What’s on
This is Hackney
An exhibition of 100 individual, lovingly crafted ‘3D self-portraits’ by older people and young people.
EMBER & ETHER: Studies in Transformation
EMBER & ETHER: Studies in Transformation is a duo exhibition by Nigerian-British artists Kandre Arámide Hassan and Freda Osayuki Igiogbe.
Familiar Spaces | A Solo Exhibition by Kuda Mushangi
Glasshouse Contemporary welcomes prize-winning London artist Kuda Mushangi to the gallery with his debut solo exhibition 'Familiar Spaces'.
Drawing Closer | Online Drawing Development Year Exhibition
An exhibition of works by the 2025 cohort of the Online Drawing Development Year programme.
PROOF
Well Hung Gallery presents PROOF, an exhibition bringing together the individual practices of James Green and Monsieur Jamin.
Stories & Rhymes (Hackney Central)
Share songs and stories with your friendly local librarian!
Occlusions of the City Forest
Occlusions of the City Forest is an exhibition of paintings by Margate-based artist Twinkle Troughton.
Design Your Ultimate Reading Diary!
Join us for a creative workshop where you’ll design a bespoke Reading Journal from cover to cover.
Children’s Classic Storytime
Join us for an immersive family reading session that proves some stories never grow old.
Bitches in Stitches: All-Femme Comedy Night
Bitches in Stitches London's first show of 2026 is all about love. This stand-up comedy night is our Valentine to all our girls, gays, theys and allies.
Queer tour of Dalston! (1/2)
A guided walk through Dalston’s queer history, honouring iconic venues, lost spaces, and community stories in East London. Hosted and written by Dan De La Motte and Lil Warren
One Queer Day in Hackney
We made a film! Back in September we challenged the queer community in Hackney to film themselves, and we made a film of it. This is the film.
Queer Tour of Dalston! (2/2)
A guided walk through Dalston’s queer history, honouring iconic venues, lost spaces, and community stories in East London. Hosted and written by Dan De La Motte and Lil Warren
Ukraine Unbroken
Ukraine Unbroken explores the resilience of a nation determined to remain free. Five short plays by acclaimed British and Ukrainian writers, including David Greig, David Edgar and Natalka Vorozhbit, chart 12 turbulent years of modern Ukrainian history.
Imagine That! — Solo Exhibition by The Cameron Twins
Imagine That! is a free solo exhibition by Hackney born artists The Cameron Twins.
Ex Libris: The New York Public Library
A free screening of Frederick Wiseman’s incredible documentary, Ex Libris: The New York Public Library at Homerton Library.
Duckie Homosexualist School
Are you aged 18 - 30? Fancy making some new wave performance and poncing about in East London with a bunch of new pals?
Suppliants of Syria
An interactive multimedia performance exploring asylum, media and democracy, rooted in the belief that the migration “crisis” is not a crisis of people but of the stories told about them. Filmed testimonies of Syrian refugee women intertwine with music, movement, poetry and humour, reimagining Aeschylus’ Suppliants for today.
Suppliants of Syria
An interactive multimedia performance exploring asylum, media and democracy, rooted in the belief that the migration “crisis” is not a crisis of people but of the stories told about them. Filmed testimonies of Syrian refugee women intertwine with music, movement, poetry and humour, reimagining Aeschylus’ Suppliants for today.
Imagination Library Launch
Join us for the launch of the Imagination Library in Hackney this World Book Day!
Open Evening
Meet with industry experts, connect with alums from organisations like KPMG, IMG and TikTok, and discover more about our East London 100% scholarship scheme for local residents.
Bitches in Stitches
For International Women’s Day, Bitches in Stitches returns to Hoxton Cabin with their biggest lineup to date.
Rio Women’s History Month Special: My Dear Theo
A Rio Feminist Film Programming Group x Women’s History Month East London 2026 special for mother’s day!
Comic Creators Club
Join our resident comic artists to draw and create comics this half term.
Hackney Italian Club
A free monthly Italian conversation club for learners, experienced and native speakers.
Belter for the Shelter 2026
Hackney Night Shelter’s legendary comedy benefit night returns to the Hackney Empire.
The Disabled Queer Extravaganza
ParaPride proudly showcases disability talent with a spectacular line-up; a Panel discussion and a community.
