Had you forgotten just how chilly 14°C is, after the scorching summer? We certainly had. So it's perhaps just as well that indoor exhibitions and shows are opening up all over the country. It's time to bring out the warm coats, gloves, and scarves - but hold onto the sunnies - as we embrace the sunny-yet-chilly weather. This week we look to inspiration from the past with ideas for how to live your life a little more analogue, and a review of a 1990s revival.
Here's what's coming up:
Darkroom: A new Architects of Air installation at Sudbury Hall in Derbyshire
Unsh*ttifiation: Greg Barradale on relishing the respite of no phone reception
On the Town: Can a revamped RENT the musical still educate audiences about the AIDS crisis? + Alex Rees reviews Tom Cruise's Digger
Followed by the usual restaurant openings, listings, and weather for cities across the UK.
Darkroom
Photograph of the week, as chosen by Paperweight Magazine's picture bureau:
Greater Things
1001 ways to live your life greater:
When was the last time that you went to your local library? Statistically, it's likely to be quite a while ago. You might be surprised by what's changed. This week's Greater Things encourages us all to get back into a habit that has wider implications for our sense of belonging:
Sunday Paperweight
Unsh*ttification
Ways to escape the worst horrors of modern life:
A festival without phone reception requires a plan. Greg Barradale's tip for locating your friends at the End of the Road festival offers a lesson for everyday life:
Greg Barradale
On the Town
What's happening in town this week:
Jonathan Larson's most renowned work returned to the West End this month. Our editor, Cal Roscow, went to see whether this update of the 1990s musical, RENT, can still educate audiences on the era in which the AIDS crisis collided with capitalism:
Cal Roscow
And Alex Rees reviews Tom Cruise's most talked-about film in years, Digger, asking what comparisons can be drawn from big oil, big tech, and even the film industry itself:
Alex Rees
Here's everything that's going on this week:
London
Restaurant Openings:
Alto 19 Mediterranean-leaning restaurant and bar in Canary Wharf from the Lina Stores and Kricket team, sitting on the 19th floor, with a 300-bottle European wine list. Reservations recommended. Level 19, 1 Cartier Circle, Locke at Canary Wharf, London E14 5HF. Opened 15th October 2026.
Bubala A fourth site opens for the vegetarian Middle Eastern mini-chain, right in the heart of Covent Garden's theatre district. Reservations and walk-ins welcome. 14 Garrick Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9BJ. Opens 19th October 2026.
Dishoom The contemporary Indian dining behemoth, opens a new branch inside the historic Hop Exchange, right by Borough Market. Reservations and walk-ins welcome. The Hop Exchange, 11-13 Park Street, Borough, London SE1 9AB. Opened 12th October 2026.
PAM Thai-inspired restaurant from ex-Kiln chef Karla Knowles, following a run of summer supperclub previews. Reservations recommended. 61 Charterhouse Street, Farringdon, London EC1M 6HA. Opens 22nd October 2026.
Other openings:
Kiosk Bookshop There's a dearth of kiosks in London, and so the end of the Exmouth Cultural Kiosk near Exmouth Market was a real loss. In happier news, the former newsstand has taken on a third life in the form of a curated shop for rare art, film and fashion books. Instagram. Opposite 70 Exmouth Market, Clerkenwell, London EC1R 4QP. Opened early October 2026.
Listings:
Michael Landy: Future Ruins New work by the Turner Prize nominee on decay and disintegration, tucked into one of London's smallest house museums. Free admission. Sir John Soane's Museum, 13 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3BP. Opened Wednesday 14th October 2026, runs to 17th January 2027.
Room 13 An experiential horror piece from Immersive Octopus, staged inside Battersea Arts Centre's own building and built around the aftermath of the 2015 fire there, ten years on, with timed entry slots through the night. Pay What You Can (recommended £16). Battersea Arts Centre, Lavender Hill, London SW11 5TN. 16th October to 1st November 2026, timed slots each evening.
Faerdom: Now, As Ever The first temporary exhibition at London's newest illustration museum, opening this week, at the converted Georgian water-pumping station in Clerkenwell. Tickets from £15 . Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration, 1 Myddelton Passage, London EC1R 1AG. Opens Friday 23rd October 2026, runs to 29th March 2027.
