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# Saving our streets and the art of human conversation
- URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/saving-our-streets-and-the-art-of-human-conversation/
- Published: 2026-09-20T10:46:31.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-20T10:46:31.000Z
- Description: Sunday, 20th September 2026
- Author: Sunday Paperweight
- Tags: Sunday Paperweight

This was a week in which AI's own proponents called for a "slowdown", Donald Trump banned news outlets - including CNN - from White House press briefings, and the war in Ukraine escalated yet further with intense drone attacks by Moscow. With so much out of one's own control, it's important for us all to focus on what we *can* do about things. So this week's *Sunday Paperweight* brings you a story on the volunteers taking control of the unloved patches of their streets, and our thirteenth *Greater Things* asks us to vote with our feet against the eradication of human interaction caused by touch-screen ordering. We're also excited to welcome film critic Alex Rees as a new Paperweight contributor, with a debut review of a MUBI cinematic release starring Gillian Anderson and Hannah Einbinder.

Here's what's coming up:  
  
**Darkroom:** Protesters take to the streets over climate breakdown  
**UK Affairs:** The volunteers turning unloved 'brownfield' land into a sprawling city park  
**On the Town:** Alex Rees on Jane Schoenbrun's love letter to the cult-horror genre

### Darkroom

Photograph of the week, as chosen by Paperweight Magazine's picture bureau:

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/2026/09/3FGXTX5.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/p/408c8950-f600-41a5-89f4-7d00518fa4fb/?member%5Fstatus=free)

Members of Extinction Rebellion take part in a **‘Love & Rage’* action, calling attention to the government's redacted National Security Assessment and asking how it intends to secure a liveable future as climate breakdown intensifies. Credit: Stephen Chung/Alamy Live News

### Greater Things

1001 ways to live your life greater:

It's been revealed that every year, from 2005 to 2019, people spoke 338 words fewer each day. It's not hard to see why we're living through an epidemic of loneliness. This week's *Greater Things* challenges us all to take a stand against the curtailing of human conversation:

[№ 13 | Avoid shops with touch-screen ordering - get your coffee and lunch elsewhereSo it turns out that humans are speaking 338 words fewer with each day that passes. A study, recently published in Perspectives on Psychological Science, found that between 2005 and 2019, conversation dropped by 28%. That’s around 20-30 sentences every day. And for younger people, it’s closer![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-99af02d8-550b-48b9-8bb0-2d2c2ebc889f.png)Paperweight MagazineSunday Paperweight![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/getty-images-aPNcgHl7Vc0-unsplash-927408a9-deab-4bb1-9d17-8fef5a7f8c04.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/p/b533b86b-39ce-4135-b45c-7afb5372a5f5/?member%5Fstatus=free)

### UK Affairs

The latest from Paperweight's UK Affairs bureau:

Cal Roscow sits down with the volunteers taking a stand against 'grotification' of our streets in their attempt to turn patches of inner-London no-man's-land into a walkable city park:

[The volunteers turning patches of urban no-man’s-land into a sprawling city parkCal Roscow interviews Oliver Ramsay-Gray from Blackfriars Urban Greening![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-e804017b-a151-4e90-9340-0ea1f8e0d050.png)Paperweight MagazineCal Roscow![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_8753-20aa097f-3299-43b7-b1fa-fee0c1897e4c.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/p/4c342301-47a8-48e8-9bde-255b8f0a0779/?member%5Fstatus=free)

### On the Town

What's happening in town this week:

Alex Rees writes his debut Paperweight film review, examining Jane Schoenbrun's love letter to the cult-horror genre, starring Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson:

[Review: Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma★★★★☆ | Flesh and fluids flourish in Jane Schoenbrun’s mise-en-abyme pastiche horror![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/icon/Roundel-f2d352d3-b820-4c99-8183-dc8e9db1c4d6.png)Paperweight MagazineAlex Rees![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/97/7c/977c5cdf-7176-4cbd-bf06-fc5902787e82/content/images/thumbnail/CampMiasma_Still_1_--MUBI-e8016fb0-5b1c-43b9-bfb4-dd2df3f489c6.jpg)](https://www.paperweightmag.com/review-teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma/)

And of course, here's everything that's going on this week:

### London

**George & Dragon** The Grade II-listed Clerkenwell boozer reopens as a classic public bar downstairs, with Brad Carter and Tom Brown's surf'n'turf, Michelin-recommended, restaurant **Island** occupying the upstairs. [Reservations recommended (for Island).](https://georgeanddragonlondon.com/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **240 St John Street, London EC1V 4PH.** *Opened Friday 18th September 2026.*

