visitors understand the environmental and social impact of their everyday food choices.

Date: 24 July 2025 - 4 January 2026. Location: Science Museum Exhibition Road South Kensington London SW7 2DD. Price: Free, booking required. Book now

Last chance 

Arpita Singh: Remembering

Remembering showcases works from Arpita Singh’s prolific six-decade career, combining figuration with Surrealism and Indian Court painting. Her dynamic use of colour, line, and texture reflects her emotional responses to social upheaval and global humanitarian crises.

Click here for our review of Remembering by Arpita Singh.

Date: 20 March – 27 July 2025. Location: Serpentine North, W Carriage Dr, London W2 2AR. Price: Free.

Arpita Singh, My Lollipop City: Gemini Rising, 2005. Vadehra Art Gallery © Arpita Singh.

Ugo Rondinone: the rainbow body

Ugo Rondinone’s exhibition the rainbow body at Sadie Coles HQ transforms the gallery into a radiant environment shaped by ideas of transcendence, time, and introspection. The space is filled with rainbow colours, reflecting a series of figurative sculptures based on Rondinone’s 2010 nude series. These life-sized, seated or crouching dancers, assembled from visibly joined segments, are shown in moments of stillness, their prismatic surfaces referencing the Buddhist concept of the “rainbow body,” where the physical form dissolves into light at the height of spiritual attainment. Accompanying them are candle sculptures arranged like votive offerings, drawn from the artist’s ongoing still.life series, and suggesting both transformation and the passage of time. A stained-glass clock with no hands concludes the display, presenting a sense of suspended time and pointing to a deeper cosmic continuity.

Date: 22 May - 2 August 2025. Location: Sadie Coles 62 Kingly Street W1. Price: Free.

Click here to discover more art exhibitions that will come to an end in London in August 2025.

Installation view, Ugo Rondinone, the rainbow body, Sadie Coles HQ, Kingly Street, 22 May - 02 August 2025. © Ugo Rondinone. Courtesy the Artist and Sadie Coles HQ, London.Photo: Katie Morrison

#FLOFavourites: Pick of the Week

Free event of the week

JAZZ RE:FEST 2025

JAZZ RE:FEST 2025

JAZZ RE:FEST 2025 is a free, all-day celebration of jazz music showcasing both emerging artists and established names. Taking place at the Clore Ballroom and Riverside Terrace in the Royal Festival Hall, the event offers a fun lineup of live performances, DJ sets, and an evening afterparty. Part of the Dance Your Way Home summer series, it provides a great space for jazz lovers of all ages to experience cutting-edge sounds and discover new talent. No tickets are required.

Date: 26 July 2025. Location: The Clore Ballroom, Royal Festival Hall, London, address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX. Price: Free, no ticket required. southbankcentre.co.uk

Bar of the week

Hidden Grooves

Image courtesy of Hidden Groves, Virgin Hotels Shoreditch.

Hidden Grooves is a new listening bar in Shoreditch, tucked inside the Virgin Hotel, celebrating Virgin Records’ iconic legacy through a studio-album-inspired cocktail menu and an extensive vinyl collection. Styled like a chic 70s living room with a nod to Japanese listening bars, it’s filled with vintage furniture, music memorabilia and serious sound equipment. Standout cocktails include the fiery Punk Punch, smoky Black Groove and Medusa’s Kiss, topped with an aromatic citrus bubble. Alongside these cocktails, you’ll find small plates, charcuterie, and a nostalgic ice cream sundae with popping candy and fairy floss. It is the perfect spot to slow down, sip something great and really listen.

Location: 45 Curtain Rd, London EC2A 3PT. Website: virginhotels.com Instagram: @hiddengrooveshifi

Cause of the week 

Numbers Champions

Numbers Champions

Number Champions is a London-based charity supporting children aged 6 to 8 (School Years 2 and 3) who are struggling with maths. As an In School Volunteer, you’ll work one to one with a child for 1½ hours each week during the school day, using creative games and activities to build their skills and confidence. Volunteers commit to supporting the same child for the whole school year. Full training is provided, including maths techniques, safeguarding, and the early years curriculum, along with ongoing support from experienced mentors. Volunteers should be confident with basic maths and passionate about helping children thrive. The charity currently partners with schools in 14 London boroughs and is continuing to expand. Click here to discover more about how to volunteer with Number Champions.