Chilling out at home won’t be an option this autumn when London’s plays, exhibitions and concerts are this good
As the sun starts to set earlier and the leaves turn from green to golden and orange hues, you might start to think about changing your own habits with the turn of the season. The arrival of autumn is no reason to start staying in or swapping London’s rich cultural scene for the sofa.
In fact, the capital comes alive in autumn – just as much as summer. There are new theatre shows taking over the stages of the West End and belong, artistic masterpieces forming the focus of fresh exhibitions at the city’s art galleries and still plenty of music festivals galore. The parks are covered in crunchy leaves and perfect for an autumnal walk and there are plenty of places in the city to head to for a day out.
Weekends are ready to be filled with nostalgic fun of exhibitions like Power Up or intellectually stimulating events like New Scientist Live. There are series that celebrate our city, like Totally Thames Festival and the annual architectural extravaganza Open House, and others that offer a different perspective on our streets, buildings and communities.
Yes, autumn is here and there is a bountiful harvest of brilliant stuff to get up to. Better start filling up your diary.
Want more? Find out what else is happening in September, October, and November 2024.
This year’s BFI London Film Festival will kick off on Wednesday, October 9 with Steve McQueen’s World War II drama Blitz at the Royal Festival Hall and cinemas across the UK.
From there, the UK’s biggest film festival will be pressing play on 11 days and nights of movies, big and small, at cinemas and venues across London and cities across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Charge the steins! You don’t have to travel all the way to Germany for a lederhosen-clad knees-up this Oktoberfest – and you don't even have to wait until October. Munich’s world-famous beer festival is very much on in London and starting this September; with big steins of beer, platters of excessively long wurst and loud oompah bands blowing brass like they don’t give a schnitzel.
Whether you’re after a traditional take on the event or want to cut loose with some raucous table dancing, authentic Bavarian beers or east London craft IPAs, you can find the perfect Oktoberfest for you right here in London. Give yourself a warm willkommen at one of these London Oktoberfest events.
RECOMMENDED: The best things to do in London this autumn.
As the nights get longer, the weather gets colder and the atmosphere on London’s streets gets spookier, Halloween comes ever closer. Before you know it, the whole city will be awash with pumpkins, spooky characters, scratchy wigs and events that will help you make this year’s fright-fest go off with a bang. Here’s how to get into the spirit and make the most of Halloween 2024.
Anyone who’s ever stepped inside the Royal Albert Hall will understand that it can’t be filled with just any old music – it needs scale and drama. And every year it gets exactly that with the BBC Proms, one of London’s best-loved and most dazzling cultural festivals.
The Promenade Concerts (as they’re also known) have taken place in the RAH throughout the summer since way back in 1895. They’ve been organised by the BBC since 1927.
The likes of Pete Tong, Stormzy, Kylie Minogue and even Dame Judi Dench have all made appearances at the Proms in the past, and this year the likes of Florence + the Machine and Sam Smith are set to perform. It’s not all orchestral renditions of classic classical pieces of music (although there will be plenty of that, too).
There's been a gaping chasm, an unfillable abyss, in London's recreational heart ever since the Trocadero finally closed its doors in 2011. It has left the city crying out for an arcade experience, somewhere to go and lose yourself in gaming. And now, Power Up is here to answer all of your RPG prayers. Admittedly, it doesn't have a rocket-shaped escalator or countless dark corners for snogging, but what it does have is bank after bank of classic videogames.
They've made an attempt at education with a wall of consoles from throughout history, from the Amiga to the Xbox, but you can ignore all that if you want and just concentrate on turning your eyes square.
Grab a scarf and some sturdy leaf-crunching shoes.
Discover Time Out original video
