🦊 Things to do this weekend in North London Mar 7-8

Bits and bobs worth knowing.

🛍️ Brent Cross finally getting a facelift: To be fair it's been looking rough for years. Some call it "dated," others "worst place ever." But massive revamp meant to change all that. Finishing spring 2026: 150 new shops, 50 restaurants, cinema, hotel. Some already opened like JD Sports and Newbie (Swedish second-hand stuff). Padel courts too. John Lewis, Fenwick, Waitrose still there. It’s been around since 1976, locals say they miss the 90s version with those wooden animals outside Waitrose, the fountain, all the shops that have closed since. Hopefully getting good again, only time will tell.

🎬 Old Kentish Town cinema becoming workspace and event space: That empty cinema building on Prince of Wales Road (next to Tesco) being converted. Opening autumn 2027 as workspace for 120 people plus community event space and workshop areas. Built 1913 as Palace Cinema, closed in the 50s. Been a warehouse, supermarket, law centre since. Empty since 2021, falling apart. They're putting a new structure inside the old shell. Work starts this summer.


🦅 Hampstead church's pigeon problem solved by actual birds of prey: St Jude's in Hampstead Garden Suburb opened its doors in 2024. Pigeons flew in, caused havoc. Rev Emily Kolltveit tried plastic fake hawks, didn't work. Parishioner suggested attracting real peregrine falcons with a nesting box. Rev thought it was mad. Then the peregrines just showed up anyway before they'd even put the box up.They installed it anyway with a camera. Peregrines nested, pigeons disappeared. Now there's a YouTube live stream of them flying in and out. Rev Emily: "I was praying for them and they arrived."

📚 All Barnet schools now rated good or outstanding for first time ever: Every single one of Barnet's 134 state schools now rated good or better. First time since Ofsted inspections started in 1993. Last holdout was Coppetts Wood Primary in Bounds Green. Got inspected in January, results out this week. Hit the standard in all areas. Means wherever you live in Barnet, your local school's officially good.

Samples & Seconds Sale | 📍Abney Hall, N16 | 7-8 Mar | Free
Local makers selling slightly imperfect pieces, prototypes and last items from collections at discounted prices. Ceramics, jewellery, prints, homewares, fashion, wellness. One-off finds, small flaws but still beautiful. Free, no ticket. Arrive early for best selection.

Holi Colour Dance Festival | 📍Swiss Cottage Open Spaces, NW3 | 8 Mar | (£)
Magic of India have been running their Holi festival for 13 years and this Sunday they're back at Swiss Cottage Open Spaces. Bhangra performances, dhol drummers, a DJ, organic safe powder colours and a row of Indian street food stalls including dosas, biryani, momos and chaat. There's also a live T20 World Cup screening on the day.

Afrobeats & Lit Brunch | 📍Chuku's, N15 | 8 Mar | (£)
Chuku's is a Nigerian tapas restaurant on Tottenham High Road and this Sunday they're running their Afrobeats & Lit brunch. Three sharing plates and three drinks for £40, a DJ playing all afternoon, and a book swap table stocked with titles by Nigerian authors. Bring a book you've finished, take one home.



Wolves Lane Seed Festival | 📍Wolves Lane Centre & Wood Green Library, N22 | 6 - 8 Mar | Free
The Seed Protectors of Wolves Lane are running a three-day festival this weekend about seed saving, growing food and community knowledge. Friday is a family day with hands-on workshops at Wood Green Library, hosted by Eat Wood Green and Black Rootz. Sunday is a free seed swap at Wolves Lane Centre with stalls, workshops and a panel on seeds and migration. Bring seeds if you have them.

Queer Noise: Poetry Workshop + Open Mic | 📍All Good Bookshop, N8 | 7 Mar | Free
Queer Noise are taking over All Good Bookshop in Harringay this Saturday for an afternoon of poetry and live performance. The first half is a workshop led by co-directors Kia Matanky-Becker and Grace Quigley exploring experimental techniques including Frankenstein poetry, where you cut up and remix existing texts into something new. The second half is an open mic where you can share whatever you've made, or just watch. No pressure to perform. Runs 2pm to 5pm.

Classic Bike Day | 📍Ace Cafe, NW10 | 8 Mar | Free
The Ace Cafe on the North Circular is a London institution and this Sunday they're hosting a classic bike day. Every make, model and era welcome, factory built or shed built, it doesn't matter. If you've got one, take it down. If you haven't, it's still a good excuse to visit. Runs 9am to 5pm.


KALA Rooftop Sauna & Ice Bath | 📍Archway, N19 | 7 Mar | (£)
Fancy trying ice baths and sauna on an Archway rooftop? KALA doing a Saturday social where you ice plunge, sweat it out in the sauna, learn breathwork for stress. They teach you techniques to handle the cold.

Barnet Churches & Pubs Walk | 📍High Barnet tube, EN5 | March 7 | (£)
Barnet has a pub where three Prime Ministers used to stay. Pepys drank there. So did Dr Johnson and Dickens. Paul Baker's ( City of London guide) March walk takes you to these pubs and the churches where Barnet locals have worshipped for 900 years. You'll hear about Mitregate, see where a famous British explorer went to church, and find out what the "notorious Barnet comb-out of the 1920s" actually was. Paul lived in Barnet for 35 years and been leading local walks for 20 years.

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Upcoming events you should consider booking in advance or planning ahead for. In and out of North London. Events marked with (£) require a ticket in advance.