****** All January ****** Music: Sofa Sounds Bringing the magic back to live music. Amazing artists, in intimate spaces, performing stripped back sets to a carefully selected audience. Arrive on time, stay till the end, sit down and focus on the experience. Secret locations around London 7:30pm doors until late, free sofarsounds.com/london Food and Drink: Mr Fogg's Tavern Wood-panelled, old-style tavern themed around explorer Phileus Fogg, and serving English pub grub. This place looks amazing. 58 St Martin's Lane, Leicester Square mr-foggs.com/tavern/ Art and Culture: London Art Fair The celebrated fair dedicated to Modern British and contemporary art returns to the Business Design Centre for its 28th edition. Continuing with their museum partnership, this year's fair partner, the Jerwood Gallery in Hastings will show important works from their collection in a specially curated show, 'Coast'. 'Dialogues', a collaborative initiative bringing together invited galleries and their emerging artists, will be curated this year by Natasha Hoare. And Photo50 will showcase photographic works loosely based on Jean-Luc Godard's film, Masculin Féminin. Wednesday 20th to Sunday 24th, £14 Business Design Centre, Angel londonartfair.co.uk Art and Culture: Alternative London Tour The Alternative London Tour take you into the heart of the vibrant East End to explore the past and present of the capital's cultural and creative hub. The tours grew out of a love for the area, and a desire to pass their passion on to others by showing the real London - from a locals perspective. They are proud innovators of the pay-what-you-want tour and the first to tour London's incredible graffiti and street art scene. Most days, pay what you want alternativeldn.co.uk Art and Culture: States of Mind: Ann Veronica Janssens The Wellcome Collection is launching its yearlong exploration into the experience of human consciousness with a new installation by Ann Veronica Janssens titled 'yellowbluepink'. Visitors to the gallery will experience the piece by wandering through a thickly coloured world of mist, which will veil any detail of surface or depth within the space. The piece challenges the way we see, putting an emphasis instead on how we experience. 10am, Until January 3rd, free Wellcome Collection, Bloomsbury wellcomecollection.org/ Art and Culture: Art and Alcohol Once it was healthier to drink gin rather than the water in London. Thankfully – or not – those days are long gone, but the act, or should that be the art of drinking, remains a constant source of creative inspiration. This BP spotlight display curated by David Blayney Brown, who curated last year's phenomenal Late Turner show, charts Britain's relationship with alcohol from George Cruikshank's temperance-themed 'Worship of Bacchus' to Gilbert and George's 'Drinking Sculpture'. 10am to late, free Tate Britain, Millbank tate.org.uk/ Art and Culture: Disco: The Bill Bernstein Photographs New York's disco scene wasn't just about Bianca Jagger and Andy Warhol partying the night away at Studio 54, it was also about the real crowd who lived and breathed the disco scene. Here, American photographer Bill Bernstein offers a view of the regulars who frequented Studio 54, Paradise Garage, Mudd Club, Hurrah and GG's Barnum Room. So get your dancing shoes on and strike your best John Travolta pose, it's disco time. 10am, until January 23rd, free Serena Morton Gallery , North Kensington serenamorton.com/ Attractions: La Soiree The Oliver Award-winning hit cabaret show La Soirée returns to London. The theatrical phenomenon is back for another awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping and downright unmissable run at La Soirée's Spiegeltent at Southbank Centre. An inspirational night of live entertainment: La Soirée's heady cocktail of cabaret, new burlesque, circus sideshow and contemporary variety is more potent than ever. Returning to London with their hottest line-up yet, La Soirée showcases the crème de la crème of the cabaret world as it introduces the newest members of its dysfunctional family alongside very dear old friends. So step in from the cold, leave your troubles at the door and prepare for a night of thrills, shocks, laughter and disbelief as La Soirée banishes the winter blues and leaves you wanting to see it all over again. from £15 southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/la-soiree-92131 Attractions: Lumiere More than 20 artists have been enlisted to light up the streets of the capital with new commissions and site-specific work for Lumiere London in 2016. Neons, projections, and performances are set to sparkle across the West End and King's Cross providing relief from the winter blues and new ways of viewing the city. Among the highlights (pun intended) revealed so far are the Garden of Light by TILT, which will fill Leicester Square with giant illuminated plants, and Aquarium by Benedetto Bufalino, which will see a Mayfair phone box become a living aquarium full of goldfish. Thursday 14th to Sunday 17th artichoke.uk.com Attractions: Behind the Scenes Tour of Royal Festival Hall Venture backstage at Royal Festival Hall, into the areas of this historic building that are ordinarily restricted. £8.50 southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/behind-the-scenes-tour-94233 Food and Drink/Attractions: Birdies Crazy Golf Club Birdies Crazy Golf Club's subterranean nine-course course “serves up loops, half-pipes, hidden putt-off prizes and even an elevated 5ft drop onto the nerve-wracking sixth hole”. DJs will provide the tunes while you sup cocktails by mixology masters Spirited Mixers at the venue's pop-up Caddy Shack. Meanwhile Hawksmoor Knightsbridge head chef Richard Sandiford's pop-up concept RockaDollar Dining will bring its mouth-watering bespoke menu to The Vaults. 2pm to 10pm, £9 The Vaults, Waterloo birdiescrazygolf.com ****** Friday 1st January ****** Community: New Year's Day Parade London's New Year's Day Parade celebrates its thirtieth year in 2016 and more than 8,500 performers representing 20 countries will take part, including Pearly Kings and Queens, cheerleaders, marching bands, dancers and representatives from West End shows. The American-style extravaganza of musicians – a number of bands from the USA fly over to take part – dancers, acrobats, clowns and floats twirl, march and drum a 2.2-mile route beginning at the Ritz Hotel, taking in Piccadilly Circus, Lower Regent Street, Pall Mall, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall and Big Ben, with temporary grandstands erected for better viewing in some places. 12pm to 3:30pm, free lnydp.com/ Party: Krankbrother presents In The Sky Celebrate the start of 2016 in style by joining us 30 floors up at the top of one of London's finest skyscrapers. There'll be brunch, cocktails, house and disco, not to mention the most beautiful 360 views of London. This will be a special party in a venue that has never been used before for this sort of event! Capacity is limited so be quick! 6:30am to 12:30, £15 Skylofts, Millbank Tower residentadvisor.net/event.aspx?780211 Party: Percolate NYD Breakfast Club The Percolate Breakfast Club will be in session to kick off 2016 proper. Starting at 6.30am NYD at The Pickle Factory, we will be inviting special guests to continue the party for those who want to carry on the celebrations. We will have a special breakfast bar with all your NYD essentials including Bucks Fizz, Bacon Rolls, and Croissants! 6:30am to 2pm, £15 The Pickle Factory, Hackney residentadvisor.net/event.aspx?749833 ****** Saturday 2nd January ****** Party: Fatboy Slim's Smily High Club Bringing together pioneers, with young guns who are rewriting the book; Smile High Club at Tobacco Dock will be a futuristic and hedonistic journey, with these 3 values at the core: Smile, High, Club. Featuring Fatboy Slim, 2manydjs, Secondcity, Breach and Ben Pearce - this is going to be huge. 1pm to 10:30pm, £39.50 Tobacco Dock, Wapping facebook.com/events/604832919656769/ Art and Culture: Lobby Saturdays: Jiro Bevis Illustrator Jiro Bevis selects from his extensive collection of kraut, prog, ambient, italo, new age, balearic, Japanese techno-pop, and everything in between. 8pm to late, free Ace Hotel, Shoreditch acehotel.com/calendar/london/lobby-saturdays-jiro-bevis-january Food: Yoga Brunch Emelia at the Hackney Pantry is teaming up with Holly Wilkinson to offer this perfect January Saturday morning. An hour of restorative vinyassa flow yoga with the lovely Holly, followed by a nourishing brunch hosted by Emelia. Beautiful hand crafted food and drink including breakfast bowls, scrumptious savoury toasts and homemade juices. 