All weekend
LONDON PHOTO SHOW: Following a run in Hoxton last month, the London Photo Show comes to OXO Gallery on South Bank. 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. 12-16 November
TIME: One of two light shows in Greenwich this autumn, Time by Luxmuralis illuminates the Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College this weekend. It's a journey through history and science, exploring humanity's relationship with the concept of time. Traverse wormholes and step inside the intricate workings of clocks. 12-16 November. The other show, Connection and Identity, is also open now, until the new year.
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 more than 75 cask ales and 18 ciders, with proceeds supporting the venue itself. New for 2025 is a 45-minute beer tasting masterclass, available during both the Friday afternoon and Saturday afternoon sessions. 13-16 November
ALICE AND THE QUEEN BEASTS: Hall Place and Gardens in Bexley offers an immersive lantern light show experience based on the Alice in Wonderland stories. Parts of the house and gardens (look out for the famous topiary bushes) take you down the rabbit hole through a blend of light projections and sound recordings, with costumed actors bringing Wonderland to life. 13-16 November
MIRACLE CHRISTMAS BAR: If you like your Christmas cranked up to 11, Miracle is the place for you. The blindingly kitsch festive pop-up bar is back from Monday 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. Note: it has a new location this year, but is still on Henrietta Street in Covent Garden. It's likely to be busy, particularly at weekends, so book in advance. 10 November-23 December. For more like this, see our guide to London's best winter and Christmas pop-up bars.
EVER AFTER GARDEN: Illuminated by the light of more than 30,000 glowing roses, the Ever After Garden returns — and it has a new home for 2025: 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). 13 November-16 December
TAYLOR WESSING PHOTO PRIZE: An annual staple in the London arts calendar, the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize showcases the work of talented young photographers, gifted amateurs and established professionals. Informal captures and more formal posed portraits feature in the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. 13 November-8 February
EFG LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL: Get in the groove at the EFG London Jazz Festival, which offers 10 days of live performances at venues including Barbican, Southbank Centre and the Royal Albert Hall. Bilal, Stella Cole and Nubya Garcia are among the names on this year's programme. 14-23 November
HYDE PARK WINTER WONDERLAND: London's giant festive funfair returns to Hyde Park from Friday, 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. 14 November-1 January
CHRISTMAS AT KEW: We have a soft spot for Christmas at Kew, the spectacular light and illuminations festival that glows in the sprawling 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. It's selling out fast. 14 November-4 January. Or find other light festivals in London this winter.
LAST DAYS OF POMPEII: London's latest immersive experience transports visitors back to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius which infamously wiped out the ancient town of Pompeii. VR technology and video-mapping allow you to witness what the area's monuments looked like before the eruption, and get up close to a gladiator battle, before witnessing the eruption itself. 14 November-March 2026
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS TRAIN: Choo choo! All aboard the Epping Ongar Railway for Lights Express, a special ride on a train illuminated with fairy lights. Once on board, admire specially-installed illuminations through the windows. 15 November-4 January
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: Talking of Christmas lights, many of London's main festive illuminations, including Regent Street, Oxford Street, Carnaby, Covent Garden and Bond Street will be switched on in time for this weekend. Chelsea switches its lights on on Saturday, followed by Belgravia on Sunday, with more to come next week. Here's an exact guide to which Christmas lights are switched on when, so you don't miss a thing.
Saturday 15 November
CEILDH BAND WORKOUT: Head to 80 Eastway in Hackney Wick for a HIIT workout with a twist: it's soundtracked by a live trad ceilidh band. The 45-minute session is set to a pace of blazing jigs, reels and polkas, and is followed by an optional trip to the sauna (booked separately). 11am
DIRTY DANCING BRUNCH: Have the time of your life at a Dirty Dancing themed bottomless brunch at Between the Bridges on South Bank. Enjoy live performances of songs from the soundtrack, sing-alongs, dance-offs, games and prizes. 12pm-3.30pm
QUEER LITERARY SALON: Dr Hannah Roche from the University of York is at Queer Britain (King's Cross) for an in-depth discussion of houses and homes in queer fiction and poetry of the 20th century. The queer literary salon uses examples including the domestic disorder of Gertrude Stein's Tender Buttons (1914) and the precarity of butch and trans spaces in Leslie Feinberg's Stone Butch Blues (1993) to investigate how the places we live shape who we are. 2pm
STAR WARS: Watch Star Wars: The Force Awakens on a large screen at the Royal Albert Hall, while the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra performs John Williams' score live, in sync with the action. 2.30pm/7.30pm
