February: cold, grey, and just long enough to make you wonder if winter will ever end. But it’s not all doom and drizzle. There are bright spots—Shrove Tuesday for a sanctioned excuse to eat your body weight in pancakes, the first hopeful snowdrops poking through the mud, and plenty of exhibitions, theatre, and distractions to pull you out of hibernation. Whether you’re dodging Valentine’s Day, embracing it with reckless abandon, or just looking for something to do that isn’t staring at the rain, here’s what February has to offer.
Tucked away in the South Downs National Park, The Swan Inn has been brought back to life as a proper country bolthole. This 14th-century coaching inn has 12 comfortable ensuite rooms, a cosy pub, and a menu that makes the most of the seasons. First established in 1536, it’s played host to all sorts over the years—travellers, courtiers, and the likes of J.M.W. Turner, John Constable, and Rudyard Kipling. Its history lingers in the details, from artwork traded for a night’s stay to the long-lost guestbook supposedly signed by Kipling himself. Find it, and there’s a reward in it for you.
This course takes you on a journey through some of the most iconic paintings in history. Learn how to analyse a painting’s composition, understand symbolism and read the techniques artists use to convey messages. Whether you're an art enthusiast or a newcomer, this online art history course will enhance your appreciation and understanding of visual art, drawing on examples from the V&A's outstanding collection. From the moment you enrol in a V&A on-demand course, you get 12 months' access to every stunning video lecture to rewatch as often as you like, plus additional learning materials, which you can keep.
Created by 8 Holland Street, the special project presents 100 iconic chairs, stools and seating designs, from across the Twentieth Century, celebrating the story and personality embodied by this most functional and varied form of design. Each piece in the collection will be available to purchase in store, accompanied by a carefully edited selection of books, cushions, textiles and ceramics.
The inaugural exhibition in The Warburg Institute’s new Kythera Gallery will present the first major UK exhibition on the history of tarot. ‘Tarot: Origins and Afterlives’ will explore the cards’ evolution from a courtly game in the 15th century Renaissance Italy to its new role as a divinatory device and carrier of ancient secrets in the 18th and 19th centuries, through to its contemporary adaptation in countercultural and marginalised communities. Few sets of symbols have travelled as widely or been put to a more radical range of uses and through uncovering the profound transformations tarot has undergone across centuries, the exhibition will position these cards as powerful vehicles for fortune, creativity and identity.
Studio pottery—handcrafted ceramics made by independent potters—first made waves in the 1910s and '20s, carving out a place as an art form in its own right. This display takes a lively look at how the V&A has collected and showcased these pieces over the years, from the movement’s early days to today.
After a careful restoration, The Manor House Inn is back. This 17th-century pub, set in the countryside with views of the Mendip Hills, had been closed for six months before the Chickpea Group took it on. Another six months of work later, it’s ready to welcome guests once more.
Upstairs, the rooms are designed for comfort—king-size beds, feather-down bedding, Moroccan rugs, and en-suites stocked with Land & Water products. Two have roll-top tubs, and all the rooms above the pub feature gothic arched windows, a reminder of the building’s long history.
For the third year running, Salad Days Sample Sale is back—the one and only discount event from some of London’s coolest indie brands. Expect handmade and vintage treasures at rare discounts, with end-of-line pieces, past-season stock, imperfect seconds, and even some fresh finds, all marked down. Discounts range from 10% to 60% off, so if you love these brands, this is your chance to snap up something special for less—all under one roof.
Cawley Studio Stock & Sample Sale, 2nd February, 7pm , www.cawleystudio.com
One of the greatest ateliers to pop up in the last five years, Cawley Studio has imaginative, comforting, and heavenly clothes in its portfolio. Due to their expert craftsmanship and high-quality materials, they can be somewhat dear, but this is our chance to fill our boots and get in on their delightful threads.
Nesfield's Archive Launch Talk, 4th February, 7 - 8 pm, Garden Museum, 5 Lambeth Palace Road, London, SE1 7LB
Join them for this special event to celebrate the Garden Museum's acquisition of the renowned landscape architect and artist W.A. Nesfield's archive, in partnership with The Gardens Trust. With the Garden Museum’s acquisition of the landscape architect Nesfield’s archive, they will celebrate a designer who could work in both park and parterre at this special evening event. Selected items from the newly acquired archive will be displayed for ticketholders to see before joining a lecture delivered by gardener, author, and podcaster Ben Dark.
