All weekend
FIREWORKS: Don't know about you, but around our way, seems like fireworks have been going off for weeks already. However, Bonfire Night officially takes place this Sunday, with plenty of organised displays taking place around London both days this weekend and beyond. Thinking of doing your own whizzbangs? Read our guide to when, where and how you're allowed to do so in London before you go out and buy dozens of catherine wheels.
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: This is the first weekend to see some of London's 2023 Christmas lights, as the Oxford Street and Carnaby illuminations are switched on from Thursday. Worth going this weekend if you want to see them without the crowds, as it'll only get busier as Christmas approaches — of course, the flaw in that plan is that Regent Street, Covent Garden and other neighbourhoods haven't switched their lights on yet, so you'll have to return later in the month to see those. You can find out when that's happening here.
WAGASHI POP-UP: Head to the ground floor of Pantechnicon in Knightsbridge for the Sachi x Toyama wagashi pop-up, and learn how to create the traditional Japanese sweets from wagashi master Yasuhiro Hikiami. He's visiting London all the way from Toyama to craft his intricate confections live in front of you — and he’ll create your own original designs on request. 2.30pm-5.30pm, 2-5 November (sponsor)
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 journalist Clive Myrie and CN Traveller editor Sarah Allard. You can also chat to reps from travel and expedition companies. 2-5 November
VINTAGE POSTER MARKET: Fill your walls with joy at Project MKT, a sustainable and affordable art fair coming to the Copeland Gallery in Peckham. Browse and shop thousands of original vintage posters, prints and ephemera from independent dealers. 3-5 November
WRITE IDEA FESTIVAL: The WriteIdea reading festival is a weekend of 25+ free events covering topics including mudlarking, the rental housing system, combustible cladding, London history, the British Empire and much more. Special guests include poet Amy Key, journalist and campaigner Vicky Spratt, comedian Robin Ince, actor Obioma Ugoala, and chef Olia Hercules. Takes place at Bethnal Green Library. FREE, 4-5 November
WATERCOLOUR EXHIBITION: Time's running out to see the Highgate Watercolour Group's current (free!) exhibition at Lauderdale House. See works of Omved Gardens in Highgate, views of Hampstead and the Heath, as well as other north London hotspots by local artists. FREE, until 6 November
WINTER MARKET: Head down to South Bank any time between now and the end of December and you'll find the Winter Market, with craft traders and food and drink stalls selling their wares from picturesque wooden cabins. It tends to get VERY busy, particularly on weekends and closer to Christmas, so it's worth visiting sooner rather than later if you want to avoid the crowds. FREE ENTRY, 2 November-26 December
BURMA TO MYANMAR: The country of Myanmar, also known as Burma, is the subject of the British Museum's new exhibition. It looks back at 1,500 years of the isolated country's history, from civil war to military dictatorship, and the extraordinary artistic output which came about as a result. 2 November-11 February
Saturday 4 November
STORIES OF LONDON: Southwark Cathedral hosts a day of talks about London, featuring experts including transport commentator Christian Wolmar, writer Tom Chivers, and London taxi driver Dave Cannell. Topics range from the tube, to rivers to St Paul's and beyond. 10am-4.30pm
VAGINA MUSEUM: After closing its Bethnal Green site earlier this year, the Vagina Museum reopens at a new home on nearby Poyser Street. The new venue has three galleries exploring the female gynaecological anatomy, plus an events space, gift shop and cafe. 10am-6pm today
PROSECCO SUPERNOVA: Take your posse along to Between The Bridges for Prosecco Supernova, a 90s Britpop themed brunch with an hour of bottomless prosecco included. Entertainment comes in the form of quizzes and DJs, and although food isn't included in your ticket price, there are plenty of street food stalls at the venue. 11.30am-4pm
DADS' ZONE: Once a month, The Yellow community centre in Wembley Park hosts Daniel's Den Dad's Zone, a free parent and toddler session specifically for dads or male carers and their children. Take part in crafts, singing and other activities, and meet other dads with children of a similar age to your own. FREE, 12pm-1.30pm
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 60 real ales and 15 ciders, with live music thrown in — today's the final day! 12pm-10.30pm
CAMDEN ROCKS: Rock out to 12 hours' worth of music — from bands including Nymphic, Love Malison, DoubleA, Dyanmic Calories, The Fires Below, Glitter Kick and Offend My Ego — at the Fiddler's Elbow's Camden Rocks all-dayer. And maybe cancel any plans for an early brunch tomorrow. 1pm-1am
