Things to do in London: May 2017 edition

The Paris fashion house that rivalled Dior

Women once braved war-torn Europe to reach the Paris showrooms of Balenciaga. Compared to that, it's relatively easy to get yourself a ticket to the V&A's new blockbuster show. Balenciaga recently made headlines for selling a blue tote bag that closely resembled an IKEA shopper. The design house's past makes no less of a statement. Alongside his dramatic cocoon coats and babydoll dresses, you can also see x-rays of the clothes – a unique insight into the rare skill of Cristóbal Balenciaga himself. The biggest fashion exhibition this year.

Forget herons, it's all about ducks

Forget the Heron Tower, that is, where the famous Duck and Waffle perches 40 floors up. The famous restaurant is opening a second venue in a cool new location, Duck and Waffle Local at St James's Market. As is the norm for hot restaurants these days, no reservations are accepted. You'll have to walk (or, as head chef Dan Doherty says, waddle) over to get your spot. Expect fast, casual food centred around the waterfowl itself – there's The Duck Burger, with crispy duck leg and even a Duck Jam Doughnut for the adventurous. The eponymous hero combination of duck and waffle are also present and correct.

A snapshot of the photography scene

Photo London is a mammoth photography fair. Everything is for sale for the right price. And 'everything' is truly enormous in scale – there are 97 confirmed exhibitors, from British galleries showing Robert Mapplethorpe to American photojournalist Martha Cooper's classic pictures of the New York graffiti scene. Wander through Somerset House and drink it all in.

The best films on London's rooftops

Join the Rooftop Film Club – you don't have to be a member or know a secret handshake to get up to the top of Queen of Hoxton, the Bussey Building, Kensignton Roof Gardens and Roof East. Watch Under the Shadow, La La Land, Moonlight, Edge of Seventeen – basically, all the best films from 2016 and 2017 that you didn't get round to seeing in a boring old cinema.

Sing along with salty sailors

"The people ride in a hole in the groun'

New York, New York, it's a helluva town!"

So sing Ozzy, Chip and Gabey in the 1944 musical On The Town. In this Broadway hit, one day of shore leave in New York proves to be very eventful for three sailors. This upbeat musical is given new life at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. Pop along with a blanket and enjoy.

Gardens of earthly delights

Last year there was a mathematics garden. This year, there's one for poetry lovers – proving that Chelsea Flower Show 2017 has something for everybody, the hayfeverish aside. Don your best floral tea dress and sun hat and see eight show gardens celebrating everything from the history of Covent Garden to the Kyoto emperors of Japan. Five fresh gardens and nine artisan gardens, as well as countless floral displays, make for a feast for the eyes. Plus, the Queen will make an appearance.

Opera with champagne and a scotch egg on the side

La Traviata (the fallen woman) comes to the supreme beauty of Glydnebourne's country house opera, where, after a picnic by the lake overlooking the ha-ha, you can gorge on three acts of Verdi's beautiful opera. The first ever production, in 1853, was jeered at because soprano Fanny Salvini-Donatelli was considered too fat and old to play the part of the dying heroine. Soprano Kristina Mkhitaryan will receive no such treatment.

A poetic guitar hero

Which Nobel Prize winner would we most like to meet? The answer, my friend, is blowing up Wembley Arena. Bob Dylan comes for a one off gig to London. Loyal followers and brand new fans should go and hear his work, especially his new music from the last seventeen years. The very fact that this is considered his new music is remarkable testament to his long, lyrical contribution to music – and to our emotional lives.

That's a nice-looking ceiling

What do women think about during sex? What if those thoughts were read out live on stage by a male comedian who hasn't been to a single rehearsal? It was a big hit at the Fringe. Now, Manwatching makes its Royal Court debut. It's an intriguing premise, and the plot thickens when you find out that the female writer has chosen to remain anonymous. Funny, yes. Excruciating, yes, definitely. A must-see? We think so.

Symphonic dances and strapless dresses

See three pieces of modern ballet on The Royal Ballet's mixed bill. They include an exciting world premiere: Liam Scarlett’s new one-act piece, Symphonic Dances. The British choreographer, who is the Royal Opera House's Artist in Residence has taken Rachmaninov's final work as the inspiration for his new ballet. Also showing will be Strapless, based on John Singer Sargent's scandalous work of art, and Balanchine’s fast-paced Tarantella.

Beats by Beethoven

Watch the Little Orchestra deliver a delightful alternative to the standard classical concert formula. Friendly staff hand you a drink and you sink onto a comfortable mustard coloured sofa. Next, you’re treated to one of Beethoven’s great works, Symphony No. 3. Fascinatingly, this work was originally dedicated to Napoleon, who Beethoven believed embodied French Revolution ideologies. The dedication was later altered so Beethoven could keep his royal patronage. It is still called Eroica, meaning the heroic symphony, and guests are encouraged to don their best hero-inspired attire.