Top London Events for April 2019

The snow is (finally) gone, the flowers are starting to emerge and the weather really, really should be warming up soon! With Easter, chocolate and plenty of events to choose from, April is a pretty good month!

London Games Festival | Across London

london_games_festival

A huge umbrella event covering a whole list of shows and try-outs, this is a game lover’s heaven, with all the latest innovations and developments. Only in its fourth year, it is already incredibly popular, with 50,000 attendees last year and more expected for 2019. Some of the highlights include a three-day festival of experimental game design called Now Play This and the BAFTA Game Awards.

London Games Festival

Dates:	Early ~ Mid Apr, 2020

Whether you love knitting, cross-stitching, paper-crafting or dress-making, there’s something for everyone at this three-day event filled with everything you could dream of. There will be stalls offering all the latest tools and materials with great displays of new innovations and inventions. There will be an elements quilt challenge, a wedding aisle and a Sew your Style competition to take part in too!

The Creative Craft Show London

Dates:	Early Apr, 2020
Entry:	£4.50 – £15.00

Photo by Museum of London (with permission)

An immersive tour in the Museum of London, this event will explore the animals who once roamed the city. Lions, pigs, elephants and rats will all explain how the city grew thanks to animals, with familiar voices like Nish Kumar, Angellica Bell and Brian Blessed taking part.

Beasts of London

Entry:
Dates:	5th Apr–5th Jan, 2020
Entry:	Adults: Advance sales: £8.00

london june events — Photo by Underbelly Festival used under CC

A Southbank tradition, the Underbelly Festival brings all the most unusual entertainment to the riverside spot. Enjoy comedians, cabaret and music at the many, many ticketed events or just chill out on the colourful lawn area.

Underbelly Festival

Dates:	Early Apr ~ Late Sep, 2020
Entry:	£9.50 – £23.50

Cheer on competing rowers along with millions of TV viewers and thousands of spectators for one of the most famous spring traditions in London. The teams from Cambridge and Oxford will row from Putney to Mortlake in the ever-competitive race for the title. The women’s race begins at 2.15pm and the men’s at 3.15pm.

The Boat Races

Dates:	Early Apr, 2020
Entry:	Free

Vape Jam Event — Photo by Viacheslav Evseev used under CC

This is the UK’s biggest vape event and focuses on TPD-compliant products, advocacy and legislation in the vaping world. You can meet suppliers, hobbyists, manufacturers to learn more about the market and products. Note that no one under the age of 18 will be able to attend and proof of age will be required to enter.

Vape Jam UK 5

Dates:	Mid Apr, 2020

Kicking off a summer of open days, April is a great month to start exploring some green spaces in London. Offering a chance to explore the windmill interiors as well as guided walks on Sundays, these free events are popular, so reserve a space in advance!

Brixton Windmill Open Days

Dates:	Mid Apr ~ Mid Oct, 2020
Entry:	Free

Sutton House is offering lots and lots of space to let the little ones run wild and burn off that Easter egg sugar high! There will be lots of opportunities to scour the grounds for lost chicks who can be traded in for an egg as well as family-friendly activities like seed planting and a special trail within Sutton House. The egg hunt costs £2.00 and entry tickets are required, costing £6.00 for adults (special Easter price) and £4.00 for children.

Easter Egg Hunt at Sutton House

Dates:	19th Apr–22nd Apr, 2019

Horniman Easter Fair | New Cross

a field full of small chocolate Easter bunnies

The Horniman Museum Easter fair features a whole host of events including a performance of the Ugly Duckling, Easter trails, craft workshops and face painting. Although entry is free, some of the events are priced, like the show and the chance to meet a giant boa constrictor and his friendly bearded water dragons—so you can see how you feel about that on the day!

Horniman Easter Fair

Dates:	Mid ~ Late Apr, 2020
Entry:	Free

St George's Day, Trafalgar Square — Photo by Dave Pearce used under CC

Celebrating the patron saint of England, this annual festival includes plenty of traditional highlights like Morris dancing, family games and medieval jousting. There will be food stalls offering their very British wares and cookery demonstrations from top chefs so you can learn a few skills to take home too.

Feast of St George in Trafalgar Square

Dates:	Mid Apr, 2020
Entry:	Free

Shakespeare summer — Photo by Grant Cherrington used under CC

A chance to see the performances, join the talks and experience a whole host of other events this summer at the Globe. There will be 700 £5.00 tickets available across performances and plenty of family friendly events across the school holidays too.

Summer Season at Shakespeare's Globe

Dates:	Late Apr ~ Mid Oct, 2020
Entry:

Back again for a host of free screenings and cinema-themed events. There is a good mix of eclectic, art-house and independent films with listings to be announced soon.

New Cross and Deptford Free Film Festival

Dates:	Late Apr ~ Early May, 2020
Entry:	Free

The Design Museum is hosting an exploration into the archives of cinematic hero Stanley Kubrick, offering fans and newcomes alike a chance to learn more about the creator alongside his creations. There will be original props, set models and rare photos to linger over.

Stanley Kubrick: The Exhibition

Entry:
Dates:	26th Apr–15th Sep, 2019
Entry:	Adults: Advance sales: £16.00

Vaisakhi Festival | Trafalgar Square

Learn about and celebrate Sikh culture at this free event in Trafalgar Square. There will be indoor and outdoor event areas so you’ll be able to enjoy it whatever the weather. Highlights include spiritual music , traditional food, turban tying , folk dance, martial arts and special children’s activities.

Vaisakhi Festival 2020

Dates:	Late Apr, 2020
Entry:	Free

London Transport Museum Acton Depot — Photo by Ed Webster used under CC

A rare chance to step into London Transport Museum’s Acton depot, this open weekend is one of only three per year, so it would be a shame to miss out. The focus of this one is Loving your Line so you can alearn all about the architecture, creation and communities of London’s trainlines through any of the activities set up for kids and adults alike. Tickets are required and must be bought in advance, but kids go free!

Acton Depot Open Weekend: Love your Line

Entry:
Dates:	Late Apr, 2020
	Adults: Advance sales: £12.00
	Students: Advance sales: £10.00
	Over 65s: Advance sales: £10.00

While you may not be running in the marathon that doesn’t mean you can’t cheer people on and marvel at the costumes and challenges people had added to their 26-mile challenge. There are always huge crowds lining the route and a great atmosphere, with the main spots for gatherings being Tower Bridge, Embankment and the finish line.