Cult vintage market Flea London is moving to Hackney Bridge this April, after nearly a decade down on the South Bank strip at Vinegar Yard.

From Sat 11th Apr, and every Saturday and Sunday from then onwards, you’ll find a curated mix of vintage fashion, statement jewellery, art, books, vinyl, cameras, cult design pieces, brocante and one-off homeware finds at a market that already’s established as the long-favoured hunting ground of stylists, collectors and those in the know. But now it’s on our doorstep.

Flea naturally champions sustainability over fast fashion and celebrates reuse and repurposing; plus, the new Hackney Bridge location will see a tasty line-up of artisan food stalls too, including fresh bread, jams and olives - adding to the permanent food and drink traders already central to the local community hub that exists around the site’s food hall.

Flea’s new East London setup includes an outdoor market with covered stalls, laid out in a welcoming new area directly in front of Hackney Bridge and alongside the existing clutch of retail traders, which should give the whole area a vibrant new energy from the off.

The debut weekend also coincides with the next edition of The Giant London Flea on Sun 12th just across the way at the QEOP Car Park, cementing the area’s reputation as the centre of the capital’s pre-loved, vintage and sustainable shopping scene.

👔 Brand new menswear and homewares shop, Acte Store, (pictured above) is the latest addition to Fish Island’s Rookwood Way when it opens this Fri 3rd Apr. Expect to peruse through a curated selection of top clothing brands, refined lifestyle essentials and curated accessories, too.

🍔 Cult burger specialists Patty & Bun get a new nearby outpost with a kitchen residency at The Leyton Star which starts this Fri 4th Apr.

📚 Adele Parks is the author of 25 bestselling novels including the recent Sunday Times Number One hits Lies Lies Lies and Just My Luck. She’s the very special guest at the next Fish Island Books Supper Club, on Thurs 16th Apr, where she’ll be discussing her latest hit novel, Our Beautiful Mess. Tickets include a copy of the book, a two-course menu and drink at Unlock, and plenty of time to chat with the author.

🖼️ There’s a large-scale immersive solo exhibition over at Sugar House Island by East London-based multidisciplinary artist SHEM, which reinforces the area’s role as a place where creativity, community and contemporary culture intersect. Don’t Forget to Teleport has transformed the 6th Floor of the big Colour Works building into a free constructed environment spanning painting, film, lighting and participatory installation, inviting audiences to enter a spatial narrative exploring self-belief, ancestry and vulnerability. Runs to 9th Apr.

🎶 Stratford East’s big Easter show, Choir Boy, is the story of Pharus, a confident and gifted singer who has earned his position in the school choir as soloist. But when his pride is sullied by one of his peers, he falters... what does it mean to be a young, Black, queer man? And, most pressingly, what does it mean to be all that at the Charles R. Drew Prep School for Boys? Tickets available from just £10 but going fast, so book early. Read our first night review, below.

🥳 The Easter weekend sees 4 nights of DJs and 4 1.30am licences at The Lord Napier Star as Hackney Wick’s boozer celebrates the season, with highlights including another Ditchcoteque party on Fri 3rd April and Temple of Noize on Gaydio El Conchitas on Sat 4th.

🍺 The No Boundaries crew are celebrating their 4th birthday this Sun 5th Apr on the terrace at Crate Brewery, with soulful sounds in the day, traversing into deep and latin house, garage and bruk as darkness falls.

🕑 Six hours of the alternative electronic sensibilities from the master, Erol Alkan, are promised at Number 90 Lock on Thurs 2nd Apr for a To The Rhythm Easter special where Erol will play from open to close, plus go B2B with special guest Decius in the middle.

🪟 Nottingham-raised rapper, grime MC, YouTuber, and TikTok star Window Kid plays his biggest London show to date at Colour Factory this Fri 3rd Apr following sell-out shows right across the UK for an Easter special.

🐣 Easter Sunday 5th Apr sees a night of cosmic sounds and deep grooves as Netil Radio stars Petra’s Dream spin everything from hard bossa and Ethio-jazz to dub and psych before bringing the Emanative Percussion Trio to headline Grow for an all-vinyl holiday bonanza.

📕 The Wick Book is a stunning 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 200+ copies, and they won’t last long…

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.

🖌️ Hackney Council is inviting applications from a Hackney-based artist aged 18-26 to create the key visual for their 2026 Discover Young Hackney programme of summer activities aimed at local youth. The winning design will be used across a range of promotional materials including printed posters, leaflets, digital platforms and social media, and be paid a fee of £1,000. It’s a great opportunity for an emerging artist or designer to contribute to a borough-wide creative programme and have their work featured across a public campaign. Apply by Fri 17th Apr.

💷 The Loughborough University London Open Fund is a grant of up to £1000, available to organisations/groups based within and working in one or more of the London Boroughs of Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Newham or Waltham Forest, to assist with the delivery of projects on the themes of health and wellbeing, sustainability and inclusivity. Apply by Mon 20 Apr.

🧘🏼‍♀️ Social Yoga is running two week holiday programme for HAF (Holidays, Activity & Food) registered children aged 5 to 11 on Fish Island across Easter. Each day includes a mix of studio time and supervised activities out in the local area, alongside yoga based games, mindfulness, and creative sessions. Book now.

🤲🏼 There’s a free week of coworking space at Here East innovation hub Plexal, from Mon 13th - Fri 17th Apr, where you can join 150+ other businesses in their ecosystem and access a dedicated range of resources, programmes and guidance to help you grow.

🏛️ The next edition of Hackney Wick Town Hall takes place at Trowbridge Gardens on Wed 15th Apr with Becky Sampson from the Canal & River Trust exploring interventions to reduce crime and share experiences of being impacted by crime on the towpath, a chance to share local priorities and hear updates on ongoing projects and opportunities, too.

♻️ The HW&FI Community Development Trust is launching guidance supporting developers, local authorities and practitioners in creating Circular Economy Hubs at a special event at The Loop on Thurs 16th Apr, open to developers, planning and sustainability officers, consultants, academics and anyone interested in being part of such a hub.

🧑🏼‍🎨 There’s a Public Art Open Call for a Newham-based creative practitioner to design and deliver a permanent public artwork for the pocket park at Hawthorne House in Stratford. The commission prioritises site-specific work reflecting Stratford’s diverse communities and supporting empowerment and local identity. Apply by Tues 7th Apr.  

📝 The Verity Bargate Award for new writing is for all first-time writers, late starters, or people who’ve been sitting on an idea for years. Submit something urgent or funny or devastating that won’t leave you alone, put it on the page and the winner will receive £12,000 and a full production at Soho Theatre. Deadline: Mon 13th Apr.