10am to 12, £30 The Proud Archivist, Haggerston billetto.co.uk/yoga-brunch ****** Sunday 3rd January ****** Party: HHDS London Launch Party After tearing up Berlin in November, new urban culture magazine HHDS bring their launch tour back home to London with a massive live grime and hip-hop charity night, showcasing both established hit makers and the hottest up and coming London artists. All profits from tickets will be donated to charitable causes as chosen by the artists. 8pm to 12am, £5 Birthdays, Dalston facebook.com/events/1221014894592384/ ****** Wednesday 6th January ****** Art and Culture: Sketchbooks Are Dead The event organised to connect people through art, food, drink and interactive life drawing. They will be hosting the event in East London's own Proud Archivist with beautiful night views of regents canal. You'll get to experience a showcase of all the intriguing sketchbooks created at their last event, drink and participate in interactive life drawing, which is getting the opportunity to draw everyone as well as them drawing you. 6:30pm to 9:30pm, £10 The Proud Archivist, Haggerston billetto.co.uk/sketchbooks-are-dead-80ce06 ****** Saturday 9th January ****** Food and Drink: Hip Hop Brunch Hip Hop Brunch LDN is a fun-packed, Hip-hop based, Saturday Brunch Party filled with delicious food, dirty cocktails and topped off with a Hip Hop Karaoke event - all in the company of fabulous friends! The soundtrack will feature all of the classic Hip Hop anthems blended with your favourite hits of today. 12pm to 5pm, £35 Secret Location hiphopbrunchldn.designmynight.com/hip-hop-brunch-january-9th ****** Wednesday 13th January ****** Music: Communion Live music, niche club nights and art exhibitions, the Notting Hill Arts Club is back with Communion, featuring the band Cortes. Cortes are a three piece rock band from London, formed through a shared love of classic blues/rock guitar music. This is the New Rock and Roll with soulful vocals, big beats and generous guitar licks. Cortes are keen to bring timeless music back to the fore, the sound of their influences weaving under their own honed in sound and skills. These boys always bring the noise. soundcloud.com/cortesband 6pm to 1am, £8 Notting Hill Arts Club, Notting Hill nottinghillartsclub.com/events/communion-7 ****** Thursday 14th January ****** Party: Sista Sista Songs everyone loves, mostly techno and house. Sista Sista believe a big night out just needs good music and a good crowd - no frills, just top resident DJs, cheap drinks and a sibling policy - bring a brother or a sister to any of their parties and they come free. 10pm to 3am, £4 XOYO, Shoreditch facebook.com/events/945162585567630/ Community: Technology Tomorrow - The Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence Join Second Home for a stimulating discussion on the future of technology and it's philopsophical implications. Artificial Intelligence is at a point where even white collar workers' jobs may be replaced by algorithms. What are the philosophical implications? Should we look forward to new developments with fear or excitement? Philosophers Luciano Floridi and Nigel Warburton discuss the near future and what it might mean for us. 7:30pm to 8:30pm, £10 Second Home, Algate billetto.co.uk/technology-tomorrow-luciano-floridi-in-conversation-with-nigel-warburton ****** Friday 15th January ****** Party: Thesedays House Party Get down to The Little Yellow Door on the 15th Jan where you'll be invading the space at LYD for their last weekend in charge of this special place. Styled around a Notting Hill living room, The Little Yellow Door has themed its innards on a suitably notable trope, the humble, yet quirky front room. With a key to let yourself in, and your very own mug to drink out of, this chilled out atmosphere reigns supreme as pretences are left by the door. We're making sure they finish on a massive high, and that you start the year with something rare and unforgettable in London - a big fat party in a house with a desirable bunch of pals, banging cocktails and great music. Expect some very serious games, TheseDays DJ's, and a load of sofa-top boogie! 9:30pm to 2am, £5 The Little Yellow Door, Notting Hill residentadvisor.net/event.aspx?781392 ****** Saturday 16th January ****** Party: Abode Secret London Show Case - 28th Floor ABODE takes over a secret London venue on the 28th floor for a one off intimate ABODE showcase. Only 600 tickets will be available. 