Looking for something fun to do today? Something eye-opening to watch tonight? Our guide on things to do this week in London is personally curated, ensuring there's always a diverse range of events for you to choose from. Get stuck in!
All week
HALF TERM: Keep the whole family entertained with our October half term events guide, covering exhibitions, shows and things to do for all ages this week. There's even a whole section of free things to do — ideal if funds are tight.
HALLOWEEN 2026: Things get spooky in London this week, as Halloween looms. Check out our guide to the best Halloween events for both kids and adults, as well as scary film screenings around town. And why not visit one of these charming pumpkin patches near London?
NAZI SLAVE LABOUR: A tough exhibition at the Wiener Holocaust Library explores the Nazi system of slave and forced labour, with archival documents, company files and eyewitness testimony showing how perpetrators such as the SS and firms including IG Farben and Krupp profited from and exploited forced labourers. FREE, until 30 October 2026
FAMILY FILMS: Two child-friendly film festivals run throughout this week. Barbican's annual Family Film Week shows the likes of Star Wars, Matilda and Singin' in the Rain. Meanwhile, out east, Rio Cinema hosts Hackney Children's Film Fest, showing a mixture of family classics, age-appropriate shorts, and lesser-known films. Both until 31 October 2026
THE OPERATING THEATRE: The Hunterian Museum explores how hospital operating theatres have changed over two and a half centuries, from an 18th century amputation painting to early 20th century photographs and contemporary images of NHS surgical teams. The exhibition looks at developments in anaesthesia, antisepsis, theatre design and the ethics of showing surgery. FREE, until 31 October 2026
HEATH ROBINSON: Last chance to view Heath Robinson Unseen, an exhibition marking the 10th anniversary of the Heath Robinson Museum in Pinner. On display are never-before-exhibited and rarely seen works by William Heath Robinson, spanning his career from his earliest illustrations to his final years, with the works arranged chronologically. Until 31 October 2026
WARTIME LONDON: Also closing this week is Beauty and Destruction: Wartime London in Art, the Imperial War Museum's exhibition showing how artists depicted the Second World War in the capital. 45 paintings, drawings, photographs, film, objects and oral histories combine to tell the story of a city facing loss, displacement, overcrowding and shortages — and often meeting these with resilience. FREE, until 1 November 2026
DARBAR FESTIVAL: Barbican hosts Darbar Festival, a celebration of Indian classical music, throughout this week. The programme includes performances and talks, as well as an Indian bazaar and a yoga class this weekend. Until 1 November 2026
ROOM 13: Following the Battersea Arts Centre fire in 2015, builders uncovered a sealed chamber in the original stone structure. When they opened it, what they found was so disturbing that the renovation came to an immediate halt. That's the premise of spooky theatrical experience Room 13, which takes place on site at BAC until this weekend. Until 1 November 2026
ROYAL OBSERVATORY: This week is your last chance to visit the Royal Observatory in Greenwich before it closes for refurbishment as part of the ongoing First Light upgrade. Areas including the Prime Meridian Line and Flamsteed House will be closed to the public, with a staggered reopening from summer 2027. Until 2 November 2026
DICKENSIAN LONDON: Charles Dickens' walking stick, his manuscript for Oliver Twist and a door knocker from his childhood London home go on display at the Charles Dickens Museum, as part of new exhibition Dickensian London: The Magic Lantern City. Until 18 April 2027
NOVEMBER PLANS: With November getting under way this weekend, browse our pick of the best events, exhibitions, shows (and, yes, Christmas events) happening in London over the coming month, and get booking.
EAT OF THE WEEK: Founded by hospitality entrepreneurs Alina Kosichkina and Dima Zakhodiakin, Milk Burger recently opened in Westbourne Grove, plating up bone marrow & truffle burgers, Cuban sandwiches and spicy smash burgers — alongside glasses of champagne. For dessert, there's fried cherry pie. Walk-ins only.
