City guideLondon · Sat 10 – Sun 11 October
London this weekend: the film festival, Renoir and the Royal Parks
The 70th London Film Festival, the 90s at Tate Britain, Renoir in love, lunch at Cassette, a half marathon and the NFL.
The weekend at a glance
Choose a pick to find it on the map; scroll down for the full story.
Saturday · 10 October
Sunday · 11 October
All weekend · Saturday and Sunday
Saturday
10 October
Sat 12:00–14:30Book ahead
Restaurant · Covent Garden
Cassette, a French bistrot
Cassette is the new French bistrot from the team behind Levan in Peckham, on Maiden Lane in Covent Garden: an old workshop with double-height ceilings, its original windows and plenty of light.
Essa Fakhry, who cooked at Planque, makes familiar French dishes with a lighter touch. Music matters here too: the founder runs a record label and plays his playlists through 1970s Grundig speakers. Make it a long lunch.
Sunday
11 October
Sun 8:45Free to watch
Run · Hyde Park
13.1 miles of royal parks
On Sunday morning the Royal Parks Half sets off from Hyde Park at 8:45. Its 13.1 miles pass through four of London’s royal parks and by some of the city’s best-known sights, on roads closed for the runners.
Cheer at the finish in Hyde Park, where the crowds gather by mid-morning. Or come later and simply walk the park in autumn, from the Serpentine to Kensington Gardens, as the leaves turn.
Sun 14:30
Sport · Tottenham
Eagles v Jaguars
The NFL’s London Games are back. On Sunday at 14:30 the Philadelphia Eagles play the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have made London a second home over the years, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The stadium was built with American football in mind: its football pitch slides away to reveal an NFL field underneath. Allow time to get there; the nearest stations are White Hart Lane and Northumberland Park.
All weekend
Saturday and Sunday
Sat and Sun, hours vary by venue
Festival · Southbank
The London Film Festival at 70
The BFI London Film Festival began in 1957, and this year is its 70th edition: 251 films from 88 countries, from big premieres and galas to first features. It runs from 7 to 18 October across the city.
The galas are in Leicester Square; the heart of the festival is BFI Southbank, by the river. Many screenings sell out, so check for returns on the day.
Sat and Sun, 10:00–18:00
Exhibition · Tate Britain
The 90s, art and fashion
Edward Enninful, the former editor of British Vogue, has curated a show of the decade he helped shape. The 90s: Art and Fashion opened at Tate Britain on 8 October, by the river at Millbank.
More than 100 photographs, paintings and garments, from the Young British Artists to McQueen, with pictures such as Juergen Teller’s Kate Moss of 1998. Go on Saturday morning; it runs until 14 February.
Sat and Sun, 10:00–18:00£20–25, free under 18
Exhibition · National Gallery
Renoir and love
Pierre-Auguste Renoir painted Paris at leisure: dances, boating parties, couples and families in the open air, all in soft, warm light. Renoir and Love gathers some 40 of those paintings of affection and desire.
It is his first exhibition at the National Gallery since 2007, open since 3 October and until 31 January. Tickets are £20 to £25, free for under-18s; afterwards, step out onto Trafalgar Square.
Saturday
Sat 12:00–14:30
Cassette, a French bistrot
Cassette is the new French bistrot from the team behind Levan in Peckham, on Maiden Lane in Covent Garden: an old workshop with double-height ceilings, its original windows and plenty of light.
Essa Fakhry, who cooked at Planque, makes familiar French dishes with a lighter touch. Music matters here too: the founder runs a record label and plays his playlists through 1970s Grundig speakers. Make it a long lunch.
Cassette Sunday
Sun 8:45
13.1 miles of royal parks
On Sunday morning the Royal Parks Half sets off from Hyde Park at 8:45. Its 13.1 miles pass through four of London’s royal parks and by some of the city’s best-known sights, on roads closed for the runners.
Cheer at the finish in Hyde Park, where the crowds gather by mid-morning. Or come later and simply walk the park in autumn, from the Serpentine to Kensington Gardens, as the leaves turn.
Hyde Park Sun 14:30
Eagles v Jaguars
The NFL’s London Games are back. On Sunday at 14:30 the Philadelphia Eagles play the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have made London a second home over the years, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The stadium was built with American football in mind: its football pitch slides away to reveal an NFL field underneath. Allow time to get there; the nearest stations are White Hart Lane and Northumberland Park.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium All weekend
Sat and Sun, hours vary by venue
The London Film Festival at 70
The BFI London Film Festival began in 1957, and this year is its 70th edition: 251 films from 88 countries, from big premieres and galas to first features. It runs from 7 to 18 October across the city.
The galas are in Leicester Square; the heart of the festival is BFI Southbank, by the river. Many screenings sell out, so check for returns on the day.
BFI Southbank Sat and Sun, 10:00–18:00
The 90s, art and fashion
Edward Enninful, the former editor of British Vogue, has curated a show of the decade he helped shape. The 90s: Art and Fashion opened at Tate Britain on 8 October, by the river at Millbank.
More than 100 photographs, paintings and garments, from the Young British Artists to McQueen, with pictures such as Juergen Teller’s Kate Moss of 1998. Go on Saturday morning; it runs until 14 February.
Tate Britain Sat and Sun, 10:00–18:00
Renoir and love
Pierre-Auguste Renoir painted Paris at leisure: dances, boating parties, couples and families in the open air, all in soft, warm light. Renoir and Love gathers some 40 of those paintings of affection and desire.
It is his first exhibition at the National Gallery since 2007, open since 3 October and until 31 January. Tickets are £20 to £25, free for under-18s; afterwards, step out onto Trafalgar Square.
National Gallery