All weekend
LETTERS TO THE FUTURE: Amelia Dimoldenberg, Ash Sarkar and Olly Alexander lead Letters to the Future, a Southbank Centre programme tackling some of the biggest issues of our time. Cultural figures including creators, writers, activists and thinkers curate a programme of panel discussions, interspersed with talks, performances, free gigs, DJ sets and spoken word. Topics including housing, the future of digital media, and the climate crisis. 18-20 September 2026
WATER LANTERN FESTIVAL: Head to Clapham Common at dusk for the Water Lantern Festival, where you can personalise your own lantern with a wish or memory before releasing it onto the water alongside thousands of others. The lanterns are made from paper, natural wood and an LED candle, so no open flame, no plastic — and nothing that harms the water or the wildlife. All debris is collected after the event, so nothing is left in the water either. 19-20 September 2026
YARD SALE TRAIL: A community-wide yard sale takes place across Southfields, with dozens of household stalls along with satellite hubs at St. Barnabas and St. Michael's. No ticket required — just follow the trail map and expect a mix of secondhand goods, crafts and home-baked items. 19-20 September 2026
OPEN HOUSE: Magnificent architecture festival Open House continues until Sunday, with many usually off-limits buildings opening their doors, and some offering tours. The bulk of events happen at the weekend, but there's plenty to occupy curious Londoners throughout the week too — check out the full programme or peruse our picks of new additions for 2026. FREE, until 20 September 2026
MOON WEEK: The National Maritime Museum and Royal Observatory in Greenwich team up for Moon Celebration Week, a programme celebrating all things lunar. Highlights this weekend include lunar tours, offering an insight into mapping and exploring the moon, along with special talks, and an evening of astrophotography. Until 20 September 2026.
WALDMULLER LANDSCAPES: The National Gallery presents the first UK exhibition devoted to Austrian painter Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller's landscape paintings. The show gathers views of Vienna's Prater Park, the lakes and mountains of the Salzkammergut and scenes from Sicily — highlighting Waldmüller's use of colour, light and detailed brushwork. FREE, until 20 September 2026
JOCK MCFADYEN: Large-scale paintings of sections of the Tube by Jock McFadyen are on display at Guildhall Art Gallery, accompanied by sound effects recorded by Pogues musician Jem Finer. Underground (And Surface) combines familiar, yet uneasy, tableaux of London with the mechanical-but-melodic sounds we hear every day. Until 20 September 2026
SACRED TREASURES FROM KYIV: See seven exceptional examples of Ukrainian sacred art at the V&A South Kensington, the first time the pieces have been displayed in the UK. The exhibition, Sacred Treasures from Kyiv, features centuries-old craftsmanship from the National Preserve Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a significant religious site. FREE, from 14 September 2026
REVIVING CRAFT: China's craft traditions, spanning ceramics, glass, textiles, jewellery and furniture, are put in the spotlight at new Somerset House exhibition Reviving Craft: Reflection of the Mind. Works by artists including Shuang Xi, Ouyang Wendong, Huang Lu, Rosalie Huang, Ren Bo and Tang Zhenzhen appear alongside digital and immersive elements. FREE, 16-27 September 2026
Sponsor message
Celebrate Kensington Market's heritage this London Fashion Week
Legendary fashion and creative hub Kensington Market hosts a special event this weekend, coinciding with London Fashion Week.
This Saturday, Judy's Kensington Vintage Market brings together more than 60 vintage specialists in a new celebration of fashion and individuality. Browse unique items by emerging designers, upcyclers, independent labels and sustainable fashion brands, as well as rare items from some of the original Kensington Market traders. Among the items you can expect: vintage finds, reworked pieces, jewellery, accessories and unique pieces that can't be found on the high street.
Kensington Market has long been a hub for fashion creatives and pop-culture lovers, from the swinging sixties right through to the 2000s. Judy's Kensington Vintage Market combines established vintage traders with the next generation of independent fashion talent, to celebrate its cultural legacy while looking towards the future of British fashion.
Judy's Kensington Vintage Market in collaboration with Opportunity Kensington takes place Saturday 19 September, 10am-4.30pm, on Phillimore Walk. Entry is free.