SEWING MACHINE MUSEUM: The monthly(ish) opening of the London Sewing Machine Museum takes place today, giving you the chance to ogle 600+ of the objects. What's that? You didn't know London has a Sewing Machine Museum? Not many people do, but we visited in 2018 to take some of the mystery out of the place. 2pm-5pm
WINE & TRUFFLE FESTIVAL: Today's your last chance to eat and drink your way around the Wine & Truffle Festival at Eataly on Bishopsgate. Sample 40+ wines from 10 different Italian producers, soaked up with the many different Italian dishes on offer, and discover the secrets behind truffle hunting from Savini truffle specialists. 4pm-10pm
BSL TOUR: Hayward Gallery at Southbank Centre offers a BSL tour of its current exhibition of photos by Hiroshi Sugomoto, offering an insight into the artist's ideas and techniques. The BSL tour is led by Rubbena Aurangzeb-Tariq, a London-based artist and facilitator whose work concerns culture and deaf identity. 6.30pm
ROLLER DISCO: Every Saturday night, Roller Nation in Bruce Grove hosts an adults-only roller disco with music from the 1970s-90s. Fancy dress is allowed, and don't be surprised to find yourself skating alongside stag and hen dos. Find other places to have a go at roller skating in London. Age 18+. 7pm-1am
CROUCHFEST: At time of writing, there are still a few tickets available for Crouchfest, a live performance of the award-winning, football-themed podcast hosted by Peter Crouch himself. Takes place at Wembley Arena. 7.30pm
THE PAPPY SHOW: Ensemble theatre company The PappyShow celebrates its 10th birthday with a special show at Barbican. Expect an evening of joy and celebration, with bold and beautiful dance and music performances curated by the group. Age 14+. 7.45pm
GUILTY FEMINIST: It's the final night of a four-night run of live versions of The Guilty Feminist podcast hosted by Deborah Frances-White at Soho Theatre. Tonight's guest is comedian and author Shaparak Khorsandi. 9.30pm
LACHLAN WERNER: Comedian and ventriloquist Lachlan Werner brings his solo show Voices of Evil back to Soho Theatre for a special Halloween run. Expect a ceremony of paranormal tricks and treats by Werner and Brew, a small, squishy witch who has decided to sacrifice him. "A healthy dose of the unhinged" is how The Guardian described the show. 10.15pm
Sunday 5 November
VETERAN CAR RUN: The Veteran Car Run sees more than 100 pre-1905 vehicles setting 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, and on to the coast. FREE, from 7am
DALSTON BLACK HISTORY: Join Black History Walks for a guided tour around the Dalston area, marking 75 years since the HMT Empire Windrush arrived in London. Find out about Black culture in the local area since then, including soul, reggae, rave and acid music, Black activism and pioneering housing equality, Black British civil rights, and the rise of the Black church. 10am-12pm
KIDS' MAGIC SHOW: Take the kids along to Artsdepot in North Finchley for Morgan & West's Massive Magic Show, filled with tricks and silliness for children and their grown-ups. Age 6+. 2pm
BILLY NO MATES: The topics of male friendship and loneliness are tackled at Conway Hall, as author Max Dickins talks about his book, How I Realised Men Have A Friendship Problem. Find out why men tend to have fewer close friends than women, and what can be done about it. 3pm
KOREAN SHORT FILMS: As part of London Korean Film Festival, The Garden Cinema in Holborn screens KAFA Shorts: A Midsummer's Fantasia. It's a programme of six short films, spanning topics from weddings to auditory hallucinations to a man who believes himself to be the reincarnation of John Lennon. 3.20pm
LIVE LAUGH LABIA: The newly-reopened Vagina Museum (see above) holds its first live event in its new home — a comedy night headlined by South London-based Sikisa. Also on the line-up are Tasha Cluskey, Sapphire Mckintosh, Cameron Sinclair Harris, Jen Zheng, Alice Markey and Alyssa Vergji, with Nora Lempriere as MC. Age 14+. 7.30pm
WOLF EYES: Having spent 25 years playing around with DIY electronics, Wolf Eyes are still going strong — and tonight they're at the 100 Club playing tracks from their surreal dreamscape of a new album, Dreams In Splattered Lines. Support is from Yeah You, and Rubber. 7.30pm
WINDMILLS AND WATERMILLS: No need to leave your own home for this virtual tour of London's windmills and watermills by Footprints of London guide Rob Smith. Back in the days when wind and water power were used to provide Londoners with food, mills could be found all over the place — and a surprising number of them still exist today. 8pm-9pm
V FOR VENDETTA: On Guy Fawkes Night, the Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square offers a screening of 2005 film V For Vendetta, starring Hugo Weaving, Natalie Portman and Rupert Graves. It's set in a post-war London, a police state occupied by a fascist government, where a vigilante known only as V uses terrorist tactics to fight the oppressors. 8.35pm
