Something For The Weekend 2-4 September
Rock 'n' roll 'n' brunch 'n' Björk. Welcome to your London weekend. By Charlotte Cox
ELLE's London Events Round-up
FOOD: Returnmills
We love a musical comeback (except when it involves Busted – just leave it already, lads). And this particular comeback is most welcome indeed, involving, as it does, a boozy brunch. Set on the site of the legendary 90s club Turnmills, Clerkenwell pub Albion is celebrating the legacy with a special pop-up, Returnmills (geddit?). A Sunday brunch with a different musical theme each week, you can expect quality 90s tunes, a selection of classic dishes (though avo on toast features, worry not), plus nostalgic vodka concotions aplenty. And the best bit of all? Drinks prices are going back to the 90s, too: cocktails are only £6. YES.
4 and 11 Sept
Albion Clerkenwell, 63 Clerkenwell Road, EC1M 5NP
ART: Björk Digital
An immersive virtual-reality exhibition. Created by BJORK. You'll probably need a little time to process just what a sensory overload that will be… Back with us? Good. Then we'll add that you can experience it now at Somerset House, and it'll involve cutting-edge music, panoramic visuals, and Björk as a digital moth giantess. Blimey.
Until 23 Oct; £15
Somerset House, Strand, WC2R 1LA
NIGHTLIFE: Bollywood Rowshow at Building Six
When ELLE went to the Space Ibiza night hosted by Elrow, it knocked our pool slides right off (Ibiza's just too hot for socks, you see). Confetti cannons, huge inflatables, sparkly costumes, acrobats… it's all par for the brilliantly crazy course. And the good news is that the Elrow crew are bringing their bonkers behaviour and Balearic beats (plus hopefully some Balearic sunshine) right here to London, with a day-to-night Bollywood themed bash at The O2's Building Six. Expect stilt-walking bhangra dancers and exotic performers in a setting that's pure Asian paradise, plus top-drawer DJs from the Elrow team. Wear shoes that strap firmly to your feet, lest they go the same way as our slides.
3 Sept; £35
Bollywood Rowshow, The O2, Greenwich, SE10 0AX
FESTIVAL: In the Woods
Feeling spontaneous? This ultra-boutique event is not only held in a secret location, but the line-up is kept secret till you arrive too. So you're essentially buying a ticket (and there are still a few left, quick!) for who-knows-where, to see who-knows-who. But we CAN give you some clues: the venue lies in natural amphitheatre among trees just an hour from London; it's super-intimate (the owners even hand-make the burgers); and the line-up is renowned for breaking the next big indie things (alumni include Alt-J, Laura Marling, Years & Years, AlunaGeorge…). Exciting, huh?
2-3 Sept; £125
EXHIBITION: Don't Be A Dick –
Cutting-edge festivals. Glorious grassroots gigs. Riotous new records. Chances are, if you have partaken in any of the above recently, one of the winners of the new INDIE50 award will have been involved somewhere along the line. Celebrating 50 of the most influential yet unsung heroes of the independent music scene, the recipients (chosen by a judging panel including BBC 6Music's Tom Ravenscroft) are festival organisers, venue bookers and label founders who have been quietly shaping live music away from the spotlight. Until now. Photographer Dan Wilton has travelled around the country to snap them all – and the none-more-cool portraits are now on show at Shoreditch's 71A Gallery. Time to say ta very much, guys.
1-8 Sept; free
Don't Be A Dick - an exhibition of the WeGotTickets INDIE50, 71a Gallery, 71 Leonard St, London EC2A 4QS
POP-UP: Live at Zédel
There are many things that French brasseries do marvellously. Croque monsieur. Escargots. Boeuf bourginon. And now, improbably, you can add to that list live music. Not of the accordion variety either – we're talking singer-songwriters, edgy jazz, a drag girl group… For the month of September, Piccadilly Brasserie Zedel is hosting them all, plus theatre companies, cabaret and talks from the likes of Observer food critic Jay Rayner. It all kicks off this Saturday and Sunday with a free weekend of previews starring Kansas Smitty's Big Four, Etch Theatre and – more than likely – a mean croque monsieur. Zut alors!
2-3 Sept; free
Brasserie Zedel, 20 Sherwood Street, W1F 7ED
DRINK: Shoreditch Sky Terrace
September usually spells the end of summer. But this year, the weather and Courtyard Shoreditch Hotel have got together and decided that just ain't so. The former is doing its bit with the whole Indian summer thing; while the latter has just opened a brand-new rooftop bar. And, much like the sunshine, Shoreditch Sky Terrace has been worth the wait. Accessed via a glazed bridge, here you'll find killer cocktails such as the Ball & Chain (sloe gin x prosecco = yes), bar snacks, super-cool DJs and rather splendid views stretching to The Shard, Heron Tower and Canary Wharf. Late-summer-heatwave-tastic.
Courthouse Hotel Shoreditch, 335-337 Old Street, EC1V 9LL
For more of ELLE's favourite roof terraces see here
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