London International Arts Festival
Nearly 2,000 international music acts applied to perform at the first ever London International Arts Festival, but only 14 were selected to play at Grade II listed Redbridge Town Hall in Ilford this weekend. They hail from countries as varied as Cyprus and Serbia and include Dhruv Ensemble, a London-based South Indian youth orchestra and Latin-Balkan beat band La Internacional Sonora Balkanera. Workshops in nearby Vine Church Hall on Saturday mean you could come away schooled in Indian drumming or Mexican traditional music. Concert tickets start from £8 and workshops are £5.
10-12 Aug

London Live
It’s the last few days of the Olympics and there’s a good chance Team GB medallists will drop into the two London Live sites at Hyde Park and Victoria Park. Both are great spots to catch the final events on big screens in a festival atmosphere: Hyde Park is home to the interactive chocolate experience that is Cadbury House, while Victoria Park boasts a 55m-high observation wheel, bungee trampolines and the zip wire that Boris Johnson recently got stuck on. The sites are free but book online for guaranteed entry before 2pm.
Until 12 Aug

Great British Beer Festival
It’s big, it’s British, and it’s full of beer. The Olympia Exhibition Centre becomes one enormous pub for this annual celebration of the good old pint. More than 800 British real ales, ciders, perries, and foreign beers will be available to sample – though we don’t suggest you try them all. You can learn about the brewing industry from producers, or just choose a glass (a third, half or a full pint) and get tasting.
Until 11 Aug

Dance Al Fresco in Regent’s Park
Head to Regent’s Park for a spot of outdoor dancing at Dance Al Fresco. DJ Jacky Logan will lead “The Broadwalk Ballroom” on Saturday, taking visitors through some Latin, salsa, line dancing and more, while Sunday’s session is dedicated to the Argentinean tango. Both days kick off at 1pm with a class for beginners, followed by a demonstration at 4.30pm and dancing until 6pm. Tickets are £10 and proceeds go to the Royal Parks Foundation charity.
11-12 Aug

Where will you be this weekend? Let us know by commenting below.

Regular readers of this blog will know we’re fans of timelapse videos. And chocolate. (Mmm, timelapse chocolate…)

So here’s a real Double Decker of a treat(!) from the Official Treat providers from the London 2012 Games: a timelapse vid of Cadbury House taking shape in Hyde Park.

Cadbury House is free to visit. Inside, you can journey through the Joyville tasting zone to the Chocolatrium and finally to a very Harry-Potter-sounding “Great Games Hall” where you’ll receive your own Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Medal as you step onto the podium to the sound of cheering crowds!

Cadbury House is open until 12 August as part of BT London Live.

Have you been to any of the London 2012 Live Sites? Let us know your highlights (chocolate or otherwise!) in the comments below.

Cadbury is set to make all your chocolate-infused dreams come true this summer in London.

For the duration of the Olympic Games, the chocolate manufacturer is bringing the magical, mythical world of Joyville to Hyde Park. And guess what – it’s free and there’s chocolate!

Joyville invites visitors to enjoy a tasting zone, chocolate-themed-experiences, and the chance to take part in a virtual race against Rebecca Adlington to win a chocolate medal. There’s also a Great Games Hall where visitors can have a go at “sports with a Cadbury twist”.

Cadbury House is part of the BT London Live site at Hyde Park, a free event offering open air screenings of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, plus on site attractions and entertainment.

Cadbury House is open from 27 July to 12 August.