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London events calendar

Your month-by-month guide to the best new events in London

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This week's hottest London events

  1. Prometheus
  2. London Zoo Lates
  3. Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2012
  4. Secret Cinema
  5. World Street Food Festival
  6. Field Day
  7. The Big British Tea Party
  8. David Guetta
  9. Henry Moore: Large Late Forms
  10. Coldplay
Full hot list details

The best of London

Time Out's critics recommend the best films, shows, exhibitions, events and restaurants in London right now

More critics' choice events

Top London festivals

More London festivals

Welcome to Time Out's London events calendar. In this guide you'll find our hand-picked selection of the best new events that begin this month, next month and indeed every month. From theatre, exhibition and film openings to gigs, festivals and comedy, if it's new, it's here - dive in!

October-December 2012 highlights

  • Frieze Art Fair (2010)

    Frieze Art Fair

    Art Oct 11-14, Regent's Park

    The biggest contemporary art event of the year features more than 170 major international galleries plus events

  • Skyfall

    Film From Fri Oct 26, Londonwide

    The third instalment in the mightily successful James Bond reboot starring Daniel Craig finally arrives

  • Frankie Boyle - The Last Days of Sodom

    Comedy Nov 8-11, Hammersmith Apollo

    Boyle's vicious tongue will be let loose on the British public once again

October-December 2012 events in London

  • Paul Merton - Out of My Head

    ComedyRecommended Oct 1-20, Vaudeville Theatre

    The 'Have I Got News For You' and impro-master returns to his stand-up roots with his first solo ...

  • Photomonth 2012

    Around TownFree Oct 1-Nov 30, Various venues

    Annual East London photography festival (which in fact takes place over two months). Highlights i...

  • Akram Khan Company: Desh

    DanceRecommended Oct 2-9, Sadler's Wells

    A welcome return for Akram Khan's full-length solo 'Desh', following its much-lauded premiere las...

  • Radiohead

    MusicNewRecommended Oct 8-9, The O2

    Long-awaited live London dates from Britain's most consistently adventurous, stadium-sized alt.ro...

  • Frieze Art Fair

    Art Oct 11-14, Regent's Park

    The biggest contemporary art event of the year features more than 170 major international galleri...

    Frieze Art Fair (2010)

  • Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour

    TheatreNew Oct 12-17, The O2

    Written and directed by Jamie King, Cirque Du Soleil's oddly named extravaganza 'Michael Jackson ...

  • Frankenweenie

    Film From Wed Oct 17

    This stop motion animation from creative powerhouse Tim Burton tells the story of a young lad who...

  • Ed Sheeran

    MusicRecommended Oct 13-17, Hammersmith Apollo

    Acoustic folk, hip hop beats and loop pedals from this bewilderingly popular, carrot-topped maest...

  • Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted

    Film From Fri Oct 19

    The escaped zoo animals go 3D in this third instalment of the animated series…

  • Dara O Briain - Craic Dealer

    ComedyRecommended Oct 19-27, Hammersmith Apollo

    Highly talented and hugely entertaining stand-up and star of 'Mock the Week', O Briain could serv...

  • Hollywood Costume

    Museums & AttractionsNew Oct 20-Jan 27 2013, V&A

    Some of cinema's best-known costumes have been gathered together for this major exhibition, which...

    The Wizard of Oz, 1939

  • Disney Fantasia - Live in Concert

    Classical Music Sun Oct 21, Royal Albert Hall

    Excerpts of Walt Disney's 'Fantasia' (1940) and Disney's 'Fantasia 2000' are screened with live a...

  • Joan Rivers - The Now or Never Tour

    ComedyRecommended Mon Oct 22, Royal Albert Hall

    The wonderful grande dame of comedy is back. She's been there, done that and bought the whole com...

  • John Bishop - Rollercoaster

    Comedy Oct 24-25, The O2

    Liverpudlian powerhouse John Bishop continues on his path to comedy domination with a full-blown ...

    John Bishop

  • Skyfall

    Film From Fri Oct 26

    The third instalment in the mightily successful James Bond reboot starring Daniel Craig finally a...

  • Battle of Ideas 2012

    Around Town Oct 27-28, Barbican Centre

    The Institute of Ideas' annual weekend of debates about contemporary issues is a war of words wag...

  • Ice Age Live! A Mammoth Adventure

    Kids Nov 1-3, Wembley Arena

    Characters and stories from the 'Ice Age' films are brought to life in this arena show featuring ...

  • Twelfth Night

    TheatreNew Nov 2-Feb 3 2013, Apollo Shaftesbury

    If the Mark Rylance-starring 'Richard III' looked to be the 'main' event of his return to Shakesp...

