All weekend
KNIT & STITCH SHOW: The Knit & Stitch Show is at Ally Pally all weekend, with hundreds of exhibitors selling supplies including yarn, fabric, buttons, fat quarters, sewing machines and more. Get inspired in the galleries, which display works by textile artists and groups. 8-11 October 2026
ART FAIR: October is art fair season in London, bringing members of the art industry from all over the globe back to the capital. Over in east London this weekend, The Other Art Fair takes over the Old Truman Brewery, with a focus on artworks available for all budgets, from over 100 artists. 8-11 October 2026
THE 90S: Former British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful OBE guest curates Tate Britain's newest exhibition The 90s spanning photography, fashion, art and design in what was a decade of optimism, freedom and rebellion. 8 October 2026-14 February 2027
PALACE GARDENS: Hampton Court Palace opens its extensive grounds for free during one of its Garden Open Days weekends, letting visitors explore the Great Fountain Garden, the Privy Garden, Kitchen Garden, Pond Garden and Lower Orangery without buying a palace ticket. Note the palace interior, the Maze and the Magic Garden playground remain paid admission. FREE, 10-11 October 2026
TIM WALKER'S FAIRYLAND: British photographer Tim Walker has spent five years photographing LGBTQ+ trailblazers for major new National Portrait Gallery exhibition, Tim Walker's Fairyland: Love and Legends. Dozens of activists, performers, artists and writers feature in the photos, alongside a book with contributions written by Travis Alabanza, Russell T Davies, Shon Faye, Lisa Power and Joelle Taylor. 9 October 2026-31 January 2027
NEW SCIENTIST LIVE: Wildlife storytelling, dark matter and the evolution of the human species are among the topics at New Scientist Live at Excel London. Experts from all manner of fields give talks on their topics including anthropologist Alice Roberts, astronaut Helen Sharman and astrophysicist Chris Lintott. 10-12 October 2026
BLOOMSBURY FESTIVAL: Local culture celebration Bloomsbury Festival continues throughout this weekend, offering a huge range of theatre, music, exhibitions, literature and science events across several venues. Take a look at our picks, or browse the full programme. Until 31 October 2026
WINNIE THE POOH: Follow Pooh and Eeyore on a new storybook trail around London Zoo, inspired by A Little Boy and His Bear — a new book to mark the centenary of AA Milne's characters. The route links the tale to the Zoo’s animals and its real-life connection to Winnipeg the Bear. Until 1 November 2026
HEATED RIVALRY: An unofficial parody musical of smash hit TV series Heated Rivalry lands at Underbelly Boulevard Soho, following a run at The Other Palace, with a lively score accompanying gentle ribbing of the steamy hockey drama. 7 October-1 November 2026
Saturday 10 October
BOOK HUNT: The B.A.D. (Barking & Dagenham) Fairy hides 100 books around Valence House Museum for adults and children to find and take home. The free event supports the National Literacy Trust's #Take10ToRead campaign, encouraging visitors to pause for a 10-minute reading escape. FREE, 10am-12pm/1pm-4pm
FREE GUIDED WALKS: Local London Guiding Day offers free guided walks from groups including Camden Guides and City of London Guides. Tours cover King's Cross, the City, Old Street/Finsbury, Hoxton, Waterloo and Pimlico, with a theme of 'Back to the Future' — looking at how yesterday's London changed into the capital of tomorrow. FREE, 10am-4pm
WELSH AUTUMN MARKET: The London Welsh Centre hosts its Autumn Market with more than 50 Welsh traders selling handmade gifts, food, drink, jewellery and artwork. The market supports the Centre's fundraising campaign to improve accessibility. 10am-5.30pm
LONDON'S SEWERS: Explore the history of London's sanitation infrastructure on Open City's walking tour, following the southern outfall sewer across the Erith Marshes to Crossness Pumping Station. The route takes in Victorian engineering, Thames Water's sewage treatment works and the future of London's 'Super Sewer', with a look at Tideway exhibition models. 11am-2pm
CLASSICALLY BLACK: Classically Black is a cultural movement redefining classical music with powerful performances and new commissions showcasing talents often overlooked in the industry. Head to Kings Place for a day of live shows and panel discussions. 11.15am-7.30pm
HARVESTFEST: 10 venues across Blackhorse Beer Mile come alive for a free, festival-style celebration of the changing seasons. Expect country-themed entertainment ranging from bucking broncos and queer country rodeo to Morris dancers, live music and hook-a-duck — alongside artisan beers, ciders, wines, brandies and cocktails. At Signature Brew Blackhorse Road, Queer Cxntry takes over for the day before a ticketed evening party. From 12pm
