Discover What’s on in Islington This week -(11th-17th may 2026)

 

What’s On in Islington This Week: Best Things To Do, Eat & Book (11–17 May 2026)

 

There are certain weeks in Islington where the area feels especially alive — the terraces suddenly full by 6pm, tables outside wine bars spilling into the pavement, queues outside theatres on Upper Street, and that familiar golden-hour stretch between Angel and Highbury where everyone seems to be heading somewhere good.

This week is one of those weeks.

Across Islington, King’s Cross and nearby East London, May is settling properly into the city now. That means long canal walks ending in natural wine, late-night jazz hidden above pubs, new menus appearing across Clerkenwell, theatre worth actually booking ahead for, rooftop drinks creeping back into people’s calendars and markets finally feeling like weekend destinations again rather than endurance events.

Whether you want a midweek date night at Trullo, live music at Union Chapel, a solo wander through Coal Drops Yard or one of the best pub evenings in North London around The Compton Arms, this is the kind of week where Islington rewards people who leave the house.

Here’s where we’d actually go.

3. At A Glance

Best Overall Pick This Week

An evening around Upper Street ending with cocktails at 69 Colebrooke Row and late dinner at Lupa.

Best Free Thing To Do

A sunny canal walk from Angel to King’s Cross via Regent’s Canal and Granary Square.

Best For Date Night

Dinner at Primeur followed by wine at Cadet.

Best For Families

A puppet performance at Little Angel Theatre plus a relaxed lunch around Camden Passage.

Best For Theatre Lovers

Almeida Theatre continues to be the strongest theatre ticket in the area this week.

Best For Live Music

A candlelit or acoustic performance at Union Chapel.

Best For Foodies

Book Bouchon Racine now if you still can.

Best Pub Plan

A long Thursday evening between The Tamil Prince and The Pocket.

Best Rainy-Day Option

An afternoon at Barbican Centre followed by ramen in Clerkenwell.

Best Sunday Idea

Canopy Market, Granary Square fountains and a slow lunch in King’s Cross.

Best Thing To Book Now

Anything major at Sadler’s Wells this month.

 

Best Things To Do In Islington This Week

The best weeks in Islington are rarely built around one huge event. They come from stacking together several very good smaller decisions.

Start with Upper Street after work one evening this week and let the area unfold naturally. There’s still nowhere in London quite like this stretch when the weather turns warm — theatre crowds mixing with people outside pubs, couples drifting toward wine bars, music spilling from basements and restaurant terraces suddenly impossible to resist.

If you have friends visiting London, this is the week to properly do Angel well. Begin around Camden Passage while the independent shops are still open, stop for coffee at Ozone Coffee Roasters’s Islington outpost or a pastry from a local bakery, then drift into dinner territory.

The smart move this week is leaning into relaxed but high-quality neighbourhood spots rather than chasing impossible reservations.

The Tamil Prince continues to justify the hype because it still feels like a pub first and a destination restaurant second. The atmosphere works equally well for a Tuesday pint or a full Friday dinner.

Meanwhile Top Cuvée is exactly the kind of place Islington does best: low-pressure, stylish, good wine, strong small plates and consistently useful for almost any kind of evening.

Best Theatre And Culture Picks This Week

Almeida Theatre remains the cultural anchor of Upper Street and still manages to attract audiences who genuinely care about theatre rather than just “West End nights out”. If there’s availability this week, prioritise it.

For something smaller and more intimate, King’s Head Theatre continues to punch far above its size for sharp new writing and energetic productions. It suits a spontaneous midweek culture plan far better than a formal theatre night.

Family audiences should look at Little Angel Theatre, which remains one of the genuinely lovely family venues in London rather than somewhere parents simply tolerate.

Over in Finsbury Park, Park Theatre is having another strong run of programming. It’s particularly good for people who want quality theatre without central London chaos.

Meanwhile Barbican Centre is worth building an entire rainy-day plan around this week — exhibitions, cinema, brutalist wandering and one of London’s best “accidentally spend four hours here” cultural environments.

Best Live Music And Nightlife Plans

This week feels especially strong for smaller music venues.

The Lexington remains one of the best venues in North London for discovering artists before they become impossible to see cheaply. It still attracts the kind of crowd who actually came for the music.

