Monday sees the return of SXSW London, the European edition of this massive global culture, music and film festival, which takes over most of Shoreditch - and beyond - from 1st - 6th Jun.

This week on The Wick, you can read our exclusive interview with the event’s Head of Music, Adem Holness, about the opportunities having such a key event right on our doorstep presents for musicians at every stage of their career journey.

Alongside the 200 live artists performing at daily showcases, the festival also brings 800 world-class speakers to the stage and sees 100 film screenings across the week, and while not everyone can afford the full experience, passes for the music festival gigs are just £25 for a one-night wristband, or £79 for the full week (gigs run Tues to Fri).

Meanwhile, continuing their long association with the festival, Here East is throwing a big free event on their campus on Wed 3rd Jun with the help of Plexal and LMA. It All Starts Here (main pic above) is an afternoon of panels, networking and live music, with free drinks (by Crate Brewery), and a free BBQ (by From The Ashes).

From delving into the ethics of AI to networking with the folks from Texas House about the innovation exchange that’s growing between startups in London and Texas, the home state of SXSW. You don’t need a SXSW London badge to get in - the Hackney Wick satellite event is free to all, but do register for a place.

🕺 Return to the Forest lands at Sadler's Wells East from Thurs 28th - Sat 30th May. Step inside a museum where precious treasures are on display. Dusk falls and the museum is getting ready to close, but something is beginning to stir. Only a few visitors remain - these precious objects seem to be calling to them, yearning to be freed… It's an immersive affair marking the 30th anniversary of experimental theatre makers Theatre-Rites, teaming up again with award-winning South African choreographer Gregory Maqoma.

😂 Tonight, Wed 27th May, Comedy Night takes over the Wick’s LVLS with a selection of up-and-coming comedians. The event is free entry and from 7-10.45pm, so there’s a good few hours of different acts to sit back and have a chuckle at.

🎨 On Thurs 28th May, the interactive canvas workshop Paint Your Music with BSP sets up at Vaffancoffee in the Wick. What if you could see music? Not just hear it but feel the colours, textures, shapes vibrating in the air? Explore the world of synesthesia, where your senses mix and music becomes a visual language. Lead by artist BSP, with free drinks and snacks included in the ticket - just bring along a song that means something and try to put paint to canvas.

🏺 Design hunters can track down some eccentric homeware bargains at the Henry Holland Studio Seconds Sale on Sat 30th May and Sun 31st May in E8. There’s all sorts of pottery items made from either off-cuts specially for the sale or slightly chipped/funky versions of their shop-ware, with lots of pieces either cancelled orders or end of the line colours too. With 50% off most things, it’s a great chance to deck out your cupboards with some quirky clay.

🍲 Hackney Bridge is hosting Black Eats Fest all weekend (pictured above), celebrating the best of Black-owned culinary talent. From Fri 29th - Sun 31st May the event marks a return to the canal side, with a lineup of traders serving up everything from Bajan fried chicken to vegan Nigerian tapas. Each day will be split up into a family friendly afternoon, and then an adult only evening - with DJs, entertainment and drinks.

☘️ Guzzle is teaming up with Chef Diarmuid Goodwin on a series of dinners celebrating Irish food. First up is the early summer feast Bealtaine, held on Sat 30th May in The Art House, Cambridge Heath. The menu will usher in the early flavours of the season with Cashel Blue madeleines, sorrel-stuffed lamb, baby spuds, gorse and burnt honey parfait with Bean & Goose milk chocolate, and an elderflower-and-gin cocktail from Glendalough Distillery.

🎬 On Mon 1st June, the SXSW London Screen Festival lands over at Rich Mix in Shoreditch, kicking things off with a collection of features and short films. Monday shows Barrio Triste, an intense indie feature from director STILLZ that tracks youth identity and survival, followed by a late-night Ghosts, Ghouls and Glitches shorts package. Tuesday has a crime-comedy screening of All Night Wrong, starring Maria Bakalova and Zach Cherry navigating a chaotic blind date, alongside Joan Porcel's La Carn, a Spanish drama exploring raw familial friction. Festival runs until Sat 6th June.