4pm to 3:30am, £7 Secret Location residentadvisor.net/event.aspx?784129 Party: Berlin Berlin Berlin Berlin will pull out all the stops to unleash an explosive night of cutting edge Techno and House fuelled by flamboyant performances from some of Europe's more out-there cabaret artists, across 4 rooms dressed to the hilt with decadent decor. Described as Berlin's best kept secret, and known for its alternative party goers and counter conscious style of clubbing, Sisyphos will be playing host to the Garden, along with Mark Henning. 11pm to 10am, £10 Egg, Kings Cross facebook.com/events/210177902646785/ Community: World's First Pop-Up Museum of Happiness Is there a simple secret to a happier, more fulfilling life? Do people agree on any key factors that lead to a happier way of being? Imagine if there was a place where you could ask these questions, and explore some possible answers. A place where you could just enjoy discovering ideas, or participate in a free workshop if you'd like to. A space where you don't just think about happiness - but perhaps feel a bit happier too. A place where you can have a bit of fun. Well now there is. So make history, people. And flip the idea of museums on its head. Visit the world's first ever Museum of Happiness as a pop-up - for three days only! 10am to 5pm, free Spitalfields Market facebook.com/events/997086773686005/ Cinema: London Short Film Festival: Harmony Korine Weekender London Short Film Festival celebrates a true original of cinema. Following a festival tradition of spotlighting filmmakers we find inspiring and exciting, we want to hold a magnifying glass up to Harmony Korine to see how his work, particularly Gummo, fits into the current climate of filmmaking. 1pm to late, £7 ICA, The Mall facebook.com/events/1666094020346702/ ****** Tuesday 19th January ****** Community: The Silo Effect Join the award winning columnist, journalist and senior editor for the Financial Times Gillian Tett to Second Home for an engaging discussion on the themes raised in her book The Silo Effect. The Silo Effect is all about the benefits of working across boundaries, industries and disciplines - which is exactly what Second Home was created to foster, and why we work so hard to curate London's most inter-disciplinary range of creative companies in our building. The book asks these basic questions: why do humans working in modern institutions collectively act in ways that sometimes seem stupid? Why do normally clever people fail to see risks and opportunities that later seem blindingly obvious? Why, as psychologist Daniel Kahneman put it, are we sometimes so “blind to our own blindness”? 7:30pm to 8:30pm, free Second Home, Algate billetto.co.uk/the-silo-effect-gillian-tett-in-conversation-with-rohan-silva Music: Rising Stars at The Jazz Cafe Kicking off with a bang, in association with The Unsigned Music Awards The Jazz Cafe have a big night lined-up for you with four exciting and extremely creative bands and artists, each already gaining serious momentum on their way to the top. See Mollie Marriott, Alex Bay, Brother & Bones, and Of Moths and Stars take to the legendary Jazz Cafe stage for one night only. 7pm to late, £10 The Jazz Cafe, Camden facebook.com/events/791575564287795/ ****** Friday 22nd January ****** Party: Josh Butler, Cristoph, Anotr Egg presents: Josh Butler, Cristoph, Anotr. 11pm to 7am, £10 Egg, Kings Cross facebook.com/events/1645467442379241/ ****** Saturday 23rd January ****** Art and Culture: RA Lates: Masquerade The RA presents an evening of 18th century courtly decadence, inspired by European Enlightenment artist Jean-Etienne Liotard and his exotic adventures, as we explore the cultural curiosity between East and West that defined the age. Experience an immersive 18th century coffee-house, hosted by Gideon Reeling, which will bring to life the faded opulence of a fictional London coffee-house where you can gossip, debate, play games and more. Take part in a life drawing class hosted by Art Macabre, which will recreate Liotard's beautifully crafted scenes for you to sketch yourself, whilst listening to musicians perform traditional Turkish music of the time. Watch elegant baroque dances of the 18th century ballroom and stage, accompanied by flute, hurdy-gurdy and pipe and tabor, or join in with some simple English ballroom dances that became popular in European courts. Then dance until late to our live Balkan bands. Plus: Enlightenment era scientific demonstrations, 18th century makeovers, interactive installations, gallery talks and much more to be revealed on the night. 