James Macdonald directs Nicola Walker (Unforgotten, The Split, Last Tango in Halifax), Stephen Mangan (Episodes, The Split) and Erin Doherty (The Crown) in Unicorn, a new play by Mike Bartlett (Doctor Foster, Life). Explicit, funny and provocative, Unicorn dives into the tangled web of modern relationships and the secrets simmering beneath. When Polly and Nick’s lives intersect with the enigmatic Kate, their stable world tilts as old boundaries blur and new desires awaken.
Celebrating the late artist’s expansive creativity, this debut retrospective showcases Noah Davis as one of the most original and uncanny painters emerging in recent years. Primarily based in Los Angeles, Noah Davis created a body of figurative paintings that explores a range of Black life. Motivated by the desire to ‘represent the people around me’, Davis painted figures diving into pools, sleeping, dancing, and looking at art in scenes that can be both realistic and dreamlike, joyful and melancholic. Davis drew from anonymous photography, personal archives, film, art history and his imagination to create a ravishing body of work. Often enigmatic, his paintings reveal a deep feeling for humanity and the emotional textures of the everyday.
The story of Michelangelo’s ‘Taddei Tondo’, 7th February, 11 am - 12 pm, Royal Academy, Benjamin West Lecture Theatre, Burlington Gardens, 6 Burlington Gardens, London, W1J 0PE
Senior Curator Dr. Hannah Higham explores the history of the Royal Academy’s Michelangelo sculpture: ‘Madonna and Child with the Infant St. John the Baptist’. The ‘Taddei Tondo’ remains the only marble carving by Michelangelo in the UK, entering the Royal Academy collection in 1830. Its composition and subject – the infants St. John the Baptist and Christ with a bird – have been admired and copied by many students and artists over the years. In this talk, Dr. Hannah Higham will trace this rare work’s journey to the Academy – from its origins in the sculptural traditions of Florence and its commission by the Taddei family around 1504, to its impact on the Royal Academicians of the nineteenth century and beyond.
Michael Werner Gallery will present ‘Per Kirkeby: Natures Mortes,’ an exhibition of still life paintings by the eminent Danish painter, sculptor, filmmaker and author. In the 1980s, as Kirkeby’s international fame grew, he hit an artistic crisis and leant towards historic Northern European painting as a way out. Taking inspiration from Caspar David Friedrich’s The Sea of Ice from 1823-24 and a 17th century Dutch still life by Willem Claesz Heda, Kirkeby produced his monumental masterpiece Fram in 1983. Reliance on motifs garnered from the history of Northern European painting pulled Kirkeby out of his artistic crisis in the 1980s and defined his art over the ensuing decades.
The Story of Gardens up to 20th Century, 8th February, 10 am - 4 pm, RHS Garden Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate, HG3 1QB
Garden History is a fascinating aspect of gardens, told here through various case studies. They will look at the earliest gardens known to humans, the development of gardens via the Greeks and Romans, the medieval garden, and Renaissance and Baroque gardens. This will be a fun introduction to garden history that you can take away to inspire your own Garden Design.
Saturday Sketch Club: Drawing Modern Portraits, Online Workshop, 8th February, 10.30 - 11.45 am, Royal Academy
Explore modernist portraiture in this online drawing class with artist Shannon Bono. You’ll practise capturing character from a model through line, form, tone, and expressive details. Inspired by artists like Lasar Segall, Djanira da Motta e Silva, and Anitta Malfatti—featured in Brasil! Brasil! The Birth of Modernism—you’ll learn to bring personality to your portraits using real and imagined details. Part of the Saturday Sketch Club series, these live-streamed sessions are open to all, whether you're a beginner or a seasoned artist.
Soil-streaked jeans, dirt under their nails—19-year-old Pip is searching for answers in the garden. With a dad more interested in plants than people and a mum stuck in the past, they’re left to figure things out alone. Then, they find an old jacket in the attic—bold, bright, unmistakably 80s. Inside, a forgotten diary reveals secrets their parents would rather keep buried.
Funny, moving, and beautifully queer, Lavender, Hyacinth, Violet, Yew is a story of family, memory, and the roots we can’t escape. Written by Coral Wylie, directed by Debbie Hannan (Overflow), and starring BAFTA and Olivier nominee Omari Douglas (It’s a Sin, Constellations), this world-premiere production digs deep into the past to sow the seeds of a different future.
