Even in this summer of heatwaves, there's a chill in the air, and we think we know where it's coming from... London Month of the Dead is looming on the horizon.
The ghoulishly good festival of death and the arts stalks into town for the entirety of October (these days, it creeps into November too), putting a cerebral spin on things that go bump in the night.
Expect fascinating talks on the macabre, candlelit cemetery concerts and screenings of classic horror movies with live piano accompaniment. Yes, it's wonderful for goths, necromancers and their brooding brethren — but Month of the Dead appeals to anyone who's culturally-curious.
Month of the Dead has quite the reputation these days, with events selling out FAST. Here's our selection of events that are still alive and kicking at time of writing. Many are served with a free gin punch/ginger biccie. Just the thing to settle any nerves.
💀 The Women Beneath the Stones: A walk through Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park reveals the women campaigners, pioneers, performers, explorers and trade unionists who helped shaped the East End, but were since left forgotten beneath moss-gathering tombstones. 3 October
💀 Death in Georgian London: In 18th century London, the living and the dead existed side by side. Historian Dan O'Brien explores the church crypts and dissecting rooms; the gibbet cages and curious medical practices that meant wherever you turned, mortality was staring you in the face. 8 October
💀 Who Killed Charles Bravo? Crime historian Angela Buckley invites you to accompany her as she rakes over the mysterious 1876 death of London barrister Charles Bravo, in Balham. The murder was never officially solved, although a certain Agatha Christie reckoned she knew who dunnit. 10 October
💀 The Pest Houses of London: As the Great Plague of 1665 ravaged London, pest houses were the first line of defence against the epidemic. Alison Wall delves into the history of these spaces, which played a vital role in protecting countless Londoners, yet were not somewhere you'd necessarily want to end up yourself. 11 October
💀 London Maps of the Dead: Londonist's Matt Brown gets his map collection out again, and this time he's exploring the hidden geography of mortality lurking beneath the modern metropolis. Cartography with added chill factor. 25 October
💀 Lost Soul Songs: Thomas Truax and his self-crafted 'band' of Tim Burtonesque instruments perform a set of atmospheric songs by candlelight at Kings Chapel. 25 October
💀 Creatures of the Night: It's fair to say we have something of a love-hate relationship with vampires, and in this talk, Katie Evans sinks her teeth into the way these fanged folkloric figures are used to represent otherness, internal struggles, trauma and sex. 1 November
That's just the tip of the tombstone — but as we say, some events are vanishing faster than a shy ghost, so get booking!
London Month of the Dead takes place across London 1 October-1 November 2026. Tickets are available here.