**Cafe 22** The Twenty Two's Mayfair restaurant relaunches under Guillaume Glipa (Chiltern Firehouse, Annabel's), offering Parisian-cafe swagger, a roaming Martini trolley and canard à l'orange. [Reservations recommended.](https://thecafe22.com/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **43 North Audley Street, London W1K 6LF.** *Opened Tuesday 15th September 2026.*

**Amar Kanwar** The New Delhi artist and filmmaker's first major UK solo show in years, as a site-specific installation, featuring a trilogy of films including a new seven-screen work having its premiere, transforming Serpentine North into a darkened, meditative space on Partition, displacement and memory. [Free admission.](https://www.serpentinegalleries.org/whats-on/amar-kanwar-exhibition/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Serpentine North, Kensington Gardens, London W2 3XA.** *Opens Wednesday 23rd September 2026.*

**Soane Late: Spotlight on Soane** The first after-dark opening since the summer break, with spotlight talks on favourite objects among the Hogarths, Turners and Canalettos. [Tickets from £25.](https://www.soane.org/whats-on/soane-late-spotlight-soane-25-september-2026?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Sir John Soane's Museum, 13 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3BP.** *Friday 25th September 2026, 6pm until 9:15pm.*

**Silent Disco in the Painted Hall** Headphones on, heels off (this is a strictly soft-soled shoes event, in order to protect the floor). Wren's gilded ceiling presides over a night of silent-disco dancing on the Old Royal Naval College's showpiece floor, bar open throughout. [Tickets from £40.](https://ornc.org/whats-on/silent-disco?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval College, King William Walk, Greenwich, London SE10 9NN.** *Friday 25th September 2026, 8pm until 11pm.*

**Gift to the Future** It's the last week to read more than 90 lines of poetry, written with thousands of schoolchildren across London, Birmingham and Manchester under poet Lemn Sissay, blown up to building scale and wrapped across the Southbank Centre's brutalist facades. [Free admission.](https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/gift-to-the-future/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX.** *Until Sunday 27th September 2026.*

**Wellcome Collection Lates: The Friendship Effect** The after-hours takeover with friendship as the theme: DJ sets, a friendship-bracelet workshop, a Care Café hosted by performance artist Lois Weaver, and a roving "hug-demic" from neurodivergent dance company BLINK. [Free admission, booking required.](https://wellcomecollection.org/events/wellcome-collection-lates-the-friendship-effect?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE.** *Thursday 24th September 2026, 7pm until 10pm.*

**Lawrence Abu Hamdan: Repercussions** The Turner Prize-winning 'Private Ear' takes over the Barbican for four days of sonic-justice programming: a free installation in The Pit, a live audio-essay built from an investigation into a reported sonic attack in Belgrade, a screening of Rififi built around its silent heist, and a closing night weaving testimony, surveillance and live sound. [Free admission; other events separately ticketed.](https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2026/series/lawrence-abu-hamdan-repercussions?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS.** *Wednesday 23rd until Saturday 26th September 2026.*

**Japanese Women Photographers: From 1950s to Now** Last chance for this landmark show: 200-plus photographs, videos, installations and rare photobooks from 27 groundbreaking women reframing seven decades of how Japan sees, and is seen. [Tickets from £14, free Fridays after 5pm.](https://thephotographersgallery.org.uk/whats-on/japanese-women-photographers-1950s-now?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Photographers' Gallery, 16-18 Ramillies Street, London W1F 7LW.** *Until Sunday 27th September 2026.*

**NIGO: From Japan with Love** The first museum retrospective for the A Bathing Ape founder and KENZO artistic director, built around a recreation of his teenage Harajuku bedroom and a life-size glass tea house. [Tickets from £15.29.](https://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/nigo-from-japan-with-love?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Design Museum, 224-238 Kensington High Street, London W8 6AG.** *Until Saturday 4th October 2026.*

**Last Dance at the Sundance Stompede + Maspalomas Directors' Q&As** A double bill of directors' Q&As for two queer films at the UK's only LGBTQ cinema, with the usual artisan cocktails available from the mixologists behind the bar. [Tickets from £15.](https://thearzner.com/TheArzner.dll/Home?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Arzner, 10 Bermondsey Square, London SE1 3UN.** *Sunday 27th September 2026, 4pm and 6pm.*

**Cherry** XOYO's rebuilt basement launches a new weekly Thursday residency: house and disco with an open DJ competition running alongside the regular lineup. [Tickets from £5.](https://www.xoyo.co.uk/events/cherry-house-disco-xoyo?ref=paperweightmag.com) **XOYO, 32-37 Cowper Street, London EC2A 4AP.** *Thursday 24th September 2026, 10.30pm until 3am.*