    Mark Rylance (Olivia)

  • Sarah Millican - Thoroughly Modern Millican

    ComedyRecommended Nov 3-4, Hammersmith Apollo

    The sweet and filthy star of 'Live At The Apollo' and Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Sarah Millic...

    Sarah Millican

  • Alan Davies - Life is Pain

    ComedyRecommended Sun Nov 4, Richmond Theatre

    The 'QI' and 'Jonathan Creek' star is back on the road for his first stand-up tour in 12 years. F...

    Alan Davies

  • Richard III

    TheatreNew Nov 6-Feb 3 2013, Apollo Shaftesbury

    Thanks to the success of 'Boeing Boeing' and, of course, 'Jerusalem', Mark Rylance's star now shi...

  • The Bodyguard

    TheatreNew Nov 6-Apr 27 2013, Adelphi Theatre

    Following the success of 'Ghost', here comes another West End jukebox adaptation of a big Hollywo...

    Heather Headley and Lloyd Owen

  • Frankie Boyle - The Last Days of Sodom

    Comedy Nov 8-11, Hammersmith Apollo

    Boyle quit stand-up in 2010. But now he's last for another farewell tour. His vicious tongue will...

  • London Jazz Festival 2012

    MusicCritics' choice Nov 9-18

    The capital's annual jazz blow out hosts living legends playing alongside the hottest new talent,...

    Jay Phelps

  • Lord Mayor's Show and Fireworks Display 2012

    Around TownFreeRecommended Sat Nov 10

    The show welcomes into office the new Lord Mayor of the City of London - this year, it's the turn...

  • Alan Davies - Life is Pain

    ComedyRecommended Mon Nov 12, Hackney Empire

    The 'QI' and 'Jonathan Creek' star is back on the road for his first stand-up tour in 12 years. F...

    Alan Davies

  • Greg Davies - The Back of My Mum's Head

    ComedyRecommended Sat Nov 17, Hammersmith Apollo

    The comedy giant (literally) and star of 'We Are Klang' and 'The Inbetweeners' is back with a new...

    Greg Davies

  • Lee Nelson's Well New Tour

    Comedy Sat Nov 17, Indigo2

    Following the success of BBC Three's 'Well Good Show' and his sell-out 'Well Good Tour', Simon Br...

  • Rufus Wainwright

    MusicRecommended Sun Nov 18, Hammersmith Apollo

    Wainwright, the consummate showman with the declamatory voice and limitless talent for melody, pe...

  • Ross Noble - Mindblender

    ComedyRecommended Fri Nov 30 - Sat Dec 1, Hammersmith Apollo

    The supreme master of spontaneous stand-up and true king of surreal flights of fantasy is back in...

  • American Idiot

    TheatreNew Dec 4-15, Hammersmith Apollo

    This rock musical - adapted by Billie Joe Armstrong and Michael Mayer from the hit album of the s...

  • Jeff Wayne's 'The War of the Worlds'

    Music Thu Dec 6, Wembley Arena

    Musical, hi-tech spectacular live musical version of Wayne's legendarily OTT prog-rock concept al...

  • Orbital

    Music Fri Dec 14, O2 Academy Brixton

  • Jeff Wayne's 'War of the Worlds'

    Music Sat Dec 15, The O2

    Musical, hi-tech spectacular live musical version of Wayne's legendarily OTT prog-rock concept al...

  • The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

    Film From Fri Dec 14

    The first in Peter Jackson's epic two-parter follows Bilbo (Martin Freeman) and a group of dwarve...

  • Life of Pi

    Film From Fri Dec 21

    Ang Lee's adaptation of Yann Martel’s acclaimed Booker Prize winner which tells the tale of Pi ...

  • This Is 40

    Film From Fri Dec 21

    Judd Apatow's next comedy picks up where 2007's 'Knocked Up' left off.

  • The Great Gatsby

    Film From Wed Dec 26

    This $125 million verson of F Scott Fitzgerald’s novel – directed by ‘Romeo + Juliet’ and...

  • Walking with Dinosaurs

    Around Town Dec 26-Jan 6 2013, The O2

    Live arena show based on the BBC series returns, featuring 20 life-size, mechanical dinosaurs roa...

  • Disney on Ice: Passport to Adventure

    Around Town Dec 26-Jan 6 2013, Wembley Arena

    Bringing those movie moments to life, Disney on Ice tours the country adding top-notch figure ska...

  • Fuerzabruta

    TheatreNew Dec 27-Jan 26 2013, Roundhouse

    This hedonistic Argentinian theatrical extravaganza re-opened the Roundhouse in 2006 and now it's...

More October-December 2012 events

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