Your Shoreditch Agenda

Your Shoreditch Agenda | Things to Do in June 2023

Despite umpteen false starts, and a winter that seemingly lasted longer than a full calendar year, summer is – finally, definitively – here. So make the most of it, turn to the east (it’s the direction the sun rises in, after all) and take in what Shoreditch has to offer.

Fans of ‘happiness’ should rejoice, because June is the month that London’s greatest comedy festival comes to town. ARGComfest is an extraordinary weekend of comedians previewing their Edinburgh shows – a wristband is truly one of the greatest investments a comedy fan can make. And whilst we’re on the subject of comedy shows, Laugh In The Box offers an absolute treat of a night, and it’s absolutely free – or £6 to secure both your seat and a drink. Bargain.

Olga Koch

Shoreditch Town Hall is hosting a festival of Highlife music. In the gorgeous Assembly Hall you can take in an afternoon of uplifting Afrobeat Highlife Jazz. You can join in, too – with One-Drum’s music and dance workshop you get the chance to march (and, indeed, dance) to the beat of your own drum.

If you’re in the market for, erm, markets, then step this way. In Old Spitalfields Market, you can further justify your purchase of an expensive record player three years ago by visiting the Friday Vinyl Market, where an array of knowledgeable and enthusiastic vinyl hunters will help you compile a record collection worth buying a new turntable needle for.

If you fancy taking in some art – and, let’s face it, quite possibly some free wine or a lukewarm beer – then head to an exhibition. Our pick for June? Kate MacGarry’s gallery, which is exhibiting Correspondence, a collection of paintings by the acclaimed Canadian still life artist Lisa Milroy. Look for lots of imagery of products and items – objectification, quite literally, but the kind that’s totally fine.

Having done all of the above, or even a light smattering of the above, you’ll have worked up a righteous hunger – and Shoreditch more than has you covered on this front. For state-of-the-art contemporary British cooking hold out for the opening of Joe Laker’s Counter 71 (71 is the Nile Street address – the counter itself only has room for sixteen) and its adjoining basement bar, Lowcountry, which will offer American-style cocktails served up with molecular gastronomic flair. Alternatively, for a weird and wonderful take on Israeli cuisine, wunderkind Eyal Shani has just opened Lilienblum, which delivers family-style dining replete with Shani’s distinctive eccentricities; seafood is served with tomato ovaries (sure!), and green asparagus arrives wrapped ‘in a paper envelope’ – it’s all good, clean, silly, delicious fun.

Lilienblum

Speaking of fun, London’s undisputed Funnest Night Out is now located in Shoreditch. The legendary Hip Hop Karaoke, formerly of The Social in “central London” (never heard of it), can now be found in BOXPARK. Buoyantly-hosted and expertly DJ’d, it’s the friendliest, silliest, most uplifting night out you could possibly imagine. Literally everyone’s welcome, so do yourself a favour, jump on stage and smash out a song. Make it a summer to remember.

The Shoreditch Agenda:

➊ ARGComfest | 30th June – 2nd July | Shoreditch Town Hall

➋ Laugh In The Box | 6th June | Boxpark Shoreditch

➌ Festival of Highlife | 3rd June | Shoreditch Town Hall

➍ One-Drum Workshop | 25th June | Shoreditch Town Hall

➎ Friday Vinyl Market | Fridays | Old Spitalfields Market

➏ Correspondence | 2nd June – 15th July | Kate MacGarry Gallery, Old Nichol Street

➐ Counter 71 | Opening sometime in June – watch this space | Nile Street

➑ Lilienblum | Old Street

➒ Hip Hop Karaoke | 30th June | Boxpark Shoreditch

Looking for more ideas? Peruse The Nudge’s full Monthly Agenda