Our What’s On Guide brings you the latest arts and culture events, from festivals to live music, theatre, exhibitions and comedy.
Event listings are correct at the time of going to press. Please click the “more information” button to confirm that the dates and times have not changed since the listing went live. Our What’s On Guide only displays current and future events. Past events are discoverable via our site search. To list an event, please contact us.
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WHAT’S ON
Down to Chance and Sorry (I Broke Your Arms and Legs)
Critically acclaimed theatre company and Pleasance Associate Artists, Maybe You Like It, will make their London debut at Pleasance Theatre, London this Spring with a double bill of incredible shows – historical comedy drama Down to Chance and hilarious PowerPoint farce Sorry (I Broke Your Arms and Legs). Following rave sell-out runs for both at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, this double bill will offer London audiences the chance to experience ‘terrifically exciting’ (The Stage) Maybe You Like Its’ celebrated productions.
Brighton Fringe Festival 2026
Brighton Fringe Festival has unveiled its spectacular line-up of comedy, theatre and dance ahead of its return this May. Now in its 21st year, Brighton Fringe aims to stimulate, educate and entertain through a diverse programme that welcomes local, national and international performers and audiences, showcasing creativity across Brighton, Hove and beyond.
Brighton Fringe Festival theatre programme highlights include Jonny Woo’s Suburbia (award-winning drag storytelling), Are You Even Indian? (intimate dance-theatre on identity and migration), MAN!FEST (drag boyband comedy), Custard Club (camp queer exploration), and NIUSIA (a powerful piece on legacy and identity).
For the full programme and ticket information, click the more information link.
The 33rd New York African Film Festival
African Film Festival, Inc. (AFF) have announced the full lineup for the 33rd New York African Film Festival (NYAFF). This month-long cinematic celebration will unfold across New York City throughout May, illuminating stories, histories and visions from Africa and its diasporas. Spanning theatres, cultural centres, and public spaces, the festival will present more than 100 films from over 30 countries across Africa and its Diasporas.
The lineup includes more than 50 feature films and 60 shorts, with many filmmakers in attendance for post-screening conversations. NYAFF is co-presented by the Africa Centre, Film at Lincoln Centre (FLC), the Maysles Documentary Centre, BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) and the New York City Parks Department.
Newbury Spring Festival
Newbury Spring Festival is one of the UK’s leading regional music festivals, presenting a wide-ranging programme of classical, jazz, choral and world music across West Berkshire each May. Now in its 47th year, the festival brings together internationally recognised artists and emerging talent across more than 45 events in over 20 venues, from major concerts at St Nicolas Church and the Corn Exchange to performances in rural churches and historic houses. Alongside its artistic programme, the festival maintains a strong commitment to community engagement, young artists and accessible live performance.
Take Flight (National Tour)
A multi-sensory aerial theatre show for babies aged 0–2 and their adults, Take Flight is the uplifting story of a baby bird finding its wings and exploring the world. Two performers in bright feathers fly and swing on colourful silks, accompanied by gentle, playful music. Developed in collaboration with developmental psychologist Dr Valentina Sclafani from Lincoln University, the show supports babies’ neurological and motor skills development while encouraging strong connection and bonding between babies and their grown-ups. As mother and baby bird set out to explore, the show navigates early independence, making friends, overcoming challenges, and, eventually, being supported in leaving the nest and taking flight.
Top Gun 40th Anniversary Screenings
Top Gun (1986) is an action-packed, pop video-inspired love letter to a decade of bravado, confidence and capitalism. Now, Top Gun 40th Anniversary screenings give you the chance to feel the need, the need for speed on the big screen in IMAX and Dolby.
There is no doubt that Top Gun heralded the arrival of a new, Reagan-inspired vision of the American military following the anti-war movies of the 1970s. But it also wrapped this bold, star-spangled vision of combat in MTV-inspired pop. Designing a film for the new MTV generation was inspired; Top Gun didn’t need a detailed story, just a killer soundtrack, sex appeal and an emotional hook.
Top Gun was the first in a new wave of music-video movies. These movies would prioritise their soundtracks over their stories, bathing us in perfect bodies, skimpy tops, fast action, and full-blooded Americana. Was Top Gun a homoerotic bromance? A brazen advert for the US military? A feature-length music video? A hormonal teenage dream? Or an opportunity to cash in on the sex appeal of a young Tom Cruise? It was, in essence, whatever you wanted it to be.