A Musical Afternoon at Kettle's Yard, 10th February, 2 - 4 pm, Kettle's Yard, University of Cambridge, Castle Street, Cambridge, CB3 0AQ
Kettle’s Yard is hosting a special Monday afternoon visit for Friends of Kettle’s Yard. Recently, Jim Ede’s grandson uncovered a document listing his personal record collection. Inspired by this discovery, the museum has curated a playlist to accompany the visit, offering a new way to experience the house and its atmosphere.
Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell reunite with director Jamie Lloyd for Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare’s sharp and spirited comedy of love, mischief, and misunderstandings. Hiddleston takes on the role of Benedick, with Atwell as Beatrice, as the pair navigate a battle of wits that’s as cutting as it is tender.
Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton, Wicked) takes on the role of Richard II at the Bridge Theatre, directed by Nicholas Hytner. Shakespeare’s history play follows the rise and fall of a charismatic but disastrous king—eloquent, entitled, and utterly unsuited to rule. With England on the brink of change, the question remains: what do you do with a leader with the right to rule but no idea how?
Donald Rodney: Visceral Canker, 12th February – 4th May, Whitechapel Gallery, 77-82 Whitechapel High St, London, E1 7QX
Whitechapel Gallery presents Visceral Canker, a major survey of British multi-media artist Donald Rodney. Bringing together most of his surviving works from 1982 to 1997, the exhibition features oil pastels on X-rays, kinetic sculptures, sketchbooks, and rare archival materials. A founding member of the BLK Art Group, Rodney used his experience with sickle cell anaemia to confront racism, Black masculinity, chronic illness, and Britain’s colonial past. Visceral Canker highlights his lasting impact and reaffirms his place in British art history.
Don't miss the chance to attend the Pavilion Sale, where Guy Goodfellow has beautiful fabrics, wallpapers, furniture, and accessories for up to 70% off, which could be yours.
Established in 1985, Andrew Edmunds is considered one of the last bastions of 'old Soho'. This 18th-century townhouse has attracted many loyal customers for more than thirty years. A relaxed atmosphere, seasonal menu, and famous but reasonably priced wine list have ensured our enduring popularity.
The Courtauld Gallery will present an exceptional selection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings in the first ever exhibition of the Oskar Reinhart Collection ‘Am Römerholz’ to be staged outside of Winterthur, Switzerland. This exhibition will be a unique opportunity to see some of its masterpieces – including works by Goya, Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Picasso, and Cezanne among others.
Life Drawing Class, 17th February, 6:30 pm, The Pelican, 45 All Saints Road, Notting Hill, London, W11 1HE
Life drawing is a mindful activity that doesn’t require any previous experience, simply an open mind & interest in learning to draw through observation. Artist and Art Tutor Bella Franks will guide you through the relaxed class with a nude model as your subject. Bella has over 10 years of art teaching experience, running classes that are open and accessible to all. She is known for her positive and supportive attitude to teaching, encouraging you to focus on the process rather than the outcome.
The Face Magazine: Culture Shift showcases iconic fashion images and portraits from The Face, the pioneering style and youth culture magazine that left a lasting mark on Britain and beyond. Featuring work from over 80 photographers—including Sheila Rock, Corinne Day, David Sims, and Elaine Constantine—the exhibition brings together more than 200 photographs, many displayed beyond the magazine’s pages for the first time.
Gauguin: Artist and Rebel, 20th February, Leon Kossoff Learning Centre, The Courtauld Gallery, Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2R 0RN
Join art historian Fran Herrick and printmaker Helen Higgins to explore Gauguin as an artist rebel, focusing on the last decade of his life when he travelled to French Polynesia in the South Pacific to reinvent his art and arguably his self-identity. Explore his paintings, prints, drawings and writings to gain deeper insight into the context and contradictions behind the myth of Gauguin. The Courtauld Collection is particularly strong for Gauguin artworks. They will visit the Prints and Drawings Study Room to focus on Avant et après (Before and after), his final manuscript/manifesto made on the island of Hiva Oa in the Marquesas during the last months of his life.
