By Charlotte Cox
Welcome to a bumper weekend of arty, party, festy and foodie delights. What to do first??
ART: Yayoi Kusama
How’s this for a CV: Yayoi Kusama has been dubbed ‘the most popular artist in the world’; was the sole visual to make it on to TIME’s 100 Most Influential People list; hugely influenced the work of Andy Warhol; and at 87 years old, she still know how to rock neon polka dots and post-box red wigs. Intrigued? You should be. This week sees her open new installations at two sites – at the Victoria Miro galleries near Old St and in Mayfair – installations which variously involve mirrored infinity rooms, psychedelic dotted prints and a field of huge, illuminated pop-art pumpkins. See it to believe it.
Until 30 July; free 16 Wharf Road, N1 7RW and 14 George Street, W1S 1FE
FOOD: Too Many Critics at Ceviche Old Street
If Masterchef has taught us anything, it’s that cooking for restaurant critics is SCARY. But at this special one-off charity event, the tables are turned – bwaah ha ha! – and it’s the country’s top food writers that must cook a banquet to impress a panel of top chefs, not to mention the assembled diners. Aka: you. It’s all in aid of Action Against Hunger, and will see the like of The Observer’s Jay Rayner and The FT’s Bill Knott getting into chef’s whites to cook a Peruvian feast. All you need to do is sit back, enjoy the Taittinger champagne reception, and prepare your snarkiest tasting notes…
NIGHTLIFE: Kitsuné Summer Rooftop Party
If there’s anyone that knows how to club the cool way, it’s taste-making Parisian label Kitsuné. Specialists in super-hip ambient electro and deep house, they’ve worked with everyone from Digitalism to Simian Mobile Disco – and this weekend they’re hopping on a Eurostar to show London how it’s done. And why throw one party, when they can throw two? Promising us a rooftop party by day, club session by night, events start off al fresco at Old Street’s Magic Roundabout, where house DJs will soundtrack your sunset, before proceedings then move to the Ace Hotel for more chic beats and Gallic cool. Mag-ni-fique.
4 June; from £18.50 Old Street Roundabout, London, EC1Y 1BE
SHOPPING: Independent Label Market
Downloads are all well and good, but can you collect rare downloads, frame beautiful downloads, or go to a market to chat with other download enthusiasts? That'd be a no, then. But happily you CAN do all these things with vinyl – and this weekend sees the return of the Independent Label Market, where the finest indies are selling their coolest 12"s on a rooftop above Oxford Street. Expect exclusive records and merchandise from the likes of Sunday Best, Bella Union and Hospital, plus DJs, drinks and general tuneful shenanigans. None too many downloads though.
4 June; free Uniqlo rooftop, 311 Oxford Street, WC1 2HP
FOOD: Street Feast’s Dinerama Lunchtimes
Foodie night markets have been the hip way to eat dinner for some time now – but what, we have been demanding, about lunch? There’s been a Street Feast-shaped hole in the middle of the day that has seen us resorting to (gasp) old-style cafés with (double gasp) only one kind of food on offer. Thank goodness those days are now gone, as Shoreditch’s Dinerama opens its gates from midday to midnight every Thurs-Sat. So now we can get great eats from the likes of Rola Wala, Smokestak, Yum Bun and Fundi Pizza, plus craft booze and fine tunes, whenever we darned well want. Which, needless to say, is very often indeed. Now open 12pm-12am Thurs/Fri/Sat; 12pm-9pm Sun 19 Great Eastern Street, EC2A 3EJ
DRINK: The Blitz Party
You’ll have heard of the blitz spirit, right? Well at this costume party in a secret east London air-raid shelter, the emphasis is very much on the blitz SPIRITS… Cocktail supremos Bourne & Hollingsworth are in charge down here and promise us ‘more alcoholic provisions than Churchill’s bunker’. Cripes. What’s more, you’ll find raucous swing dancing, live big-band music and lindy-hopping aplenty, plus authentic décor and even ration books replacing a traditional bar menu. So grab your rollers, nylons and best Land Girl red lippy – your Blitz Party needs YOU.
4 June; from £30 The Laundry, 2-18 Warburton Road, E8 3FN
FILM: The Nice Guys
There are three important things you should know about new action/comedy The Nice Guys: 1. It stars Ryan Gosling. We could probably just stop there, but it's worth noting that he's alongside Russell Crowe as a pair of hapless 70s LA gumshoes on the trail of a missing porn star. Not only are they funny as hell, but Mr Gosling actually manages to make a ’70s moustache/sideburn combo seem like a good look. Kudos. 2. It comes from the writer-director of Lethal Weapon. Meaning much smashing through glass, car crashes and general breaking of stuff. Yes. 3. We did mention that it stars Ryan Gosling, right? Out 3 June, cinemas nationwide
FESTIVAL: Rinse / Born & Bred Festival
Festival season continues apace and this weekend it’s off to east London’s Haggerston Park for two days of cutting-edge dance. Grime, hip-hop, drum ’n’ bass, house, techno, garage… basically if it’s got an awesome beat, you’ll find it here. Headliners include Wiley, Slimzee, ILoveMakonnen, Benga, Newham Generals and The Square – which means as far as field-based raving goes, this is going to be BIG. Get involved.
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