Things to do in Hackney

Hackney Wick and Fish Island are full of artist studios and old industrial units, which is why so many warehouse parties, open studios and gallery nights happen there. Events often run in spaces that only open for the night.

London Fields and Broadway Market are busiest on Saturdays: food, markets, brand pop-ups and run clubs that finish with coffee. In summer the park and the lido are full.

Mare Street and Hackney Central. The town hall end, with bigger venues, bars and the theatre.

Clapton and Homerton. Quieter, with more dinners, small gigs and community events than big nights.

Dalston and Stoke Newington are Hackney too, with their own page: see Dalston.

A lot of Hackney's best events are in places that can't take a crowd that just turns up, like a studio with a fixed capacity or someone's flat above a shop. Organisers seal the address and send it to people on the list at a set time, often the afternoon of the event.

Until it drops, the map shows the area. That's enough to plan your route and decide whether you're going. See secret London for how it works.

The Overground does most of the work. The Mildmay line runs through Hackney Wick, Homerton, Hackney Central and Dalston Kingsland; the Windrush line through Dalston Junction and Haggerston; and the Weaver line through London Fields, Hackney Downs and Clapton.

Late on a Friday or Saturday, check TfL for night services before you set off. Night buses run along Kingsland Road and Mare Street.