Dine, drink and dance – here are the best things to do in London in September
It’s the start of a new month, which means it’s time to fill up your cultural calendar. As autumn arrives, London comes alive, and October sees blockbuster art exhibitions open across the capital, major names return to the West End and festivals celebrate everything from film and literature to music and contemporary art. Foodies can discover new openings, while Halloween brings horror films, eerie installations and spooky experiences. Whether you want culture, dining or something a little different, these are the best things to do in London this October.
Thursday 1 October
Celebrate Oktoberfest in Finsbury Park
Dust off the lederhosen because Oktoberfest is returning to London. The Bavarian celebration dates back to a royal wedding held in Munich in 1810, while London has been getting in on the action since 2011. Finsbury Park will once again host a huge beer tent filled with long communal tables, German food and Bavarian Festbier. Entertainment comes courtesy of live bands performing everything from traditional Oktoberfest tunes and Oompah to Schlager and familiar party favourites. Add plenty of singing, dancing and colourful costumes, and you have one lively way to kick off October.
Where: Finsbury Park, London
When:1 to 3 October 2026
Contact: https://london-oktoberfest.co.uk
Friday 2 October
Watch Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?
Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? returns to the West End for its first major London revival in a decade. Gillian Anderson and Billy Crudup lead the cast as Martha and George, a married couple whose late-night drinks with younger couple Nick and Honey descend into increasingly uncomfortable psychological games. Staged at @sohoplace, the intimate theatre provides an atmospheric setting for Albee’s darkly funny examination of marriage, resentment and illusion. With Anderson and Crudup at the centre of the production, this revival offers theatre fans a heavyweight pairing in one of the 20th century’s best-known plays.
Where: Sohoplace, 4 Soho Place, Charing Cross Road, Soho, London W1D 3BG
When: 21 September to 19 December 2026
Contact: https://whosafraidofvirginiawoolfplay.co.uk
Saturday 3 October
Indulge In A Royally Inspired Afternoon Tea
The Wellington Lounge at InterContinental London Park Lane is welcoming autumn with a Royally Inspired Afternoon Tea. Savouries include whipped English cheese with candied hazelnut crumb and slow-confited rainbow trout with tarragon and lemon, followed by freshly baked scones served with winter berry conserve and cream. Sweet creations range from a spiced apple and Calvados délice to honey, pear and almond cake made using honey from the hotel’s own bees. Those celebrating can upgrade proceedings with the Veuve Clicquot trolley, offering free-flowing Champagne poured tableside for an appropriately regal afternoon in Mayfair.
Where: InterContinental London Park Lane, One Park Lane, London, W1J 7QY
When: 21 September to16 November from 1pm to 5pm.
Contact: parklane.intercontinental.com
Sunday 4 October
Fall in love with Renoir at The National Gallery
Romance takes centre stage at the National Gallery this autumn with Renoir and Love, the institution’s first major Renoir exhibition since 2007. Created in partnership with Musée d’Orsay in Paris and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the show focuses on a pivotal period in Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s career, spanning the mid-1860s to the mid-1880s. Visitors can explore some of the French Impressionist’s most celebrated depictions of relationships, leisure and everyday life. Highlights include the landmark 1876 painting Bal au Moulin de la Galette, which will be exhibited in the United Kingdom for the first time.
Where: The National Portrait Gallery, St. Martin’s Place, London, WC2H 0HE
When: 3 October 2026 to 31 January 2027
Contact: www.nationalgallery.org.uk
Monday 5 October
Discover London’s darker side
Halloween season gets underway with the return of London Month of the Dead. Running throughout October, the annual programme explores the capital’s long and often macabre relationship with death through more than 60 unusual events. Alongside ghostly tours and cemetery visits, this year’s programme includes a bat skeleton mounting workshop, a magic shadow show at West Norwood Cemetery and a five-hour immersive forensics workshop. Film fans can also catch The Cabinet of Dr Caligari with live piano accompaniment from Stephen Horne, while the programme builds towards the suitably sinister A Danse Macabre Halloween festival.
