19th to 21st September
A joyful celebration of Kerry James Marshall’s lush, colourful paintings at the Royal Academy of Art, highlighting his ultra-distinctive body of work celebrating the Black figure in Western painting tradition.
Four-day programme of talks, performances and appearances from Ambika Mod, Annie Mac, David Shrigley, George Monbiot, Marian Keyes, Lenny Henry, June Sarpong, Kate Mosse, Rupert Everett and Twiggy.
Headliners include Sara Pascoe, Nina Conti, Jen Brister, Rosie Jones, Sarah Keyworth, Michael Odewale, Phil Wang and Sindhu Vee at a seated arena in the grounds of the National Maritime Museum, with pop-up bars and street food stalls.
Henna painting workshops, Bangla-dancing lessons, a procession with themed floats and dancers, roaming acts including DJs, stilt walkers and magicians, and stalls from local restaurants serving regional and specialty dishes.
Chef Tom Booton serves a three-day guest menu of elevated comfort food with starters like Dorset crab and beef tartare and mains of stuffed guinea fowl, BBQ lamb belly and Hereford roasted beef fillet, all with iconic views over the Thames.
Four kitchens and a blackboard menu at Shoreditch’s new Thai eatery unite local talent from Singburi, Smoking Goat, som saa and Kin + Deum to showcase regional Thai flavours in a one-off food festival.
Chefs, shuckers and slurpers unite under one roof at Bentley’s Oyster Bar and Grill to celebrate the start of native oyster season with speedy shucking, flowing fizz, live music and a festival atmosphere. Judging by Prue Leith, Ravinder Bhogal and Angela Hartnett for Best Dressed Oyster.
National festival of heritage and culture with events like visits to the British Vintage Wireless and Television Museum and other heritage venues.
Festival offering behind-the-scenes access across London including brewery tours, an open day at Bazalgette's Mausoleum in Wimbledon, open evenings at Smithfield Market, tours of Hackney's German Hospital extension and roof access at Greenford Quay.
The free-to-enter David Bowie Centre at the V&A East Storehouse presents over 80,000 items including personal correspondence, stage costumes and photography curated by Nile Rodgers.
West End musical at Charing Cross Theatre featuring hits of KC and the Sunshine Band, inspired by Harry Wayne Casey.
A free outdoor performance of Shakespeare’s The Tempest presented by Theatre is Freedom / Teatr to Wolność, delivering a vibrant, physical interpretation of the Renaissance classic on Hounslow High Street.
A 90-minute immersive exhibition at Marble Arch featuring 42 masterpieces from artists like Bosch and Dalí, reimagined through cutting-edge technology.
Annual festival showcasing design installations like Paul Cocksedge’s “What Nelson Sees” atop Nelson’s Column and Lee Broom’s Beacon sculpture at the Southbank Centre.
Environmental festival in Camden with workshops including mosaic making, meditative drawing, Japanese sashiko mending, community gardening projects and panel discussions on food waste.
Final day of the Royal Photographic Society's International Photography Exhibition at Saatchi Gallery, showcasing contemporary photography on themes like family, identity and environmental issues.
Tate Modern exhibition exploring Picasso's fascination with performers, presented as a theatre with over 45 works including paintings, sculpture, textiles and works on paper.
'In The Shadows' art trail in Regent's Park featuring outdoor sculptures by artists including Assemble, Elmgreen & Dragset, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith and Erwin Wurm.
Festival of art, fashion and horticulture inside the Temperate House at Kew Gardens, with workshops including a collective tapestry using upcycled fabrics.
Design Museum exhibition celebrating the short-lived Blitz club night with over 250 items including clothing, design sketches, instruments, flyers, magazines, furniture, artworks, photography, vinyls and rare film footage.
Turning Earth ceramics studio in Leyton holds a market with 60 makers selling their wares, wheel pottery demonstrations and bookable specialist workshops (Sunday only).
London transforms into an open-air gallery for public art initiatives like Frieze Sculpture and the Fourth Plinth. Discover contemporary outdoor sculptures, hear from artists and curators, and join free themed tours.
Dubbed “The most stylish car boot sale imaginable” by Vogue, this outdoor art fair at King’s Cross features contemporary works, cheeky humour and live performances from creatives like Vic Reeves, Pam Hogg and Camille Phoenix selling pieces from their car boots.
