The openings you need to know about this week

This week's Sunday Paperweight is arriving just after a narrow victory for the England men's football team against Norway, sending the squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup. It also means that for today, the Nordic low-cost airline Norwegian has switched its branding to that of British Airways as part of a friendly bet wagered earlier this week. In non-sporting news, the week ahead is filled with newly opening restaurants to try, exhibitions and long-awaited musicals. Virtually nowhere is left untouched by an unbroken spell of high-twenties temperatures for the next few days, so wherever you are, we have a way to make the most of it. Here's what's coming up:

Darkroom: Goodwood Festival of Speed
On the Town: Chocolatines, modernist architecture, and outdoor festivals
Out of Town: Postcards from Slovenia
En Route: Get Eurostar Premium tickets for 50% off and free Santander Cycles rides every Sunday in July

Modernist architects at the BBC BDP and The Modernist are hosting an evening with architectural historian Elizabeth Darling, as part of their summer talks series, on the first public commission of modernist architecture in Britain, the BBC's Broadcasting House. Built in 1932, the work of Val Myer and F.J.Watson Hart, with 19 interiors from leaders of Britain’s modernist movement: Serge Chermayeff, Wells Coates and Raymond McGrath. Tickets from £12. BDP London, 16 Brewhouse Yard, Clerkenwell, London, EC1V 4LJ. Thursday 23rd July 2026.

Miokuru Opening this week, a new sushi bar that's using British seafood; you'll find Cornish crab, chalkstream trout, and even beef tartare on the menu. Reservations recommended. Miokuru, 6–8 Warwick St, London W1B 5LU. Opening 13th July 2026.

Brasserie Olivia Anyone who has enjoyed Brasserie Bellanger while waiting for a train from Gare Du Nord will be delighted to hear the Parisian restaurant group opened a London outpost last week. Sadly, the small restaurant bills haven't been imported; Brasserie Olivia's prices are a little more London, but still look set to offer extremely good value. Reservations recommended. Brasserie Olivia, 1 Sloane Square, London SW1W 8EE. Opened 9th July 2026.

Kismet Dom Hamdy (of Crispin and Bistro Freddie fame) and chef Keiran Mustafa (ex-Bibi, Harwood Arms) bring the Istanbul/Northern-Cypriot concept of a meyhane to Borough Market this week. Reservations recommended. Upstairs at The Globe Tavern, 8 Bedale St, London SE1 9AL. Opens 16th July 2026.

Toad Bakery Rebecca Spaven and Oliver Costello's much-loved Camberwell bakery has just opened the doors at its second site on Deptford High Street, with exceptional woodwork interiors by carpenter Nick Tudor. Curiously, this establishment opts for 'chocolatine' over 'pain au chocolat', allowing South Londoners to join in on the traditional French battle. Take away, with a small amount of seating for walk-ins. Toad Bakery, St Paul's House, Deptford High St, London SE8 4BX. Opened 8th July 2026.

We Go Way Back The UK's first ancient-DNA exhibition opens on Thursday, with an immersive walk through human evolution, migration and disease from the Crick's Ancient Genomics Lab. Free admission. Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Rd, London NW1 1AT. Opens Thursday 16th July 2026.

Backyard Biennial: East Whitechapel Gallery's free 125th-anniversary summer festival gathers 40 artists and partners across three galleries. "Titled East and featuring exhibitions, installations, screenings, performances, workshops, residencies, walks, open studios and special events, this first iteration of Backyard Biennial will celebrate the unique historic, cultural and creative identity of the East End, and pay tribute to its many diverse communities and industries." Free admission. Whitechapel Gallery, 77–82 Whitechapel High St, London E1 7QX. Opens Wed 15 July.

Soho Village Fete & Waiters' Race The controversial Soho Society hosts the 51st edition of Soho's cult one-day fete featuring snail racing, Human Fruit Machine, tug of war, and the famous Waiters' Race (the starting pistol is fired 3:15pm outside the French House). If none of that interests you, perhaps still go along to remind the Society's members that they live in one of London's oldest nightlift districts, or ask which licensing application they're objecting to this month. Free admission. St Anne's Church garden, 55 Dean St, London W1D 6AF. Sunday 19th July 2026, from midday.

GRUB On The Docks GRUB MCR takes over MediaCity's waterfront for an open-air summer street-food residency accompanied by DJs and live music. Free admission. MediaCity, Salford Quays, Salford, M50 2EQ. All summer.

Night Service: Day Edition "Night Service turns its attention to the daylight hours for a session in the FOLD Steam Room. Panorama Bar resident Ryan Elliott leads with a four-hour set, joined by a debut from Ty Naug and house selections from 2 Boots (Night Service’s Paige C.B and Sh3l)." Tickets from £23.90. FOLD, Gillian House, Stephenson St, London E16 4SA. Saturday 18th July 2026, from 2pm until 10pm.

