What's On in London

Chopin & Champagne by Candlelight | Etudes Op.25 — There are few more seductive ways to spend a Friday evening than sipping champagne by candlelight while a pianist works through Chopin's breathtaking Etudes Op.25 — twenty-four minutes of music that runs the full gamut from thunderous drama to the most heartbreaking tenderness. The 1901 Arts Club is an intimate, atmospheric setting that makes every note feel personal, and at £42 it is a genuinely special treat. Two performances — 6:30pm and 9:00pm — mean you can fit it around dinner either way.

World Cup by Auld Hag: Scotland v Morocco — If the World Cup is in full swing and Scotland have somehow made it to the group stage, you can bet Club 360 will be absolutely electric for this one. Auld Hag's football screening nights are renowned for their brilliant atmosphere — proper pub passion but with a knack for making every fan feel welcome, whether you are wearing a kilt or arriving neutral. Kick-off is at 6:00pm and tickets run from £10 to £45, so grab a spot early.

Bossa Nova with Mario Bakuna - Live at Morocco Bound Wandsworth — A live bossa nova set inside a bookshop in Wandsworth sounds almost too good to be true, but Morocco Bound pulls off this kind of magic regularly and Mario Bakuna is exactly the kind of artist who makes a room feel like a late-night Rio terrace. At £42 it is a considered night out, but the combination of warm acoustics, great music and the smell of old books is an experience you simply will not replicate anywhere else in the city. Doors from 7:00pm — arrive ready to be transported.

RnB vs Afrobeats LIVE Showdown — For just £4 — yes, four pounds — The Blues Kitchen Brixton is hosting a live head-to-head battle between two of the most energetic genres on the planet right now. This is not a DJ set; it is live music, which means unexpected magic, moments of pure improvisation and a crowd that feeds straight back into the performance. Starting at 8:00pm, it leads perfectly into Brixton Fridays next door if you want to keep the party going until 3am.

Strand International Piano Series 2025/6 -Rachmaninoff Preludes — St Mary le Strand is one of London's most beautiful Baroque churches, marooned in the middle of the Strand like a ship in full sail, and hearing Rachmaninoff's Preludes performed inside it at 6:00pm on a summer evening is the kind of experience that stops you in your tracks and reminds you why you live in this city. Tickets from £10 to £40 make this accessible at almost any budget, and the acoustics alone are worth the journey. A real hidden gem.

Friday Night at Backyard Comedy Club — Backyard Comedy Club has been one of East London's most reliably brilliant nights out for years, and Friday nights here have a loose, warm energy that the bigger West End clubs can rarely match — comedians tend to take more risks when the room feels like family. At just £12 for a 7:30pm start, it is the ideal way to kick off your weekend with your sides splitting. Go in knowing nothing about the lineup and let the night surprise you.