Where: Various locations across London
When: 1 to 31 October 2026
Contact: https://londonmonthofthedead.com
Tuesday 6 October
Be wowed by history at The Bayeux Tapestry
From 10 September 2026, The Bayeux Tapestry arrives at the British Museum in London for the very first time. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see this extraordinary treasure, marking almost 1,000 years since it was last in England. Stretching an astonishing 70 metres in length, the piece tells the story of the Norman invasion and the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The exhibition will bring this pivotal moment in history to life and explore everything from warfare and ships to clothing, food and furniture.
Where: The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3DG
When: 10 September 2026 to 11 July 2027
Contact: www.britishmuseum.org
Wednesday 7 October
Attend The BFI London Film Festival
The BFI London Film Festival celebrates its 70th edition with 11 days and nights of screenings, premieres and special events across the capital. This year’s programme includes Elsinore, starring Andrew Scott and Olivia Colman, alongside Jesse Eisenberg’s comedy-drama The Debut, featuring Julianne Moore. Beyond the headline premieres, audiences can discover new releases, short films and restored works from the BFI archives. Virtual reality experiences, screen talks, filmmaker panels and parties will also form part of the programme. Whether you are a committed cinephile or simply searching for your next favourite film, October offers plenty of opportunities to visit the cinema.
Where: BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road, South Bank, London, SE1 8XT
When: 7 to 18 October 2026.
Contact: https://whatson.bfi.org.uk
Thursday 8 October
Revisit The Nineties with Edward Enninful
The fashion, art and pop culture of the 1990s take over Tate Britain in a major exhibition curated by former British Vogue editor Edward Enninful OBE. The show explores the decade through some of its most recognisable creative voices, combining photography, fashion and contemporary art. Visitors will encounter images by Juergen Teller, Nick Knight, David Sims and Corinne Day alongside designs from Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen. Works by artists including Damien Hirst, Gillian Wearing and Yinka Shonibare also feature. For anyone nostalgic for an era that reshaped British fashion and visual culture, this exhibition offers a comprehensive trip back in time.
Where: Tate Britain, Millbank, London, SW1P 4RG
When: 8 October 2026 to 14 February 2027
Contact: www.tate.org.uk
Friday 9 October
Dine at FACT’s 2026 Restaurant of the Year
Few London restaurants deliver an experience quite like Ikoyi. Chef Jeremy Chan draws on global spices and exceptional British produce to create an ever-evolving tasting menu that feels entirely his own, with dishes such as aged turbot with egusi miso and smoked jollof rice highlighting the restaurant’s distinctive approach. The Strand restaurant currently holds two MICHELIN Stars, cementing its place among London’s most acclaimed dining destinations. Adding to its credentials, Ikoyi was recently named FACT Dining Awards London’s Restaurant of the Year for the second consecutive year, making it an essential reservation for serious food lovers.
Where: Ikoyi, 180 Strand, Temple, London, WC2R 1EA
Contact: https://ikoyilondon.com
Saturday 10 October
Watch Cate Blanchett at the National Theatre
Cate Blanchett returns to the London stage in Electra/Persona, an ambitious new production at the National Theatre. Directed by Benedict Andrews, the show brings together ancient Greek tragedy and Ingmar Bergman-inspired psychological drama, exploring identity, performance and the fragile boundary between actor and character. Blanchett stars alongside her Tár co-star Nina Hoss and Black Doves actor Ella Lily Hyland, following her acclaimed 2025 appearance in The Seagull at the Barbican.
Where: Lyttelton Theatre, National Theatre, South Bank, London SE1 9PX
When: 19 August to 10 October 2026
Contact: www.nationaltheatre.org.uk
Sunday 11 October
Try Anna Higham’s new Café Clementine
Award-winning pastry chef Anna Higham is expanding her North London presence with Clementine, a new all-day British café opposite her popular Quince Bakery. The intimate 20-cover spot moves beyond pastries into breakfast, brunch and lunch, with a menu that changes alongside the seasons. Morning dishes include porridge with Ivy House cream, panela sugar and apple compote, tattie scones with scrambled Cacklebean eggs and Scotch pancakes with poached plums. Lunch turns to toasties, pies, soups, cheese and pickles, while Higham’s sweet credentials remain firmly represented through oat cookies, figgy meringue cake and, of course, her much-loved scones.
