Black History Month Events In London 2026

By Londonist

Last Updated 25 September 2026

Londonist Black History Month Events In London 2026

October is Black History Month in the UK — a chance to learn about Black creatives, heroes, and campaigners from the past and the present. Here's our pick of highlights for 2026.

Black History Month London: A portion of a Black History tube map — Immerse yourself in Black History this month. Image: TfL

Black History Month walks, talks and tours

🚶🏿 Black History Walks host a number of guided walks in October, including a Theatreland walk, a study of images of Black people on the walls of Tate Britain, and a Harlem in Mayfair tour. (Various dates in October)

🚶🏿Black Legacies London regularly lead three walking tours — around City of London, Westminster and Brixton — in which you're invited to immerse yourself in the rich history (and current culture) of London's Black communities. (Various dates in October)

🚶🏿 Black History Studies lead a tour around the British Museum, honing in on its extensive collections from historic societies of Africa. (11 October)

🎤 Paul Crooks is at Victoria library, for a free talk encouraging people to reconnect with their African roots, by way of records, oral history and DNA. (22 October)

🚶🏿 Black Rooted leads the City Of London: Slave Trade Money Trail Tour, following the hidden story of one of Britain's first slave traders, London's Plantation Economy Triangle and the blood money trail of the Lloyds family (24 October)

🚶🏿 Join the NLA for a tour of Brixton's Black history: learn about the area's controversial 'Barrier Block' building, how Lambeth Town Hall helped build cultural bridges — and finish up in Brixton Village, where vendors represent over 50 different nationalities. (24 October)

🎤 Gallery Educator and artist Joanna Conybeare hosts an online talk/draw-along live from the National Gallery, in which you're invited to explore representations of Black and minority figures within the collection, considering how identity, visibility and lived experience have been portrayed/understood through various works of art. No drawing experience necessary. (30 October)

Other Black History Month events

Three women sitting around a table — Caribbean Voices: Shaping Docklands Trail is ongoing at London Museum Docklands. Image: London Museum Docklands

We've cherry-picked a few events that focus specifically on history, but you can find loads more happening across October (and beyond) on the Black History Month website.

🤘🏾Harlesden Library is currently hosting the free exhibition The Brent Reggae Album Covers, where you can admire sleeve artwork shot across the borough over the years. (Until 31 October)

🏛️ London Museum Docklands usually has a slew of events taking place — which we expect to hear more of closer to the time. Their (FREE!) Caribbean Voices: Shaping Docklands Trail continues until the New Year. (Until January 2027)

🏛️ The Music is Black: A British Story at V&A East whisks you through the history of Black sounds in this country — from a display of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's batons, to Stormzy's Union Flag stab vest. (Until 10 January 2027)

🏛️ At time of writing, Brixton's Black Cultural Archives haven't announced their October listings, but no doubt there'll be some insightful happenings, plus this month is always a good excuse to call in and explore the archives (Throughout October)

📸 Lambeth Archives hosts the work of Charles Gimpel, who used his camera to capture the everyday lives of Black Brixtonians in the 1960s. (5-31 October)

🎻 Bloomsbury's Foundling Museum hosts an evening of rarely-heard British anti-slavery songs from the 18th and 19th centuries, peppered with readings from 18th-century Black writers. (16 October)

📖 Symeon Brown is at LSE to discuss his new book, The Good, the Black and the Boujee, which unravels the web of class and gender shaping Black Britain today. (20 October)