**Drag Race UK Season 8 Viewing Party with Mocha** Watch the eighth series of RuPaul's British edition of the competition (and last to appear on the BBC) with a different contestant every week at the South London favourite. [Free admission.](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/38916/rpdruk-watch-with-mocha-season-8-guests?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Rising SE1, 98 Harper Road, London SE1 6AQ.** *Thursday 24th September 2026 (and every Thursday for the next six weeks).*

**Bottom Heavy** Dalston Superstore's "daddy" Dan Beaumont and resident Wes Baggaley return to the lazercave for Chicago and Detroit house, with a second room of disco. [Free before 10pm, £8-£10 after.](https://dalstonsuperstore.com/event/bottom-heavy-23/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Dalston Superstore, 117 Kingsland High Street, London E8 2PB.** *Saturday 26th September 2026, 10pm until 4am.*

### Last chance to see:

**Catarina and the Beauty of Killing Fascists** [£10 Friday Rush and day tickets only.](https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/productions/catarina-and-the-beauty-of-killing-fascists/?ref=paperweightmag.com) National Theatre (Dorfman), Upper Ground, South Bank, London SE1 9PX. *Closes Saturday 26th September 2026.*  
**Bigfoot Ripped My Dog In Half I Saw It** [Tickets from £23.](https://sohotheatre.com/events/bigfoot-ripped-my-dog-in-half-i-saw-it/?ref=paperweightmag.com) Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, London W1D 3NE. *Closes Saturday 26th September 2026.*  
**National Dance Company Wales: Blue | Glas** [Tickets from £15.](https://www.sadlerswells.com/whats-on/national-dance-company-wales-blue-glas/?ref=paperweightmag.com) Sadler's Wells East, 101 Carpenters Road, London E20 2AR. *Until Saturday 26th September 2026.*  
**Crybabies: The Scaring** [Tickets from £27.](https://sohotheatre.com/events/crybabies-the-scaring/?ref=paperweightmag.com) Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, London W1D 3NE. *Until Wednesday 23rd September 2026.*  
**The Comedy About Spies** [Tickets from £15.](https://lwtheatres.co.uk/whats-on/the-comedy-about-spies/?ref=paperweightmag.com) Adelphi Theatre, 409-412 Strand, London WC2R 0NS. *Until Saturday 26th September 2026.*  
**I'm Every Woman: The Chaka Khan Musical** [Tickets from £25.](https://www.troubadourtheatres.com/whats-on/i-m-every-woman-the-chaka-khan-musical?ref=paperweightmag.com) Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, 3 Fulton Road, Wembley HA9 0SP. *Until Sunday 27th September 2026.*  
**You & It** [Tickets from £22.50.](https://kingsheadtheatre.com/whats-on/you-and-it-cs41?ref=paperweightmag.com) King's Head Theatre, 116p Upper Street, London N1 1QP. *Until Saturday 26th September 2026.*

### Manchester

**Escapes** Manchester Art Gallery's rarely-seen Victorian landscapes are put on display in a newly opened show. [Free admission.](https://manchesterartgallery.org/event/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3JL.** *Opens Saturday 19th September 2026.*

**Mrs Dalloway** Kit Green's Olivier Award-winning solo turn anchors this immersive fusion of theatre, live music and film, reimagining Woolf's novel as a single extraordinary day in Clarissa Dalloway's life. [Tickets from £16.](https://www.homemcr.org/whats-on/mrs-dalloway-5qyc?ref=paperweightmag.com) **HOME, 2 Tony Wilson Place, Manchester M15 4FN.** *Thursday 24th to Saturday 26th September 2026, 7.30pm.*

**Holy Fuck** The Toronto electronic outfit bring their hardware-built, inventive live show to Salford's most unruly warehouse venue. [Tickets from £20.](https://www.seetickets.com/event/holy-fuck/the-white-hotel/3592444?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The White Hotel, Unit 1 Dickinson Street, Salford M3 7LW.** *Tuesday 22nd September 2026, 7.30pm.*

**September Soul: Mali Hayes, Tsana, Isaac Malibu, Kiké** A four-way soul and neo-jazz bill in Band on the Wall's Copper Bar, showcasing sharp emerging voices. [Tickets from £9.](https://bandonthewall.org/whats-on/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Band on the Wall, 25 Swan Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester M4 5JZ.** *Wednesday 23rd September 2026, 8.30pm.*

**Samba Touré: A 20th Anniversary Tribute to Ali Farka Touré** The Malian guitarist honours his mentor's legacy with desert blues. [Tickets from £18.](https://bandonthewall.org/whats-on/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Band on the Wall, 25 Swan Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester M4 5JZ.** *Saturday 26th September 2026, 7.30pm.*