For atmosphere, though, Union Chapel wins comfortably. Even regular Londoners forget how extraordinary the acoustics are until they return.

Late-night plans are leaning east this week. If you want proper Friday energy, head toward Shoreditch for cocktails at Nightjar or rooftop drinks around Queen of Hoxton before moving deeper into East London.

Closer to home, Homeboy remains one of the easiest crowd-pleasing cocktail bars in the area — warm, lively and reliably good without trying too hard.

Best Food And Drink Spots To Try This Week

This is a very good week for eating around Islington.

Trullo still delivers one of the most dependable pasta dinners in London and May is exactly the time of year when its menu starts to feel especially appealing.

Lupa continues to quietly become one of the smartest bookings locally — relaxed Roman cooking without performative trendiness.

For gastropub energy, The Compton Arms remains essential. It still feels genuinely local despite its reputation.

Meanwhile Bouchon Racine is still one of the hardest reservations nearby for good reason. If you manage to get in this week, prioritise it.

In King’s Cross, Barrafina Coal Drops Yard works particularly well for a spontaneous weekday dinner followed by a wander around Granary Square.

Best Cafés, Bakeries And Brunch Spots

The best Islington mornings still happen slightly before the crowds.

Start early around Camden Passage before it fully wakes up. Grab coffee, wander the antiques stalls and take your time around Upper Street before brunch queues appear.

Pophams remains one of the strongest pastry stops in North London, especially if you can get there before peak weekend traffic.

For brunch that actually feels worth leaving the house for, Sunday continues to do the relaxed neighbourhood café thing extremely well.

Meanwhile King’s Cross keeps getting stronger for slower daytime plans. Coffee, fountains, bookshops and open space around Granary Square make it one of the easiest parts of London to spend an unplanned afternoon.

Best Free Things To Do In Islington This Week

One of the best free evenings in London still starts at Angel station and simply follows Regent’s Canal east.

Walk toward King’s Cross around sunset this week and the city feels almost cinematic again — narrowboats, outdoor drinkers, long light over the water and people finally behaving like summer might actually happen.

Elsewhere:

• Browse Chapel Market midweek
• Explore independent shops around Camden Passage
• Sit in Highbury Fields with takeaway pastries
• Wander through Coal Drops Yard at golden hour
• Visit free gallery spaces around Clerkenwell and Shoreditch

Best Family-Friendly Things To Do

Little Angel Theatre is the standout family plan this week.

Meanwhile Granary Square remains one of the safest all-round family recommendations in London because it genuinely works for adults too — fountains, food, space to move and easy transport.

For quieter family plans, New River Walk around Canonbury still feels oddly hidden considering how lovely it is.

Best Walks, Markets And Daytime Plans

This is peak wandering season.

The ideal Saturday route:
Camden Passage → Chapel Market → Regent’s Canal → Granary Square → Canopy Market → Coal Drops Yard.

Canopy Market is particularly strong this week for relaxed browsing, good snacks and low-pressure socialising.

If you want East London energy without committing fully to Shoreditch chaos, spend time around Columbia Road and Hackney Road instead.

Best Pubs, Wine Bars And After-Work Spots

Islington remains one of London’s best after-work boroughs because evenings here can still feel spontaneous.

For wine:

• Cadet
• Top Cuvée
• Godet

For pub atmosphere:

• The Pocket
• The Compton Arms
• The Canonbury Tavern

For cocktails:

• 69 Colebrooke Row
• Homeboy

Best Nearby Plans Worth Leaving Islington For

This week’s best nearby detour is Clerkenwell and Exmouth Market.

The area feels especially good in May — busy terraces, restaurants fully open again and enough atmosphere to feel lively without Shoreditch-level intensity.

Meanwhile Shoreditch is strongest this week for nightlife rather than daytime wandering. Keep daytime plans local and go east later.

Best Weekend Plans In Islington

Saturday:

• Coffee and pastries in Angel
• Canal walk to King’s Cross
• Lunch around Coal Drops Yard
• Afternoon drinks in Highbury
• Dinner at Trullo
• Cocktails at 69 Colebrooke Row

Sunday:

• Highbury Fields
• Slow roast lunch
• Bookshop browsing
• Wine in Canonbury
• Early evening jazz

Best Sunday Plans

Sunday this week should be slow.