Saturday 19 September
MEXICAN CERAMICS: Start your day with a Mexican ceramics pottery class, followed by lunch, at Mexican-Japanese restaurant Los Mochis in Notting Hill. Learn traditional Mexican hand-building techniques with stoneware clay and make your own piece (to be collected in a few weeks), followed by dishes including spicy salmon on crispy rice, ceviche and miso black cod tacos. 10am-2pm
MOSQUE OPEN DAY: Visit My Mosque is an annual national initiative organised by the Muslim Council of Britain, and Whitechapel's East London Mosque & London Muslim Centre is taking part, offering an open day today. People of all faiths (and none) are welcome to take part in guided tours, meet members of the community and learn and ask questions about Islam. FREE, 11am-3pm
CROSSING BORDERS: Forest Hill's Horniman Museum and Gardens hosts Crossing Borders, a free community celebration led by refugees and people seeking sanctuary. The day features a vibrant mix of traditional Afghan kite-making, Honduran folk dance workshops and live Ukrainian music. Catch a live recording of the Ready To Be Cancelled podcast or browse an art exhibition by refugee artists. FREE, 11am-4pm
BERMONDSEY STREET FESTIVAL: Described as a village fete in the city, the 20th edition of Bermondsey Street Festival returns to SE1 with with craft and community stalls dotted along the street celebrating local talent, along with a food and music stage in Tanner Street Park, and a family fun hub in Leathermarket Gardens offering fancy dress, a disco, a dog show and maypole dancing. FREE, 11am-8pm
WOOLWICH BEER FEST: Independent breweries including Northdown Brewery, Bianca Road Brew Co, Big Hug Brewing, Bexley Brewery and Iron Pier are among the guests at the one-day Woolwich Works Big Beer Fest. Expect over 20 beers on tap at the festival bar, a separate wine bar, low‑ and no‑alcohol options, street food traders, live music, guided craft beer tasting masterclasses and a Big Beer Quiz. 12pm/4pm
MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL: Celebrate Hong Kong's Mid-Autumn Festival with a creative lunch at Yi-Ban in the Docks. It includes traditional rabbit‑lantern making, a mooncake keepsake craft, two handmade snow‑skin mooncakes to take home, cultural stories and a shared dim sum lunch. 12.30pm-4pm
ST GEORGE'S CATHEDRAL: The Victorian Society leads an architectural and ecclesiastical tour of Southwark's St George's Cathedral, the first Roman Catholic cathedral built in London since the Reformation. The visit includes a rare examination of a church plate designed by Augustus Pugin and a tour of the adjoining Archbishop's House. Learn about the building's 1848 opening, its survival through the Blitz, and the post-war reconstruction by Romilly Craze. 2pm-4pm
THE PRODUCERS: Today's the final day of the West End revival of Mel Brooks' The Producers at the Garrick, starring Andy Nyman, Marc Antolin, Trevor Ashley, Raj Ghatak, Harry Morrison and Joanna Woodward. It's based on the film that inspired a subsequent smash Broadway production. 2.30pm/7.30pm
LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST: Also closing today is Shakespeare's classic comedy Love's Labour's Lost, which receives a sun-drenched makeover at the St Bride Foundation in Fleet Street. This bittersweet rock musical reimagines the story as a university college reunion filled with pop-rock bangers and outrageous gags. 2.30pm/7.30pm
BIG GAY BEAVER DAY: "A fundraiser celebrating beavers and the queer community, featuring drag performances, DJs and lesbian arm wrestling" — that's Big Gay Beaver Day. Head to Paradise Fields in Ealing for guided tours of the beaver enclosure, followed by an evening of entertainment at nearby Horsenden Hill Farm, all raising money to support Citizen Zoo's ongoing work to restore beavers to London's waterways. 4pm-10pm
THE CANDLELIGHT CLUB: Regular speakeasy party The Candlelight Club celebrates 16 years with New Orleans jazz from the six-piece Red Hot Rhythm Revival, vintage-vinyl DJs the Bee's Knees, host Eva Von Schnippisch and burlesque from Jolie Papillon. Tarot readings by Lucius and a pop-up vintage jewellery stall from Michelle Krausz add to the festivities, all happening at a secret south London location. 7pm-1am
