The beginning of July sees some of the most-loved characters from TV, film and comics come to Olympia Events for Comic Con. Taking place over three days, there will be photo shoots, panels, autographs, as well as memorabilia to buy and sightings of your favourite faces, like Harry Potter’s Rupert Grint, and James Bond: The World Is Not Enough’s Denise Richards.

We thought this was smart: architect Minsuk Cho, the South Korean creator of this year’s Serpentine Pavilion, noticed that the pavilions were always a single structure in the space, so this year he focused on showing different possibilities. Titled Archipelagic Void, five ‘islands’ make up the structure, made using mostly wood. There will be music, sound, light, performances, tea, a ‘living’ library and a Play Tower.

This exhibition spans artist/theorist/ teacher Enzo Mari’s 60-year career, with hundreds of his projects on display – including graphic design, furniture, children’s books and games, and conceptual installations. There’s also a showcase of works from several commissioned designers, as tributes to Mari’s work. One of the most influential designers of the 20th century, this exhibition should not be missed.

Visit Japan from W14 at Hyper Japan, where the latest and greatest of Japanese culture is brought together under one roof. There will be street food and live music, gaming and tech, manga, anime, workshops, chef demonstrations, lights, costumes, and more. Highlights include the hypermarket, sake street, artwork, and the food and drink offering. This truly is a vibrant celebration of the best of Japan.

If you’ve ever wondered what a pigeon has in common with a T. Rex, or what tricks birds use to survive (bathing in acid?), then this exhibition will be for you. Relevant for the whole family, you can feel a bird’s heartbeat, meet the oldest modern bird in the world, and learn other fun facts about some of the over 11,000 types of birds on this planet. And as it’s at the Natural History Museum, you can always walk around after and visit their permanent exhibitions, too.