Faust with Immersive Live Score Murnau's 1926 silent classic reimagined as a live cinema performance, staged in the Horniman's Pavilion. Tickets from £15. Horniman Museum and Gardens, 100 London Road, Forest Hill, London SE23 3PQ. Sunday 25th October 2026, 5pm until 7pm.
Hyundai Commission: Tarek Atoui This year's Turbine Hall commission, a sound and kinetic sculpture work built using instruments devised with and for the museum's own staff and visitors. Free admission. Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG. Until 11th April 2027 (opened 13th October 2026).
QUCL Annual Lecture: Changing Gender (Susan Stryker) The transgender studies historian gives UCL's annual queer studies lecture, tied to her new book of the same name. Free admission, booking required. UCL, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT. Monday 19th October 2026, 6.30pm until 8pm.
Freddie Mercury: Splendid Things A free trail scattered across the museum's galleries, tracing eight of Freddie Mercury's stage costumes through Queen's rise and his solo career. Free admission, no booking required. V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL. Opens Saturday 24th October 2026.
God Save the Queens New exhibition on the women who shaped 1970s punk, fifty years on, at the world's first museum dedicated to youth culture. Free admission, booking required. Museum of Youth Culture, 51 St Pancras Way, London NW1 0PU. Opens Friday 23rd October 2026, runs to 22nd November 2026.
Diwali on the Square The Mayor's free annual Diwali festival takes over the square with dance, music and food stalls. Free admission. Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN. Sunday 25th October 2026, 1pm until 7pm.
Big Story Festival Two days of free family storytelling activities, plus some paid workshops with the likes of Jacqueline Wilson and Matthew Bourne, across the museum's learning spaces. Free admission to most activities; paid workshops from £10. Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Road, London SE1 6HZ. Sunday 25th October 2026, 10am until 6pm.
Upperground: DJ Sets V&A East's answer to a museum late: DJ sets, a pop-up bar and a terrace over the Olympic Park, no ticket needed. Free admission. V&A East Museum, East Bank, 107 Carpenters Road, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, London E20 2AR. Thursday 22nd October 2026, 6.30pm until 9.30pm.
PLAYPIEM presents PMVU: A Halloween Special A Halloween-themed night of afrobeats, amapiano, dancehall and early-internet-culture curiosities in Village Underground's railway-arch space. Tickets from £20. Village Underground, 54 Holywell Lane, London EC2A 3PQ. Friday 23rd October 2026, 11pm until 5am.
Anish Kumar: 4 Fridays at Phonox The last of a month-long residency curated by DJ and producer Anish Kumar, with DAR DISKU and DJ Subaru, at Brixton's intimate club room. Tickets via Resident Advisor. Phonox, 418 Brixton Road, Brixton, London SW9 7AY. Friday 23rd October 2026, 10pm until 4am.
Last Chance to See:
The Urmetazoan Tickets from £28. Hampstead Theatre, Eton Avenue, Swiss Cottage, London NW3 3EU. Final performance Saturday 24th October 2026.
Darkling Tickets from £15. Bush Theatre, 7 Uxbridge Road, Shepherd's Bush, London W12 8LJ. Final performance Saturday 24th October 2026.
Table 17 Tickets from £15. Kiln Theatre, 269 Kilburn High Road, London NW6 7JR. Final performance Saturday 24th October 2026.
Jane Eyre Tickets from £20. Southwark Playhouse Elephant, 1 Dante Place, London SE11 4RX. Final performance Saturday 24th October 2026.
Thelma & Louise: A New Musical Tickets from £65. Young Vic, 66 The Cut, Waterloo, London SE1 8LZ. Final performance Saturday 24th October 2026.
4.48 Psychosis Tickets from £25. Linbury Theatre, Royal Ballet and Opera, Bow Street, London WC2E 9DD. Final performance Sunday 25th October 2026.
As You Like It Standing from £5, seated from £29. Shakespeare's Globe, 21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, London SE1 9DT. Final performance Sunday 25th October 2026.