SEX AND DISABILITY: Groundbreaking new musical Sex & Disability is on at Artsdepot, exploring love and life within the disability community. It follows Nick, a young stroke survivor, his online romance with Lucinda, and the complications that arise when his carer Jasmine becomes involved. 7.30pm
COUNTRY SUPERSTARS: Pay tribute to the late, great Dolly Parton and other stalwarts of the country genre as Country Superstars barrels into Fairfield Halls in Croydon. Tribute artists team up with the Country Superstars Band to perform impersonations of Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Shania Twain and Luke Combs among others. 7.45pm
SCARED TO DANCE: Alternative club night Scared to Dance returns to the Shacklewell Arms with guest DJ Prima Queen, resident Paul Richards and DJs Louise Macphail and Kristin McFadden. The night focuses on post‑punk, indie pop, new wave and art‑rock tracks, and continues until the early hours. 11pm
Sunday 20 September
LONDON CYCLING FESTIVAL: Get on yer bike for the London Cycling Festival, with rides and wheeled events happening all over the capital today. Find festival hubs at locations including Victoria Park and St Paul's Cathedral, and take part in group rides, including some designed with families in mind. FREE, 8am-5pm
DOG SHOW: Show rings, a doggy dash, celebrity judges, fancy dress classes and several stalls are all part of the Chiswick House Dog Show, which takes place in the grounds of Chiswick House. Enter your pooch into one of the categories, or just show up and enjoy. 11am-4.15pm
VINTAGE FAIR: Frock Me returns to Chelsea Old Town Hall with more than 60 vintage dealers selling curated clothing, jewellery and textiles spanning Victorian pieces to pre-loved designer labels. The fair is popular with designers and costume departments, and it's not unusual for real designer treasures to be found here. 11am-5.30pm
CURRY FESTIVAL: After a long-awaited return last year, the Brick Lane Curry Festival is back for 2026, celebrating the food and culture of the East End's Bangladeshi and South Asian community. It begins with a parade, followed by street entertainment and various foodie stalls offering regional and specialty dishes. It's free to attend, and if you register in advance for a ticket you can save 20% at participating restaurants on the day. 12pm-7pm
PEARLIES' HARVEST FESTIVAL: Pearly Kings and Queens — wearing their hand‑sewn button‑covered outfits — assemble in Guildhall Yard with maypole and morris dancing kicking off their annual harvest festival. A procession moves the fun on to St Mary‑le‑Bow, where a large harvest plait of bread is presented. Everyone's welcome at the service but it does get busy. FREE, 1.30pm
HORROR FOR A CAUSE: The Cinema Museum in Kennington continues its celebration of 1980s genre classics with a special fundraising screening of The Evil Dead. Presented by Ghost Light Cinema, the evening showcases Sam Raimi's 1981 cult masterpiece, which redefined the low-budget horror landscape with its relentless intensity and inventive camerawork. All proceeds from the event support the museum's historic home and its extensive collection of film memorabilia. 7.30pm
SARAH KEYWORTH: Catch an hour of all-new material as award-winning comedian Sarah Keyworth visits the Trafalgar in Chelsea for a Sunday night work-in-progress show. See fresh jokes and "Chelsea exclusives" being tested in an intimate setting before they hit the wider circuit. 8pm
SUNDAY NIGHT COMEDY: End the week with a high-energy bill of professional stand-up at Sunday Night Comedy, held in the basement of BOX Piccadilly. MC Louis Collenette hosts a line-up of comedians including Darcy Moreland, Mo Magaleo and Donatas Staneika. 8pm
MICHAEL AKADIRI: Resident junior doctor and Biggest Award in Comedy nominee Michael Akadiri visits the Dugdale Arts Centre in Enfield for a preview of his new show. Michael Akadiri - Don't Call Me Uncle! follows two successful UK tours and offers a sharp, medical-grade perspective on life and family. 8pm