**Homobloc** WHP's queer flagship turns all of Depot Mayfield over to a sprawling bill: Kim Petras, Honey Dijon b2b Derrick Carter, Job Jobse, Horse Meat Disco and more across multiple rooms. [Tickets from £45.](https://thewarehouseproject.com/events/homobloc/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Depot Mayfield, 11 Baring Street, Manchester M1 2PY.** *Saturday 26th September 2026, 5pm until 4am.*

**Fixate b2b Fracture, Sir Spyro** A heavyweight bass showcase: a two-hour Fixate/Fracture b2b of broken beat, jungle and footwork, plus Mean Streets Records' 11th-birthday grime takeover in Room 2\. [Tickets via Skiddle.](https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Manchester/Hidden/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Hidden, 16-18 Mary Street, Cheetham Hill, Manchester M8 8GA.** *Thursday 24th September 2026, 10pm until 4am.*

### Glasgow

**Antigone** Finn den Hertog directs a contemporary two-hander take on Sophocles for his Tron debut of the story of Antigone's defiance and Ismene's torn loyalties. [Tickets from £15.](https://www.tron.co.uk/shows/antigone/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, Glasgow G1 5HB.** *Opened* *19th September 2026.*

**Queer Folks' Tales** Scotland's award-winning LGBTQ+ storytelling night comes to the Citizens' Studio, hosted by Turan Ali with poet Gray Crosbie and singer-songwriter Eyve. [Tickets from £13.](https://citz.co.uk/whats-on/queer-folks-tales-sep-26/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Citizens Theatre, 119 Gorbals Street, Glasgow G5 9DS.** *Friday 25th September 2026, 7.45pm.*

**Liana Flores** The Brazilian-British singer-songwriter's dreamy, bossa-inflected folk at one of the city's best small venues. [Tickets from £17.](https://www.kingtuts.co.uk/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, 272a St Vincent Street, Glasgow G2 5RL.** *Wednesday 23rd September 2026.*

**1984** Orwell's dystopia reaches its final week at the Citizens' main stage in this acclaimed touring production. [Tickets from £25.](https://citz.co.uk/whats-on/1984-play/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Citizens Theatre, 119 Gorbals Street, Glasgow G5 9DS.** *Until Saturday 26th September 2026.*

**Antal (All Night Long)** The Rush Hour co-founder takes the whole night solo in La Cheetah's basement, a format that rewards turning up early and staying late. [Tickets via Resident Advisor.](https://ra.co/events/2515581?ref=paperweightmag.com) **La Cheetah Club, 73 Queen Street, Glasgow G1 3DN.** *Saturday 26th September 2026, 10pm until 3am.*

### Edinburgh

**Caitlin Moran: How To Be Hopeful** The Times columnist tours her new memoir of a deliberately unglamorous quest to feel less terrible about the world, with special guest Mhairi Black. [Tickets from £29.50.](https://www.thequeenshall.net/whats-on/caitlin-moran-hopeful-tickets-edinburgh?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Queen's Hall, 85-89 Clerk Street, Edinburgh EH8 9JG.** *Tuesday 22nd September 2026, 7.30pm.*

**Leith Short Film Festival** A brand-new one-day festival championing short film and emerging filmmakers: screenings, Q&As, panel discussions and an awards ceremony at Granton's street-food-market-turned-venue. [Tickets from £11.](https://thepitt.co.uk/event/leith-short-film-festival-2026-saturday-26-september2026/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Pitt, 20 West Shore Road, Edinburgh EH5 1QD.** *Saturday 26th September 2026, various times.*

**Verse Metrics: You Are Lost Be Careful (solo)** The central-Scotland math-rock/post-rock trio plays an intimate solo-format launch for their new album Descents. [Tickets via See Tickets.](https://www.seetickets.com/event/verse-metrics/sneaky-pete-s/3707916?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Sneaky Pete's, 73 Cowgate, Edinburgh EH1 1JW.** *Saturday 26th September 2026, 7pm.*

**Dunedin Consort: Vienna and Beyond** Angela Hewitt joins the period-instrument ensemble for Haydn, C.P.E. Bach, Marianna Martines and Mozart, tracing 18th-century Vienna's close-knit musical circles. [Tickets £8-£44.](https://www.thequeenshall.net/whats-on/dunedin-consort-vienna-beyond-2026?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Queen's Hall, 85-89 Clerk Street, Edinburgh EH8 9JG.** *Sunday 27th September 2026, 7.30pm.*