Interactive gameshow at Underbelly Boulevard Soho where comedian Benjamin Alborough attempts to improve the Monopoly board game.
21.6-mile dash along the Thames between Millwall and Richmond with all manner of rowing boats; free to watch from the banks and bridges.
Two days of short films from around the world at Curzon Hoxton, packaged into eight themed screenings including inventive animation, Oscar-nominees, comedy and documentaries.
High-tech pan-Asian bottomless brunch in Soho with sushi, dumplings, noodles and bottomless drinks, plus interactive tabletops and games.
Regent Street and St James’s host talks, masterclasses, exclusive dining experiences and on-street feasts featuring the most innovative chefs, restaurateurs and sustainable food brands.
Talking Buildings exhibition at Sir John Soane's Museum showcasing architect Richard Rogers as thinker, campaigner and designer of iconic buildings including Lloyd's of London, The O2 and the Pompidou Centre.
Walk through Peter Jones’ inflatable neon maze on Clapham Common, discovering performances from flautists, classical guitarists and a Balinese gamelan with dancers.
Weekend-long free music and dance festival in Elephant and Castle featuring Indian classical dance, Spanish flamenco, Congolese grooves, Cuban rhythms and Ivorian drumming.
Three-day black metal festival at the O2 Academy Islington showcasing some of the finest, rarest and most transcendental bands in the genre.
Community open day at Cody Dock near Poplar with live music, heritage and ecology workshops and light box installations exploring the tidal Lea's pre-industrial history.
A mammoth birthday bash across six spaces at Big Penny Social and Big Penny Studio in Walthamstow, featuring over 100 performers including wrestlers, circus acts and a full orchestra.
15th birthday speakeasy night in a secret South London ballroom with live music from Ritzy Palooza, burlesque, tarot readings and host Champagne Charlie.
21st-century Jane Austen adaptation at Rose Theatre in Kingston following Emma Woodhouse’s summer home from Oxford University.
One-woman show by Melanie Branton at Barons Court Theatre exploring the history of the English language through performance poetry, anecdotes and commentary.
Shakespeare’s raucous comedy at the Globe featuring Sir John Falstaff's antics.
Somerset House explores the impact of digital technologies on beauty with Post-Internet artworks including live-streamed aesthetic surgery and AI-generated portraits.
30-year anniversary celebration at Cadogan Hall with live readings of letters, speeches, essays and fiction by performers including Sheila Atim, Sheila Hancock, Kate Mosse, Lenny Henry, June Sarpong and Sara Pascoe.
Barbican Cinema screening of the 1973 Japanese film Godzilla vs Megalon with English subtitles, preceded by an introductory talk by kaiju cinema expert Steven Sloss.
Screening of the documentary Pauline Black: A 2-Tone Story at Streatham Library, followed by a Q&A with Pauline Black.
Inaugural Bloomsbury Classic Car Show in Bedford Square Gardens featuring classic and vintage cars, live music and expert talks.
Saucony Run Shoreditch 10k on closed roads from Shoreditch Park to Newington Green, ending in a festival zone.
Family-friendly screening of the Disney film Lilo & Stitch at Rooftop Film Club Peckham on deckchairs with wireless headphones.
Frock Me! vintage fair at Chelsea Old Town Hall with 60 exhibitors selling rare vintage and antique clothing, jewellery and textiles.
Unlimited Taiwanese pork buns, prawn soup dumplings and crab meat xiao long bao with prosecco in Chinatown from just £24.95.
Open-air banquet at Ziggy Green Terrace on Heddon Street featuring sustainably-inspired dishes from local restaurants, live music; ticket includes a welcome drink and signature dishes.
London on the Ground walking tour exploring locations from Geoffrey Fletcher’s book The London That Nobody Knows.
Footprints of London walking tour starting at Chalk Farm station exploring railway landmarks around Primrose Hill including a hydraulic accumulator tower, a roundhouse and working horses’ tunnels.
Tribute act The Bon Jovi Experience at Churchill Theatre in Bromley performing hits such as Livin' On a Prayer, Always, It's My Life, You Give Love a Bad Name and Bad Medicine.
Jonny Donahoe’s moving solo show on mental health, performed by rotating cast members including Lenny Henry in a colourful, hope-filled experience.
Broadway transfer starring Sean Hayes about the life of Oscar Levant and his 1958 Tonight Show meltdown with Jack Paar.