London City Ballet: Firebird, A Double Bill Tickets from £15. Sadler's Wells Theatre, Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4TN. Final performance Saturday 24th October 2026, 7.30pm.
Manchester
Portrait of Black Britain Free photography exhibition by Cephas Williams, shown in the foyer space. Free admission. The Social, Aviva Studios, Water Street, Manchester M3 4JQ. Until 1st November 2026.
Bobby Baker screening and Q&A Screening of An Edible Family in a Mobile Home followed by a Q&A, tied to the gallery's current programme. Free admission, booking required. The Whitworth, Oxford Road, Manchester M15 6ER. Thursday 22nd October 2026, 6pm until 7.45pm.
On The Line: 100 years of strikes and solidarity Exhibition marking the centenary of the 1926 General Strike. Free admission, donations welcome. People's History Museum, Left Bank, Spinningfields, Manchester M3 3ER. Until 2nd November 2026.
Over Here Zine Fest 2026 Zine-making workshop and market event in the same museum. Free admission. People's History Museum, Left Bank, Spinningfields, Manchester M3 3ER. Saturday 24th October 2026, 10am until 4pm.
King Lear David Threlfall leads this revival in the round. Tickets from £12. Royal Exchange Theatre, St Ann's Square, Manchester M2 7DH. Performances Tuesday 20th, and Thursday 22nd to Sunday 25th October 2026.
Day Sessions: Manchester Daytime "30+" retro club party playing 80s/90s/00s classics, inside the cathedral itself. Tickets via Skiddle. Manchester Cathedral, Victoria Street, Manchester M3 1SX. Saturday 24th October 2026, 12.15pm until 10pm.
Ancient Infinity Orchestra World/jazz orchestra show in the Northern Quarter's heritage venue. Tickets from £24. Band on the Wall, 25 Swan Street, Manchester M4 5JZ. Tuesday 20th October 2026, bar from 6pm, on stage 8pm.
Glasgow
Through Line: Connecting the Collection A new semi-permanent rehang of Glasgow Life's modern art collection, grouping works by shared threads like origin, subject, material or colour rather than chronology. Free admission. Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA), Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow G1 3AH. Opened Saturday 17th October 2026, runs to 31st December 2027.
MUMS: A Shared Story of Motherhood Community-made exhibition from Greater Govanhill's ongoing Tramway residency, exploring motherhood through local voices and objects. Free admission. Tramway, 25 Albert Drive, Glasgow G41 2PE. 18th October to 15th November 2026.
Thanks for Being Here Ontroerend Goed's inventive, audience-implicating theatre piece that blurs the line between performer and spectator; you may be filmed. Tickets from £19. Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, Glasgow G1 5HB. Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd October 2026, 7.30pm.
In Tronversation with Johnny McKnight Closing event in the Tron's yearly interview series, marking 40 years of the Tron Panto: Darren Brownlie quizzes McKnight on his career and his hold on Scottish pantomime. Tickets from £25. Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, Glasgow G1 5HB. Saturday 24th October 2026, 5pm & 7.30pm
Edinburgh
Jillian Edelstein: Among People Major career survey of the documentary and portrait photographer, spanning four decades, closing at the end of this month. Free admission. Stills Centre for Photography, 23 Cockburn Street, Edinburgh EH1 1BP. Until 31st October 2026.
Tristan & Yseult Emma Rice's original Kneehigh production, returning to the UK for the first time in a decade: myth, live music and movement. Tickets from £20. Royal Lyceum Theatre, Grindlay Street, Edinburgh EH3 9AX. Tuesday 20th to Saturday 24th October 2026.
Music at the Traverse: Bruce Molsky & Darol Anger Long-time duo of American folk and old-time musicians, in an intimate theatre-bar gig. Tickets from £25. Traverse Theatre, 10 Cambridge Street, Edinburgh EH1 2ED. Wednesday 21st October 2026, 8pm.