The Harder They Come returns to Stratford East
After a triumphant run last Autumn, hit reggae musical The Harder They Come returns to Stratford East. Based on the cult Jamaican film produced and directed by Perry Henzell and co-written with Trevor Rhone, the stage adaptation is by Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Suzan-Lori Parks and directed by Olivier Award-winner Matthew Xia.
The Harder They Come tells the story of Ivan, an aspiring singer who arrives in Kingston, Jamaica, determined to live out his dreams on his own terms and make it as a music superstar. This unmissable show transports audiences to 1970s Jamaica and asks: “What is the personal cost of fighting against systemic injustice?”
For further details and tickets, please click the More Information link.
Tenet in 70mm at BFI IMAX this May
Follow an agent known only as ‘The Protagonist’ as he is recruited into a top-secret mission to prevent WWIII; globe-trotting with world-class criminals and confirming their connection to inversion crimes of the past/present/future, only to prevent a disaster of the highest order. Tenet features the time-twisting narrative that has come to define Christopher Nolan’s films, as well as brilliant action sequences that sit alongside a high-concept story. Don’t miss this chance to sit back and revel in the wonder of all of Nolan’s (very) big-screen 70mm experience.
In Other Worlds by Liam Young
What if the future isn’t something that happens to us, but something that we can collectively imagine? This summer, Barbican Immersive presents In Other Worlds, the first major UK solo exhibition experience created with BAFTA-nominated Director, Artist, and speculative Architect Liam Young. Spanning three locations within the Barbican Centre, the exhibition transforms the Silk Street Entrance, The Curve Gallery and Car Park 5 into a sequence of cinematic future provocations, where world-building, fiction, design and climate science collide.
Created in collaboration with leading voices from film, television, literature and science, In Other Worlds unfolds through an array of bold and wondrous films presented on LED walls and as huge-scale projections, as well as audio stories, set design, costumes, movie miniatures, graphic narratives and speculative artefacts. This exhibition invites visitors to step into the imagined worlds of Young and his collaborators, exploring the possibilities and challenges of what the future could hold.
Featured collaborators for the audio stories including writer Jane Wu (Executive Producer/Director of Netflix’s Blue Eye Samurai), American screenwriter and director Lisa Joy (Westworld, Fallout), science-fiction authors Kim Stanley Robinson (author of The Ministry for the Future) and Chen Qiufan (AI 2041), Environmental Social Scientist Holly Jean Buck, Claire Coleman (Terra Nullius) and AI scholar and artist Kate Crawford (Atlas of AI), present engaging character narratives, to immerse visitors into the lives of the inhabitants of these future possible worlds.
Accompanied by Young’s illustrated narratives, these stories written for each world are voiced by an exciting ensemble of actors, scientists and activists, including Maxine Peake, Diego Luna, Jeffrey Wright and Adam Young, Dame Dr Maggie Aderin, Richard Ayoade, Alma Pöysti, Denise Gough, and Natasha Wanganeen.
As visitors journey through the exhibition, fragments of graphic novels are displayed to further transport visitors into each world unfolding around them. These depict hidden stories, tools, relics, figures and fragments of lives that might be lived.
Lab Rats Collective presents Fish in a Kettle
It takes place in Liverpool, battered by waves and engulfed by tides, at a gathering where fish, people, and everything in between collide. In this devised show, audience members move through the party and choose who to follow, watching a series of shifting predictions as the hosts explore what is probable and what is possible in the future. This strange and voyeuristic experience floats between theatre, scientific research and the voices of Merseyside, while challenging audiences to hold darkness and hope at the same time.
The show imagines the city of Liverpool, either boiling or slowly being swallowed by the sea in an urgent reckoning with the future. It was developed in collaboration with marine scientist Dr Marta Payo Payo from the National Oceanography Centre in Liverpool, whose research shapes the work. Fish in a Kettle questions the audience’s complicity by examining our denial, acceptance, and response. It promises a sensory experience, playing with movement-based imagery and sound. Audiences experience different versions of the future from inside the same night. The party is uncomfortable and seductive, while asking: Will we sink or swim?
Woolwich Works celebrates Pride Month
Woolwich Works will celebrate Pride Month with a vibrant programme of live performance celebrating queer creativity, identity and expression – from boundary-pushing circus and cabaret to sharp, joyful stand-up comedy.
