The 12 best things to do in London this weekend (10-11 March)

It’s a big weekend across the UK, with Mother’s Day on Sunday and a crucial week of 6 Nations rugby, but what else is on offer?

We’ve picked out some of the best things you can do in London this weekend, for any and all budgets - including those of you who want to take in some free entertainment and save your pennies.

Ben & Jerry’s 40th Birthday Party

Ben & Jerry’s is turning 40, but the ice cream company is still full of big kids. To demonstrate, they’re hosting a party that you’d have enjoyed when you were a little nipper, combining a ball pool and free ice cream. Birthday cake flavour ice cream, to be precise. It’s happening at Old Spitalfields Market, and it’s a one day only affair, so get down early.

https://oldspitalfieldsmarket.com/events/dive-in-to-ben-jerrys-birthday-cake-ball-pit – Free, Saturday 11am-6pm, Horner Square E1

London Job Show Stratford

If you made a New Year’s resolution to get a new job, but then decided to ride it out in case things got better only for things to not get better, this is for you. Just show up at Westfield on Saturday and chat with thousands of prospective employers across a variety of industries – even if you don’t have anything in particular in mind, you might find it there.

http://www.londonjobshow.co.uk/stratford/ - Free, Saturday 10am-5pm, Montfichet Road E20

Somewhere in Between

The newest exhibit at the Wellcome Collection is a collaboration between contemporary artists and scientists, focusing on ideas about ‘our food sources, our senses, our sexual health and the limitations of our bodies’. It consists of never-before-seen immersive installations, and this is the first weekend of its six-month run.

https://wellcomecollection.org/exhibitions/WhvoAykAACgAlDoo - Free, Saturday 10am-6pm and Sunday 11am-6pm, Euston Road NW1 

Spoken Word on the Cobbles

If you’re in Camden on Sunday you can take in a free spoken word festival from some of the Roundhouse’s top talents, with performances taking place across the famous market. It will be headlined by The Poetry Collective, Koko Brown and Wax Lyrical, but the earlier acts are well worth checking out too.

https://www.camdenmarket.com/events/spoken-word-on-the-cobbles - Free, Sunday 2pm-6pm, Various locations, beginning in Middle Yard NW1

Affordable Art Fair

Head down to Battersea Park over the weekend to look at modern art in a lovely setting, with pieces on offer for prices that won’t make you jump out of your seat (the cheapest is just £100 and nothing is more than a few thousand pounds). If nothing takes your fancy immediately, you can still take in the breadth of the collection for a low ticket price.

https://affordableartfair.com/ - £12, Saturday and Sunday 11am-6pm, Battersea Park SW11

’Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story’

The timing of the release of this film, just after International Women’s Day, couldn’t be better. Lamarr, a Hollywood star of the 40s, had a second life as an important wartime inventor, and this documentary – finally out at a select few UK cinemas after a US release late last year – focuses on the career and personal life of the star. It currently has a Rotten Tomatoes rating in the high 90s, and won’t be out for long, so catch it while you can.

https://www.curzoncinemas.com/bloomsbury/film-info/dochouse-bombshell-the-hedy-lamarr-story - £9, All weekend, various venues

Comedy Short Film Festival

2018 has already been an exhausting year, so the combination of things that will make you laugh and things that won’t last that long feels like a godsend. Airing at the Hackney Picturehouse cinema, this short film festival will run two separate programmes – one this Saturday and one the Saturday after – with a range of comedies from around the world.

https://www.picturehouses.com/cinema/Hackney_Picturehouse/film/london-worldwide-comedy-short-film-festival - £5, Saturday 7pm, Mare Street E8

Human Rights Watch Film Festival

This year’s Human Rights Watch Film Festival has already visited cities such as Amsterdam, Beirut and Los Angeles, and now it’s London’s turn with four venues – Barbican, BFI Southbank, Regent Street Cinema and the Royal Institute of British Architecture – holding screenings. The line-up includes The Workers’ Cup, an official selection at 2017’s Sundance Film Festival.

https://ff.hrw.org/london - £12, All weekend, Various venues

Big Chill Dirty Disco Brunch

If you’ve had a big Friday night and want to keep the party going, or if you’ve decided day-drinking on Saturday is a far more efficient use of your time, the newly reopened Big Chill Kings Cross is celebrating the with bottomless prosecco, beer, espresso martinis and brunch food, plus a DJ set from London Disco Society. That’s two hours of booze, one hour of food and as much disco music as you can fit into your ears.

http://bigchillbar.com/event/dirty-disco-brunch - £29, Saturday 1pm-5pm, Pentonville Road N1

Lake of Stars Festival

Walthamstow is getting a one-day Malawi-inspired music and arts festival, featuring acts from Ghana, South Africa, Malawi and Zambia, as well as a ‘stripped back’ set from Scottish band Frightened Rabbit. Rapper and poet M.anifest gets top billing, while there will also be guest talks, short films and more with events taking place across E17.

http://lakeofstars.org/ - £21, Saturday 10am-11.30pm, Various venues, E17

Mother’s Day Tea at Fortnum & Mason

You’ve probably already made Mother’s Day plans, but if you’re still looking for something to do then Fortnum & Mason is generally a solid bet. They’re serving up the usual combo of finger sandwiches, scones and cakes – plus a special extra Mother’s Day plate – and there are still a handful of slots left at the time of writing.

https://www.fortnumandmason.com/restaurants/afternoon-tea - £49, Sunday (various slots), Piccadilly W1A

Suffragette City

This immersive experience, taking place at the London Pavilion in Piccadilly, has recreated Suffragette headquarters to mark 100 years since women were first given the vote in this country. It’s as close as you’ll be able to get to understanding the fight for suffrage first-hand, and promises to be heavy on audience participation throughout.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/suffragette-city-immersive-experience- - £18, All weekend (one-hour time slots), Piccadilly Circus W1J