HOT LIST: 13/03/2025
- Mathilde Candotto-Carniel
- Mar 13
- 5 min read
Our weekly curated list of London's hottest upcoming events is back - and as always, it's a treat for those looking to discover fresh arts and culture experiences. With everything from a conversation panel about the Goth and Burtonesque style in fashion with Dilara Findikoglu to a soundtrack festival, a dance performance questioning the stereotyping of black men in western society, and experimental art in a club environment, there's enough to keep you booked and busy.
FILM FESTIVAL
BFI FLARE: LONDON LGBTQIA+ FILM FESTIVAL
BFI SOUTHBANK
Waterloo | 19 March to 30 March
BFI Flare, the British Film Institute's annual LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, and a celebration of queer cinema, is soon returning to BFI Southbank for its 39th edition. Between the 19 and 30 March you will be able to see some of the best LGBTQIA+ cinema from around the world and enjoy special events such as DJ nights, filmmaker talks, workshops, and panel discussions.
Tickets are now live, and they go quickly, so don't wait too long before securing yours! You can see the full programme and book your tickets here, and of course, we've curated a list with our recommendations and highlights to make it a bit easier for you when deciding what to book. Read it here!
EXHIBITION OPENING
LOUIS MORLÆ: $ID3FA££ $YNDR0M3
ROSE EASTON
Bethnal Green | 15 March 15:00-18:00
Rose Easton Gallery invites you to join for the opening of Louis Morlæ's solo exhibition $ID3FA££ $YNDR0M3. The practice of the London-based visual artist operates at the intersection of two modes of creativity: that of industrial automation and manufacture, and that of character-driven narrative. The result is work which looks not too a distant and abstracted future, but to the furthest and most tantalising edges of what might be possible within the current moment. Seamlessly integrating video and sculpture, he uses game-engine rendered animation to bring his android-like figures to life.
Details here.
FILM AND MUSIC FESTIVAL
LONDON SOUNDTRACK FESTIVAL
BFI IMAX
Waterloo |19 to 26 March
This brand new festival dedicated to the music of film, TV, and games, with special intros, live scores and masterclasses, takes place at BFI IMAX, home to the UK's largest screen.
The London Soundtrack Festival has been created to reflect the ever-increasing interest in film, TV and games music and to acknowledge London as one of the most important centres for soundtracks in the world, with its legendary studios, musicians and leading creative artists from across all music disciplines.
Among many other things, the programme includes a screening of Bo Burnham's Eighth Grade with a live score, and The Silence of the Lambs – In Concert followed by an exclusive Q&A with composer Howard Shore and special guests.
Find the full programme and get your tickets here.
EXPERIMENTAL ART
EXPERIMENTAL ART
FUTUR.SHOCK CHAPTER THREE "ABYSSAL"
FOLD
Canning Town I 20 March 19:00 - 00:00
FOLD nightclub's experimental art platform returns with Chapter Three of its fourth season, titled “Abyssal”. The evening merges experimental live performances, cutting-edge club sounds, and evocative visual art, delivering a boundary-pushing, multi-sensory experience.
This chapter invites you to step into the "unthinkable," exploring the human and non-human worlds through a political lens. It offers a Dionysian experience of collective musical catharsis—destruction as a pathway to creation—unfolding as a dark, multi-sensory journey that confronts the absurd foundations of existence in search of meaning. The night features four boundary-breaking acts that push musical and performance experimentation.
Tickets are selling fast and are already down to the final release, so make sure to secure yours quickly to not miss out. You can find them, and more information, here.
If you're interested to know more about Futur.Shock and its concept of intersecting experimental art and nightlife, read our interview with their founder Karolina Magnusson Murray here.
EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC
AVA LONDON 2025: RYOJI IKEDA - ULTRATONICS [LIVE AV], MARCEL DETTMANN (LIVE), EMA
HERE AT OUTERNET
Tottenham Court Road | 21 March 21:30
AVA London is the leading music, culture, visual-arts festival and conference in the UK. The second night of their club programme will be a night of experimental soundscapes and techno power. Ryoji Ikeda, a master of minimalist sound design will explore the boundaries of sound and perception. Marcel Dettmann, one of techno’s most influential figures, will bring his signature dark and intense beats to the floor. With his powerful live sets, Dettmann is undoubtedly the don when it comes to techno. The night will also feature talent on the rise EMA.
Find all information and get your tickets here.
TALK
BIG IDEAS: CALEB FEMI IN CONVERSATION WITH ROHAN AYINDE
WHITECHAPEL GALLERY
Aldgate East | 27 March 18:30
Join award-winning writer and director Caleb Femi in conversation with artist and poet Rohan Ayinde as they speak to poetic sensibilities, Blackness as a foundation and site of experimentation, and contemporary ideas around masculinity as part of the exhibition Donald Rodney: Visceral Canker.
Taking the criticality and materiality of Donald Rodney’s practice as their starting point, Femi and Ayinde will mediate on the importance of art which engages with the social, political, and cultural concerns of our times.
Reflecting on poetry as a framework for world building and unravelling, the interconnectedness of poetry and film, and Blackness as a place from which we can set sail, explore, and experiment; this conversation will weave together critical narratives on Black masculinity and the crucial legacy and influence of artists like Donald Rodney.
All details and tickets here.
EXHIBITION
GABRIEL MOSES: SELAH
180 STUDIOS
Temple | 28 March to 27 July
180 Studios presents the largest exhibition to date of photographer and filmmaker Gabriel Moses, bringing together over 70 photographs and 10 films showcasing his work across the worlds of fashion, music, and sport, including the premiere of new work.
Selah brings together photographs and short films from across Moses’ career, including films and music videos such as Fein by Travis Scott and Playboi Carti, Lost Times by Schoolboy Q, and portraits of Slawn, Skepta, Alek Wek, Jude Bellingham and many more. For this new exhibition, Moses has also developed an exclusive new series of photographs and will premiere his new short film, The Last Hour.
Born in South London, Moses’ practice is deeply rooted in his British-Nigerian heritage. Characterised by a rich colour palette and minimal contextual detail, he produces emotive, soulful images which reflect on personal history, cultural signifiers, and memory.
Read more and book your tickets here.
CONVERSATION PANEL
DARK FASHION: THE BURTONESQUE AND THE GOTHIC IN DESIGN
THE DESIGN MUSEUM
Kensington | 1 April 19:00-20:20
Join designer Dilara Findikoglu, writer Tish Weinstock and Professor and author Catherine Spooner in a conversation exploring the semiotics of contemporary Gothic culture and its manifestations in fashion design.
Inspired by The Design Museum's current exhibition The World of Tim Burton, this conversation panel will explore Burton's influence in contemporary fashion and culture, from catwalks to street fashion, and how it continues to shape identities through the Goth and the Burtonesque style.
Find out more and buy tickets here.
DANCE
IVAN MICHAEL BLACKSTOCK'S TRAPLORD
SADLER'S WELLS EAST
Stratford I 28 May to 31 May
Using dance, theatre and spoken word to explore raw and confrontational themes of mental health and masculinity, TRAPLORD is an invitation to question the stereotyping of Black men in contemporary western society; an attempt to escape from the mental state of being condemned before having lived.
Within this production are artistic choices and truthful narratives that pursue authentic lived experiences including physical and mental trauma, and may include images which depict abuse. TRAPLORD aims to inspire a healing process in both our performers and audience members.
You can find all information and tickets here.
