Why is a coworking space giving so much airtime to other local spaces that aren’t us? We stand for three things flexibility, productivity, and connection. This blog is all about local connection. We scour the internet, search beneath drains, hit up friends, and thrift through all available local resources to bring you a hit list of cool sh*t that’s happening in the Islington burough where we’re based. Stuff we’d actually want to share with our friends. With that in mind, this list will not highlight any venues without a minimum 4* Google review rating. And in an effort to showcase what’s unique to each month, we won’t be adding repeat events like Turn Up Thursday’s, however, we may list limited shows.
We hope that explains why we’ve humbly made this list and you find it useful. Also, just so you’re aware, we offer free day passes to our coworking space.
ART
We’re probably the furthest thing from art connoisseurs. However, if we need somewhere to impress any non-fave relative when they’re in town, this list of local art galleries should do the trick. Central London’s art museum faves like the Tate and The National Gallery are wonderful but often packed with tourists especially as the weather gets warmer. If you find yourself wishing you took more advantage of all London has to offer, these lesser known options are perfect for a genuinely lovely experience.
Pangolin London
Nigel Hall RA (Mar 24 – Aug 19)
Charlotte Mayer (Apr 17 – Jun 3)
Estorick Collection
Osvaldo Licini: Rebellious Angel (Jun 14 – Sep 10)
Victoria Miro
Isaac Julien: Once Again… (Statues Never Die) (May 2 – Jun 4)
Alex Hartley: Closer Than Before (Apr 22 – Jun 17)
Howardena Pindell: New Works (Jun 8 – Jul 29)
Chris Ofili: The Seven Deadly Sins (Jun 2 – Jul 29)
Emma Talbot: Magical Thinking (Apr 27 – Jun 16)
Barbican Centre
RESOLVE Collective: them’s the breaks (Mar 30 – Jul 16)
Art Space Gallery
Anthony Farrell (May 12 – Jun 23)
Hew Hood Gallery
Worn Out Warm Blue Skies (May 17 – Jun 4)
Cubitt Artists
SHOWS
Whether you want to see your favorite Tik Tok Comedian live or watch a puppet show with your kids, there is a huge performative community in Islington. It’s pretty impressive how wide-ranging the theatre is, but more so, how you can find an act almost every single night. So if you find yourself feeling uninspired just grab a bus ride to a one of these venues and remember that earnest creativity is always at your doorstop in Islington.
Dance
Sadler’s Wells
Central School of Ballet: Ballet Central 2023 (Jun 2)
National Youth Dance Company 22/23 (Jun 3)
Theatre
Almeida Theatre
Romeo and Juliet (Jun 6 – Jul 29)
Little Angel Theatre
The Wolves in the Walls (May 12 – Jul 23)
Wow! Said the Owl (May 19 – Jul 30)
The Hope Theatre
A Year and a Day (Jun 11 + 12)
King’s Head Theatre
The Big O (May 16 – Jun 3)
The MP, Aunty Mandy & Me (May 15 – Jun 4)
Julie: The Musical (Jun 6 – 10)