STARQUEST: Maya Man’s StarQuest comes to the V&A South Kensington for its London premiere, combining a screening with a performance-lecture about American competitive dance, online self-staging and generative AI. The programme ends with a conversation between Man and curators Laura Herman and Micol Ap. FREE, 12pm-1pm
WORLD ZOMBIE DAY: A free, family-friendly zombie walk takes place across central London, for the second incarnation of World Zombie Day. Hundreds of costumed participants shamble through the city (meeting point is sent when you register to take part). It's a celebration of horror, creativity and community, while raising funds for the Dead Good Club, a not-for-profit promoting AI and digital media literacy while addressing issues of digital overwhelm, doomscrolling and 'brain rot'. 12pm-8pm
WELCOME HOME: Families can design their own front doors with artist Lucy Rainbow at William Morris Gallery's Family Day in Walthamstow, then create a screen-printed souvenir poster. There's also a new permanent collection family trail and an activity booklet for the exhibition Earthly Paradise. Age four+. FREE, 1pm-4pm
DAVID HOCKNEY: Croydon's David Lean Cinema screens Exhibition On Screen: David Hockney, a documentary featuring intimate interviews with the artist alongside a portrait of his restless creativity, fearless experimentation and singular artistic process. 2pm
AFTERNOON OF INDIE: O'Neill's Wardour Street in Soho hosts an afternoon for over-30s, with Feeling Gloomy and Old School Indie DJs playing classics across the decades, from 1970s punk and 1980s new wave to Britpop and early-2000s indie. 3pm-7pm
MOTOWN DAY PARTY: Spend an afternoon at Boxpark Wembley singing and dancing along to Motown classics from Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, The Supremes and Marvin Gaye — alongside soul, funk and disco. 3pm-8pm
THE BILL REUNION: The Cinema Museum (Kennington) hosts The Bill Reunion with Graham Cole, aka PC Tony Stamp, among the guests looking back at the London-based policing drama. The Q&A is followed by a meet-and-greet, with autographs available to purchase. 5pm
CHEMISTRY DEMONSTRATIONS: Chemist Andrew Szydlo returns to the Royal Institution for a spectacular, demo-filled celebration of chemistry pioneers. Expect colour changes, fire, smoke, bangs and surprises across experiments involving topics from explosives and electrochemistry to perfumes and polymers, marking the launch of the book 111 European Chemists. 7pm-8.30pm
GRIME ON CAMERA: The people behind grime's visual archive come together at V&A East for Rewind: Grime on Camera. Hosted by Chantelle Fiddy, the free talk features Roony 'Risky Roadz' Keefe, Chad 'Ratty' Stennett, Troy 'A Plus' Miller and Tim & Barry discussing the footage they made, the scene it documented and material that has never surfaced. FREE, 7pm-9pm
STRICTLY BANGERS: Queen of Hoxton in Shoreditch turns the ground floor into a party zone for club classics and party anthems, with floor-fillers and sing-alongs throughout the night. Entry is free before 9pm, with the party continuing late. 7pm-10pm
THE BEATLES V ELTON JOHN: Logan Paul Murphy brings his one-man songbook show, The Beatles Vs Elton John (With A Little Help From My Friends), to the Camden Club on Chalk Farm Road. The 19-year-old singer and musician performs with one piano, one guitar and a repertoire spanning both music legends. He has also appeared on Britain's Got Talent and Channel 4's The Piano. 7pm-10.30pm
ADAM ROWE: Adam Rowe, host of the Have A Word Podcast and star of Live At The Apollo, brings his stand-up show Fashionism to Hackney Empire. Rowe explores the concept of trying to see everyone's point of view — especially those you hate. 7.30pm
PARANORMAL INVESTIGATION: After dark at Valence House Museum in Dagenham, a guided investigation explores reports of unexplained sounds, movements and apparitions, including the May Dog and the Lady of the House. Specialist equipment — alongside both scientific and spiritual methods — are used. The event is for over-18s only. 8pm-1am
JORDAN BROOKES: The "Elvis of comedy" (that might be his words) Jordan Brookes returns to Soho Theatre Dean Street with a new hour of stand-up inspired by a shocking incident on a train. He performs throughout this week. 9pm
Sunday 11 October
ROYAL PARKS HALF: The Royal Parks Half Marathon takes runners on a route through four of the eight Royal Parks (Hyde Park, Green Park, St James's Park, Kensington Gardens), and other closed roads around central London. Get yourself a place via a charity, or turn up on the day to support the runners. Either way, be aware of road closures in central London. From 8.45am
CARSHALTON HISTORY: Trace the stories behind North and West Streets on a historical walk led by local historian Andrew Skelton. Once among Carshalton's busiest thoroughfares, the ancient streets are lined with historic buildings and tales, with the walk meeting outside Beechwood Court. 10am-11.30am
