What to do this weekend, from Beyoncé to Dirty Dancing

4 minutes

Beyoncé: Morning Dew (Donk)

Start your weekend by sinking into the slow, sultry tones of Beyoncé. The release of her new song, Morning Dew (Donk), marks a 60-day countdown until the reissue of B’Day, her groundbreaking second album, originally released 20 years ago.

The song’s lyrics are reflective, exploring a romantic relationship that, despite lasting for some time, still makes the narrator feel young and in love. The simplicity of the music video echoes this nostalgic mood: a black-and-white subtitled video that uses footage from Beyoncé’s 2007 swimwear shoot for Sports Illustrated.

1 hour and 40 minutes

Watch Dirty Dancing at a castle 

There’s something undeniably romantic about outdoor cinema. Stretching out on a blanket, enjoying a picnic on the grass and watching a timeless classic under the open sky is a heavenly way to spend a balmy summer evening.

With more than 300 outdoor shows across the UK, Adventure Cinema has screenings in some of the country’s most picturesque settings, such as Raby Castle in Darlington and Chatelherault Country Park in South Lanarkshire – both of which are showing Dirty Dancing.

Just make sure nobody puts Baby in the corner.

An afternoon

Cool art at the Baltic 

If you’re looking to escape the heat, few places offer a more enticing retreat than an air-conditioned gallery.

I’d recommend a trip to the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead for Close to Home, an exhibition that showcases acclaimed photographer Tish Murtha plus newly commissioned work by Kuba Ryniewicz. 

Murtha’s powerful photographs document working-class life in the north-east during the 1970s and 1980s with honesty and empathy. Shown alongside Ryniewicz’s contemporary response, the exhibition creates a fascinating dialogue between past and present and explores the enduring character of the region.

A day

Walk the coast 

As soon as the sun appears, the British seaside beckons. But rather than spend the day shaking sand from your clothes, why not experience the coast with a hike?

This year a path that covers the entire English coastline was completed, and while the whole route is a little ambitious for a day, the Seven Sisters section is a great place to start. It’s a 13.5-mile route between Seaford and Eastbourne that winds through the rolling chalk cliffs and sweeping sea views of South Downs national park. Don’t forget the sunscreen.

After conquering the walk, there’s no better reward than a fish and chip supper.

Illustration by Charlotte Durance