My Sister is Missing (Jun 13 – 17)
Lifeboats (Jun 14 – 19)
Perverts (Jun 20 – Jul 8)
I’m Done with This Shit (Jun 26)
GuyMart (Jun 30 – Jul 6)
The Pleasance Theatre
PlayFight (May 29 – Jun 3)
30 and Out (May 30 – Jun 3)
The Baby Question (Jun 1)
One Way Mirror (Jun 29 – Jul 1)
Blueprints (Jun 12 – 17)
these words that’ll linger… (Jun 13 – 24)
The Life Sporadic of Jess Wildgoose (Jun 19 – 24)
I’m Actually Fine! (Jun 27 – Jul 1)
Rosemary Branch Theatre
The Dirty Thirty (Jun 2 + 3, 16 + 17)
Park Theatre
Leaves of Glass (May 11 – Jun 3)
Rose Transfers to the West End (May 23 – Jun 18)
The Shape of Things (May 24 – Jul 1)
Comedy
The Bill Murray
Rosie Holt WIP (Jun 1)
Matty Hutson: Matty Goes Electric (Jun 1)
André de Freitas: What If WIP (Jun 5)
Viggo Venn: Club Comedian (Jun 5 + 27)
Paul Foot: Dissolve WIP (Jun 6 + 12)
Count Binface: MEGA WIP (Jun 7)
Sooz Kempner: Y2K Woman (Jun 8)
Maria Shehata – Hero WIP (Jun 8)
Dog Park (Jun 11)
Julia Masli: ha ha ha ha ha ha ha WIP (Jun 11)
Gavin Matts: Present (Jun 11)
Liz Guterbock: Geriatric Millenial (Jun 12)
Sashi Perera: Endings (Jun 13)
Chris Neill: Stripping For Birds (Jun 13)
Benji Waterstones: You Don’t Have to Be Mad to Work Here WIP (Jun 15)
Rob Auton: The Rob Auton Show (Jun 18)
Alexis Dubus – 3 Star Show WIP (Jun 19)
Andy Haynes: All My Jokes (Jun 19)
Josh Pugh WIP (Jun 19 – 21)
Joe Kirkwood: A Guide to Therapy for Terrible People (Jun 21)
Finlay Christie: Ok Zoomer (Jun 22)
Heidi Regan WIP (Jun 22)
Stephen Buchanan: Charicature WIP
Lorna Rose Treen: Skin Pigeon WIP
Danny Bhoy: Now Is Not A Good Time (Jun 26)
Tatty Macleod: Fugue WIP (Jun 27)
Adam Riches is ‘The Guy Who…’ (Jun 28)
Stuart Laws? Is That Guy Still Going? Preview (Jun 29)
Luke Kempner (Jun 30)
The Camden Head Islington
Omar Badawy and Sharon Wanjohi (Jun 3)
Aaron Wood: Doomed WIP (Jun 4)
There’s Something Going on Upstairs (Jun 10)
Paul F Taylor & Susan Harrison WIP (Jun 18)
Crizards: This Means War WIP (Jun 24)
Esther Manito WIP (Jun 24)
Kuan-wen: Ilha Formosa WIP (Jun 25)
Union Chapel
Nina Conti, Rachel Parris, John Robins (Jun 3)
Rosemary Branch Theatre
…Is This Okay?? (Jun 2)
Sweet Prince (Jun 3)
Beehavioural Problems: Something Something Autism (Jun 11)
Siorai Bar
Kate Dale: Up To Scratch WIP (Jun 2 + 6)
David Ian: (Just a) Perfect Gay WIP (Jun 2 + 5)
Emily McQuade: Wolf(ish) WIP (Jun 9)
Dickie Richards: Sexual Tyrannosaur (Edinburgh Preview) (Jun 10)
Ben Hodge: It’s a Boy? WIP (Jun 30)
Louise Atkinson: Mates WIP (Jun 30)
King’s Head Theatre
Unstitching (May 29 + Jun 2)
Cabaret + Drag
King’s Head Theatre
Dragged to a Game’s Night (Apr 7 + Jun 9)
Gemini Rising (Jun 10)
The #Joeshow (Jun 16)
Scratch That Itch (Jun 17 + Aug 5)
The Old Ivy House
MUSIC
All the possible music you could imagine playing in Islington this month. At least, as much as our Social Media Manager Sophia could make sense of.
