Looking for something fun to do today? Something eye-opening to watch tonight? Something delicious to eat tomorrow? Our guide to 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
NOVEMBER IN LONDON: New month, new epic list of fantastic things to do. Our November pick of excellent events in London takes you from fireworks night this week through film festivals, new theatre and exhibition openings, an illuminated garden, Winter Wonderland, and plenty of ways to get Christmas started this month, if you're so inclined. Diary out and get planning.
FIREWORKS NIGHT: Bonfire Night or Fireworks Night falls on 5 November, which is this Wednesday. There are a couple of midweek displays, but several bonfire events continue into the weekend - read our guide to London's 2025 firework displays for the full lowdown.
THE TOWER REMEMBERS: As Remembrance Sunday approaches, time's running out to see The Tower Remembers, a display of tens of thousands of the ceramic poppies which originally flooded the moat in 2014. This time they're arranged to resemble a 'wound' at the heart of the Tower, from which the poppies form a crater, with ripples flowing outwards. It's on display within the Tower walls, so you'll need an entry ticket to view it. Until 11 November
SPINELESS WONDERS: It’s been open a while, but we only just got word of an intriguing exhibition in Senate House Library called Spineless Wonders. It spotlights ephemeral objects that have survived far beyond original intent, including radical and activist publications, leaflets, playbills, artists’ books, broadsides and ballads… anything published without a spine, hence the title. Many of the exhibits relate to London, including an interactive ‘peepshow’ book of the 1851 Great Exhibition. FREE, until 29 November
SOUTHBANK CENTRE WINTER MARKET: 'Tis the season when London's Christmas markets and fairs start to open their doors. This week, wooden chalets and twinkling lights pop up alongside the Thames for Southbank Centre's Winter Market. It focuses mainly on food and drink — think mulled wine, hot chocolate and street food — with a few craft traders in the mix. Be aware that the area tends to get VERY busy, particularly over the weekends. Consider visiting on a weekday or earlier in the season if you can. FREE entry, 3 November 2025-4 January 2026
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: Speaking of Christmas, the capital's Christmas lights are switched on from this week. It begins with Oxford Street on Monday, then Regent Street and Carnaby on Thursday, and other areas follow over the coming weeks. Here's when exactly each of London's Christmas light displays are switched on. FREE, from 3 November
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 an impressive 100+ different productions across several genres, including opening show CHEF, about an Italian woman's journey from Michelin-starred kitchens to a prison canteen. The programme is extensive, so you're bound to find several events to pique your interest. 3-23 November
SIX... IN JAPANESE!: SIX the Musical makes herstory once again, as the show's critically-acclaimed Japanese cast rock up on the West End stage for one week only — performing in their native tongue! (Don't speak Japanese? It's subtitled!) Marvel as the six wives of Henry VIII grab the mic to reclaim their identities, in this sensationally unique Vaudeville Theatre show. 4-9 November (sponsor)
GHOST STORIES: Halloween continues into this week with Ghost Stories at Peacock Theatre, a terrifying theatrical experience about a professor setting out to debunk the paranormal. It's co-created by Andy Nyman, co-creator and director of Derren Brown's television and stage shows. Until 8 November
THE LADY FROM THE SEA: Alicia Vikander, Joe Alwyn and Andrew Lincoln star in The Lady From The Sea, a dark story of a well-off doctor who searches for a way to break free from the predictability of her life. See it at Bridge Theatre. Until 8 November
PICTOGRAMS: The iconic Japanese design of Pictograms is explored at Japan House. From street signs and text messages to toilet doors and maps, they are used in communication worldwide, and this is a chance to find out about the role Japan played in developing the symbols. FREE, until 9 November
FRANKENSTEIN EXHIBITION: Last chance to see Frankenstein: Crafting A Tale Eternal, a free exhibition at Selfridges. Opened to coincide with the release of Netflix's adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, director Guillermo del Toro offers a behind-the-scenes on the creation of the film as well as props, artwork, costumes and Tiffany & Co. jewellery which all feature in it. Also on display is a collection of books curated by the rare books specialist company Peter Harrington, to honour Mary Shelley's legacy. FREE, until 9 November
EAT OF THE WEEK: Chet's Bar — which has just opened in Hoxton — fuses Thai and LA-inspired drinks and cuisine: think bodega sandwiches with sai ua sausage, and a 'Thaiami Vice' sharing cocktail mixed with Mehkong, Bacardi 8, strawberry, coconut, lemongrass, pineapple, citrus and mint.