Bach to Baby Family Concert in Victoria Park
Bach to Baby Family Concerts in Victoria Park
Noughts and Crosses
Noughts and Crosses: This gripping Romeo and Juliet story by acclaimed writer Malorie Blackman and adapted by Sabrina Mahfouz is a captivating drama of love, revolution and what it means to grow up in a divided world.
Ballet Black at 25
Cassa Pancho’s Ballet Black celebrates its 25th anniversary with a much-anticipated return to Hackney Empire.
Bach to Baby Family Concert in Victoria Park
Bach to Baby Family Concerts in Victoria Park
Gushing to Perform: Deen/ø, Gaby Sahhar and Oduenyi Nwike
An evening of poetry, performance, and queer creativity, supporting artists to explore new forms of expression in a welcoming space.
LGBT+ History Month Film Screening: Young Soul Rebels
Join us at Dalston CLR James Library for a screening of Hackney-based cult classic Young Soul Rebels.
The Magic Book Circle
This half term, the library is turning into the world of Michael Ende’s The Neverending Story.
Make an Origami Paper Book Box
Have you ever wanted a secret hiding spot for your most important things? Join us for an afternoon of paper-folding magic as we create Origami Book Boxes!
Stories & Rhymes (Woodberry Down)
Share songs and stories with your friendly local librarian!
Bach to Baby Family Concert in Victoria Park
Bach to Baby Family Concerts in Victoria Park
Dyke TV: the early naughties
Join Other People’s Films for an eventful evening showcasing a supercut of the legendary Dyke TV from the early 2000s. It will be followed by an in-conversation between the early organisers of the show and Other People's Films.
Build a Survival Kit for Your Favourite Hero!
Drop into the library this half term to design and build a Survival Kit for a character from the book that made you fall in love with reading.
Make Your Own Concertina Book
Create concertina book filled with personal words and images
Stories & Rhymes (Stamford Hill)
Share songs and stories with your friendly local librarian!
Make an Origami Paper Book Box
Have you ever wanted a secret hiding spot for your most important things? Join us for an afternoon of paper-folding magic as we create Origami Book Boxes!
Share Your Love of Books
Drop into the library this half term to get crafty and celebrate your favourite stories.
Make Your Own Book with the Stamford Hill Library Artists in Residence
Work with our very own Stamford Hill Artists to create concertina book filled with personal words and images
Stories & Rhymes (Shoreditch)
Share songs and stories with your friendly local librarian!
Stories & Rhymes (Homerton)
Share songs and stories with your friendly local librarian!
Hackney Italian Club
A free monthly Italian conversation club for learners, experienced and native speakers.
Make a Hiccup-inspired Shield
Drop into the library this half-term to craft a Hiccup-inspired shield.
Stories & Rhymes (Woodberry Down)
Share songs and stories with your friendly local librarian!
NEUROSPICY! + Q&A
Enjoy sensational short films with authentic on and off screen neurodivergent representation, Q&As with creatives who are making waves in the industry, and optional networking with other like-minded filmmakers.
Lunar New Year Celebrations
Celebrate Tết - Lunar New Year! At Centre 151. It will be a family-friendly day filled with Vietnamese food, Lion dance and music.
New Year, New Flavours: A Writing Feast
Celebrate Lunar New Year and LGBT+ History Month with a warm, in-person workshop blending food, drink, and creative writing.
Alter Ego 2026
Alter Ego welcomes London’s most exciting emerging artists aged 14 - 19 to Hackney Empire’s main stage!
NYX + Greet + Ancient Hostility
Join NYX (London), Greet (Leeds) and Ancient Hostility (Liverpool) for a very special evening of electronic drones, harmonium-driven folk, and anarchist song.
Beyond Visibility
Affirming evening of film, intuitive art and storytelling, creating space for queer and trans stories to be seen, felt and honoured.
Radical Roots: Rediscovering our lost LGBTQIA+ theatre histories
Unfinished Histories invites you to a celebratory night of playreadings: Where To Now by Martin Patrick and John by Adele Saleem, two acclaimed, diverse LGBTQIA+ Hackney writers working in the 1980s.
Join the Love Hackney newsletter
All the latest news, events & activities direct to your inbox