Today's events: Monday 26 October
BLACK LIVERPOOL: Rare archive footage from Liverpool, extracts from Professor Stephen Small's new book and a conversation about Black culture, international politics and three decades of research feature in this film screening and book launch at Bernie Grant Arts Centre. Small, a former University of California, Berkeley academic who was born and raised in Liverpool, draws on the city's distinctive Black history. 6.30pm-8.30pm
BEYOND THE VEIL: Victorian grief, ritual and aesthetics come under the microscope at this illustrated talk at The Last Tuesday Society in Hackney. Author Paul Gambino explores mourning fashion, postmortem photography, spiritualism, Gothic literature, memento mori and Jack the Ripper. 7pm-8.30pm
IRON MAIDEN TRIBUTE: Hi-On Maiden, apparently the world's longest-running Iron Maiden tribute band, bring their powerful, dynamic show to the Fox and Firkin in Lewisham. The band has been performing for more than 25 years. 7pm-11pm
INSIDE IRAN: The Frontline Club in Paddington screens Inside Iran: War & Revolution, a documentary directed by Ben Zand for ITV's BAFTA-winning Exposure strand. It combines footage and testimony from Iranian citizens, journalists and grieving families, followed by a Q&A. 7pm-8.30pm
TEACHING COMEDY: Teachers and school staff are the subject of plenty of laughs as Two Mr Ps in a Podcast: Live – Let That Be A Lesson… comes to Soho Theatre Walthamstow. The brothers share stories from their experiences in primary school classrooms, anecdotes from educators around the UK and audience-submitted confessions, dilemmas and embarrassing moments in the profession. 7.30pm
DISNEY AFTER DARK: Disney nostalgia gets a cabaret twist in Disney After Dark at the Divine in Stoke Newington, with performances by Sky Silver Marchelle and Ariana Cristal. The night also includes an audience costume contest, with a prize for the winner. 7.30pm
Today's events: Tuesday 27 October
BLOOMSBURY GROUP: Guildhall Library examines the art and lives of Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell and Roger Fry in a talk about the Bloomsbury Group. Arts Society lecturer Frank Woodgate also considers the group's literary and intellectual companions, including Virginia Woolf, Lytton Strachey and John Maynard Keynes. The talk is available in person or via YouTube. FREE, 2pm-3pm
CANDLELIT GUIDED TOUR: Explore Barts North Wing at St Bartholomew's Hospital after hours on this candlelit tour. Hear about the building's history and architecture, along with a few mysterious — possibly spooky — connections. Suitable for individuals, pairs and small groups. 6pm-7pm
HANDEL'S SALON: Music returns to the rooms where Handel once lived, worked and entertained at Handel Hendrix House in Mayfair. Handel's Salon with Chantefable pairs music by Handel and his European contemporaries with spoken poetry and improvisation, exploring concepts of heaven and hell. 6.30pm
THE PUB: The role of the public house as a social institution is under discussion at the Blues Kitchen Brixton, with sociologist Sivamohan Valluvan and publican's son Amit Singh defending the pub as working-class-led social infrastructure. Drawing from their book, they consider whether the local still offers a more equal, sociable and multiracial future. 7pm-8.30pm
CORINNE BAILEY RAE: 20 years since Corinne Bailey Rae's self-titled debut album, the singer performs the album in full in a one-off concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Hear live renditions of hits including Put Your Records On, with special guest Laura Mvula also performing. 7.30pm
BENNETT ARRON: Jewish Welsh comedian Bennett Arron brings I Regret This Already to JW3, a show about life's disappointments from a BAFTA-shortlisted performer who supported Ricky Gervais on tour and starred in all four series of the Radio 4 sitcom ALONE. 7.30pm-8.45pm
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A frightfully good Halloween at Chelsea Physic Garden
Dip into a bubbling cauldron of spooky activities at Chelsea Physic Garden this Halloween, as the historical garden flaunts its autumn colours. You'll find that pumpkins are not the only portentous plants…
Among its treasures, the 350-year-old garden has an historic botanical collection linked to folklore and superstition, alongside notoriously deadly species such as hemlock and deadly nightshade.
It's a suitably sinister setting for spooky seasonal events. Families will be spellbound, with half term sessions for storytelling, creepy crafting and beastly bog gardening. Wizarding families might enjoy the candle cauldron making, and the chance to create your own witch's hat. You're also invited to the Folklore Feast of Darkness, as writer and 'kitchen witch' Laura May hosts an evening of food and seasonal ritual.
It's all happening at Chelsea Physic Garden this autumn. Something wicked this way grows…
Halloween 2026 at Chelsea Physic Garden: browse the programme and book your spooky session.