Where: Café Clementine, 267 New North Road, London, N1 7AA
When: Wednesday to Friday from 8am to 2.30pm, Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 2.30pm
Contact: https://quincebakery.co.uk
Monday 12 October
Catch Hans Zimmer at The O2
London, you are in for a musical treat. The legendary composer, Hans Zimmer, will perform at The O2. The World of Hans Zimmer – A New Dimension comes to the capital on 12 October 2026. Over Hans’s career, he has won two Academy Awards, three Golden Globes and five Grammy Awards. He has worked on more than 150 films, including Dune, Gladiator, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Last Samurai, and The Lion King.
Where: The O2 Arena, Peninsula Square, London, SE10 0DX
When: Monday, 12 October 2026
Contact: https://worldofhanszimmer.com
Tuesday 13 October
See Jack Harlow at KOKO in Camden
American rapper Jack Harlow will be returning to the London stage. He is bringing the Monica Tour to KOKO on 13 October 2026, and will be supported by James Savage. The singer has entered a softer, more soulful chapter with MONICA, his fourth studio album. Released in March, the nine-track project leans into R&B, live instrumentation and a more intimate vocal style, moving away from the sharper rap energy of earlier hits. Top tracks include “Trade Places,” “Lonesome,” “Prague,” “My Winter” and “All Of My Friends,” plus contributions from Ravyn Lenae, Omar Apollo and Jermaine Paul.
Where: KOKO, 1A Camden High Street, London NW1 7JE
When: Tuesday, 13 October 2026
Contact: www.ticketmaster.co.uk
Wednesday 14 October
Experience Frieze London 2026
The international art world descends on Regent’s Park from 14 to 18 October 2026 for Frieze London and Frieze Masters. Together, the 2026 fairs feature almost 300 galleries from 48 countries and regions, spanning contemporary art, Old Masters and significant works from across art history. New additions include The Code Universe at Frieze London and Queering Modernism at Frieze Masters. The programme also includes artist commissions, films and talks featuring figures such as Grayson Perry and Es Devlin. Frieze Sculpture adds a free element to proceedings, transforming Regent’s Park with works by 11 international artists from 16 September to 1 November 2026.
Where: Frieze London, Regent’s Park, London
When: 14 to 18 October 2026
Contact: www.frieze.com
Thursday 15 October
Spend an evening with Tyla
South African superstar Tyla will bring her A*POP World Tour to O2 Academy Brixton on 15 October 2026. The 34-date tour follows the release of her second album, APOP, and includes stops across Europe, the UK, North America and Africa. Born in Johannesburg, Tyla rose to global fame with “Water”, becoming the first South African solo artist to enter the US Billboard Hot 100 in 55 years. She has since won two Grammy Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards and two BET Awards.
Where: O2 Academy Brixton, 211 Stockwell Road, Brixton, London, SW9 9SL
When: Thursday, 15 October 2026
Contact: www.tylaworld.com
Friday 16 October
Check out the classic musical Rent
Rent is heading to the West End in London. Opening on 26 September 2026 at the Duke of York’s Theatre, it brings to life Jonathan Larson’s musical masterpiece. Directed by Luke Sheppard, it is a reworking of Giacomo Puccini’s opera La Bohème. The show tells the story of young artists in New York, and explores chaos, conflict and creativity. Stranger Things Star Gaten Matarazzo Will Make His West End debut in the production.