Stewart Lee in Scotland The coming week brings shows in Glasgow at the King's Theatre (Monday 13th and Tuesday 14th July), Edinburgh Playhouse (Wednesday 15th July), Perth (Thursday 16th July), and ending the week in Inverness (Friday 17th July). This is a new show, Stewart Lee vs The Man-Wulf, and will continue touring in England from September. Tickets from £33.

STREETrave Summer All-Dayer The legendary STREETrave summer all dayer returns with Soul II Soul topping the bill in a new outdoor venue with 3,000 capacity. Tickets from £40. The Galvanizers Yard, SWG3, 100 Eastvale Pl, Glasgow G3 8QG. Saturday 18th July 2026.

Earth Matters Exhibition of thirty artists' work coinciding with the 300-year anniversary of James Hutton's birth, the Edinburgh-born geologist, farmer and thinker who revolutionised our understanding of Earth’s creation and the ground beneath us. Free admission. Inverleith House, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Arboretum Pl, Edinburgh EH3 5NZ. Until 1st November 2026.

Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival If you're in Edinburgh ahead of the Fringe, head to Grassmarket for a free afternoon of New Orleans street bands across multiple stages. Free admission. Grassmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2HS. Until Saturday 18 July, afternoon.

Rep Rising Festival 2026 Festival of theatre from emerging Young Rep and Rep Pathways new talent. Also featured will be the first performances from actors in the brand-new intensive training programme Rep Studio 8. Tickets from £11. Birmingham Rep, Centenary Square, Broad St, Birmingham B1 2EP. Until Saturday 18th July 2026.

Phantasmagoria: Folkloric Sculpture for the Digital Age "This major group exhibition brings together a new generation of artists exploring how digital technologies are reshaping what sculpture can be, and how it can be used to tell stories about our past, present, and future." The show fuses folklore and legend with AI, 3D printing, gaming and video. Free admission. Henry Moore Institute, 74 The Headrow, Leeds LS1 3AH. Until 30th August 2026.

Trainspotting The Musical The much-anticipated musical of Irvine Welsh's classic 30-year-old film, opens at the Theatre Royal Haymarket this coming week, with music and lyrics by both Welsh and Stephen McGuiness. This is set to be a fresh take on the story, updated for the present day. The cast is led by Robbie Scott as Renton, making his West End debut. Tickets from £15. Theatre Royal Haymarket, 18 Suffolk St, London, United Kingdom, SW1Y 4HT. Opens Wednesday 15th July 2026.

Last chance to see:
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind Soho Place Theatre, 4 Soho Place, Charing Cross Road, London, W1D 3BG. Until 18th July 2026. Tickets from £45.
Grindr The Opera Union Theatre, 229 Union Street, London, SE1 0LR. Until 19th July 2026. Tickets from £39.
Grayson the Musical Soho Theatre Walthamstow, 186 Hoe St, London E17 4QH. Until 19th July 2026. Tickets from £25.

Half-Price Eurostar Plus or Premier Tickets You'll have to act quickly, as this offer ends at 10:59pm BST on Monday 13th July 2026, but Eurostar are offering 50% off Plus and Premier bookings when two people are travelling together. The offer doesn't apply to Standard bookings, but we think that Plus is well worth the extra legroom, and Premier gets you access to Eurostar lounges. (Although if you have The Platinum American Express, you may already have access to these). The offer applies to all journeys taking place between 28th July and 23rd September 2026, when two people travel together, starting or ending at London St Pancras International. We recommend that you read the full terms and conditions on the Eurostar website. However, Paperweight readers who have linked their Uber account to an Avios-collecting airline account, such as the British Airways Club, can also earn Avios from the transaction. And if you're a member of Uber One, you'll get 10% of the transaction value back in Uber credits.

Free Sunday Santander Cycles Transport for London is offering the chance to use the cycle hire scheme for free every Sunday in July. It's a little bit complicated to redeem; you'll need a promo code specific to each Sunday, and you can only book it on the day. But it's still worth it for unlimited 60-minute rides if you're planning a day of cycling. These are the codes you'll need:

• 12 July - CYCLEJULY12
• 19 July - CYCLEJULY19
• 26 July - CYCLEJULY26

Check the full details on the Transport for London website.

Postcards from Bled, Slovenia

Naomi Smith’s itinerary for a long weekend swimming in Slovenia’s lakes

PaperweightNaomi Smith

№ 3 | Turn off autoplay and stop skipping the credits

“There is more to life than increasing its speed.” This week’s Greater Things is about being more considered with your media consumption time

PaperweightSunday Paperweight

Those who found themselves near the River Thames on Wednesday evening were left wondering whether a drone show filling the London night sky with the words "FOREIGN TONGUES" was the latest stunt from right-wing political parties. In the end, it turned out to be a display for those attending the Rolling Stones' album launch at the new Nick Jones-owned St. Clement hotel, just around the corner from his former Soho House group's 180. It probably looked better from the balcony. The hotel is set to open to the public later this year.

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