Today's events: Wednesday 28 October
BIRD SPOTTING: Join Sennen, an ambassador for the RSPB, for a relaxed introduction to birdwatching through Gunnersbury Park. The morning stroll covers bird identification, distinctive calls and species found around the park in colder months, with binoculars available to share. Suitable for beginners. 8.30am
GHIBLI AND GOODNESS: Studio Ghibli's ethical themes come under discussion at Conway Hall, from the horrors of conflict and destruction of nature to the value of honesty and earnestness. Prof Rayna Denison and Jake Cunningham explore the ideas behind films including Laputa: Castle in the Sky, Princess Mononoke, Grave of the Fireflies and Pom Poko in this Ethical Matters talk. 6.30pm-8pm
CHARLES BOOTH'S LONDON: Inderbir Bhullar, Curator for Economics and Social Policy at LSE Library, discusses Charles Booth's poverty map and his research on the archive in this online talk. Bhullar contributed a chapter to the 2019 book, Charles Booth's London Poverty Maps. 6.30pm-7.30pm
VICTORIA HISLOP: Bestselling author Victoria Hislop discusses her latest novel, The Wine-Dark Sea, set in the turbulence of the post-war era in Greece, at Waterstones on King's Road. Hislop celebrates the book's release in conversation with Natasha Poliszczuk. 7pm
BUFFY REVAMPED: Brendan Murphy brings his satirical one-man show Buffy Revamped to Woolwich Works, taking you through all 144 episodes of Buffy The Vampire Slayer in one fast-paced sitting. 8pm
Today's events: Thursday 29 October
ASIAN ART: The 29th edition of Asian Art in London promotes London as a centre of excellence in the arts of Asia, through exhibitions, auctions and lectures. The launch party takes place at the Lavery in South Kensington tonight, which includes the presentation of the 2026 Art Awards, followed by a packed programme over the coming days. 29 October-10 November 2026
CARMEN: A treat for opera fans: Georges Bizet's seductive Carmen is at the Royal Opera House. Sung in French with English surtitles, the opera follows Carmen and Don José, and includes well-known numbers such as the Habanera and the Toreador Song. 29 October-21 November 2026
BODYSNATCHING: Guildhall Library in the City explores the grisly demand for corpses created by the proliferation of anatomy schools in the late 18th century. The gruesome history of bodysnatching is led by City of London Guide Robert Stephenson and is also available via YouTube. FREE, 2pm-3pm
MUSEUM LATE: The Florence Nightingale Museum in Lambeth stays open after hours for a themed evening exploring the history of surgery. It includes a talk about the development of medical practice, a Victorian surgical box on loan from the Hunterian Museum plus time for questions. The museum bar opens from 5pm, with the talk starting at 6.30pm. 5pm-8pm
WALTHAMSTOW AFTER DARK: Waterstones Walthamstow brings together Alice Slater and investigative journalist Matt Blake for a conversation about true crime, murder, memory and storytelling. Slater's Death of a Bookseller and Blake's The Killer Who Lived Here both find darkness behind ordinary Walthamstow doors, prompting discussion about curiosity, obsession and the responsibilities of writing about real violence. 6.30pm
MAISIE ADAM: Comedian and Taskmaster star Maisie Adam brings her brand-new comedy show Whatsherface to Hackney Empire, drawing on appearances in A League Of Their Own and Last One Laughing. Expect trademark wit, firecracker gags and a few angry outbursts from the "tall, chaotic one with the weird hair". 7.30pm
Today's events: Friday 30 October
KATE'S KNITALIAN: A new Italian deli opens in Soho... but we hear the food's a bit woolly. Kate's Knitalian is an art exhibition by Kate Jenkins, who has used crochet, knit and embroidery to transform Air Contemporary Gallery into a detailed Italian trattoria and deli counter. Tables are laid with hand-knitted feasts: (literal) strings of salami, woven wheels of parmesan and tangled spaghetti. 30 October-5 December 2026
AGATHA CHRISTIE: 50 years since the death of novelist Agatha Christie, the British Library opens a major exhibition on her life and work. View notebooks, personal letters, early manuscript drafts, dictaphone recordings and personal objects belonging to Christie, and find out how her work shaped the entire crime writing genre. 30 October 2026-20 June 2027
PHANTOM CONSTRUCTS: This month's Friday Late at the V&A South Kensington explores the eerie through contemporary design and performance. Expect haunting stagecraft, surreal screenings and weird workshops, with artists and designers using storytelling and world-building to blur the line between reality and simulation. FREE, 6.30pm-10pm