CHELSEA BALLET: Amateur ballet company Chelsea Ballet takes over Artsdepot for a production featuring the final acts of three classical ballet favourites: Coppelia, Paquita and the Nutcracker. 2.30pm/7.30pm
OVER-30S PARTY: It's over-30s only at Club de Fromage's daytime party, which lets you party like you used to, but still get home at a reasonable hour. Taking place at Infernos in Clapham, expect to hear plenty of cheesy hits as you dance the afternoon away. 3pm-7pm
FANNY: Fanny Mendelssohn, composer, pianist and lesser-known sister of Felix, is the subject of comedy play Fanny at King's Head Theatre, which ends today. It sees her intercepting a letter inviting Felix to go back to England and premiere a new orchestral work for the Queen, plotting to take his place. 3pm/7.30pm
CHEF SERIES: Chef, author and cookery school founder Anjula Devi is the first to headline a new Chef Series at The Conduit in Covent Garden. For one night only, she cooks up a special menu featuring some of her signature dishes, including hariyali monkfish and aloo matar — showcasing her expertise in the healing power of spices. 7pm-10pm
GET DOWN TONIGHT: The hits of KC and the Sunshine Band feature in West End musical Get Down Tonight at Charing Cross Theatre, inspired by the early years of singer, songwriter, producer and musician Harry Wayne Casey (KC). Tonight's your last chance to, erm, get down there. 7.30pm
MASCULINITY TODAY: Rizzle Kicks musician and activist Jordan Stephens hosts a special event focusing on boys, men and masculinity, curated by the Women of the World team. Head to Shoreditch Town Hall for thought-provoking conversations and performances all exploring some of the urgent issues surrounding modern masculinity such as money, mental health, stereotypes, fatherhood, sex, care, power and vulnerability. Special guests include economist and author Gary Stevenson and award-winning poet Sam Browne. 7.30pm
HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE: A new, immersive version of Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy opens at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith tonight. It begins in a rather unusual pub as you settle in, drink in hand, for an evening of storytelling and spectacle. From there, the story lifts off — quite literally — as you hitch a ride on a passing spaceship, discover the meaning of life and join a quest to persuade a group of inter-dimensional mice to give the Earth a second chance. 9pm (and until 15 February)
LOLLY ADEFOPE: Comedian and actor Lolly Adefope is the guest DJ at tonight's Scared To Dance at the Shacklewell Arms in Dalston. The alternative club night focuses on post-punk, indiepop, new wave and art rock music by artists including Blondie, David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Grace Jones, Franz Ferdinand and Wet Leg. 11pm
Sunday 16 November
CHEESE MARKET: The monthly Chiswick Cheese Market is back, and this time there's a focus on smoked cheese, with London Smoked & Cure on hand to offer tastings. Beyond that, browse and buy artisan cheeses from across the UK and beyond, along with everything else you need to enjoy them to their full potential, including chutneys and crackers. 9.30am-3pm
MIDCENTURY MODERN: 85 vintage dealers and designers pitch up at Dulwich College for Midcentury Modern, an interiors fair where all manner of furniture, lighting, rugs, textiles, posters and artworks are available to buy. 10am-4pm
VINTAGE FAIR: Rather refresh the contents of your wardrobe rather than the wardrobe itself? Frock Me! vintage fair is back at its newest venue, the Royal Horticultural Halls in Victoria, offering vintage clothing, jewellery and accessories, in a beautiful setting. 11am-5.30pm
THE SONGBIRD'S SECRET: Take the kids to Ciné Lumière in South Kensington to see The Songbird's Secret, a feature animation about a nine-year-old girl who joins her archaeologist mother in the countryside for the holidays. It's shown in French with English subtitles, as part of the French Film Festival London. 11am
WEST HAM WOMEN: West Ham United Women take on Everton Women in the Barclays Women's Super League. The match takes place at West Ham United Women's home ground, Dagenham & Redbridge FC, with kids' tickets just a fiver. 12pm
BRITISH-JEWISH PRIDE: Part of the UK Jewish Film Festival, the Phoenix Cinema in Finchley hosts British-Jewish Pride, a screening of eight short films sharing experiences of living in the UK as a Jewish person. Guests including documentary filmmaker Michal McEwen take part in a Q&A. 2.30pm
100 METERS: Barbican Cinema screens Kenji Iwaisawa's Japanese sports anime film 100 Meters, following gifted runner Togashi through middle school, high school and adulthood. It's adapted from Uoto's five-volume manga, and makes use of a variety of different animation techniques to bring the story to life. 4.30pm
IMPROV COMEDY: Improv comedy troupe Shoot From The Hip are back at the Leicester Square Theatre for their monthly show. It's completely unscripted and unpredictable, featuring chaotic games, epic scenes and ever-so-slightly unhinged performances. 7pm
IRISH SHORT FILMS: The Irish Film Festival London comes to a close with a programme of New Irish Shorts, shown at the ICA. The six short works each tackle topics of legacy and belonging, ranging between five and 20 minutes in length. 8.40pm