BOOK OF THE WEEK: Our chums in south east London, Deserter, have released another book, Deserter Stories, which they describe as "the third and final book in the Deserter Quartet". It's a cornucopia of short stories involving various idlers, losers, dreamers, schemers and charmers — a sublime collection of tales of the sordid, sorrowful and sloshed. Perfect pub reading. Released on 4 November.
Today's events: Monday 3 November
LOST MAPS: Head to Waterstones Gower Street to hear from Professor James Cheshire, who stumbled across a long-forgotten map library packed with thousands of maps and atlases at UCL. He spent three years sorting through it, which he tells the story of in his new book The Library of Lost Maps. 6.30pm
GOLDEN HINDE PUB QUIZ: Step aboard the Golden Hinde in Bankside for its monthly pub quiz night. Entry is £3 per person, maximum six people per team, with event tickets and rounds of drinks to be won for the team that fares best at general trivia questions. 7pm
AI HAPPINESS: Will AI make us happier? That's the topic of a debate at the British Library tonight, featuring several panellists with expertise in the areas of AI and happiness. Do the risks of AI outweigh the positive effects it can have on our lives, in factors such as education, health and the economy? 7pm
CARTIER: Tying in with the current (but sold out) Cartier exhibition, the V&A hosts jewellery historian Andrew Prince to talk about why the brand became so loved by royal families around the world at the turn of the 20th century, from the Russian court to the Indian Maharajahs. Watch in person at the V&A South Kensington, or online via livestream. 7pm-8.45pm
CLASSIC PENGUINS: Cult comedian Garry Starr waddles into Arts Theatre West End, on a mission to save books from extinction by performing every Penguin Classic novel ever written — think The Little Prince to Moby Dick and everything in between. Warning: he'll mostly be naked (but with flippers). 7pm
SUZANNE VEGA: Singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega plays a headline show at the Royal Albert Hall, joined on stage by her long-time guitarist, Gerry Leonard (of David Bowie fame), and cellist Stephanie Winters. Expect to hear music from the entire span of Vega's career, from Tom’s Diner and Luka, as well as new material from her recent album Flying with Angels. 7.30pm
Today's events: Tuesday 4 November
PITCHFORK MUSIC FESTIVAL: Organised by the Pitchfork music magazine team, Pitchfork Music Festival has events in 16 venues across London, including Royal Festival Hall, Royal Albert Hall and Union Chapel. It begins with specially-curated weekday events mirroring the publication’s support of less-established genres, and culminates in a weekend takeover at Roundhouse, and the Dalston Takeover — happening across five east London venues. 4-8 November
DISPOSABLE: Theatre show Disposable holds its premiere run at Union Theatre in Southwark, centred around five friends living together during their second year at university, whose world begins to crumble when one of them is accused of rape. The play is presented in a fundraising partnership with Women’s Aid, and highlights the truths and complications of modern dating alongside the filter of how we present our lives on social media. 4-9 November
ANNA ANCHER: A significant figure in Danish art, Anna Ancher gets her first major UK exhibition at Dulwich Picture Gallery, showcasing 40+ paintings from her prolific career, including pieces loaned from Art Museums of Skagen. 4 November-8 March
ARTEFACTS OR RELICS?: Recent attempts to sell the relics of the Buddha excavated in India have raised questions about whether they should be classified as archaeological finds or holy relics. Today's lunchtime lecture at the V&A South Kensington features Professor Naman P. Ahuja explaining how relics are defined in Buddhism, their role in geopolitics, changes in the law, and how these shifts impact museology. FREE, 1pm-2pm
DOCKLANDS BLITZ: Join author and historian John Willis on Theatreship — a marvellous floating venue in Canary Wharf — to hear first-hand accounts from locals who lived through the Blitz, many of them never made public before. The event is in support of Willis’s new book The People’s War. 7pm
THE GUILTY FEMINIST: Deborah Frances-White brings a live version of her podcast The Guilty Feminist to Islington's Pleasance Theatre. Special guest is comedian and writer Alison Spittle. 7.40pm
LONDON UTOPIAS: Niall Kishtainy, author of the superb Infinite City, is at the Highgate Literary and Scientific Institution (and streaming online) to talk about the various utopians who have lived and proselytised in London. He'll show "how London’s spirit has been one of visionary imagination amid relentless change and innovation". 8pm