Belfast
Darren Jackson's Wedding Big Telly Theatre's immersive comedy sequel to "Granny Jackson's Dead". Darren marries an AI, and the audience attends the ceremony, walking between two venues. Part of Belfast International Arts Festival. Tickets from £16-£22. Starts at St Bartholomew's Church, Stranmillis, ends at The Naughton Studio, Lyric Theatre, 55 Ridgeway Street, Belfast BT9 5FB. Wednesday 21st October to Sunday 1st November 2026.
BIAF: Aliens Theatre, spoken word and science crossover, part of Belfast International Arts Festival programming. Tickets from £15. Black Box, 18-22 Hill Street, Belfast BT1 2LA. Friday 23rd October 2026, 7pm.
BIAF: Fergus McCreadie Jazz pianist, also part of Belfast International Arts Festival. Tickets from £20. Black Box, 18-22 Hill Street, Belfast BT1 2LA. Thursday 22nd October 2026, 7.30pm.
The Glass Menagerie Tennessee Williams' classic, staged at Belfast's multi-arts venue. Tickets from £21. The MAC, 10 Exchange Street West, Belfast BT1 2NJ. Tuesday 20th to Tuesday 27th October 2026.
Birmingham
Emmy Bridgwater and Birmingham Surrealists New exhibition on Birmingham-born Surrealist Emmy Bridgwater (1906-1999): paintings, drawings, collages and poetry, shown alongside fellow Birmingham Surrealists and contemporary artists responding to her work. Free admission, donations welcome. mac (Midlands Arts Centre), Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QH. Opens Saturday 24th October 2026, runs to 10th January 2027.
Made You Look Ty'rone Haughton's one-man show on oppression, grief and masculinity through performance poetry; 40 minutes, no interval, 14+. Tickets from £13. Birmingham Rep, The Door, 6 Centenary Square, Birmingham B1 2EP. Wednesday 21st and Thursday 22nd October 2026, 7pm.
Robert White: comedy Whether you’re a fan from his series of Britain’s Got Talent, or you’re one of his millions of online viewers but only just realising that Robert is ‘THAT’ Gay Autistic Keyboard Tanktop Comedy Guy, you’ll want to see his mix of songs, stories, stand-up, gags, props, and improvisation. Tickets from £20. mac, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QH. Friday 23rd October 2026.
Brighton
One Song Kadir Karababa's solo show at Brighton's small independent gallery, closing soon. Free admission. Fabrica, 40 Duke Street, Brighton BN1 1AG. Until 28th October 2026.
Magic Place New interactive installation that responds to visitors in real time, opening this week. Free admission with Museum entry. Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, Royal Pavilion Gardens, Brighton BN1 1EE. Opens Saturday 24th October 2026, runs to 21st February 2027.
Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote Audience-participation comedy night built around a Murder, She Wrote episode, hosted by self-described super-fan Tim Benzie, in the venue's basement room. Tickets from £14. Komedia, 44-47 Gardner Street, Brighton BN1 1UN. Wednesday 21st October 2026, doors 7pm, show 8pm.
Bogan Bingo: Afternoon Delight Daytime party edition of the venue's comedy bingo, 80s music and self-described "total mayhem." Tickets from £14. Komedia, 44-47 Gardner Street, Brighton BN1 1UN. Saturday 24th October 2026, doors 12.30pm, show 1.15pm until about 4.15pm.
Bristol
Joy Gregory: Catching Flies with Honey Landmark exhibition of Gregory's four-decade practice across photography, film, installation and textiles, opening Bristol Photo Festival 2026. Free admission, donations welcome. Arnolfini, 16 Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4QA. Opened Saturday 17th October 2026, runs to 7th February 2027.
Up Down BIG Man Studio-scale new play on leaving home aged forty, with a relaxed performance and a BSL-interpreted night built in. Tickets from £15. Bristol Old Vic, Weston Studio, King Street, Bristol BS1 4ED. Tuesday 20th to Saturday 24th October 2026, times vary by day.
Lanny World premiere stage adaptation of Max Porter's novel, now in its standard run after sold-out previews. Tickets from £15. Bristol Old Vic, King Street, Bristol BS1 4ED. Friday 23rd October 2026, 7.30pm; also Saturday 24th, 2.30pm and 7.30pm.
