CHRISTMAS CALENDAR: Too early for the 'C' word? Not really — plenty of festive events begin in London this month, as you'll see below. To help you plan your Christmas in London, we've put together this festive calendar, so you can see all the big seasonal events (light switch-ons, ice rink launches, Christmas markets opening) at a glance.
HALF TERM: The school half term break continues into early November. Got children to entertain? Have a read of our family-friendly events guide, spanning shows, exhibitions, free activities and other events. Until 1 November 2026
VETERAN CAR RUN: The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run sees some 400 pre-1905 vehicles set off from London to Brighton. You'll have to be up early to cheer them on — they begin leaving Hyde Park around 7am, heading through Lambeth towards Croydon, and on towards the coast. FREE, 1 November 2026
PITCHFORK MUSIC FESTIVAL: Organised by the Pitchfork music magazine team, Pitchfork Music Festival has events in 16 venues across London, including Royal Festival Hall, Roundhouse, and Hackney Empire. Full programme TBC at time of writing. 2-8 November 2026
KOREAN FILM FESTIVAL: Cinemas across the capital host screenings as part of the 21st London Korean Film Festival, which includes critically acclaimed films, new talent and Korean box office hits. 2-16 November 2026
THEATRE FESTIVAL: Voila! Theatre Festival describes itself as an "annual theatre rendezvous in London" spanning multidisciplinary, multilingual and multicultural performance. This year, that translates into close to 100 different productions across several genres, including classical music-hip hop crossover Rostro x Eminem, and movement-led documentary (M)Others Between Shores, about the experience of migrant mothers. The programme is extensive, so you're bound to find several events to pique your interest. 2-22 November 2026
WRAP UP LONDON: Annual charity coat collection WrapUp London returns to London stations, so dig out your old coat from the back of your wardrobe. The organisation redistributes the coats they collect to those who need them most, to help keep them more comfortable and safe over the winter months. Collections take place 2-22 November 2026
CLOUD 9: Caryl Churchill's Cloud 9 — which follows a family from Victorian Africa to 1970s London — gets a new production at the National Theatre, exploring how we think about gender, power and the legacies of empire. 2 November 2026-January 2027
CHARLIE MACKESY: Author and illustrator Charlie Mackesy — creator of The Boy, The Fox, The Mole and The Horse — is the subject of a new Dulwich Picture Gallery exhibition. View never-before-seen early sketches, unpublished studies and original works from across Mackesy's career. 3 November 2026-7 February 2027
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: London's Christmas lights are switched on throughout this month, including Regent Street (5 November), Covent Garden (12 November) and Carnaby (4 November). Other areas follow over the coming weeks. Here's when exactly each of London's Christmas light displays are switched on. FREE, from 4 November 2026
KUNSTY: Returning to Southbank Cetre for a second year, Kunsty is a weekend of raucous performances from independent artists working at the boundaries of dance, performance, live art and cabaret. The programme includes Samir Kennedy and Sean Murray’s vulgar vampy cabaret IT’S GOT LEGS, and Fringe favourite Fag Packet's physical theatre comedy, DYKE Systems Ltd. 4-6 November 2026
CROYDONITES FESTIVAL: Vikings, bears and a special film premiere are all part of this year's Croydonites Festival, which showcases the south London's cultural heft through a medley of comedy, clowning, theatre and film. 4-21 November 2026
FIREWORKS NIGHT 2026: Remember, remember, the fifth of November. It's fireworks night (or Bonfire Night) — the anniversary of the foiled Gunpowder Plot. Take a look at the displays going on at parks and sports grounds around London this year, and get booking tickets. Note that several take place the weekend before 5 November, so plan in advance. We've also selected a few fireworks events beyond London, which are well worth travelling to. Around 5 November 2026