Across late-May and into early July, South East London’s most-connected venue presents a variety of distinctive events that highlight the breadth and brilliance of LGBTQ+ artists working across disciplines, bringing together established voices and emerging talent in a spirit of celebration, provocation and fun.
Events include
SIZZLING HOT CIRCUS (30 MAY)
BEAUTIFUL THING 30TH ANNIVERSARY SCREENING (6 JUNE)
DIVAS KARAOKE (12 JUNE)
QUEER EUPHORIA (19 JUNE)
CLARE SUMMERSKILL: PRIDE AND JOY (21 JUNE)
PROUD TOGETHER (27 JUNE)
DRAG STORYTIME (28 JUNE)
DRAG & FAB (11 JULY)
SXSW London 2026
South by Southwest® (SXSW London 2026), the world’s leading festival celebrating the convergence of creativity, culture and technology, returns to London from June 1 to 6.
Powered by the dynamism and diversity of Shoreditch, SXSW London has become the preeminent global platform for the convergence of business, technology and creativity.
Stretched across the streets of East London, the festival is unapologetically progressive and provocative. Contemporary life moves faster and faster. SXSW London fearlessly embraces the evolving landscape at the intersection of technology and culture, connecting speakers, delegates, and performances across industries. The SXSW London community seeks provocative debates that resonate in a global city, known for its openness to opposing voices. In a time of uncertainty, SXSW London offers innovators and freethinkers practical optimism and a unique lens for navigating real-world problems with clarity.
For full programme details and tickets, click the link.
The 25th Tribeca Festival
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Tribeca Festival, presented by OKX, will take place from June 3 to 14 in New York City. The Festival will showcase 118 feature films—including a record 103 world premieres—alongside 86 short films. Founded in the aftermath of September 11 on the belief that storytelling unites communities, Tribeca has grown into a global platform for bold storytelling and emerging voices. This milestone edition reflects that legacy, bringing together acclaimed filmmakers, breakthrough talent, and major cultural figures for a can’t-miss, citywide celebration. Passes and ticket packages are on sale now, with the Hudson Pass offering the premier festival experience, including VIP access and an invitation to Opening or Closing Night.
For the full programme and ticket information, click the link.
Sheffield DocFest 2026
Sheffield DocFest, the UK’s leading documentary festival, has announced the full 2026 public festival programme, bringing over 100 events to the city from 10 to June 15, which will offer the chance to see highly anticipated World, International, European and UK premieres of the latest documentaries before they reach cinemas, public broadcasters and streaming services. The programme celebrates the best in non-fiction storytelling across multiple platforms, including documentary features, shorts, docuseries, podcast live events, immersive and extended-reality exhibitions, talks, masterclasses, and more.
Across 80 feature films and 24 shorts, there will be first-look screenings from BBC, Channel 4, HBO, Netflix, SKY, Universal, Prime Video, Mindhouse, Passion Pictures, Tigerlily World of Wonder, and more. This year’s selection is curated from over 2,900 submissions and includes 45 World Premieres, 17 International Premieres, 5 European Premieres, and 35 UK Premieres from 64 Countries. Events will take place in iconic venues and unusual spaces throughout Sheffield, with screenings at The Showroom, The Light, and Curzon cinemas; talks at The Lyceum, The Montgomery, The Crucible Playhouse, and Crucible Adelphi; and the Alternate Realities programme at Yorkshire Artspace: Persistence Works. Public tickets are on sale now.
Unifying themes of this year’s selections, talks, and industry sessions are Journalism & Freedom of the Press; Activism & Storytelling; Artificial Intelligence; Indigenous Voices; Games & Play; Climate Crisis & Environmental Justice; Queer Narratives; Archival Work & Historical Memory; and Content for Young Audiences.
Sheffield DocFest is made possible by the huge support of partners, funders and sponsors, including Principal Funders the BFI Audience Projects Fund, which awards National Lottery funding, Sheffield City Council and Arts Council England.
Harry Styles’ Meltdown at The Southbank Centre
In case you missed it, the 31st Meltdown curator at London’s Southbank Centre is … Harry Styles!
Known for his iconic self-expression and creative curiosity, Harry will bring together 11 days of music, dancing and community at a landmark edition of Meltdown – the world’s longest-running artist-curated music festival – for its 75th anniversary.