Ear Trumpet presents: Pete Josef + Sailing Moon Soul and dance-leaning solo set from Pete Josef, with support from Sailing Moon on their Bristol debut. Tickets from £16. Arnolfini, 16 Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4QA. Saturday 24th October 2026, doors 7.30pm, 8pm until 10.30pm.
Leeds
Mind Over Slammer: Leeds Heat Regional heat of a national spoken-word poetry slam. Tickets via Eventbrite. Hyde Park Book Club, 27-29 Headingley Lane, Leeds LS6 1BL. Monday 19th October 2026, 6pm until 11pm.
Book Launch: Volatile by Tom Branfoot Debut poetry collection launch with readings from J.R. Carpenter and David Dobson. Tickets via See Tickets, redeemable against the book. Hyde Park Book Club, 27-29 Headingley Lane, Leeds LS6 1BL. Friday 23rd October 2026, 7pm until 10pm.
Peanut Butter & Blueberries An update to the romantic comedy genre, following its sell-out world premiere at London’s Kiln Theatre, from local Leeds playwright and poet Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan. Tickets from £17. Leeds Playhouse, Playhouse Square, Leeds LS2 7UP. Opens Thursday 22nd October 2026.
Close Enough To Touch A play about sex, heartbreak… and toilets. Staged in the Playhouse's disused quarry space. Tickets from £17. Leeds Playhouse, Bramall Rock Void, Playhouse Square, Leeds LS2 7UP. Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th October 2026, 8pm.
In Colour (Winter Edition) All-dayer featuring Squid, Working Men's Club and others. Tickets from £25. Brudenell Social Club, 33 Queen's Road, Leeds LS6 1NY. Saturday 24th October 2026, doors 2.30pm.
Iguana Death Cult + Wax Head With Iguana Death Cult’s latest iteration, the band laments on personal stories of hardship and doubt whilst fixing their gaze on the burning world around them. Tickets £11. Hyde Park Book Club, 27-29 Headingley Lane, Leeds LS6 1BL. Friday 23rd October 2026, 7.30pm until 11pm.
Boombox Circus: Halloween Killa Rave Costumed Halloween rave in the former bus depot. Tickets from £12. Beaverworks, 36 Whitehouse Street, Hunslet, Leeds LS10 1AD. Saturday 24th October 2026, 10pm.
Cardiff
Pam Open 2026 Annual open-submission exhibition (established in 2009, part of madeinroath festival): "if you bring it we will hang it," judged this year by Husna Hossain, Daniel Lazenby and Hannah Walters. Free admission. g39, Oxford Street, Cardiff CF24 3DT. Opened Saturday 17th October 2026.
Jarman Awards 2026 + Talk: Ilona Sagar Film and art talk tied to the Jarman Awards. Free admission. g39, Oxford Street, Cardiff CF24 3DT. Saturday 24th October 2026, 7:30pm.
Balloon Girl Sci-fi family show (8+): a time-travelling Victorian ghost takes a tech billionaire through 2,000 years of Welsh history via hot air balloon, inspired by Cardiff's real "Balloon Girl" Louisa Maud Evans. Tickets from £18, half price for under-25s. Sherman Theatre, Senghennydd Road, Cathays, Cardiff CF24 4YE. Tuesday 20th to Saturday 24th October 2026.
Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama Concert Series: Autumn 2026 Free student concert, no ticket needed. Free admission. National Museum Cardiff, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NP. Wednesday 21st October 2026.
Terrain: Bangers Without Borders Pan-global riddim and rave night. Free admission. Paradise Garden, 213 City Road, Cardiff CF24 3JD. Saturday 24th October 2026, 7.30pm until 1am.
Liverpool
Weird presents and near futures: book launch with Matt Hill Join the author in conversation with writer Helen Tookey as they discuss the ideas and influences behind Hill's new book. Free admission, booking required. Bluecoat, School Lane, Liverpool L1 3BX. Wednesday 21st October 2026, 6pm until 8pm.
Healing Offering: ahma's sweep A live "healing offering" performance piece by Feixia Yu and Hannah Yu-Pearson, made in response to the gallery's current Rae-Yen Song exhibition. Free admission, booking required. FACT, 88 Wood Street, Liverpool L1 4DQ. Saturday 24th October 2026, 2pm.