TEDDINGTON BEER FESTIVAL: If you've just about recovered from London's Oktoberfest celebrations, head to the Landmark Arts Centre for Teddington Beer Festival. Sample cask ales and ciders, with proceeds supporting the Landmark Arts Centre, where the event is held. 5-8 November 2026
TANGO AFTER DARK: World Tango Champion Germán Cornejo brings his company to Sadler's Wells for Tango After Dark, a two-hour production featuring ten dancers, a five-piece live orchestra and two singers performing the music of Astor Piazzolla. The show mixes intimate, athletic choreography with dramatic storytelling, and returns after a sold-out 2018 run. 5-9 November 2026
UK JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL: Various cinemas around London and beyond host screenings as part of the UK Jewish Film Festival. The festival spans genres including drama, comedy and documentary, and begins with an opening night gala at BFI Southbank, screening When The Night Falls, based on a true story about the deportation of French Jews from Vichy France to the Nazi Occupied Zone during the Second World War. 5-15 November 2026
EVER AFTER GARDEN: Illuminated by the light of more than 30,000 glowing roses, the Ever After Garden returns to Chelsea's Duke of York Square. Anyone can visit, and though there's no admission fee, the installation raises money for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, so consider donating if you can. Alternatively, dedicate a rose to a loved one (minimum suggested donation £15). 5 November-21 December 2026
LUXMURALIS: Light art specialists Luxmuralis take over the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich for Lost Worlds, an immersive journey through the great civilisations, myths and forgotten histories of humanity. Light and sound effects combine as you wander through the historic spaces of the ORNC after dark, surrounded by depictions of prehistoric cave art, the lost worlds of Atlantis and Troy, and the age of the dinosaurs. 6-15 November 2026
THROUGH OUR EYES: The first group exhibition in the UK to hone in on the vibrant art and culture of the Sámi people, Through our Eyes: Sámi Art and Culture opens at Somerset House. View works by 19 artists from Europe's only recognised indigenous people, whose traditional land spans the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. 6 November 2026-February 2027
JULIUS CAESAR: Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar gets an airing in the candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at the Globe, a production that explores friendship, betrayal and political violence — classic Shakespeare, then. 6 November 2026-14 February 2027
NUE BLACK AESTHETIC: The Design Museum celebrates contemporary Black designers who are reshaping the British design landscape in furniture, architecture, fashion, and installation — exploring identity, culture, community and more. 6 November 2026-8 August 2027
ARCADIA: Sir John Akomfrah’s Arcadia is a film installation exploring the Columbian Exchange — the mass movements of people, species, goods and disease between the Americas, Afro‑Eurasia and Europe. The piece mixes landscape and sea imagery with a layered soundtrack of nature sounds, opera and poetry, and it's screened at the Natural History Museum. FREE, from 6 November 2026
CONSTANTINOPLE TO ISTANBUL: The V&A South Kensington unveils Constantinople to Istanbul: One City, Two Empires, an exhibition spanning 1,600 years of art and design from Byzantium to the Ottoman period, bringing together objects such as carved caskets, Ottoman processional scrolls, textiles and paintings by Osman Hamdi Bey. From 7 November 2026
REPRESENTASIAN: With an all-star lineup of Asian artists, RepresentAsian is a gala-style concert at the Lyric Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue, incredible talent showcasing musical and theatrical performances. 9 November 2026
MIRACLE CHRISTMAS BAR: If you like Christmas like your aunt used to do it in the eighties (i.e. by the absolute bucketload) Miracle is the place for you. The blindingly kitsch festive pop-up bar is back with as many decorations as they can possibly squeeze in, and a themed Christmas cocktail menu which we've rather enjoyed drinking our way through in years gone by. Good news, it has a new, bigger location this year, on Russell Street in Covent Garden. 9 November-30 December 2026. For more like this, see our guide to London's best winter and Christmas pop-up bars.