Announced acts for Harry Styles’ Meltdown include the captivating four-piece LA band Warpaint, who conjure their own dreamlike world through intricate guitar lines, hypnotic vocals, and driving rhythms, and the pulsating indie-rock vibes of the sizzling London trio Bar Italia. Plus, multi-instrumentalist and jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington will pay tribute to John Coltrane and Miles Davis in celebration of their 100th birthday. Full listings are available on the Southbank Centre website (click the link). Details for Harry Styles’ headline show are announced at a later date.
Lykke Li to headline KOKO London
In the wake of two iconic performances at Coachella and in celebration of her new album The Afterparty out May 8th, pop’s trailblazing disrupter Lykke Li announces her return to London to headline KOKO on Thursday, June 11th. This show will be Lykke Li’s first time playing in London since 2022 and falls amid a run of European shows that include both festival slots and high-profile slots, with performances alongside Nick Cave, Robyn, and Wolf Alice.
Cyrano de Bergerac at the Noël Coward Theatre
The Royal Shakespeare Company’s critically acclaimed production of Cyrano de Bergerac transfers to the West End. Adrian Lester reprises his role as Cyrano alongside Susannah Fielding as Roxane and Levi Brown as Christian. Director Simon Evans co-adapts this thrilling new version with Debris Stevenson, bringing new life to Edmond Rostand’s lyrical tale of love and lies, longing and disguise.
Poet, soldier and philosopher. Cyrano de Bergerac burns with brilliance. He’s fiercely funny and urgently romantic – but behind the veil of wit is one large problem: his nose. Haunted by doubts and too proud to beg, he watches from the shadows as Roxane – bold, beautiful and seemingly unreachable – falls for another man, Christian. But this handsome, tongue-tied young suitor knows his only hope of charming Roxane is to seduce her with words. And only one person can help…
Ron at Riverside Studios
RON is a bold and genre-defying new solo show written and performed by Ted Walliker; an absurd, violent, genre-bending queer odyssey exploring the nature of unrequited love. Blending razor-sharp comedy with hair-raising tonal shifts, RON pushes at the boundaries of storytelling and performance. At its centre is a magnetic, unpredictable performance from Walliker, whose writing moves between the hilarious, the unsettling and the unexpectedly tender.
Blue Mist (National Tour)
Interrogating the media agenda around young Muslim men, the Olivier Award-nominated Blue Mist follows an aspiring journalist struggling to balance his ambition with his values whilst catering to the media industry’s agenda. Chunkyz Shisha Lounge is home away from home for Jihad, Rashid and Asif, a space where community whispers are heard, jokes are shared, and new hustles are born. When Jihad wins the chance to make his own documentary, he sets out to give voice to his community and challenge the usual stereotypes that fill the airwaves. But in a media landscape that profits off fear, how far can one voice really go?
Big Stuff at Edinburgh Fringe
Acclaimed married Second City comedy duo Matt Baram and Naomi Snieckus bring their signature mix of storytelling and improvisation to the heartfelt show about letting go. Drawing on their own personal experiences of the loss of their parents, Big Stuff explores how, in the aftermath of loss or change, we interact with objects that are left behind. Using improv techniques, the couple gently invites the audience to share their “big stuff”, seamlessly weaving these personal objects into their own story.
An A to Z Guide to Dating at Edinburgh Fringe
In the 80s, Grace’s mum was told her book on dating would set feminism back 20 years. Transformed into a comedy musical, the award-winning Grace O’Keefe now shares this unapologetic how-to guide with the world as she unpacks relationships, romance and living life to the fullest in An A to Z Guide to Dating at Edinburgh Fringe. It’s time to determine where feminism lies in today’s dating scene. Featuring original music and a one-of-a-kind insight into the world of dating, this is a charmingly addictive musical romp through the alphabet.
Collaborator at Edinburgh Fringe
Ockham’s Razor returns to the Fringe for the first time since 2019 with this intimate duet, crafted and performed by Alex Harvey and Charlotte Mooney. Featuring these two performers, a suspended metal frame and a stage, Collaborator is an irreverent, highly physical and heartfelt dive into the negotiations involved in making something: a decision, a work of art, a life. It celebrates creation, compromise and enduring partnership. Collaborator is the story of the balance, trust and frustration that shape any partnership.
