WHAT’S ON
London events calendar: September and October 2026
A focused calendar of major London events with verified dates, price signals and direct official routes. Last reviewed 4 September 2026.
- Decision points
- 6 useful sections
- Reading time
- 1 minutes
- Source checks
- 1 named checkpoint
- Last reviewed
- 4 SEPTEMBER 2026
What’s on, without the stale listings.
Latest source check: 2026-09-15 · Always confirm with the organiser.
Quentin Blake: The Southbank Parade
Southbank Centre site-wide · Free; no ticket required
TONIC FLOW
Mandela Walk, Level 2, Southbank Centre · Free; no ticket required
Luke Jerram: Stepping Out
Riverside Terrace, Level 2 · Free; no ticket required
Musquiqui Chihying: A Life of Navigation
HENI Project Space, Hayward Gallery · Free; no ticket required
Totally Thames
Along the River Thames in London · Free + paid
Gift to the Future
Southbank Centre site and Riverside Terrace · Free; no ticket required
Playing with Fire: Yuja Wang
Spirit Level, Royal Festival Hall · From £26; timed entry
Floating Together
Riverside Terrace, Level 2, Southbank Centre · Free; no ticket required
Barbican Architecture Tour
Meet on Level G, Barbican Centre · Standard £19.50; concessions listed
As You Like It
Globe Theatre · Ticketed; check Globe
Open House Festival
Across all 33 London boroughs · Free; some visits require booking
London Design Festival
11 design districts across London · Free + paid
Much Ado About Nothing
Globe Theatre · Ticketed; check Globe
Globe Theatre guided tour
Shakespeare’s Globe · Ticketed; check Globe
Royal Opera House Behind the Scenes Tour
Royal Opera House · Ticketed; dates and availability vary
Sip and Sketch: Costume Design Tour
Royal Opera House · Ticketed; check selected date
Piff & Pop’s Magic Shoppe
indigo at The O2 · Ticketed; on sale
The L-Shaped Room + introduction
BFI Southbank · Ticketed; check selected BFI performance
The Split Up: episode one + Q&A
BFI Southbank · Ticketed; check BFI
An Anatomy of Melancholy
The Pit, Barbican · Ticketed; check availability
Slow Horses series six preview + ScreenTalk
Cinema 1, Barbican · Ticketed; check availability
Ayanna Witter-Johnson: New Roots First Light
LSO St Luke’s · Ticketed; check availability
London Fashion Week
Multiple London venues and digital events · Industry, invited and selected public activity
Queen at Sea + Q&A
BFI Southbank · Ticketed; check BFI
Research in Action: Editing in Action
Sam Wanamaker Playhouse · £15 listed; check final booking total
Becoming + ScreenTalk
Cinema 3, Barbican · Ticketed; check availability
Sambizanga + pre-recorded Q&A
BFI Southbank · Ticketed; check the selected BFI performance
Open House City walks
Guildhall, Barbican and the historic City · Free; booking required
Recitals at Lunch
Crush Room, Royal Opera House · Check individual recital
Technology for Marketing
ExCeL London, Royal Victoria Dock, London E16 1XL · Registration required; check official booking
Live at Lunch
Paul Hamlyn Hall, Royal Opera House · Check individual performance
Britten’s War Requiem
Royal Festival Hall · Ticketed; availability and price vary
Backrooms + extended introduction
BFI Southbank · £22.50; concessions £18.50; members £2.50 less; check availability
Take It Or Leave It: restoration world premiere
BFI Southbank · Ticketed; check BFI
Short Stories from the Balkans
Cinema 3, Barbican · Ticketed; check availability
Niall Horan
The O2 · Tickets on sale; check current options
The Phantoms starring Lee Mead
indigo at The O2 · Tickets on sale; check current options
The Strokes
The O2 · Tickets on sale; check current options
BFI London Film Festival
BFI Southbank, Royal Festival Hall and partner cinemas · General sale opens 17 Sep; programme prices vary
London Literature Festival
Southbank Centre venues · Ticketed programme with selected free activity
Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life
The O2 · Tickets on sale; choose 3 or 5 November
Event Tech Live
ExCeL London, Royal Victoria Dock, London E16 1XL · Registration required; check official booking
England v Croatia
Wembley Stadium · Ticketed; phased sale begins 8 Sep
James Blunt: Airplane Mode Tour
The O2 · Tickets on sale; check official booking
What is included
The calendar prioritises significant public London events with a clear organiser, date range and official information page. It is intentionally selective.
How verification works
Dates and access notes are checked against the organiser. Individual sessions, venues and capacity can still change, so the official listing remains decisive.
Expired-event policy
After an event ends, LONNOW removes it from Today, Tonight and Weekend surfaces. A useful annual guide may remain indexed with the completed date clearly stated and a route to the next official edition.
Build a resilient plan
Anchor the day with one timed event, add nearby flexible stops and check TfL before travel.
Read date ranges precisely
A festival running for a week does not mean every event happens daily. Open the individual session, confirm its venue and time zone, and check whether the ticket covers one performance or the wider programme.
Use the calendar as a decision tool
Filter first by date, price and area, then compare interest and travel. A smaller local event can be the stronger choice when a headline booking creates two hours of extra movement.