**PULSE: SPFDJ, Darrell Pulse, Shaun Johnston** A late-night techno session in one of the Cowgate's longest-running underground rooms. [Tickets via Resident Advisor.](https://ra.co/clubs/11661?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Bongo Club, 66 Cowgate, Edinburgh EH1 1JX.** *Friday 25th September 2026, 11pm until 3am.*

### Belfast

**Belfast Record Fair** Thousands of records and CDs to dig through all under one roof. A proper Saturday-morning ritual for the city's crate-diggers. [Free admission.](https://www.ohyeahbelfast.com/events/belfast-record-fair-9jl5d?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Oh Yeah Music Centre, 15-21 Gordon Street, Belfast BT1 2LG.** *Saturday 26th September 2026, 10.30am until 3.30pm.*

**Output Belfast 2026: Evening Showcase** A free industry showcase spotlighting the city's emerging musicians. [Free admission.](https://www.ohyeahbelfast.com/events/240926?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Oh Yeah Music Centre, 15-21 Gordon Street, Belfast BT1 2LG.** *Thursday 24th September 2026, 7.30pm until midnight.*

### Birmingham

**My Beautiful Laundrette** A screening of the Stephen Frears 1985 classic as part of mac's BFI-backed *"Rip It Up"* season on youth rebellion, programmed by Birmingham actress Enva Lewis. [Pay What You Choose.](https://macbirmingham.co.uk/cinema/my-beautiful-laundrette?ref=paperweightmag.com) **mac, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QH.** *Saturday 26th September 2026.*

**Moving Pictures: A Tribute to Rush** A run through Rush's back catalogue at Digbeth's scrappiest independent venue. [Tickets from £20.](http://castleandfalcon.com/events/moving-pictures-a-tribute-to-rush/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Castle & Falcon, 402 Moseley Road, Birmingham B12 9AT.** *Saturday 26th September 2026, 7pm until 11pm.*

**Twelve Angry Men** Reginald Rose's courtroom thriller returns after sold-out West End seasons; this touring revival stars Gray O'Brien and Bill Ward as jurors turning on each other over a young man's fate. [Tickets from £20.](https://www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/whats-on/twelve-angry-men/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Birmingham Rep, The House, 6 Centenary Square, Birmingham B1 2EP.** *Monday 21st to Saturday 26th September 2026, 7.30pm.*

**The Marriage of Figaro** Wild Arts brings Mozart's comic opera to The House in a new English-language production directed by Olivier Award-winning soprano Danielle de Niese. [Tickets from £36.](https://www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/whats-on/the-marriage-of-figaro/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Birmingham Rep, The House, 6 Centenary Square, Birmingham B1 2EP.** *Sunday 27th September 2026, 3pm.*

**Birmingham Royal Ballet: Swan Lake** Sir Peter Wright and Galina Samsova's classic staging returns with the Royal Ballet Sinfonia playing Tchaikovsky live. [Tickets from £26.](https://www.birminghamhippodrome.com/calendar/brb-swan-lake-four/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Birmingham Hippodrome, Hurst Street, Southside, Birmingham B5 4TB.** *Wednesday 23rd September to Saturday 3rd October 2026.*

**Naughty Horse Rooftop Party** A Thursday-night rooftop session at XOYO's Digbeth home, railway-arch views included. [Tickets from £16.](https://xoyobirmingham.co.uk/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **XOYO Birmingham, Lower Trinity Street, Digbeth, Birmingham B9 4AG.** *Thursday 24th September 2026, 7pm until midnight.*

**Cookout: Summer Rooftop Party** Bashment, dancehall, reggaeton, soca and amapiano on the XOYO roof terrace. [Tickets from £22.](https://xoyobirmingham.co.uk/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **XOYO Birmingham, Lower Trinity Street, Digbeth, Birmingham B9 4AG.** *Saturday 26th September 2026, 4pm until 10pm.*

### Brighton

**Chaps & Straps: Queer Line Dancing** Beginner-friendly LGBTQIA+ line dancing in the Komedia basement, mixing country classics with queer pop anthems, no experience required. [Tickets from £12.](https://www.komedia.co.uk/shows/chaps-straps-queer-line-dancing/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Komedia, 44-47 Gardner Street, Brighton BN1 1UN.** *Monday 21st September 2026, doors 7pm.*

**Night at the Museum** Large-scale, open-world immersive theatre takes over Brighton Museum after hours: characters, secret missions and challenges to complete as you move through the galleries. [Tickets from £55.](https://brightonmuseums.org.uk/event/night-at-the-museum-september-2026/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, Royal Pavilion Gardens, Brighton BN1 1EE.** *Saturday 26th September 2026, 6.30pm until 10.30pm.*