NINE NIGHT: Natasha Gordon’s debut play Nine Night is staged at Kiln Theatre. The story follows a Jamaican family gathering for the traditional nine-night wake after Gloria’s death, combining moments of humour with the tensions of grief and long-held secrets. 12 November 2026-2 January 2027
BLOOMSBURY DUO: Vanessa Bell — sister of Virginia Woolf — and her husband Duncan Grant were the most famous artistic duo of the Bloomsbury Group. View their works and learn about their relationship at Tate Britain. 12 November 2026-11 April 2027
PRIDE THE MUSICAL: Following a sold-out National Theatre run, Pride The Musical — about activist Mark Ashton and the unlikely alliance between lesbian and gay campaigners and striking miners in 1984 — pops up at the Bridge Theatre near Tower Bridge. It pairs a soundtrack inspired by pop, rock, disco and Welsh choral traditions with a mix of humour and emotion. 12 November 2026-May 2027
SYLVIA: The rebellious middle child of suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst is the subject of musical Sylvia, which transfers from the Old Vic to a short run at the Royal Albert Hall. It uses a soundtrack of hip‑hop, funk and soul music, with Beverley Knight appearing as Emmeline Pankhurst and Naomi Katiyo as Sylvia. 13-15 November 2026
EFG LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL: Get down with the trumpets at the EFG London Jazz Festival, which offers 10 days of live performances at venues including Barbican, Southbank Centre and the Royal Albert Hall. Norwegian-Brazilian musician Charlotte Dos Santos, the experimental Robocobra Quartet, and Parisian group Caravan Palace are among this year's headliners. 13-22 November 2026
WUNDRFUL WORLD OF CHRISTMAS: Some people might say that mid-November is too early to be getting the kids wound up for Christmas. If that's not you, take them along to the Wundrful World of Christmas at Excel, where they can meet Santa and his elves via a mixed reality experience, including riding a special lift to the North Pole and visiting the North Pole Post Office. 13 November-24 December 2026
CHRISTMAS AT KEW: We know we shouldn't have favourites, but we have a real soft spot for Christmas at Kew, the spectacular light and illuminations festival that glows in the gardens each winter. Over a million lights and thousands of laser beams go into creating the event, which also features a fire garden, light tunnel and illuminated trees. 13 November 2026-3 January 2027. Find other light festivals in London this winter.
EUROTRASH: Kathryn Hunter and Ben Whishaw star in an adaptation of Christian Kracht’s novel Eurotrash, at the Young Vic. The play follows a novelist and his elderly mother on a chaotic road trip through Switzerland as they attempt to give away her fortune. 13 November 2026-9 January 2027
THE JUNGLE BOOK: A new adaptation brings Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book to the National Theatre, with a twist. This version centres Ma Bonbibi, the Lady of the Forest, with contemporary themes about the changing climate and the interdependency of humans and animals in the natural world. Age seven+. 13 November 2026-5 February 2027
ALICE IMMERSIVE WONDERLAND: Ten large-scale rooms bring Alice's Wonderland to life with live performance, interactive games and a 20-minute 360° projection finale. New experience Alice Immersive Wonderland opens at Dock X in Canada Water, offering a two-hour experience where you can meet Lewis Carroll's characters and step into scenes including the Mad Hatter's Tea Party and the Cheshire Cat's Forest. From 13 November 2026
LORD MAYOR'S SHOW: If you're a sucker for pomp and pageantry, don't miss the Lord/Lady Mayor's Show. The event marks the outgoing Lord Mayor being replaced by the new one, and takes the form of a procession through the City of London. FREE, 14 November 2026. There's also a secret ghost parade rehearsal a few days before, though the date of this is always kept under wraps.