Live Music
Lexington
Editrix + Beige Palace + Es (4 Jun)
Scott H. Biram (5 Jun)
Wednesday (6 Jun)
Glass Beams (7 Jun)
Baba Ali + Vanity Fairy (9 Jun)
An Evening with Dan Mangan (13 Jun)
Death Pill + TsuShiMaMiRe + Shooting Daggers + Rabies Babies (14 Jun)
Bella White (21 Jun)
Colossal Squid + Waterflower (23 Jun)
Union Chapel
Barbara Thompson Memorial Concert (2 Jun)
Mike Peters Presents the Alarm (6 Jun)
Roo Panes (8 + 9 Jun)
Bassekou Kouyate (10 Jun)
The Kris Drever Band (13 Jun)
Krishna Das (16 Jun)
The Fantasy Orchestra Presents Psychedelic World (17 Jun)
Patty Griffin (19 Jun)
Laura Cantrell (30 Jun)
O2 Academy Islington
Jason Chan: The Fight Goes On World Tour (3 Jun)
Kwiat Jabloni (4 Jun)
DYSTINCT (8 Jun) SOLD OUT
State Champs (9 Jun) SOLD OUT
The Soft Moon (10 Jun)
Sim (13 Jun)
Gwar (14 Jun)
Stepz (14 Jun)
Henry Moodie (15 Jun)
MAN WITH A MISSION (16 Jun)
The Godfathers (17 Jun)
Nothing More (19 Jun)
Teenage Dads (21 Jun)
Mengene Concert (22 Jun)
Motorpsycho (23 Jun)
SOJA (24 Jun)
The Warning (26 Jun)
Os Mutantes (29 Jun)
DD Osama & Notti World (30 Jun)
Islington Assembly Hall
Martinho da Vila (1 Jun)
The Curtom Orchestra Presents: Curtis Mayfield (3 Jun)
Kamal. (8 Jun)
Spoon (20 Jun)
Amigo The Devil (22 Jun)
An Evening with Joey Mcintyre (23 Jun)
The Grace
Rainbow Frog Biscuits (1 Jun)
Danny Wright (3 Jun)
Michaela Anne (4 Jun)
The Rills (7 Jun)
Eden Hunter (8 Jun)
Darlings (9 Jun)
Rachel Grae (13 Jun)
Tom Saint (14 Jun)
Izzy T (15 Jun)
Tilly Electronics (16 Jun)
Steel Beans (24 Jun)
Ruti (27 Jun)
Supalung (28 Jun)
An Attendant Ana (29 Jun)
Sunny Side Down (30 Jun)
The Garage
Kira Mac (4 Jun)
Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram (6 Jun)
The March Violets (8 Jun)
Brooks Nielsen (10 Jun)
Chappel Roan (12 Jun)
The Hives (13 Jun)
The Boo Radley’s (14 Jun)
Lucero (15 Jun)
The Four Owls (17 Jun)
La Malafamera (17 Jun)
Geoff Tate’s Operation Mindcrime (18 Jun)
The Dear Hunter (21 Jun)
The Beat ft. Ranking Jr (23 Jun)
Jey (25 Jun)
El Cuarteto De Nos (27 Jun)
Raghu Dixit (30 Jun)
The Finsbury
Sara Wolff (1 Jun)
Automan / Stepbrother / Sandy (2 Jun)
Blue Bayou (3 Jun)
Hurtling, Where We Sleep, Parenthesisdotdotdo (10 Jun)
The Old Queen’s Head
Natelle (14 Jun)
Arthur Squawks w/ Jackson Wooten + Kat Kiley (14 Jun)
Rob Heron & The Teapad Orchestra (15 Jun)
Rosemary Branch Theatre
Honey B Mama & Friends (30 Jun)
Park Theatre
Coffee, Croissant and a Concert (25 Jun)
The Dome Tufnell Park
Nefelibata ft Yaoajun (1 Jun)
The Walters (15 Jun)
Fabiana Cantilo (16 Jun)
Jesus Piece (21 Jun)
The Betsey Trotswood
Morton Valence / James Hodder (2 Jun)
Trevor Moss and Hannah Lou (9 Jun)
Aaron Jonah Lewis (17 Jun)
Jim Maving (23 Jun)
The Night Owl
Happening with Guillotone Spring (3 Jun)
The J Notes’ Jazz-Funk Jam (22 Jun)
Muck and the Mires bring their Beat Revolution (23 Jun)
Boston Music Room
Wytch Hazel & Spell (2 Jun)
Panopticon (6 Jun)
Polaris (11 Jun)
Mr. Punch (17 Jun)
Chris Holmes Mean Man (24 Jun)
Lil Lotus (30 Jun)
Aces & Eights
Georgia Crandon (1 Jun)
Goodnight Vincent (2 Jun)
The Hilltoppers EP Release Party (7 Jun)
Eamon Fogarty (23 Jun)
Emma Scarr + Clair Coupland (28 Jun)
Finsbury Park
Jamie T (30 Jun)
Club Nights
The Old Queen’s Head
Turn Up w/ Nadia Jae (9 Jun)
Hugo Chegwin DJ Set (23 Jun)
Electrowerkz
Purple Parlour (16 Jun)
Slimelight Alien Nation (17 Jun)
The Jago Dalston
ColombiAfrika Fest (3 Jun)
Sunshine Soul: The Summer Social (10 Jun)
African Fever (16 Jun)
Jally Kebba Susso (17 Jun)
Dalston Roof Park
Summer Rooftop w/ Alex Virgo, Lulah Francs (3 Jun)
Flying Mojito Bros Rooftop Disco (4 Jun)
Ascend (9 Jun)
The Grace
Ateez (3 Jun)
Depeche Mode Warm Up Party (16 Jun)
CULTURE
Weird and wonderful events that speak to us. These events could exist in multiple of our genres or maybe none, yet we knew we wanted to include them anyway. Here are a few uniquely fun things we think you should check out this month.