Blow Your Own Bauble Class, 22nd February, Gather, Unit 4, Submarine Cable Depot, Warspite Road, London, SE18 5NX
Join them for a short, exciting, glassblowing experience suitable for complete beginners. They’ll gather the glass for you, you’ll design colours, they'll apply them, and then you'll blow the bauble up. They can’t guarantee it’ll be round, but it’ll be all yours! £55 per person.
Step into the allure of Hollywood’s most iconic hideaway with André Balazs and Courtney Love as they unveil the untold stories of the legendary Chateau Marmont. In conversation with culture commentator Nancy Durrant, to mark the reissue of Balazs’ book about the Chateau, they will explore the hotel’s rich history, from its glamorous scandals to its role as a sanctuary for creative legends. With Balazs, the visionary hotelier behind the Chateau and the Chiltern Firehouse, and Love, a rock icon who’s lived its mystique, you’ll hear firsthand accounts of intrigue, rebellion, and artistry. This will be an intimate dive into a world where celebrity and counterculture collide.
The Seagull, 26th February - 5th April, Barbican Theatre, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS
Cate Blanchett stars as Arkadina, a celebrated actress whose presence dominates both the stage and her family. Over a weekend at their country estate, tensions rise—her son Konstantin (Kodi Smit-McPhee) struggles to escape her shadow, while her lover Trigorin (Tom Burke) catches the eye of aspiring actress Nina (Emma Corrin). As ambition, desire, and disappointment collide, Chekhov’s The Seagull unfolds in a sharp, affecting tale of vanity and artistic sacrifice. This new adaptation by Duncan Macmillan and Thomas Ostermeier runs for six weeks only.
The AIDS Plays Project presents Reasons for Staying, 27th February - 1st March, 7:30 pm, Studio 1, London Performance Studios, Penarth Centre, Penarth St, London, SE15 1TR
The AIDS Plays Project continues its mission to revive works by playwrights lost to HIV/AIDS with Reasons for Staying by Colm Ó Clúbhán. Staged professionally for the first time in nearly 40 years, the production will run at London Performance Studio.
Ó Clúbhán (1954–1989) was an Irish poet, playwright, and gay activist who emigrated to London in 1973, becoming part of the radical queer theatre collective Brixton Faeries. Set in the backroom of a London pub in 1986, Reasons for Staying follows Maeve Derivan, an Irish emigrant reflecting on her past, including the journey that brought her to England as a frightened teenager seeking an abortion. As she revisits her memories, she draws in the pub’s other patrons—Irish emigrants, queer activists, and working-class Londoners—sparking a conversation about identity, belonging, and the ties that bind them to Ireland.
Béton Brut presents 'Held Absence' by Grace Prince, the British designer's most extensive furniture collection to date, addressing a long-held fascination with absence and fragility. Designed exclusively with Béton Brut gallery, 'Held Absence' develops the designer's free, gestural approach into six bronze, steel and wood assemblages. The pieces emerged from a period spent living in a traditional house just north of Kyoto. A found wooden offcut, cast in bronze, forms a central motif — the phantom presence of the source material felt in each work.
As spring approaches, Collect looks forward to welcoming visitors to the stunning neo-classical rooms of Somerset House in central London, for a five-day celebration of international contemporary craft and design. Presented by Crafts Council, and recognised as being at the forefront of the contemporary craft movement, this year marks the 21st edition of the art fair. Collect offers attendees the opportunity to engage with a line-up of 40 prestigious galleries. Hand-picked by their advisory panel, together they will present 400 living artists and their works, 80% of which have been made in the last five years. This year, they are delighted to welcome eight new exciting galleries and myriad artists pushing the boundaries of their medium.
Entitled Shadows, Kruglyanskaya’s exhibition will assemble a group of new paintings and drawings that honour and question the legacy of the artists and experiences that have shaped her practice. Drawing on the works of Josef Albers, Édouard Manet, Juan Sánchez Cotán, Anthea Hamilton, René Magritte as well as the numerous representations of odalisques in art’s history, Kruglyanskaya’s new works explore the nature of artistic influence and the enduring conversation about the future of painting.
New Film Releases
September 5 (6th February), Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (13th February), The Last Showgirl (28th February)
Fairs & Markets
The Giant London Flea - 2nd February
Auctions
Dreweatts, Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler: A Collection from the Pimlico Road Showroom and a Private London House - 20th February
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