The ideal version probably includes:

• late breakfast
• newspaper café stop
• a walk through Canonbury
• roast lunch
• one excellent pub
• home before the city feels stressful again

The Drapers Arms remains one of the best Sunday bookings locally.

One Thing You Should Book Before It Sells Out

Anything significant at Sadler’s Wells.

Even people who only casually follow dance and performance tend to leave impressed. The programming consistently rewards booking slightly outside your comfort zone.

5. Day-By-Day Planner

Monday

Best low-key plan: pasta and wine at Trullo.
Best after-work idea: canal walk from Angel to King’s Cross.

Tuesday

Best culture plan: Almeida Theatre.
Best food plan: relaxed dinner at Lupa.

Wednesday

Best social plan: pub evening at The Tamil Prince.
Best live music option: The Lexington.

Thursday

Best date-night plan: Cadet followed by late drinks.
Best spontaneous evening: Upper Street wandering without a reservation.

Friday

Best nightlife plan: cocktails at Homeboy then Shoreditch later.
Best group dinner: Barrafina Coal Drops Yard.

Saturday

Best daytime plan: Canopy Market and Granary Square.
Best pub atmosphere: The Compton Arms.

Sunday

Best relaxed plan: Highbury Fields and a roast.
Best rainy-day backup: Barbican afternoon.

 

ILG Recommends

The Tamil Prince

Still the pub everyone genuinely wants to return to.

Union Chapel

One of London’s most atmospheric live music venues.

Lupa

Quietly becoming one of the smartest local dinner reservations.

Canopy Market

The easiest good weekend plan in North London.

69 Colebrooke Row

Still feels timeless.

The Pocket

Excellent neighbourhood energy without pretension.

Highbury Fields

Peak May London.

Practical Planning Tips

What To Book In Advance

• Almeida Theatre
• Sadler’s Wells
• Trullo
• Bouchon Racine
• Primeur

What Works Well For Walk-Ins

• The Pocket
• Homeboy
• Top Cuvée
• Canopy Market
• Chapel Market

What To Do If It Rains

• Barbican Centre
• Coal Drops Yard
• Independent cafés around Angel
• Theatre evenings

What To Do If The Weather Is Great

• Regent’s Canal walks
• Granary Square
• Highbury Fields
• Exmouth Market terraces

Best After-Work Ideas

• Wine bars around Essex Road
• Upper Street pub hopping
• Jazz and cocktails

Best For A Spontaneous Evening

Angel remains one of London’s easiest areas for unplanned nights that still turn into good ones.

Best For Showing Visitors Around

King’s Cross → Canal → Angel is still one of the strongest London walking routes.

8. FAQ Section

What’s on in Islington this week?

This week includes theatre at Almeida, live music at Union Chapel, food pop-ups, wine bars, canal walks, markets and strong nightlife across Angel and Upper Street.

What are the best things to do in Islington this week?

Top picks include Trullo, Sadler’s Wells, Canopy Market, Regent’s Canal walks and cocktails at 69 Colebrooke Row.

Are there any free things to do in Islington this week?

Yes — canal walks, markets, Highbury Fields, Camden Passage and Granary Square are all excellent free plans.

What’s happening near Angel this week?

Angel is particularly strong this week for theatre, pub dining, wine bars and after-work evenings.

What theatre shows are on in Islington this week?

Look at Almeida Theatre, King’s Head Theatre, Park Theatre and Sadler’s Wells for the strongest programming.

Where can I go for live music in Islington this week?

Union Chapel, The Lexington, The Garage and Islington Assembly Hall all have strong live schedules this week.

What are the best family-friendly activities in Islington this week?

Little Angel Theatre, Granary Square and New River Walk are standout family-friendly options.

Where should I eat and drink in Islington this week?

Prioritise Trullo, Lupa, The Tamil Prince, Top Cuvée and The Compton Arms.

What should I do in Islington this weekend?

Spend Saturday around Angel and King’s Cross, then slow things down with parks, roasts and wine bars on Sunday.

Are there any good date-night ideas in Islington this week?

Yes — wine bars, theatre evenings, canal walks and intimate restaurants make Islington one of London’s strongest date-night areas.