Union Chapel
James Comey meets Armando Iannucci
The Garage
Boston Music Room
FOOD
Food we like this month, but actually every month. We’re breaking our own terms by including this list of restaurants but we still want to highlight great food in Islington. These three places will be elite options based on our personal taste, but please tell us what are yours so we can highlight them as well.
Girasole
A quaint local gem that captures the essence of Italy and brings it to life in the heart of our neighbourhood. Egle, the owner, is the beating heart of the Seven Sisters Road, radiating warmth and love through her food. Her passion for Italian cuisine is palpable in every bite.
From the moment you step through the door, you are enveloped in the aromas of freshly brewed coffee and tantalizing sweet treats. The quality of their coffee is exceptional, and each sip is a moment of pure indulgence. But it doesn’t stop there. Their selection of sweet treats is simply divine, leaving you yearning for just one more bite. Beyond the delectable delights, Girasole Taste of Italy also offers catering options that showcase Egle’s expertise and attention to detail. Whether it’s an intimate gathering or a grand celebration, their catering service is sure to impress. Egle’s enthusiasm for life is infectious, and it shines through in every aspect of her business. Girasole Taste of Italy is a testament to her love for food and her unwavering commitment to delivering an authentic Italian experience. A visit here is more than just a meal; it’s a journey that leaves you feeling nourished, uplifted, and grateful for the passion that Egle and her team bring to the table.
Ottolenghi
Ottolenghi in Islington always exceeds my expectations which is why it is the go-to place to take my friends when they visit London. The vibes inside are super inviting and minimal, setting the stage for innovative dishes that combine Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavors in a really creative way. The flavors are off the charts, as they often use plenty of fresh herbs and add that extra something to their salads by grilling components like the cauliflower in their cauliflower salad. And of course they have plenty of vegan friendly options. The staff is always really nice too—friendly, helpful, and totally passionate about what they do. From the gorgeous plating to the use of local ingredients, Ottolenghi knows how to bring the wow factor. And don’t leave without trying the pastries because they are to die for! If you’re up for an unforgettable dining adventure in Islington, this place is an absolute must-visit. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed!
Tenshi
This was my go-to spot for lunch, as it’s a true hidden gem for authentic Japanese cuisine. Immediately you feel transported to Tokyo, thanks to the strong attention to detail in the cozy restaurant’s interior design. Of course, there is a wide range of dishes available, from sushi and sashimi to hot and flavorful ramen bowls. My personal favorite are the bento boxes, as they allow you to try various items like miso soup and dumplings alongside your main course. Whether you’re a sushi aficionado or simply looking to explore the wonders of Japanese cuisine, Tenshi is an absolute must-visit in Islington, offering an unforgettable taste of Japan in the heart of North London.
If we missed anything worth mentioning, email sophia@work-play.co.uk and tell her about it. Let’s make this list as full and interesting as Islington is.