SANKARA'S ORPHANS: Sands Films Cinema screens Géraldine Berger's 2019 documentary Sankara's Orphans, about 600 children from Burkina Faso who were sent to Cuba for education and training in 1986 by a program initiated by then-President Thomas Sankara; but when Sankara was assassinated the following year, the children were left stranded. 8pm-10pm
Today's events: Wednesday 5 November
KOREAN FILM FESTIVAL: Cinemas across the capital host screenings as part of the 20th London Korean Film Festival, which includes critically acclaimed films, new talent and Korean box office hits. There are special strands focusing on women's voices, and what's popular in Korean culture right now. 5-18 November
LAND CINEMA: A film season rooted in the global environmentalist movement, Land Cinema at Barbican Cinema consists of four screenings across four weeks in November, spanning archive and contemporary documentary shorts and experimental features. As far afield as Japan, Brazil, Boston and Orkney, the films reveal how land shapes all of our lives. 5-26 November
SMOKED ROOM: Nordic restaurant Ekstedt at the Yard teams up with Madrid’s two‑Michelin‑starred Smoked Room for a one-night-only seven-course menu. Head Chefs Luca Mastrantoni and Massimiliano Delle Vedove cook up an open‑fire omakase style feast, served in the Ekstedt dining room at the Great Scotland Yard Hotel. 6pm-8.30pm
ESPIONAGE: Join Travis Elborough in conversation with author Paul Henderson at the Horse and Groom, Fitzrovia to hear about "the last great Cold War espionage story". Discover how 'Erwin van Haarlem' was ordered by his masters to spy on the Royal Family and the Labour Party, to infiltrate Jewish groups and plunder the West’s nuclear secrets. 7pm
DESIREE BURCH: Storyteller and comedian Desiree Burch leads a madcap voyage through the Middle Ages - AKA the mid-life crisis - in her show The Golden Wrath at Leicester Square Theatre. 7pm
PAINT BIG BEN: Fancier a quieter take on fireworks night? The London Art Bar (Holborn) hosts Pop Up Painting, offering you a chance to make your own artwork depicting Big Ben surrounded by fireworks. No experience is required and all art supplies are provided, along with guidance from an expert artist. 7pm-9.30pm
Today's events: Thursday 6 November
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: As mentioned above, it's a big week for London's Christmas light switch-ons. Tonight, both Regent Street and Carnaby illuminate their festive decorations. The former brings back its beloved 'Spirit of Christmas' angels, while the latter adopts an 'All Is Bright' theme using 60,000 LEDs. No info on specific light switch-on events or times, just turn up any evening from tonight onwards to see them. From 6 November
SELFRIDGES DISNEY WINDOWS: In addition to the Christmas lights, we have it on good authority that Selfridges unveils its Christmas windows today, in collaboration with Disney. Themed 'A Most Magical Christmas', we're promised "a spectacular takeover of the iconic Selfridges London façade", to celebrate the new Disney Parks shop within the Oxford Street department store. FREE to view, From 6 November
LUXURY TRAVEL FAIR: If you're lucky enough to be planning a getaway in the next few months, you might find the inspiration you're looking for at the Luxury Travel Fair at London Olympia. Hear from celebrity travellers and expert speakers including Brian and Melvyn from Race Across The World. You can also chat to reps from travel and expedition companies. 6-9 November
ENGINEERS CREATE: Models, sketches, drawings, prototypes, and samples from engineers and designers are on display in the free Engineers Create exhibition, in the Crypt Gallery at St Pancras New Church. It's a chance for the public to get an idea of the artistry and problem-solving which goes into engineering on all scales. FREE, 6-15 November
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 today with an opening night gala at Curzon Mayfair, screening Eleanor The Great. It's about an elderly woman who moves back to New York after the death of her best friend and inadvertently attends a Holocaust survivors' group, where she makes a speech which changes the course of her life. 6-16 November
WOMEN AND THE ECONOMY: Today's free Gresham lecture looks at the many women who've contributed to banking and economics over the centuries, but who rarely get much attention for their accomplishments. FREE, 1pm