Where: Duke of York’s Theatre, St Martin’s Lane, Covent Garden, London WC2N 4BG
Contact: https://rentthemusical.com
Saturday 17 October
Watch For Colored Girls at The Yard Theatre
Ntozake Shange’s groundbreaking 1975 choreopoem For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf receives its first London revival at The Yard Theatre. Directed by Diane Page with original music by Jammz, the production stars Tatenda Naomi Matsvai, Nadine Higgin, Cherrelle Skeete, Alex Thomas-Smith and Ibilola Rossi. Through poetry, music and movement, the work follows seven women as they share experiences shaped by racism, sexism, love, trauma and resilience. The production retains the work’s emotional intensity and dark humour while introducing Shange’s influential writing to a new generation of London theatre audiences.
Where: The Yard Theatre, 2 Queen’s Yard, London, E9 5EN
When: 2 September to 17 October 2026
Contact: www.theyardtheatre.co.uk
Sunday 18 October
Travel through music at The Silk Road Festival
World Heart Beat Music Academy launches the inaugural Silk Road Music Festival in South London this autumn. Running across three months, the new festival celebrates musical traditions connected to the historic Silk Road while spotlighting cultures and communities that are often underrepresented on London stages. The programme opens with a Sufi Qawwali Night performed by the Khan Brothers before travelling through an eclectic range of sounds and traditions. Bengali song, Anatolian folk music and Chinese classical music all feature across the series. For curious listeners, the festival provides an opportunity to experience musical traditions from across Asia and beyond without leaving London.
Where: Embassy Gardens, Wandsworth, London, SW18 4PP
When: 3 October 2026 to 12 December 2026
Contact: https://worldheartbeat.org
Monday 19 October
Witness J. Cole live in London
J. Cole is coming back to London. As part of his newly announced The Fall-Off Tour, the North Carolina hip-hop heavyweight will take over The O2 in Greenwich. His career is stacked with songs that have become modern rap staples. Depending on the night, London could hear everything from the instant lift of “Work Out” and “Power Trip” to the slow-burn confidence of “No Role Modelz,” the razor-focus of “Middle Child,” and the emotional pull of “Love Yourz.” A lot of this tour’s heat stems from The Fall-Off, released on 6 February 2026 and framed as a major, legacy-minded statement. The wide-ranging, career-spanning project is rumoured to be the rapper’s last and is built to sound like a summation rather than a sequel. The tracklist runs deep, and the album’s scale has J. Cole is aiming for a final-word feeling on tracks such as “Drum N Bass,” “Life Sentence”, and “The Let Out.”
Where: The O2 Arena, Peninsula Square, London, SE10 0DX
When: 19 and 20 October 2026
Contact: www.livenation.co.uk
Tuesday 20 October
Watch Horror Classics at Prince Charles Cinema
Leicester Square institution the Prince Charles Cinema is embracing spooky season with HorrOctober, a month-long celebration featuring more than 80 horror films. The packed programme ranges from silent classics to contemporary hits, with live-scored screenings of the original Nosferatu and The Cabinet of Dr Caligari among the highlights. Halloween enthusiasts can also settle in for an overnight marathon featuring the first six Halloween movies or join the cinema’s famous Sing-A-Long-A Rocky Horror Picture Show. More recent releases, including Weapons, Backrooms and Sinners, round out a programme designed for horror fans of almost every persuasion.
Where: Prince Charles Cinema, 7 Leicester Place, London, WC2H 7BY
When: 1 to 31 October 2026
Contact: https://princecharlescinema.com
Wednesday 21 October
Join Dua Lipa at London Literature Festival
Books take over the Southbank Centre as the London Literature Festival returns with Dua Lipa as its 2026 curator. The pop star is no stranger to the literary world thanks to her Service95 Book Club, which spotlights international fiction and features conversations with authors through its accompanying podcast. Her involvement gives this year’s festival a particularly global outlook, with the wider programme bringing together writers, readers and prominent cultural voices. Lipa has also used her platform to discuss access to literature and the impact of book bans. For bibliophiles, the festival offers almost two weeks of conversations and events celebrating the written word.
