Oxfordshire, free, booking essential
This open-air sculpture park in 50 acres of rewilded countryside has opened this week just southeast of Oxford. The inaugural exhibition includes large-scale works by top-notch artists – Ai Weiwei, Richard Long, Rachel Whiteread, James Turrell, Jeppe Hein, Alicja Kwade and many more. Keep your eyes peeled for roe deer, badgers, hares and owls as you stroll from piece to piece. All the works are for sale and will be on display until 25 September, when a new selection of sculptures will be installed.
Luna Cinema, Hampton Court Palace, London, 21-25 July, from £18
Henry VIII’s palace will provide the backdrop for the Luna Cinema’s huge screen: The Dark Knight, Top Gun, Dirty Dancing, Bohemian Rhapsody and The Greatest Showman are on the bill. Pack a picnic or grab supper on site: slow-cooked British lamb, pork or brisket in brioche buns from Pulled, ice cream and popcorn from Häagen-Dazs and wine or beer from Birra Moretti. Tickets include access to Hampton Court’s gardens.
No need to book
David Hockney, The Arrival of Spring, Normandy, 2020, free virtual tour
If you couldn’t nab a ticket for the Royal Academy’s sellout Hockney show (more tickets will be released if guidance allows), the next best thing is this 30-minute virtual tour on the museum’s website. The 116 works capture the unfolding of spring around the 84-year-old artist’s home in France last year, and were “painted” on his iPad – a method that has divided critics. Fresh and joyous or airless and artificial? Now you can decide for yourself.
Dodge, Somerset House, London 15 July-22 August, free
What better way to celebrate the end of lockdown than with a retro dodgem ride in the heart of London? For one month only, the courtyard at stately Somerset House will host “dodgems with a difference”, art installations, music and food stalls. It’s been designed by Yinka Ilori, who created the colourful pop-up screen that’s currently jazzing up Greenwich Peninsula, so expectations are high. Walk-ups are allowed in, but it’s best to reserve a table (£10, including a dodgem ride and a drink).