Events to make you #SquareSmile

From outdoor art installations, contemporary performing arts and exhibitions, to walks, lunchtime concerts and social dances discover all the things happening in the City to make you #SquareSmile.

Events Include:

Inspired! at Guildhall Art Gallery

8 Apr - 11 Sep | Guildhall Art Gallery

See the special exhibition 'Inspired: Art inspired by theatre, literature and music’, which draws from the art gallery’s permanent collections. Examine the ways in which visual artists have taken inspiration from other art forms – poetry, plays, novels, and music and see the variety of inspirations and influences for artists from the 17th to the 19th century. Book tickets for Inspired!

Scratching the Surface by Fernando Casasempere

10 Feb - 22 Jul | London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE

Explore the latest site-specific art installation by Chilean artist Fernando Casasempere. Scratching the Surface will be a large-scale ceramic installation, inspired by the enigmatic nature of the Roman Temple of Mithras and archaeology linked to the site. Find out more about the installation on the London Mithraeum website and book tickets online.

Late Night Opening: first Thursday of each month 5-8pm

Stop by in the evening to see the new installation, Scratching the Surface, and explore the Temple of Mithras during extended opening hours. Book a free ticket on their website to reserve your time slot.

Lunchtime recitals and Rush Hour Jazz

Tuesdays & Thursdays | St Stephen Walbrook

St Stephen Walbrook is a place of sanctuary, inspiration and celebration at the heart of the City. Drop by any Tuesday 1.00-1.50pm to experience lunchtime concerts or pop in on your way home on the first Thursday of the month for Rush Hour Jazz 5.30-6.45pm. No need to book tickets or register attendance in advance. Entry is free - donations are appreciated! St Stephen Walbrook London

City Music Foundation - Lunchtime concerts

15 June | 1-2pm | Great Hall at St Bartholomew's Hospital

Looking for a lunchtime escape? Book a ticket for the next in-person City Music Foundation lunchtime concert. Hear beautiful music in the stunning surroundings of the Great Hall at St Bartholomew's Hospital. A different performer every month. See the concert schedule

Social Dance Events

Various dates | Bishopsgate Institute

Dust off your dance shoes and show off your moves on the friendliest dance floor in London. Bishopsgate Institute welcome dancers of all levels, from absolute beginners to the more experienced. Find more information about social dance.

London Symphony Orchestra at St Luke’s

Various dates | St Luke's Church

St Luke’s is a restored 18^th-century listed Hawksmoor church which has become the hub of the London Symphony Orchestra’s community and music education programme LSO Discovery. Join the London Symphony Orchestra for a performance at St Luke’s – there are discovery sessions for those who don’t know much about Classical music but want to learn more, lunchtime concert fixes as well as evening events. Tickets need to be booked online in advance. Find out what’s on and and purchase tickets at the LSO website.

Illuminated River Walking Tours

Fridays | Evenings | Millennium to London Bridges

Join the Official Guides to the City of London on a gentle, evening stroll alongside the Thames to find out more about the project, the artist and the four City bridges which form the first phase of this extraordinary, public artwork for London. Walks last about 90 minutes. All Guides are fully trained, accredited by the Institute of Tourist Guiding and insured. Book tickets in advance via Eventbrite.

Explore the City Walks

Daily | 11 am | Locations across the City

The City of London Guides set out on a guided walking tour every day in the Square Mile at 11 am, exploring a range of histories, fun facts and architectural wonders. Additional walks on Fridays and Saturdays at 2pm - A Right Royal City. Choose your walk on the CoL Guides website. Tickets must be booked in advance.

Sculpture in the City (11th Edition)

From 21 June | Locations across the City

Sculpture in the City is an annual outdoor sculpture event that uses the Square Mile as a rotating gallery space. The 11th Edition will be launched on 21 June, with artworks on display around the City’s famous buildings and public spaces. The sculpture park spans 100 Bishopsgate to Leadenhall Market, Fenchurch Street Station Plaza to Mitre Square. More details of 11th edition.

Jazz Roots to Rolling Stones Fruits and Rag ‘N’ Bone Man: The British Blues Exhibition

26 May - 19 Sept | Barbican Library

The British Blues Exhibition charts the rise of the music that became the ‘British Blues Explosion’, detonating on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1960s and changing popular music forever. With exhibits ranging over a 100-year span right up to the modern day, featuring the ‘Boat that rocked’ Radio Caroline, The Rolling Stones, The Animals, Cream, and Jools Holland, with musical instruments, books, sheet music, posters, and much more.

Free Entry - find out more about the British Blues Exhibition.

Post War Modern, New Art in Britain 1945-1965

3 Mar-26 Jun | Barbican Centre Art Gallery

A revelatory new take on art in Britain after the Second World War, a period when artists had to make sense of an entirely altered world. A poignant, timely reminder of humanity and hope for a better tomorrow amidst the ruins and trauma of war, destruction and bereavement. Postwar Modern Exhibition.