Amazing things to do in London in September 2026

Serpentine North is set to host an evocative trio of film works by Indian filmmaker Amar Kanwar, known for lyrical films which move between documentary, travelogue and visual essay while exploring the legacies of decolonisation on the Indian subcontinent. The darkened galleries will house free screenings of Such a Morning (2017), multi-screen installation The Peacock’s Graveyard (2023), and the premiere of a new multi-screen work titled The Charcoal Man (2026).

It's pretty rare for a stage designer to get a big art show devoted to their work, but multi-awardwinning artist Es Devlin thoroughly deserves her first UK museum show this autumn. The Design Museum’s landmark retrospective will delve into the stories behind the London-based designer’s 30-year practice. Developed in close collaboration with Devlin – who has worked on everything from the Olympic opening ceremony to the Superbowl half-time show – it will feature rare maquettes, sketches, as well as new large scale installations conceived especially for the exhibition. 

Huge news, history fans@ the Bayeux Tapestry is going on display in Britain for the first time in 900 years. The 70-metre-long artwork is an intricately embroidered depiction of the 1066 Battle of Hastings, in which William the Conquerer took the English throne, and it’s coming to the British Museum. Although it’s believed to have been embroidered in Canterbury, the tapestry has resided in Bayeux, Normandy for the past nine centuries. Despite numerous attempts from Brits to borrow the masterpiece over the past century, it will finally be on show on British soil for the first time since it was made. 

London's musical theatre fans have been eagerly waiting for their chance to see wildly acclaimed US indie musical Kimberley Akimbo, created by composer Jeanine Tesori and writer David Lindsay-Abaire. And now it’s finally here, putting a musical spin on the story of a 16-year-old girl afflicted by a rare/essentially magical disease that makes her age four times faster than usual. It bagged multiple wins at the 2023 Tony Awards – including the all important best new musical – and now it's aiming to wow UK audiences with a Michael Longhurst-directed production at Hampstead Theatre.

Organised by the people behind Percolate and Love International festival in Croatia, mid-September’s electronic music festival Waterworks is a final chance to squeeze every last drop of festival fun out of the summer. It’ll take place across seven spaces around the industrial megaclub in the Docklands, with the same DJs playing across a mixture of indoor and outdoor rooms. The big name selectors on the programme include Alex Kassian, babyschön, djrum, Midland and Sofia Kourtesis, who'll be ready to keep energy levels high through this 36-hour dance marathon.

The big surprise of the Royal Court's current season is a revival of Man to Man, Manfred Karge’s hallucinatory solo play about a widow who assumes her late husband’s job and identity in inter-war Germany. When it first premiered in 1987, Stephen Unwin’s production provided a breakthrough for an androgynous young actor named Tilda Swinton, starting her down the path to global cult fame.  Now, the whole band is back together for a revival of Man to Man once again starring Swinton and directed by Unwin. Although Swinton has starred in the odd stage role in Europe since, she’s not performed in the UK for over three decades, so this production is seriously hyped: tickets are sold out, but check out the Royal Court's £15 Mondays to be in with a chance.

Former National Theatre deputy artistic director Clint Dyer is at the helm of this widescreen Olivier Theatre UK premiere of Tracey Scott Wilson's 2003 play. Based on a series of real-life stories, it follows four journalists as they frantical scrabble to land the story of a white teacher murdered in a Black neighbourhood. Letitia Wright of Black Panther fame is the big name in the cast – other members include Ashley Thomas, Lorraine Toussaint and Wilf Scolding.

Richard E Grant’s delightfully wayward career has taken in plenty of theatre, but none of it’s been in London for a very long time (his last appearance here was in 2005 with Simon Gray’s Otherwise Engaged). A treat, then, to finally see the great thesp give the people what they want: playing a bonkers posh person in Noël Coward’s ultimately bonkers posh person comedy, Hay Fever. He’ll star opposite big name US star Christine Baranski – in her UK stage debut – in a whimsical farce set in an English country house.

Nadia Fall’s second season at the Young Vic gets off to a real firecracker of a start, with the world premiere of a new musical based on Ridley Scott’s smash 1991 film about two women who snap one day and head out on a nihilistic road trip with a very famous denoument. Written by the film’s screenwriter Callie Khouri, helmed by US indie director Trip Cullman and with songs – rather astonishingly – by cryptic alt country icon Neko Case, who'll offer something much weirder and hopefully more interesting than trad showtunes.

Each year, Greenwich and Docklands International Festival wraps up summer with a spectacular array of outdoor performances across southeast London. Its final weekend falls in September, and it's all about the joy of movement. Head to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for Dancing City on Sep 5 and you'll find pop-up performances including all-male football-inspired dance Benched and physical storytelling piece Man Down. Or head to Woolwich on Sep 6 for (In)visible Dancing (General Gordon Square, Woolwich, Sep 6) and exhilarating 90-minute mass dance event, with the opportunity for everyone to join in at the end.

Ever wanted to have a nosy around some of London’s coolest private buildings? Open House London gives guests free access to architectural wonders that are not normally open to the public – from schools and offices to places of worship. It’s an often rare chance to explore iconic or just interesting buildings that make up the capital’s storied history, while the programme usually includes tons of workshops, exhibitions and more, as well as the usual tours.

Even the most hardcore Sting fans might have missed the fact that he wrote a whole musical, inspired by his childhood in the northeast and relationship with his ship engineer father. And that's because attempts to turn it into a massive Broadway hit didn't go all that well, despite the star himself joining the cast in an attempt to boost sales. But now The Last Ship is back in a large scale production that’s hopping around global capitals and stars Sting himself in the lead role of Jackie White. It'll be in the West End for just a fortnight, introducing audiences to the emotive story of a shipyard in a downward spiral. 

London is widely recognised as one of the design capitals of the world. Cementing this title is the annual Design Festival, a colourful and thought-provoking celebration of some of the world's best designers, who interrogate the boundaries of design through events, exhibitions and installations. There'll be tons to see, including a celebration of Japanese craftsmanship colliding with new tech at the V&A, a pangolin-inspired pavilion on the Strand, and a Kenzo retrospective at the Design Museum. As ever, the festival is spread across 11 Design Districts including spots like Soho and the V&A Museum, where the events will reflect the unique identity of each area.

Make the most of the last of the year's light evenings at one of London's very best rooftop bars. From swanky skyscrapers to casual warehouse hangouts and hidden pub terraces, you'll find the opportunity for booze with views all over this city. So browse our list and take your pick from spots in stylish Shoreditch, buzzing Soho and Covent Garden, hipster haven Peckham and more.

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, which brings the world's greatest classical soloists and ensembles for an epic series of concerts. The line-up winds up each September with Last Night of the Proms, which is apparently the world's biggest classical music party: and you don't have to be up for waving a Union Jack to join the fun. 

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Who doesn’t love sunflowers? Those golden, spindly, great-vibe giants are always a real treat to see in people’s gardens come the summer months. But seeing the vibrant blooms en masse is even better.  For those not so in the-know, sunflowers usually hit their bright yellow peak from August to September. And there are plenty of gorgeous pick-your-own sunflower fields within very easy reach of London, ready for scenic picnicking, photoshoots, or simply gathering armfuls of flowers for your mantelpiece. Before you head off on a sunny adventure, make sure to check in with these sites in advance to be sure of fresh crops and full blooms – Mother Nature is an unruly and unpredictable force.