HARLEY OWNERS GROUP: Whitewebbs Museum of Transport in Enfield welcomes back the Harley Owners Group, with a collection of bikes on display for the public to ogle. The museum is open today too, so leave time to explore it. 10am-4pm
WIGS AND WIGGLES: Handel Hendrix House in Mayfair holds an interactive concert series for under-fives and their families, bringing Baroque music to life through singing, dancing and movement. Put on a favourite wig and explore the world of Handel's music in historic surroundings. 10.15am/11.30am
OLAF FALAFEL: Award-winning comedian and children's author Olaf Falafel brings The Stupidest Super Stupid Show to South London Theatre in Norwood. Expect family-friendly comedy, jokes, poos on pogo sticks, truth-telling cheese, a time-travelling portal and a live draw-along. Suitable for ages three+. 11am-12pm
SURBITON SKI SUNDAY: Watch competitors strap blocks of ice to their feet and attempt to glide down a slippery lino 'slope' at the wacky Surbiton Ski Sunday along Central Parade/St Mark's Hill. There’s a luge, colourful costumes and a community atmosphere with 30-50 competitors taking part. 11am-1pm
MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND: ActOne in Acton marks its fifth anniversary with a family sing-along screening of Muppet Treasure Island, preceded by a pirate hat-making workshop with all materials provided. Dress for the occasion; suitable for ages three+, with parents and guardians supervising throughout. 11am
WILD SIDE: At the Box in Piccadilly, Dr Aidan Michaels explores what unusual animals can teach us about human disease in Lessons from the Wild Side. The talk looks at cancer-resistant naked mole-rats, long-lived bowhead whales and desert-dwelling camels, followed by a Q&A. 12pm-1.45pm
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY: Learn to capture authentic moments, characters and the atmosphere of a bustling market at this beginner-friendly workshop at Forty Hall Farmers Market in Enfield. Practise composition, natural light and camera/smartphone settings through demonstrations and guided shooting exercises; suitable for ages 16+, with no previous experience required. 12pm-2pm
CHELSEA LITERARY SECRETS: London Walks guide Dr Stephen K leads a two-hour guided walk exploring the darker, stranger side of one of London's most elegant neighbourhoods. Sex, Spies & Scandal: The Secret Literary Life of Chelsea pulls back the curtain on the shocking origins of Mary Poppins, the Chelsea beginnings of Winnie-the-Pooh, and the tragic connection between Peter Pan and Sloane Square station. The tour also covers Pre-Raphaelite passions, a graveyard exhumation and the local addresses associated with the world's most famous fictional spies. 1pm
GOSPEL BRUNCH: Award-winning choir director Clive Brown brings Urban Sound to the 606 Club in Chelsea for an uplifting gospel performance. Brown's musical career spans more than 40 years and includes work with Meat Loaf and Mariah Carey. It's family-friendly, with children of all ages welcome. 1.30pm
AFTERNOON POEMS: Escape to Keats House in Hampstead for an hour of famous travel poems, including exotic, strange, wonderful and funny works from the venue's Poetry Ambassadors. This free afternoon marks the 300th anniversary of Gulliver's Travels. FREE, 2.15pm-3.15pm
COMEDY CLUB 4 KIDS: A taste of international stand-up and sketch comedy comes to the Exchange in Twickenham, performed for children aged six+ and their grown-ups. The one-hour show has the rowdy feel of a comedy club, but is suitable for younger audiences. 2.30pm
VAN GOGH SIP AND PAINT: Try your hand at a bold, expressive version of Van Gogh's Mulberry Tree at London Art Bar in Holborn. All art supplies, step-by-step guidance, a canvas to take home and a glass of prosecco are included (non-alcoholic alternatives are available). 3pm-5.30pm
CHARITY FIREWALK: Walk across hot embers at Signature Brew Blackhorse Road in aid of Cabaret Vs Cancer, following a 'Learn or Burn' motivational seminar to ensure you are able to complete the walk safely. Participants must be aged 18 or over. 6pm
EDINBURGH QUARTET: Haydn, Rebecca Clarke, Puccini and Schubert make up Edinburgh Quartet’s programme at Conway Hall in Holborn. Scotland's longest-established quartet pairs shorter works, including Clarke's haunting Poem and Puccini's elegiac Crisantemi, with Schubert's epic G major Quartet. 6.30pm-8.30pm
THE WORST POETS CLUB: Hollie McNish, Nikita Gill, Donna Ashworth and Len Pennie come together at Hackney Empire for two hours of readings, chat and cheerful self-deprecation. The four bestselling poets share work from their latest collections, with 50% of artist fees donated to the National Literacy Trust. 7.30pm