CLUB NVRLND: Immersive nightclub experience Club Nvrlnd transforms The Vaults in Waterloo into Peter Pan’s underground nightclub. The audience becomes part of a nostalgic party, with a soundtrack of 2000s hit by the likes of Britney Spears, Rihanna, P!nk, Outkast, Coldplay. 14 November 2026-31 January 2027
LIGHT +FLIGHT:The London borough of Barnet offers two weekends of free events and activities for Light + Flight Festival. The first weekend sees large-scale art installations, live music, film, performance, creative workshops, food, and the unveiling of a major new artwork, all at Finchley Lakeside. The second weekend takes place at the RAF Museum and Artsdepot, celebrating Britain’s first official airmail flight from Hendon Aerodrome in 1911, and premiering Lighthhouse, which is part performance, part light show and part immersive sonic experience. FREE, 14-22 November 2026
THE AFRONAUTS: The world premiere run of The Afronauts , a Zambian space race epic by award-winning writer Ryan Calais Cameron (For Black Boys...) marks the finale of the Royal Court Theatre’s 70th anniversary Downstairs season. Watch the true(ish) story of the Zambian Space Program, and a nation’s defiant dream to reach for the stars, play out on stage. 14 November-19 December 2026
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS TRAIN:Choo choo! All aboard the Epping Ongar Lights Express, a special ride on a train illuminated with fairy lights. Once on board, admire specially-installed illuminations through the windows. New for 2026, there are three different themed rides to choose from this year. 14 November 2026-2 January 2027
SCOTTISH BOOK FESTIVAL: Former sports writer Gordon Simpson, political editor Robert Peston and broadcaster Carol Kirkwood are among the names on the St Andrew's Book Festival programme, a celebration of Scottish literature at venues include Scotland House (Temple) and Caledonian Club (Belgravia).16-22 November 2026
ONE DAY THE MUSICAL: The long-awaited musical adaptation of David Nicholls' book One Day — also made into a Netflix series in 2024 — opens at the Garrick Theatre. Follow the parallel lives of Emma and Dexter, who meet on the night of their graduation, as we get an insight into what they're each up to on that same day over several years. 17 November 2026-March 2027
ROCK AGAINST AGEISM: Eighties icon Toyah Willcox is at Cecil Sharp House in Camden for a lively fireside chat about the punk rock years, her current tours and smashing ageism together. The event is part of Age UK's London Against Ageism campaign. 18 November 2026
BALLETBOYZ: Dance company BalletBoyz present the world premiere of Six Lethargies at Sadler's Wells, with composer Keaton Henson’s score performed by a live 37-piece orchestra and choreography by Iván Pérez and Seirian Griffiths. Michael Nunn and William Trevitt’s company perform with around 35 dancers. 18-21 November 2026
HYDE PARK WINTER WONDERLAND: London's giant festive funfair returns to Hyde Park, with all the usual attractions; ice rink, giant wheel, funfair rides, ice kingdom, circus, Christmas market, and food and drink stalls. Like last year, you'll need to book your entry slot in advance, and prices vary depending on peak and off-peak timings. 19 November 2026-3 January 2027
SEA SHANTY FESTIVAL: Warm up your vocal pipes and climb aboard Cutty Sark for the Sea Shanty Festival, celebrating the vessel's 157th birthday. Bands and singers from across the UK perform live including the HogEye Men and the London Sea Shanty Collective. 21 November 2026
LORD'S DRONE SHOW: Eyes to the skies at Lord's Cricket Ground as WILD: The Drone Light Show comes to town. Hundreds of drones bring the animal kingdom to life in the sky, choreographed to a sweeping soundtrack. 21 November 2026
THE SNOWMAN: After an incredible 32 years of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre's take on The Snowman, the Peacock theatre shakes things up for Christmas 2026 with a new staging. The BRT is still at the helm as puppets and a soaring score combine to bring Raymond Briggs' charming story of a Christmas Eve friendship between a boy and a snowman to life. It's one of our picks of family theatre shows not to miss this Christmas. 21 November 2026-3 January 2027
CINDERELLA: BUTTONS UNDONE: It's Cinderella, but not as you know it. Once again, Charing Cross Theatre hosts a strictly adults-only take on a classic panto, and Cinderella: Buttons Undone is a raucous version of the fairytale, in which tennis champion Ivan Yassandvich holds a ball to find a bride, to the excitement of maid Cindy, her stepsister boss Mercedes, and her gay bestie Buttons. 21 November 2026-9 January 2027
VAN EYCK: One of our art critic's pick of the top exhibitions to see in London in 2026, Van Eyck: The Portraits at The National Gallery brings all of the Flemish painter's portraits together for the first time in history. 21 November 2026-11 April 2027