⚽ World Cup bookings at The Lord Napier Star are officially open. They’re showing every England game across their projector and five screens so get your table booked now to get the best views.

Check out new local culture reviews every week on thisisthewick.com

🎸 This eve Wed 27th May, Louis Coupe presents: The Good Folk Club at the Wick’s Urchin Studios - an intimate evening of songs and stories performed by Louis and friends. Born out of a show that was never meant to happen, The Good Folk Club bills itself as a place for people to connect (audience participation encouraged), for musicians to meet others and share their art and enjoy some unplugged, folky tunes.

✨Kilengi Dance Party slides into Grow on Fri 29th May, curated by London-born, Congolese bassist/producer Marla Kether, who is fresh off touring with Loyle Carner and Little Simz. Named after the Koutouba word for ‘joy’, Kilengi is a celebration of afrodiasporic bass music, Afro House, Baile Funk, Dembow, UK Funky, and Kuduro right at the water's edge.

💃 On Sat 30th May, the debut of The Latin Link with Kiko Bun takes over the main floor at Colour Factory for a late-night journey into Latin American root sounds. Kiko will be drawing on his Panamian heritage to stitch together the traditional folklore pulse of Típico Panameño, old-school Cumbia, Salsa Vieja cuts and classic Reggaetón.

🎸 Fabwick is showcasing The Spotlight Lounge on Sat 30th May, a platform for London’s rising bands and underground musicians to experiment with new material. Alt-rock band Hestia will be performing alongside 60s psych revival band Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.

🔊 On Sun 31st May, No. 90 is hosting a daytime Snooze After Hours session, running from 9am-5pm. Groove-heavy selector Biemsix will be on the decks alongside Australian talent Fergus Sweetland, backed by layered atmospheres from Mist Gasp and resident selector Sofi.

🖼️ Entries are now open for the 9th John Ruskin Prize, a multidisciplinary art prize open to all artists, designers and craftspeople, of all nationalities, aged 18 and over. Run by The big Draw, and supported by the Trinity Buoy Wharf Trust, this year’s theme invites you to question the role of the maker today - what does it mean to create with an awareness of consequence, while also posing the challenge: must art serve a purpose beyond itself? Selected works will be exhibited at Trinity Buoy Wharf in 2027, and four winners will receive prizes totalling £9,500. Apply before 17th Nov.

👩🏼‍🎓 UCL School of Management has 6 full scholarships available for applicants from East London who want to pursue a postgraduate programme, including the MSc Creativity, Innovation and Leadership. Applicants need to be resident of East London since 2020 and have a household income of less than £42k. The full-time course starts in Sept 2026 and is at their Canary Wharf campus. Apply by 26th June.

🪴Green Gardening Skills East are recruiting for a 6 week-long training programme for women to grow a career in green spaces. Based in Olympic Park, trainees will get hands-on experience in the garden, as well as employability coaching and support from mentors. At the end you’ll receive a Level 1 certificate in Horticulture. For more information and to apply email [email protected]. Apply before Sun 31st May.

🌏 Hackney Council's Climate Team has launched the second year of the Repair Cafe Grants Programme 2026/27, offering up to £1,500 to help local community groups set up repair events for electronics, bikes, and clothing. Applications are open to Hackney-based not-for-profit organisations, unregistered community groups, and schools with an annual turnover of no more than £15,000. The funding is designed to cover essential costs like venue hire, fixer fees, and equipment for at least two community events. Apply by 5th July, with funded events run between July 2026 - June 2027. For more info/to submit your application, email [email protected].

🛩️ London City Airport Community Fund has open funding application for projects that build stronger, greener communities or create pathways into employment. Get funding for up to £3000. Deadline 26th June.

📕 The Wick Book is a limited edition 160-page hardback historic record, looking at 15 years of culture, community and change in the neighbourhood through the pages of The Wick. We’re now down to the last 100 copies.

BUSINESSES: profile your own local venture in a video and share your offers and events to over 8,000 locals via this newsletter and 1,000s more on our social channels. Sign up to The Wick Business Community today.

READERS: Join The Wick as a premium subscriber to support our independent culture journalism and we’ll give you a whole host of upcoming perks