**Macbeth: Alas, poor country** ThirdSpace Theatre's youth-led reimagining of the Scottish play, setting Shakespeare's tragedy in a Britain at war in 2028\. [Tickets from £16.](https://thirdspacetheatre.co.uk/productions/macbeth-alas-poor-country-2026/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts (ACCA), University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9RA.** *Friday 25th until Saturday 26th September 2026.*

**Khan, with Skin Thief** Melbourne heavy-psych trio bring their mythologically-charged new album to the Green Door Store's cobblestone floor, alongside fellow Australians Skin Thief. [Tickets from £15.](https://thegreendoorstore.co.uk/events/khan/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Green Door Store, Units 2-4 Trafalgar Arches, Lower Goods Yard, Brighton Railway Station, Brighton BN1 4FQ.** *Friday 25th September 2026, doors 7pm.*

**234 Fest 2026** The Green Door Store's cherished weekend festival returns: two days, 21 bands, capped off with an Oral Habit afterparty at Rossi Bar. [Free admission.](https://thegreendoorstore.co.uk/events/234-fest-2026/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Green Door Store, Units 2-4 Trafalgar Arches, Lower Goods Yard, Brighton Railway Station, Brighton BN1 4FQ.** *Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th September 2026, from 1pm.*

**It Is Still 1985** Green Door Store's late-night synth-pop and new wave club night, running straight on from the day's gigs. [Tickets from £5.](https://thegreendoorstore.co.uk/events/it-is-still-1985-12/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Green Door Store, Units 2-4 Trafalgar Arches, Lower Goods Yard, Brighton Railway Station, Brighton BN1 4FQ.** *Saturday 26th September 2026, doors 11pm.*

### Bristol

**Jonathan Baldock: Held** Five-star-reviewed immersive installation turning Arnolfini's galleries into a folkloric wilderness, centred on a monumental wild-bear sculpture. Closes this week. [Free admission.](https://arnolfini.org.uk/whatson/jonathan-baldock-held/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Arnolfini, 16 Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4QA.** *Until Sunday 27th September 2026.*

**Beverly Buchanan: Weathering** Spike Island's autumn exhibition, the largest of the late American sculptor's work in Europe, opens with a free launch night. [Free admission, booking required.](https://www.spikeisland.org.uk/programme/events/exhibition-launch-beverly-buchanan-weathering/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Spike Island, 133 Cumberland Road, Bristol BS1 6UX.** *Launch Friday 25th September 2026, 6pm until 11pm; exhibition opens Saturday 26th September 2026.*

**FŌDA: Festival of Food Ideas** Bristol's festival of food ideas takes over Arnolfini's waterfront with a producer village, masterclasses and panels on regenerative farming. [Tickets from £10.](https://arnolfini.org.uk/whatson/foda-festival-of-food-ideas/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Arnolfini, 16 Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4QA.** *Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th September 2026, 9am until 6pm.*

**Juliet & Romeo** Lost Dog Dance's witty, dance-theatre take on Shakespeare's lovers, imagining what happens if they don't die young after all. [Tickets from £17.](https://bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on/juliet-romeo?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Bristol Old Vic, King Street, Bristol BS1 4ED.** *Tuesday 22nd to Saturday 26th September 2026.*

**Little Barrie** Twenty years on from their debut, the psych-rock'n'soul trio (theme tune writers for Better Call Saul) play songs from new album Gravity Freeze. [Tickets from £20.](https://www.theklabristol.co.uk/gigs/little-barrie/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Thekla, The Grove, East Mud Dock, Bristol BS1 4RB.** *Saturday 26th September 2026, doors 6.30pm.*

**Hamish & Toby / Willow** The opening night of Eminent's autumn/winter series in the Moon Club, house selectors on a newly upgraded four-point sound rig. [Tickets from £6.](https://lakota.co.uk/events/hamish-toby-willow/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Lakota, 6 Upper York Street, Stokes Croft, Bristol BS2 8QN.** *Friday 25th September 2026, 11pm until 5am.*

**TRiBE of FRoG: 26th Birthday Party** Two venues, six dancefloors and two outdoor spaces for this long-running psytrance/global-bass institution's fancy-dress birthday blowout. [Tickets via DICE.](https://lakota.co.uk/events/tribe-of-frog-%e2%98%85-26th-birthday-party/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Lakota, 6 Upper York Street, Stokes Croft, Bristol BS2 8QN.** *Saturday 26th September 2026, 10pm until 7am.*

### Cardiff

**Effaith** Disability Arts Cymru's touring exhibition: disabled, d/Deaf and neurodivergent artists respond to the climate crisis, with tactile relief prints and bilingual audio description. [Free admission.](https://g39.org/cgi-bin/website.cgi?place=exhibitions&id=5886&ref=paperweightmag.com) **g39, Oxford Street, Cardiff CF24 3DT.** *Until 26th September 2026.*