TOVE JANSSON: The work of Finnish author-illustrator Tove Jansson is in the spotlight in a special exhibition at the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration in Clerkenwell, including her most famous creations, the Moomins. The UK’s first exhibition to share her original works in almost a decade includes previously unseen drawings, along with over 100 rarely shown sketches, paintings, illustrations and photographs. 21 November 2026-9 May 2027
FESTIVE SHERLOCK: The Alexandra Palace Theatre puts a festive twist on fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. Its festive show is set in Victorian London, where West End performers are suddenly dropping dead, and Sherlock and his sidekick Moriarty sent in to investigate. 24 November 2026-14 January 2027
NAN GOLDIN: American photographer and activist Nan Goldin gets a solo exhibition at Southbank Centre's Hayward Gallery. You Never Did Anything Wrong showcases five decades of photographic stills detailing personal relationships, addiction and queer subcultures, as well as four of her recent films: Memory Lost (2019–2021); Stendhal Syndrome (2024); You never did anything wrong, Part I (2024); and the public debut of You never did anything wrong, Part II (2026). 24 November 2026-March 2027
PETER BLAKE: Pop artist Peter Blake, the mastermind behind the cover of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, is celebrated at an exhibition at Pitzhanger Manor in Ealing. A recreation of Blake's Hammersmith art studio offers an insight into his creative process, alongside a display of his paintings, sculptures, collages, album covers and works on paper. 25 November 2026-4 April 2027
THANKSGIVING 2026: Thanksgiving falls on the last Thursday in November with plenty of London restaurants serving up traditional feasts for American expats, and anyone else who fancies getting in on the action. Read our pick of where to celebrate Thanksgiving in London this year. 26 November 2026
LONDON PHOTO SHOW: The London Photo Show comes to Espacio Gallery in Shoreditch. It's an open group exhibition giving photographers from all over the world a chance to flaunt their work to the public. A wide range of photographic styles are on show, and it's a chance to buy work direct from the creators. It also pops up on South Bank dutin the first weekend of December. 26-29 November 2026
SHARK CONSERVATION: Celebrate all things shark, as comedian Ross Noble is guest speaker at the Shark Trust's charity evening at the Royal Geographical Society. For The Love Of Sharks is chance to learn about the Shark Trust's work, meet its experts, and see the winners of Shark Photographer of the Year 2026. 27 November 2026
ROOM ON THE BROOM: Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's witchy children's book Room On The Broom comes to life on stage at the Lyric Theatre. Suitable for age three+, the production uses music, puppetry and storytelling. 27 November 2026-3 Janaury 2027
LONDON MUSEUM REOPENS: A biggie, that you'll definitely want to put in your diary. Four years after the Museum of London closed its London Wall site, the rebranded London Museum opens at its new location in Smithfield. Set in the General market buildings of the 1880s (with further exhibits in the Poultry Building of the 1960s due to open next year), the museum combines permanent artefacts including the Lord Mayor’s Coach, Banksy's Piranhas artwork, and Charles I's execution vest with temporary exhibitions — and entry to the permanent collection remains FREE! Look out for the London Tastes series of foodie events to kick things off. 28 November 2026
BIG CATHEDRAL KNIT: Know your way around a pair of knitting needles? Join in with the Big Cathedral Knit at Southwark Cathedral, and help to assemble knitted and crocheted blankets for people experiencing homelessness around London. Beginners and experienced makers all welcome. 28 November 2026
PINOCCHIO: After last year's successful inaugural run, Pinocchio is back at Shakespeare's Globe for the festive period. The children's fantasy novel, about a carpenter named Gepetto and a wooden puppet which comes to life, takes the form of a musical, with the characters reimagined as life-sized puppets. 28 November 2026-3 January 2027
AUTUMN WALKS: London's parks and open spaces look fantastic as the leaves change. We've picked some of our favourite places to walk in autumn, to see the trees in their orange, red and gold finery — you might catch the tail end of it if you're quick!
CHRISTMAS SHOWS: Too early to mention the 'C' word? Perhaps not, as many of London's festive theatre shows and productions begin this month — and those that don't are already getting booked up for when they open in December. Have a look at our guides to family Christmas shows, Christmas music shows, Christmas theatre, dance and comedy showcases, and more productions of A Christmas Carol than you can shake a turkey at. And then, of course, there panto. Oh yes there is.