MUSEUM LATE: The Royal College of Physicians Museum stays open late for an adults-only evening delving into the characters of the RCP Library. Find out about the librarian who ran into the Great Fire of London to rescue books, and the previously-overlooked woman responsible for rebuilding the library, through talks, curator tours and craft activities. FREE, 5.30pm-8pm
BATTLE OF THE ARCTIC: Board HMS Belfast and hear from journalist and historian Hugh Sebag-Montefiore about his latest book The Battle of the Arctic: The Maritime Epic of World War Two. Learn about the treacherous conditions faced by the allies in delivering essential supplies to Russia, followed by a Q&A session, book signing, and the opportunity to explore part of HMS Belfast. 6.30pm-8.30pm
CELEBRITY TRAITORS FINAL: Hooked on Celebrity Traitors? Gather together with other fans to watch the all-important final, with a special screening at Big Penny Social in Walthamstow. Your ticket includes a themed cocktail, and there's a £100 bar tab for the best costume on the night. 7pm-10pm
Today's events: Friday 7 November
ENIGMA VARIATIONS: Psychological drama theatre show Enigma Variations comes to Barnes. Set on a remote Norwegian island, it tells the story of Nobel Prize winner and a journalist who arrives to interview him. A web of secrets and betrayals unravels as they speak, and discover that one woman haunts them both. 7-15 November
CHANGING DOCKLANDS: Niki Gorick's wonderful photos, which show the many ways in which London's old Docklands have been reinvented, are on show in a new exhibition at Cutty Sark. Entrance to the exhibition is included in the ticket price. From 7 November
SCEPTRED ISLE: Historian Helen Carr launches her new book, Sceptred Isle, in conversation with Paul Dryburgh, collections specialist in medieval records at The National Archives. It's an overview of the 14th century told through the lives of the last Plantagenets and lesser-known voices including those living outside the royal sphere. FREE, 2pm-3pm
AFRICAN APOCALYPSE: The British Library screens African Apocalypse, a film about the forgotten victims of colonial atrocity. It follows the trail of a 19th-century French colonial military commander, who burned his way across Africa as tens of thousands were massacred in the name of imperial domination. Director Robert Lemkin is in conversation after the film. 5pm
INSTAPROV: Comedy show Instaprov takes inspiration from audience members' Instagram photos (with permission), using them as the starting point for hilarious comedy sketches. See it at Hen and Chickens Theatre. 7.30pm-9pm
VAUXALL TOO WELL: It's Taylor Swift with a twist: VauxAll Too Well is a tribute night to the singer-songwriter at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, hosted by drag queen Vanity Nightmare with a surprise guest performer. Celebrate Swift's new album, The Life Of A Showgirl, with disco balls, confetti, singing, screaming and dancing. 9.30pm-3am
Today's events: Saturday 8 November
WUNDRFUL WORLD OF CHRISTMAS: Some people might say that 8 November is too early to be getting the kids wound up for Christmas. If that's not you, take them along to new attraction Wundrful World of Christmas, 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. 8 November-24 December
MUSEUM 50TH BIRTHDAY: Brentford's magnificent Museum of Water & Steam celebrates its 50th anniversary — no mean feat considering it was crowdfunding to save some of its most precious objects just last year — with a huge party. 1970s fancy dress is encouraged, in a nod to the year the museum was founded, and we're promised special tours, trains rides, crafting activities and cake. Plus it holds its first ever late, staying open until 9pm and finishing things off with a firework display. 10am-9pm
HOLLYWOOD COMES TO LONDON: Trace the footsteps of Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin, Harrison Ford and the Beatles in Nigel Smith's Hollywood Comes to London tour. You’ll also see the locations of films including An American Werewolf in London and Last Night in Soho, in this cinematic guided walk in and around Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus. 11am
LADY MAYOR'S SHOW: If you're a sucker for pomp and pageantry, don't miss the Lord Mayor's Show... or, as it's called this year, the Lady Mayor's Show. For the first time ever, the title of Lady Mayor of London has been given to the incumbent, Dame Susan Langley DBE (she's the third woman in 800+ years to hold the position, but the first for whom the title has been changed). 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, from 11am. There's also a secret ghost parade rehearsal a few days before, though the date of this is always kept under wraps, and as always, St Paul's Cathedral gives free entry to the Cathedral Floor and Crypt on the day of the show.