More than words: Black History Month Panel and Performance Panel and performance event organised by Black Stage Pass for Black History Month. Pay what you can. Everyman, Hope Street, Liverpool L1 9BH. Thursday 22nd October 2026.
Grand Master Flash: The 4 Elements Tour The hip-hop pioneer in an intimate warehouse room. Tickets from £27. Invisible Wind Factory, 3 Regent Road, Liverpool L3 7DS. Saturday 24th October 2026, 6pm.
The Spare Rib: 'All Hallows Tease' Halloween-themed burlesque and cabaret night downstairs at the theatre. Tickets from £15. Downstairs at the Everyman, Hope Street, Liverpool L1 9BH. Saturday 24th October 2026.
Newcastle
Hannah Peel & Beibei Wang: The Endless Dance Electronic composer Hannah Peel paired with percussionist Beibei Wang, a crossover concert hall pairing. Tickets from £27. The Glasshouse, St Mary's Square, Gateshead NE8 2JR. Tuesday 20th October 2026, 8pm.
Nottingham
Reggae Bingo with Dialtone Sound Family-friendly bingo night with a reggae soundtrack and Caribbean twist. Free admission; games £1 each. New Art Exchange, 39-41 Gregory Boulevard, Nottingham NG7 6BE. Saturday 24th October 2026, 5.30pm until 8pm.
I Was A Teenage Bisexual Polis Loizou's horror-tinged, B-movie-styled new play about a bullied teenager in a town where folkloric creatures start resembling him. Tickets from £15. Nottingham Playhouse, Wellington Circus, Nottingham NG1 5AF. Saturday 24th October 2026, 8pm.
New Dawn Fades Play about Joy Division, Ian Curtis and Manchester's post-punk scene. Tickets from £30. Nottingham Playhouse, Wellington Circus, Nottingham NG1 5AF. Tuesday 20th October 2026, 7.30pm.
Ballistik: Queer Pool Tournament Queer pool night and party. Tickets via Resident Advisor. Movers, 15 Hockley, Nottingham NG1 1FH. Thursday 22nd October 2026, 6pm until midnight.
Sheffield
The Goal of Our Health New solo exhibition from New York/Glasgow artist-filmmaker Alexis Kyle Mitchell. Free admission. Site Gallery, 1 Brown Street, Sheffield S1 2BS. Opened 16th October 2026, running to 21st March 2027.
Good Morning: A Day in Art New exhibition by Chantal Joffe and Ishbel Myerscough. Free admission. Millennium Gallery, Arundel Gate, Sheffield S1 2PP. Opened 15th October 2026, running to 17th January 2027.
Revolution, Revelation, Reinforcement: Queer Legacies in Sheffield's Art Collection Exhibition drawing on the city's queer art history; the gallery itself is closing at the end of the month for a heating fault, so this is a last-chance visit. Free admission. Graves Gallery, Surrey Street, Sheffield S1 1XZ. Until 31st October 2026.
Charlie Chaplin: The Gold Rush (Classic Silent Film with Live Music) Silent-film screening with live musical accompaniment, in the round. Tickets from £17. Crucible Theatre, 55 Norfolk Street, Sheffield S1 1DA. Monday 19th October 2026, 7.15pm.
Lady Leshurr Grime and rap MC gig in the venue's bar room. Malesha O'Garro, known as Lady Leshurr, is a rapper and producer whose oft-confrontational rhymes are belied by a buoyant melodicism. Tickets from £26. Sidney and Matilda, 46 Sidney Street, Sheffield S1 4RH. Wednesday 21st October 2026, 7pm until 10pm.
Girls, Gays & Theys: Lake Malice Queer club night. Tickets from £5. Corporation, 2 Milton Street, Sheffield S1 4JU. 18+. Saturday 24th October 2026, 11pm until 3am.
Weather Forecast
Forecast data provided by OpenWeather
London
Manchester
Glasgow
Cardiff
Brighton
Get Sunday Paperweight delivered to your inbox every week when you subscribe to a free Paperweight membership.