Where: Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX
When: 20 October to 1 November 2026
Contact: www.southbankcentre.co.uk
Thursday 22 October
See Kristin Scott Thomas in The Cherry Orchard
Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard returns to the West End in a new production directed by Olivier and Tony Award-nominated Ian Rickson. The play follows an aristocratic family confronting financial decline, the sale of their country estate and the possible destruction of its beloved cherry orchard. Kristin Scott Thomas stars as landowner Lyubov Ranevskaya, reuniting with Rickson two decades after appearing in his production of The Seagull at the Royal Court. Combining family conflict with shifting social structures and Chekhov’s characteristic dark humour, the production offers a fresh opportunity to revisit one of the playwright’s most enduring works.
Where: Harold Pinter Theatre, Panton Street, London, SW1Y 4DN
When: 3 October 2026 to 9 January 2027
Contact: www.haroldpintertheatre.co.uk
Friday 23 October
Celebrate The Women of Punk
The Museum of Youth Culture puts female punk pioneers in the spotlight with God Save The Queens. Presented as part of the Up Yours! Festival, the exhibition celebrates 50 years of punk while focusing specifically on the women who helped shape the movement. Poly Styrene, frontwoman of X-Ray Spex, is a central figure, with material from the Poly Styrene Archive among the highlights. Visitors can also see original works by photographer Linder, previously unseen art from saxophonist Lora Logic and archival fashion pieces by Dame Zandra Rhodes. Together, the exhibits tell a broader story about creativity, rebellion and women’s influence on punk culture.
Where: Museum of Youth Culture, 51 St Pancras Way, London, NW1 0PU
When: Wednesday to Sunday from 11am to 6pm
Contact: www.museumofyouthculture.com
Saturday 24 October
See Letitia Wright at The National Theatre
Letitia Wright makes her National Theatre debut in The Story, Tracey Scott Wilson’s gripping newsroom drama about race, journalism and truth. Directed by Clint Dyer, the production examines how stories are created, whose voices are heard and who ultimately gets to shape the public narrative. Wright takes centre stage in the play’s United Kingdom premiere, adding another major theatrical role to a career that has included acclaimed work across film and television. With questions surrounding journalism, identity and representation driving the narrative, the production offers plenty to discuss long after the curtain falls. October marks the final opportunity to catch its London run.
Where: National Theatre, South Bank, London, SE1 9PX
When: 27 August to 24 October 2026.
Contact: www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk
Sunday 25 October
Have lunch at Le Café LPM
The French Riviera has arrived at The Lanesborough with Le Café LPM, the first standalone café concept from the team behind the FACT award-winning La Petite Maison. Opened in September for a year-long residency, the superb spot serves an all-day menu designed to move effortlessly from lunch into aperitif hour and dinner. Dishes include Burrata Tartine with tomatoes and basil, Croque Monsieur with veal ham and Comté, Tuna Carpaccio, Grilled Octopus and a Sirloin Steak Baguette. With Mediterranean flavours, relaxed service and one of London’s grandest hotels as its backdrop, it is an easy choice for an elegant lunch or leisurely evening.
Where: Le Café LPM, The Lanesborough, Hyde Park Corner, London SW1X 7TA
When: Daily from 12pm to 10pm
Contact: www.oetkerhotels.com
Monday 26 October
Step inside Jenkin Van Zyl’s Enclosure
Somerset House welcomes visitors into the surreal world of artist Jenkin Van Zyl with Enclosure, a free large-scale immersive installation. Known for creating unsettling environments, the English artist transforms the space into a decaying setting where audiences are invited to temporarily inhabit the lives of others. The experience unfolds through an unusual collection of visual elements, including fairground-style signage, holograms and inflatable cocoons. Beneath its theatrical appearance, Enclosure explores themes surrounding capitalism and its failures. Strange, immersive and deliberately disorientating, the installation provides a very different way to experience contemporary art and makes an intriguing addition to an autumn afternoon on the Strand.