REMEMBRANCE CHOIR: Head to the atrium at the Imperial War Museum to hear a free Remembrance performance by members of a number of local London choirs. They cover songs from the First World War to the present day, uniting people to remember those who lost their lives in both World Wars and other conflicts over the last 100+ years. FREE, 3pm
CLAPTON CFC: In the mood for some grassroots footie? Clapton CFC play at their home ground in east London this afternoon, taking on FC Baresi in the Eastern Counties Football League Division One South. Entry costs just a fiver, and under 13s go free. KO 3pm
CHARITY COMEDY: Patrick Monahan, President Obonjo, Cheekykita, Barnaby Slater and Currer Ball are all on the line-up at a charity comedy fundraiser at the Willoughby Arms in Kingston-Upon-Thames. Money raised goes to the Kingston Round Table SOS Save our Santa appeal, ensuring the local Santa's sleigh can be fixed to allow him to visit local children again this year. 8pm-11pm
GUMSHOE! A grizzled New York Detective embarks on his final, most deadly and most ridiculous case yet... Gumshoe! is Christian Dart's comedy noir, which won five-star plaudits at Edinburgh, and you can catch it tonight at Soho Theatre. 10.30pm-11.30pm
Today's events: Sunday 9 November
REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY: Today is Remembrance Sunday, so expect to see commemorative parades and events happening at war memorials, the main one being at the Cenotaph on Whitehall (so expect road closures around that area). Wherever you are, you're invited to take part in a two-minute silence at 11am, to remember and commemorate those who have made sacrifices in conflicts around the world. Around 11am
ANTI-SLAVERY CAMPAIGNING: Footprints of London guide Laura Agustín leads a walking tour focusing on locations where key events in British campaigns against slavery and slave-trading between the mid-1700s and mid-1800s took place. Wander from Chancery Lane to Fleet Street, Lincoln’s Inn and Covent Garden, ending at Embankment Gardens, to hear about fugitive and former slaves, White lawyers, activists and orators, Black activists, authors and musicians as you go. 1pm
DR JOHNSON'S HOUSE: The former digs of Samuel Johnson opens on selected Sundays between now and December — and today is one of them. Explore the townhouse where Johnson wrote his Dictionary of the English Language, and head to the Withdrawing Room at 2pm for tea. 12pm-4pm
PAPA GEORGE BAND: Papa George has been playing the blues since the 1970s, and won awards for his singing and guitar playing. Head to the Cavern in Raynes Park today for an afternoon sesh from Papa and his talented cohorts. 3pm
TRIO IMPROMPTU: It's the turn of Trio Impromptu to take to the stage for today's Sunday Concert at Conway Hall. Catherina Lee (violin), Alexei Watkins (horn) and Yoon Chung (piano) perform a concert of classical favourites including Brahms’ Horn Trio, Mozart’s Horn Quintet K407, and Mozart’s Sonata K378. 6.30pm-8.30pm
MESSIAH FROM SCRATCH: A rather special audience participation even takes place at the Royal Albert Hall this evening. Messiah From Scratch brings together thousands of singers for a unique performance of Handel’s Messiah, without any prior rehearsals. The event's been running for over 50 years and never fails to produce an incredible performance. 7pm
ACORN ANTIQUES: Written by the late, great Victoria Wood, Acorn Antiques is a musical parody show about an old-fashioned antiques shop run by sisters Miss Babs and Miss Berta, and facing the threat of redevelopment. See it for one night only at Shaftesbury Theatre. 7.30pm
