What’s that coming over the hill? It’s the WEEKEND, baby, and it’s coming to get you. Here’s everything you should be doing in Phnom Penh for the next three days.

Friday

Food & Drink

Start your night by shaking off the week’s stress with a truly glorious cocktail at Elbow Room. The team are launching a new “End of Day” cocktail menu, featuring four of their faves for just $4 apiece (!), and this weekend they’re offering the special menu right up until closing time.

For more guilt-free alcoholic creations, another top spot tonight is Che Culo’s “Cocktails With a Cause” night – profits from the night on drinks and the lucky draw will go to Sisters, a Cambodian charity that distributes feminine hygiene products to the women who can’t afford them (8pm-Midnight @ Che Culo, St 302).

Finally, who doesn’t love a BBQ? Especially one where draft beer is only $0.75? If that sounds like rhetorical question to you, get on over to La Petanque on St 155 from 6pm until late… or pop over to Mini Banana from 4pm onwards, where there are a ton of drinks deals, free shots, live music from Scoddy’s Acoustic Trio and tunes from DJ Mutespeaker to help wash down your meat (4pm-1am, St 51, BKK1).

Film

Looking for another spooky horror-thriller for date night? Annabelle: Creation, showing at Legend Cinemas is getting great reviews worldwide, despite being the supernatural prequel to Annabelle, itself the fourth in the Conjuring series. You might have to sleep with the light on tonight, though… especially if you’re easily freaked out by creepy dolls! (6.50 & 9.10pm @ Legend Cinemas City Mall, Tuol Kork & Meanchey)

Live Music

If you fancy trying something a bit different, there are some great music options around town tonight. First up, Japanese drum team Daiko are performing the first of a series of energetic drumming performances at Aeon Mall at 7pm (Sothearos Boulevard). Here’s a little taster of what to expect… (on a less impressive stage, obviously):

Later, Neverland Art Space will host Sound Art: Jogya Noise Bombing, a touring performance by a collective of sound artists from Indonesia that brings together experimental audio, ambient noise, drone, circuit bending and percussion in weird and wonderful ways (8-9pm @ Neverland Art Space; turn off Norodom Boulevard, opposite St 380).

Pop-wise, if you don’t mind getting trampled by crowds of screaming teenage girls, P-Sand is back for another massive gig tonight at Phus Kres Angkor, sponsored by Heineken (7.30-11pm, Sankat Phsar Derm Skov, Khan Chom Kar Mon)

For something a little more laid back, you can catch Jeff Sleeman at Botanico Beer & Wine Garden (7.30-9.30, St 29) or Joe Wrigley’s Acoustic Americana set at Farm to Table (6.30-8.30, Farm to Table).

Or escape from the rain for a Belgian Beer and some awesome funk and soul, courtesy of Double-A & Mirasol, at Duplex (St 278, BKK1),

Club Nights

All those sugary cocktails got you buzzing? Release your inner 60s vamp at META House’s Cambodian Rock Night, where you can get your fix of psychedelic-surf-rock classics from Pan Ron, Ros Sereysothea, Sinn Sisamouth and the like (9pm-2am @ META House, Sothearos Boulevard, Tonle Bassac).

Or get down and dirty with visiting DJ Justin James at Heart of Darkness (from Midnight until very, very late, St 51)

Saturday

Sport & Fitness

If you’re looking for a chance to get out and get active, here’s the perfect opportunity: Phokeetra Sports Club is hosting an open house ALL weekend, with free use of the gym, pool and all exercise classes, completely free of charge (8am-8pm, 26 Old August Site, Sothearos Boulevard, Phnom Penh).

There’s also an awesome chance for a mini adventure with Phnom Penh Climbing Gym, which is organising a weekend climbing trip to Sisophon (6am Sat – 6pm Sun, leaving from Phnom Penh Climbing Gym, St 450).

