BFI London Film Festival, Cocktail Week and Brixton Disco Festival: Five things to do in London this weekend

As the evenings are getting longer and colder, it’s important to have plenty to look forward to and keep the spirits up.

Luckily in London, there is plenty of excitement to be had all year round, whatever the season.

From the BFI Film Festival to London Cocktail Month, here are five of our favourite events happening this weekend, October 8 to 10.

BFI London Film Festival

Various locations Until October 17

After Beyonce and Jay Z’s surprise appearance at the premiere of The Harder They Fall this week, everyone is talking about the BFI London Film Festival.

After a challenging 2020, which saw the festival go partly online, the event is back in full swing with a whole programme of new films, shorts and free events to enjoy in person.

Festival highlights include the screening of Dopesick, a new miniseries starring Michael Keaton, which focuses on “the epicenter of America’s struggle with Opioid addiction” and Boiling Point, a thriller starring Stephen Graham, which sees an emotionally scarred London chef struggle to keep it together.

Explore BFI London Film Festival’s full programme.

Watch Rockets and Blue Lights

National Theatre Until October 9 Tickets from £20 to £55

On the set of a new film about Victorian artist JMW Turner, young actress Lou is haunted by an unresolved history.

Meanwhile in 1840, Londoners Lucy and Thomas try to come to terms with the meaning of freedom.

Directed by Miranda Cromwell and first staged at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, this astonishing and fiercely political new play by Winsome Pinnock was named winner of the 2018 Alfred Fagon award.

London Cocktail Week

Various locations Until October 31 £15 for Wristband

Cheers to London Cocktail Week, which lasts for a full month, this time round!

By picking up a £15 wristband, you can sample £7 cocktails in more than 250 of the best bars in London and have access to an array of masterclasses, experiences and pop-ups.

For whiskey lovers, head on down to the Buffalo Bourbon Empire pop-up in Shoreditch, or for an eco-friendly tipple, check out Brewdog Distilling Co-Op’s Lost Forest in Covent Garden for zero-waste cocktails.

Brixton Disco Festival

Electric Brixton, Windrush Square and Prince of Wales, all Brixton October 8 & 9 Tickets from £30.53

For those of you who missed dancing over lockdown, Brixton Disco Festival should hit the spot.

With live music, film screenings, talks, food and drink, the festival will take place in venues surrounding Brixton’s iconic Windrush Square- Electric Brixton, POW Brixton Rooftop & Club, the Ritzy Picturehouse and the Black Cultural Archives.

Headline acts include Norwegian synth wizard Todd Terje, NYC based DJ and Producer Natasha Diggs and legendary French music producer and DJ, Dimitri from Paris.

Houseplant Hideout

BoxPark, Shoreditch Until October 9 Free

Who doesn’t love plants nowadays?

The Houseplant Hideout invites you to get lost – Alice in Wonderland style – in a lush green forest bathing immersion where every sense is stimulated by the magical power of houseplants.

Upon stepping inside this tranquil oasis, visitors will be transported into an interactive wonderland complete with a 6-metre vertical kaleidoscope to fully immerse them in nature and give them a magical moment for the gram.