Where: Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2R 1LA
When: 24 September to 29 November 2026
Contact: www.somersethouse.org.uk
Tuesday 27 October
Enter Room 13 at Battersea Arts Centre
Battersea Arts Centre is leaning into Halloween with Room 13, an immersive horror experience from award-winning Secret Cinema director Tom Maller. The story draws inspiration from the venue’s own history, beginning with the devastating 2015 fire. According to the fictional premise, restoration workers discovered a mysterious stone chamber hidden inside the building, only to seal it again after encountering something deeply unsettling. Eleven years later, the room is being opened once more. Combining immersive theatre with horror storytelling and one of London’s most atmospheric cultural venues, the experience offers adventurous audiences an appropriately creepy night out in the run-up to Halloween.
Where: Battersea Arts Centre, Lavender Hill, London, SW11 5TN
When: 16 October to 1 November 2026
Contact: https://bac.org.uk
Wednesday 28 October
See Keira Knightley return to the London stage
Keira Knightley returns to the London stage after a 15-year absence in The Lives of Others. Robert Icke adapts the Oscar-winning 2006 German film, which follows a playwright living in 1980s East Germany who becomes the subject of surveillance by the Stasi. Knightley plays the playwright’s lover, while Bridgerton star Luke Thompson appears as writer Georg Dreyman and Stephen Dillane takes on the role of Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler, the officer monitoring him. Combining political intrigue with questions about privacy, loyalty and artistic freedom, the production gives theatre fans the chance to see Knightley tackle a substantial West End role.
Where: Adelphi Theatre, 409 – 412 Strand, London, WC2R 0NS
When: 29 October 2026 to 7 January 2027
Contact: https://lwtheatres.co.uk
Thursday 29 October
Step Into Tim Walker’s Fairyland
British fashion photographer Tim Walker returns with his first London exhibition since 2019. Best known for fantastical editorial imagery created for publications including British Vogue, i-D, W, Vanity Fair and Another Man, Walker has spent five years photographing members of the United Kingdom’s LGBTQ+ community for Fairyland: Love and Legends. Hosted at the National Portrait Gallery, the exhibition presents a new body of portraiture alongside an accompanying book. Contributors to the publication include Travis Alabanza, Russell T Davies, Shon Faye, Lisa Power and Joelle Taylor. The show offers a new perspective on an image-maker celebrated for transforming portraiture into elaborate visual storytelling.
Where: National Portrait Gallery, St. Martin’s Place, London, WC2H 0HE
When: 9 October 2026 to 7 February 2027
Contact: www.npg.org.uk
Friday 30 October
Have dinner at a FACT award winner
Hakkasan Mayfair remains one of London’s most atmospheric Chinese restaurants, pairing sultry lighting and dramatic interiors with refined Cantonese cooking. The menu features long-standing signatures such as Crispy Duck Salad, Roasted Silver Cod with Champagne and Chinese Honey, Dim Sum platters and Stir-Fry Black Pepper Rib Eye Beef, alongside seasonal specials and an accomplished cocktail list. For those dining at home, selected dishes are also available to take away. Its enduring appeal was reaffirmed at the FACT Dining Awards London 2026, where Hakkasan Mayfair was named Favourite Chinese Restaurant, cementing its place among the capital’s most popular dining destinations.
Where: Hakkasan Mayfair, 17 Bruton Street, Mayfair, London, W1J 6QB
Contact: https://hakkasangroup.com
Saturday 31 October
Brave Halloween at Kew
Kew Gardens is getting a spooky seasonal makeover with a family-friendly Halloween trail from the producers behind its popular Christmas light experience. After dark, visitors can follow a route through illuminated trees and eerie installations while encountering ghoulish characters, live actors and dramatic fire performers along the way. Halloween-themed food and drinks will also be available throughout the experience, providing an opportunity to refuel between scares. Designed to balance atmosphere with accessible thrills for younger visitors, the trail offers families a different way to explore one of London’s best-known gardens. Just remember that things may look very different after sunset.
Where: Kew Gardens, Richmond, London, TW9 3JR
When: 16 October to 1 November 2026
Contact: www.kew.org