WOLF HALL: Music, readings and striking imagery bring Tudor intrigue to life at Landmark Arts Centre in Teddington. Wolf Hall – Words, Music, Power combines Debbie Wiseman's orchestral score with Hilary Mantel's writing, performed by BAFTA-nominated actor Anton Lesser, soprano Grace Davidson and the Locrian Ensemble of London. 7.30pm
SOUNDS OF MUMBAI: Bollywood classics from the 1940s and 50s through to modern chart favourites fill Alexandra Palace Theatre as the London Bollywood Orchestra returns with Sounds of Mumbai. Led by Music Director Tim Pottier, the concert features musicians from the West End, leading orchestras and the jazz world. 7.30pm-10.15pm
Today's events: Saturday 31 October
TACO FESTIVAL: More than 15 taco traders return to Signature Brew Blackhorse Road for The Tacover, serving tacos alongside Signature Brew beers, margaritas, micheladas and tequila-based drinks. The Mexican Beer Hall programme includes mariachis, roaming luchadores, folk dancers, the Tortilla Slap Challenge and Hot Taco Challenge, with tacos capped at £4 each. 31 October-1 November 2026
RADIOHEAD + SHAKESPEARE: Shakespeare's Hamlet accompanied by reworked songs from Radiohead's Hail to the Thief is the unlikely flavour of a new crossover show at Barbican, opening today after sell-out runs elsewhere around the country. 31 October 2026-January 2027
WEST END ICE RINK: Don't shoot the messenger, but the first ice rink of the 2026 winter season opens today. Take to the ice in the West End as Skate Leicester Square gets going, centred around the Shakespeare statue, with market stalls nearby. From 31 October 2026
WATERLOO IN FICTION: Explore Waterloo through the novels that have shaped its literary image on this guided walk from Lambeth North station. The route takes in Victorian stories by Tracy Chevalier, Michael Sadleir and Renton Nicholson, alongside Sam Selvon's postwar The Lonely Londoners. 11am-1pm
COMIC DAY: Spend the day at the Cartoon Museum, browsing comics from every era, from first appearances and key issues to graphic novels and affordable finds. Comic Day also includes a seminar on buying and selling comics, plus appraisals for visitors bringing along their own collections. FREE, 12pm-5.30pm
ST AUGUSTINE'S CHURCH: Explore the Grade I-listed St Augustine's Church in Kilburn, known as the Cathedral of north London, and discover its Gothic Revival architecture and history, on a special visit organised by the Victorian Society. The church was designed by John Loughborough Pearson, with Father Jason Rendell welcoming visitors. 1pm-3pm
FOOTBALL: Fancy some live footy? Get to Park View Road this afternoon to watch Welling United take on Carshalton Athletic. And if you're in the market for a post-match pint, make it the Door Hinge micropub. KO 3pm
NEON FRIGHTS: Soho Theatre Walthamstow turns spooky for Neon Frights With Lou Sanders, a comedy showcase headlined by Sanders and featuring Two Hearts, Dan Tiernan, Frankie Thompson and Sam Eley as Basil Crumbwick. Ayoade Bamgboye hosts. 8pm
Today's events: Sunday 1 November
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, then on to the coast. FREE, from 7am
MIDCENTURY MARKET: Retro homewares, furniture, lighting and collectables from the 1940s-1970s fill Corner Corner in Canada Water for the Midcentury Market, a pop-up vintage marketplace. Entry is free, with food and drinks available to buy. 11am-4pm
WALLACE & GROMIT: Three classic films meet a live brass-band score at Alexandra Palace Theatre, as the KNDS Fairey Band performs Julian Nott's music alongside Wallace & Gromit with live brass band. The afternoon's first show pairs A Grand Day Out with the live world premiere of A Close Shave. That's followed later by a separate screening of The Wrong Trousers, beginning with a 25-minute mini concert. 2pm-3.30pm and 4.30pm-5.40pm
ONE MAN POE: Stephen Smith performs four of Edgar Allan Poe's most chilling works — The Tell-Tale Heart, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Black Cat and The Raven — in a solo gothic theatre event at Jermyn Street Theatre. 5pm
PAY ATTENTION: Laura Kuenssberg joins BBC Europe editor Katya Adler at the Royal Geographical Society in South Kensington for a conversation about the state of British politics. Drawing on Kuenssberg's reporting and her book Pay Attention, they examine political polarisation, public priorities and where the country might be heading. 7pm-8.15pm
BLACK COMEDY: MC Christopher Savage takes the helm at Backyard Comedy Club for a night of Black stand-up, featuring Price Abdi, Lateef Lovejoy and Darran Griffiths. 7.30pm-11pm
