Let the Games begin!
BIRMINGHAM
KNITTED ART
Knit 2 Together will see Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery covered in knit graffiti. It’s the work of artist Sara Fowles and Stitches and Hos. The 1,300 balls of wool will feature the colours of the Jamaican, US and UK flags. 27 July-30 September; free; Chamberlain Square, B3
NEW SUNDAY MARKET
Mac Birmingham’s new monthly market has launched. Stock up on homemade cakes and chocolates, artisan breads and lots of other deli treats on the last Sunday of each month. 29 July; 10.30am-3.30pm; free; Mac Birmingham, Cannon Hill Park, B12
SPORT ICONS
Magnum Sport: Icons And The Everyday features a collection of 70 striking images of sporting icons, former Olympic champions and ordinary members of the public by Magnum Photos. 16 July-9 September; free; Colmore Square and Church Street Square, B4
VINTAGE FUN
Celebrate the sun shining on the Midlands by scouring Solihull’s Arts, Crafts and Vintage Fair for a fab new summer dress or some retro sunnies. As well as fashion, stalls will feature small antiques, jewellery and homeware. 28 July; free; Oliver Bird Hall, Church Hill Road, B91
FRINGE PREVIEW
Catch comics Lucy Porter and Shappi Khorsandi at the Glee Club for a preview of their brand new shows. Expect an evening of belly laughs as the ladies offer a sneak peak of their material for the Edinburgh Fringe. 26 July; 7pm; £10; The Glee Club, The Arcadian, 70 Hurst Street, B5
MANCHESTER
DANCE IN THE PARK
Give yourself over to a festival of nostalgia as Tatton Park Picnic Concerts hosts Back To The 80s with Tony Hadley and Heaven 17, all rounded off with a huge fireworks display. 29 July, 7.30pm; £32.50; Tatton Park, Knutsford, WA16
CITY ART
Try your hand at graffiti at this interactive graffiti mural workshop, part of the Projector Series from Blank Media Collective. 26 July, 6pm; free; The Salutation Inn, 12 Higher Chatham Street, M15
FLORAL HEAVEN
Browse over 30,000 blooms at Manchester Cathedral Flower Market, part of Dig The City, a festival celebrating urban gardening with pop-up allotments, floral exhibits and the Alan Turing Sunflower Project. 24-29 July; 9.30am-5.30pm; £10; Manchester Cathedral, M3
STREET DANCE
This weekend Urban Moves international dance festival will be animating streets, squares and parks all over the city with a programme of live, open-air dance including aerial and underwater performances. 27-29 July; free; Castlefield, Manchester, Bury, Bolton and Salford
LOMO LOVERS PARTY
Attend the launch party for the world’s first public, permanent ‘lomowall’, a 30-metre long, three-metre high mosaic artwork made from 14,000 individual lomographs. 26 July; 7pm; free (RSVP to store.manchester@lomography.com store.manchester@ lomography.com) The Lomography Gallery Store, 20 Oldham Street, M1
LEEDS
THE MAGIC LOUNGEABOUT
The sun is out and laidback family festival, The Magic Loungeabout takes over the grounds of Broughton Hall this weekend. The Charlatans will play and there will be bars, cinemas and even a spa. 27-29 July; £119/£43; Broughton Hall, Skipton, BD23
THE ARC SAILS AGAIN
The Arc reopens after its £1m refurbishment with a party tomorrow. Expect live entertainment, cocktails and canapés on arrival and food and drink offers all night. 27 July; 5pm until late; free; The Arc, 19 Ash Road, LS6
BRAMAGEDDON 2012
Female-fronted rock bands from across the UK will join with brilliant burlesque acts for annual charity fundraiser, Chebfest – this year dubbed Bramageddon 2012 – at Empire Bar on Saturday. 28 July; 3pm-11pm; £4; Empire, 24-32 Bridge End, LS1
BRITISH PHOTOGRAPHY
As London 2012 kicks off, White Cloth Gallery presents two patriotic photography exhibitions: England Uncensored documents Peter Dench’s travels alongside touring show, Great British Public. Until 1 October; 12pm-7pm; free; White Cloth Gallery, 24-26 Aire Street, LS1
BIRD’S BIRTHDAY
Our favourite independent designer and vintage treasure trove Bird’s Yard celebrates its second birthday on Saturday with discounts, cocktails, food, live bands, DJs and cabaret into the evening. 28 July; 2pm-11.45pm; free; Bird’s Yard, 83 Kirkgate, LS2
SCOTLAND
HIGH CONCEPT ART
As part of the SURGE Festival, you can help build a large cardboard structure called The People’s Tower and even better, help knock it down once you’re done! Until 27 July, 10am-5pm; free; The Briggait, 141 Bridgegate, Glasgow, G1; (showing: 29 July, 11am-5pm; Merchant City, Brunswick Street)
A SWEET MARKET
After a successful first run, Spoonful of Vintage is back – with Fifties ceramics, collectables and fashion. Plus, there will be vintage makeovers and high tea served all day. 29 July; 11am-5pm; free; Spoon, 6a Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, EH8
SOUTHERN FRIED FESTIVAL
The Southern Fried Festival opens tomorrow with a Johnny Cash tribute. Among others, singer-songwriter Lera Lynn celebrates his legacy, as well as performing her own show. 27-29 July; various times, prices and venues in Perth
THISTLY FEST
See a Frightened Rabbit solo set and Kitty The Lion at Thistly Fest a handpicked music festival, brought to you by Emerald Street favourite Thistly Cross Cider. 22 July; 2pm-4pm; £28; Belhaven Fruit Farm, East Lothian, EH42
COMIC HEROES
If the new Batman film has rekindled your love of comics, then don’t miss 1001 Comics, a lecture on the graphic novelists who have paved the way for the genre. 28 July; 3pm; free (but ticketed); CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2
LONDON
FLASH DANCE
Danish dance legend Peter Schaufuss presents his take on three Tchaikovsky ballets: Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty. The ground-breaking season culminates with the entire trilogy performed in one day. 28 July; from 1pm; from £15; London Coliseum, St Martin’s Lane, WC2N
POP CULTURE EXPLORED
See Mary Quant pieces from Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren’s original SEX boutique at Pop! Design Culture Fashion, which looks at how music and art impacted fashion from the Fifties onwards. Until 27 October; £7; Fashion and Textile Museum, 83 Bermondsey Street, SE1
UP ON THE ROOF
The London Picnic Club is set to make park picnics so déclassé. Popping-up at the Skyroom, expect exquisite roof-top picnics expertly curated by Platterform’s new head chef Alejandro Bello of Ceviche. Until 8 September; £35 per person; 5th Floor, Magdalen House, 148 Tooley Street, SE1
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS
British artist Charlotte Cory celebrates the Olympics with The Sporting Champions. It features sepia-soaked photos of past Olympians re-imagined with animal heads. Until 20 August; 11am-6pm; free; The Green Parrot Gallery, 73 Lassell Street, Greenwich SE10
BACK TO BASE
At The Book Club’s new outpost Basecamp, the Leonard Street car park has been turned into an Olympic-themed bar, complete with big screens, outdoor games and sustainably-sourced grub from Street Kitchen. Until 12 August; 8am-12am most days; free; 100 Leonard Street, EC2A