ICE RINKS: London's winter ice rinks open at venues across the capital, including Somerset House, Battersea Power Station and Hampton Court Palace this month — with one already open from mid-October. Here's our guide to ice skating in London this Christmas.
CHRISTMAS MARKETS: London's festive fairs and Christmas markets start opening in November, including Southbank Centre's Winter Market. Here's our complete round-up of Christmas markets and fairs in London this year.
London exhibitions and shows closing in November 2026
A few things are closing this month too. November 2026 is your last chance to see:
THIS MUST BE THE PLACE: 23 international artists display painted work at This Must Be The Place, a group exhibition marking 125 years of the Whitechapel Gallery. FREE, until 8 November 2026
PRINCESSES OF PUNJAB: Learn about Punjabi princess and suffragette icon (and goddaughter of Queen Victoria), Sophia Duleep Singh and five women who shaped her extraordinary life, in a Kensington Palace exhibition. Until 8 November 2026
BENGALURU TO BETHLEM: Mental health is handled and treated differently across cultures Bethlem Museum of the Mind's exhibition Manasa Chitra: the Art of Mental Health from Bengaluru to Bethlem contains works by artists from India who have a lived experience of mental distress. FREE, until 14 November 2026
FRANZ & MARIE: Georg Büchner’s classic German tragedy, Woyzeck, is retold in folk musical Franz & Marie at Charing Cross Theatre. Watch the story of a platoon of young soldiers has been stationed in an isolated outpost for months, including Franz, who lives for his girlfriend Marie, and their baby, Georgie. Until 14 November 2026
SCHIAPARELLI: The V&A South Kensington's latest style exhibition, Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art tells the story of fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli, including the inspiration she took from the Surrealism movement, and the fashion house she established, which is still going strong today. Until 15 November 2026
AN OAK TREE: Tim Crouch's experimental play An Oak Tree is at The Other Palace, with Crouch joined by a different guest co‑star at each performance (guests include Rosalie Craig, Clare Perkins, Tom Mothersdale and Gemma Whelan). The piece examines loss, suggestion and blame following a fatal accident involving a stage hypnotist. Until 15 November 2026
INSIDE AARDMAN: Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit at the Young V&A celebrates the 50th anniversary of the stop-motion studio with models, sets and storyboards from Aardman's archives, many of which have never been on public display before. Until 15 November 2026
MIDDLESEX HOSPITAL BLUES: The third — and last — in a series of exhibitions responding to the layered history of Fitzrovia Chapel and surrounding Middlesex Hospital site, Middlesex Hospital Blues centres around Blue, the final film by Derek Jarman. It includes a newly commissioned ambisonic work by composer Simon Fisher Turner, and a new sculptural installation by artist Jenkin Van Zyl. FREE, until 18 November 2026
AFTER THE FIRE: The Insurance Museum has a display at the Bank of England Museum, recreating London around 1700, including a large-scale street scene and the interior of Edward Lloyd's Coffee House. The immersive display explores the rise of early fire insurance, merchants, underwriters and investors. FREE, until 27 November 2026
AFFLUENZA: Theatre show Affluenza — at Riverside Studios Hammersmith — explores the ripple effects of power and privilege, after a teenager's drunk car ride ends in devastation. Until 28 November 2026
COMING OF AGE: Experiences and perceptions of ageing, from adolescence to later life, are explored in The Coming of Age at the Wellcome Collection. Artworks and historical artefacts are among the objects on display, looking at why life expectancy is increasing in different areas around the world. FREE, until 29 November 2026
WINSTON CHURCHILL: As well as a politician, Winston Churchill was a prolific painter. View more than 50 of his works in the first major retrospective since his death, at the Wallace Collection. Until 29 November 2026
USA INDEPENDENCE: The British Museum marks 250 years since the Thirteen British Colonies in North America adopted the Declaration of Independence, breaking away from the British Crown and founding the United States of America. This free display includes a rare handwritten manuscript copy of the Declaration of Independence and ceremonial gifts exchanged between Indigenous Nations, the British and the Revolutionaries. FREE, until 29 November 2026