6:30pm to 10pm, £22 Royal Academy of Arts, Piccadilly facebook.com/events/585106208323938/ Science and Tech›: Astronights: a sleepover at the Science Museum Ever wanted to spend the night in a museum? On the night, you'll have exclusive access to galleries and exhibitions after hours and you'll be able to sleep among some of the incredible objects in the museum. Plus, get creative with exclusive hands-on workshops, play the part of a curator and go behind the scenes of the collections. And, as the rest of London falls asleep, the Force will awaken with a screening of, you guessed it, 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' in IMAX 15/70mm format - no one in Europe will see it this way as the Science Museum will be the only venue showing it. 7pm to the morning, £135 Science Museum facebook.com/events/932718070131197/ ****** Thursday 28th January ****** Community: Culturehacking On the occasion of his exhibition at the Serpentine Sackler Gallery, artist Simon Denny discusses networks, power, revolution and surveillance with artist and researcher Heba Y. Amin, investigative journalist Ryan Gallagher and journalist and campaigner Brett Scott. The evening is moderated by writer and journalist Charlotte Higgins. In collaboration with the School of Fine Art, Royal College of Art. 6:30pm to 8:30pm, £5.85 Royal College of Art, Battersea facebook.com/events/1657711001177896/ ****** Sunday 30th January ****** Art and Culture: TEDxEastEnd 2016 Now in its 5th year, TEDxEastEnd continues to explore the theme 'Society Beyond Borders'. This one-day event will be immersive, engaging and compelling. Using live TED-style speakers, performances and pre-recorded TED Talks, we will explore the rich ideas and latest thinking that are fundamental to our mission and inspiring action to improve the communities we live in. The East End of London is a special place, recognised for its creativity and innovation. There are ideas to be unlocked, thoughts to be shared and connections to be made, and 'Society Beyond Borders' is at the heart of this with four key themes: - Global mobility of people and ideas benefits society. - The local and the global are inextricably linked. - Sharing knowledge and ideas across borders drives progress. - Ideas empower people towards positive social impact. 12pm to late, £45 Hackney Empire, Hackney facebook.com/events/755165731282837/ Party: Secretsundaze secretsundaze, London's infamous Sunday daytime party has firmly established itself as one of Europe's most distinct voices in underground electronic music. This event will feature Delano Smith Detroit, Oskar Offermann Official and of course secretsundaze (James Priestley and Giles Smith). 10pm to 4am, £9.50 Village Underground, Shoreditch residentadvisor.net/event.aspx?766219 ****** Music To Check Out ****** Dixon Winner of this year's Resident Advisor Top DJ award. It's unprecedented for a DJ to hit #1 three years in a row, but in this case it's not the least bit surprising. Beyond the actual act of DJing, Steffen Berkhahn has a clarity of vision that sets him apart from other artists. This is part of what's made Innervisions so distinctive from the beginning, in its sound, its artwork and its events. It's also what gives Berkhahn's sets their singular character. Whether it's your thing or not, Dixon's cinematic sound is utterly unmistakable, and he delivers it with gusto in cities around the world every weekend. It seems only natural he should remain, year after year, one of the world's most beloved DJs. Take a look at the top 100 here: residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?2571 FIN. ****** frolic ****** frolic.london is a monthly publication which features intimate music events, artsy happenings, immersive exhibitions, and a glimpse into London's culture and community - all in an easily digestible format. We look for gatherings, from small jazz gigs in back gardens, to hidden parties in warehouses. We also like art spaces, cinema rooftops and fantastic street food, as well as learning and volunteering. I hope you enjoy it, and take part!