**Sian De Bergerac** New Welsh play from Red Oak Theatre, the Sherman's company in residence, about a "professional catfish" ghostwriting for men on dating apps, with creative captioning built into every performance. [Pay-what-you-decide, £16 to £20.](https://www.shermantheatre.co.uk/event/sian-de-bergerac/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Sherman Theatre, Senghennydd Road, Cathays, Cardiff CF24 4YE.** *Opened Saturday 19th September 2026.*

### Liverpool

**Rae-Yen Song: •\~TUA\~• 大眼 •\~MAK\~•** Newly opened installation transforming FACT's Gallery 1 into a glowing, sensor-controlled pond ecosystem, exploring a lost ancestor who drowned in 1950s Singapore. [Free admission.](https://www.fact.co.uk/event/rae-yen-song?ref=paperweightmag.com) **FACT Liverpool, 88 Wood Street, Liverpool L1 4DQ.** *Opened 18th September 2026, runs to 14th February 2027.*

**Becky Beasley: A Gentle Man (Part II) (1975-2029)** Touring exhibition turning the Bluecoat gallery into a green-linoleum landscape of "kissing benches" and pink curtain sculptures, with a four-part video portrait narrated by Russell Tovey. Free preview night the evening before opening. [Free admission.](https://www.thebluecoat.org.uk/whatson/becky-beasley?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Bluecoat, School Lane, Liverpool L1 3BX.** *Preview Friday 25th September, 6pm until 8pm; exhibition opens Saturday 26th September 2026.*

**Nana Funk's Bearcat Gumbo Special** Nana Funk returns Downstairs at the Everyman for chat, songs and "a good old knees up," joined by all-female jazz outfit Bearcat Gumbo. [Tickets from £16.](https://everymanplayhouse.com/event/nana-funks-bearcat-gumbo-special/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Everyman Theatre, 5-11 Hope Street, Liverpool L1 9BH.** *Saturday 26th September 2026, doors 7.30pm.*

**John Kearns: Tilting at Windmills** Brand-new stand-up from the Taskmaster alumnus and double Edinburgh Comedy Award winner. [Tickets from £27.](https://everymanplayhouse.com/event/john-kearns-tilting-at-windmills/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Liverpool Playhouse, Williamson Square, Liverpool L1 1EL.** *Thursday 24th September 2026.*

**Circus Birthday After Party** Limited-ticket birthday rave in the Invisible Wind Factory's industrial main room, with the line-up under wraps. [Tickets via Fatsoma.](https://www.invisiblewindfactory.com/event/circus-birthday-after-party/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Invisible Wind Factory, 3 Regent Road, Liverpool L3 7DS.** *Saturday 26th September 2026, 10.30pm until 4am.*

### Newcastle

**BALTIC Open Submission 2026** BALTIC's annual showcase throws the galleries open to artists and collectives with no formal training required, alongside a Youth Open Call themed around "Local." [Free admission.](https://baltic.art/whats-on/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead Quays, South Shore Road, Gateshead NE8 3BA.** *Opened Saturday 19th September 2026.*

**A Northern Tr\*nny Hootenanny** Hunter King's sequin-spattered, Dolly-Parton-meets-Disney drag musical about a milkmaid's gender journey, in Stage 3 for one night with a post-show discussion. [Tickets from £12.](https://northernstage.co.uk/whats-on/a-northern-trnny-hootenanny/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Northern Stage, Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RH.** *Friday 25th September 2026, 7.30pm.*

**All At Sea** North East playwright Alison Carr's brand-new play, inspired by the notorious "Canoe Man" case, gets its world premiere. [Tickets from £12.](https://www.live.org.uk/whats-on/all-sea?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Live Theatre, Broad Chare, Quayside, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3DQ.** *Thursday 24th to Saturday 26th September 2026, 7.30pm.*

**Saint Etienne** The dream-pop veterans bring their farewell UK tour to Sage One, billed as their final run of shows. [Tickets from £36.](https://theglasshouseicm.org/whats-on/saint-etienne-2026/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Glasshouse, St Mary's Square, Gateshead Quays, Gateshead NE8 2JR.** *Thursday 24th September 2026, 7.30pm.*

**Othello** A Northern Stage, HOME Manchester and Citizens Theatre co-production reframes Shakespeare's tragedy in a 1980s landscape. [Tickets from £12.](https://northernstage.co.uk/whats-on/othello/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Northern Stage, Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RH.** *Until Saturday 26th September 2026.*