Alternatively, if you’d rather cheer on your sporting heroes from the comfort of your chair, you can catch the English Premier League on the big screen at All Sports Bar (9pm-1am, St 172)

Art

Fancy creating your very own masterpiece? N o w h e r e, now at its new home at Neverland Artspace, is running a one-day session to teach you how to paint a self-portrait using acrylic on canvas (1pm-5pm, Neverland Artspace, off Norodom Boulevard opposite St 380).

And, of course, you can still catch the fantastic art exhibition When the Ice Melts, at META House, all weekend (Sothearos Boulevard, Tonle Bassac).

Film

If you’re seeking a lighthearted comedy to ease your hangover this afternoon, look no further than Chicklit. It’s the daft but amusing tale of four guys trying to save their local pub by writing their own version of 50 Shades of Grey, only to get into hot water when the publishing company requests the (imaginary) female author to come and do the publicity for the book (4pm @ Flicks 1, St 95, BKK3).

… And if you’re still in the mood for a feel-good film after that, stick around for the 8pm showing of Oscar-winning film La La Land, starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling.

Pub Quiz

Calling Seinfeld fans: looks like you’ve finally found your niche. Long After Dark is hosting a special Seinfeld-themed pub quiz tonight – so all that obsessive TV watching might finally win you some beers! (7-10pm @ Long After Dark, St 450, Russian Market).

Club Nights

Plenty of options to keep you entertained (and sweaty) all through Saturday night… and we’re not talking about the ones lining St 104. (Seriously, don’t be *that* guy).

Premo Sounds pumps up the urban house and future bass at DJ Guesthouse (7.30-11.30, St 29), META House holds it’s own Kingdom of House DJ Party (9pm – 2am, Sothearos Boulevard, Tonle Bassac), and MAD House features a lineup of awesome techno and acid house DJs, along with half price drinks until midnight (10pm – 7am, St 172).

Last but certainly not least, DJ Justin James is back for a second night of debauchery, this time down over at Club Love (11pm – 4am, St 278, BKK1).

Sunday

Sport

The National Karting Championship continues this week after a thrilling first round. While it’s a little way out of town, it’s well worth the early morning trek – despite the rain, last week saw some awesome performances from local favourite Ley Sreyroth as well as – funnily enough – the Belgian dude that runs iBurger and Tusk. This truly is the Kingdom of Wonder (8am – 3pm @ Cambodia Karting Circuit, off National Highway 4, Phsar Kom Bol)

Shopping

Forget the city’s many malls: the best place to pick yourself up a quirky, instant favourite fashion item is surely Phsar Don Don, the pop-up Japanese second hand store. This Sunday, it’s at the cute little Cafe Ripple, on St 360 (10am-3pm, BKK1)

Art & Film

Ever wanted to try your hand at beautiful Khmer calligraphy? PenhScript is offering a three-hour brush lettering class today, to teach you the basics of this traditional art (11am-1pm @ St 273, Tuol Kork – bookings essential).

As the constant roar of construction work reminds us all day long, Phnom Penh is changing fast – but what does that mean for the people that live here? This is the big question explored in Urbanized, META House’s feature documentary today, which looks at the issues and tensions that flare up as cities grow at lightning speed (4pm – 5.30pm @ META House, Sothearos Boulevard, Tonle Bassac)

Eating & Drinking

Homesick Brits will be thrilled with this one: all afternoon The Box Office is whipping up a traditional Sunday Roast… along with a Scrabble Tournament! Now THAT’S how to spend a Sunday… (1-9pm @ The Box Office, St 244).

Live Music

Wait! Don’t crawl under your covers and fret over your early Monday morning start JUST yet – there are still two gigs to drag you away from that Netflix binge.

This Sunday, Sharky Bar is showcasing sexy Spanish rhythms and Gaucho guitar from Brazilian musician Tiago Campos (9-10pm, St 130), while Oscar’s on the Corner’s talented house band K’n’E deliver English and Khmer rock’n’roll hits.

That’s all from us this week! Have fun, go nuts, see you on the other side… and if you want to make sure you never miss a roundup, click here to sign up for our Friday newsletter.