**Bonanza Festival Showcase: Adi X Benny** Cobalt's first autumn party imports a slice of Bonanza Festival's Colombian jungle rave, psychedelic, acid-tinged sets built for long dancefloor journeys. [Tickets from £10.](https://cobaltstudios.co.uk/events/bonanza-festival-showcase-adi-x-benny-all-night-long-age-20/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Cobalt Studios, 10-16 Boyd Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 1AP.** *Friday 25th September 2026, 11pm.*

### Nottingham

**LagosPhoto: Stories of Movement and Belonging** Just-opened photography exhibition pulling together work from artists across the African continent, exploring migration, identity and belonging. [Free admission.](https://www.lakesidearts.org.uk/exhibition/lagosphoto-stories-of-movement-and-belonging/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Djanogly Gallery, Lakeside Arts, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD.** *Opened Saturday 19th September 2026, until 10th January 2027.*

**Till the Stars Come Down** Beth Steel's Olivier-nominated wedding-day family drama, National-to-West-End transfer, closing out its Nottingham run this week. [Tickets from £12.50.](https://nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk/events/till-the-stars-come-down/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Nottingham Playhouse, Wellington Circus, Nottingham NG1 5AF.** *Until Saturday 26th September 2026.*

**New Constellations + A Thousand Mad Things** Portland duo Harlee Case and Josh Smith bring their communal, sing-it-back live show fresh off a Lollapalooza mainstage debut. [Tickets from £20.](https://www.bodeganottingham.com/gigs/new-constellations/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **The Bodega, 23 Pelham Street, Nottingham NG1 2EG.** *Friday 25th September 2026, doors 7pm.*

**Thompson Twins' Tom Bailey, with Blancmange** Eighties synth-pop royalty in one room: Bailey's solo revival of the Thompson Twins songbook, with support from Blancmange. [Tickets from £40.](https://rock-city.co.uk/gigs/thompson-twins-tom-bailey-rock-city-nottingham-tickets-2026/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Rock City, 8 Talbot Street, Nottingham NG1 5GG.** *Friday 25th September 2026, doors 7pm.*

**Blueprint** A new festival-style Saturday takeover spanning two venues and five stages: dance anthems, a hip-hop house party, an '80s disco floor and an indie afterparty room, plus a secret karaoke pop-up. [Tickets from £5.](https://www.rescuerooms.com/late-night-events/blueprint/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Rescue Rooms & Stealth, Masonic Place, Goldsmith Street, Nottingham NG1 5JT.** *Saturday 26th September 2026, 10pm until 4am.*

**Day Fever September** The daytime-clubbing trend lands at Rock City: 80s/90s/00s anthems and guilty-pleasure pop, done by 8pm so there's no 3am taxi queue. [Tickets from £12.](https://rock-city.co.uk/gigs/day-fever-september-rock-city-nottingham-tickets-2026/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Rock City, 8 Talbot Street, Nottingham NG1 5GG.** *Saturday 26th September 2026, 3pm until 8pm.*

### Sheffield

**When The Sky Gets Bright** Last week for disabled artist collective Babeworld's exhibition on loneliness and the online/offline divide, built around a new short film and an interactive landline installation. [Free admission.](https://www.sitegallery.org/exhibition/when-the-sky-gets-bright/?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Site Gallery, 1 Brown Street, Sheffield S1 2BS.** *Until Sunday 27th September 2026.*

**Debussy | La Mer** Resident ensemble Ensemble 360 plays Schumann, a new Dani Howard commission and Debussy's La Mer in the Unitarian chapel turned intimate concert room, as part of Music in the Round. [Tickets from £23.](https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/events/debussy-la-mer?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Upper Chapel, Norfolk Street, Sheffield S1 2JB.** *Thursday 24th September 2026, 7pm.*

**Float Along Festival 2026** The fifth edition of Sheffield's multi-venue indie/post-punk/psych festival, headlined by White Lies and Sprints with Flowdan, Warmduscher and Opus Kink. [Tickets from £22.](https://www.sidneyandmatilda.com/events/float-along-festival-2026?ref=paperweightmag.com) **Sidney & Matilda, 46 Sidney Street, Sheffield S1 4RH.** *Saturday 26th September 2026, 12pm until 2am.*

### Weather Forecast

Forecast data provided by OpenWeather

London

![The week's London weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/2c3553ea2b40) 

Manchester

![The week's Manchester weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/a3bf6e8bed66) 

Glasgow

![The week's Glasgow weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/7bfb6d2c3e24) 

Cardiff

![The week's Cardiff weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/1a9f889ccf61) 

Brighton

![The week's Brighton weather forecast](https://gen.sendtric.com/weather/36ca73a7eb0c) 

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