WHAT’S ON
Open House London 2026: dates, tickets and how to plan
Open House Festival runs from 12 to 20 September 2026, opening buildings and places across all 33 London boroughs for free.
The essential dates
The 2026 festival runs from Saturday 12 September to Sunday 20 September. The programme covers architecture, infrastructure, landscapes and community spaces across London. Individual locations operate on selected days and times, so the festival dates do not mean every building is open throughout the nine-day period.
Booked entry and drop-ins
Some visits need a free advance booking while many are listed as drop-ins. Popular tours can fill quickly. Create an Open House account before chasing a ticket, read the exact entry conditions and do not assume a building can admit unregistered visitors when its page says booking is required.
Build a neighbourhood route
Choose one borough or compact group of nearby places. A single high-demand tour can anchor the day, with drop-in buildings, public spaces and food nearby. This is more resilient than crossing London between bookings, especially when queues, security checks and weekend engineering work affect timing.
Check access information
The programme includes access notes and may identify BSL tours or other supported formats. Historic buildings can have stairs, narrow routes or limited facilities. Check the individual listing and contact the organiser when a specific adjustment determines whether the visit will work.
Travel with margin
Use TfL’s weekend status information before leaving and save a second route. Station exits, walking between sites and entry queues often take longer than the map suggests. Avoid booking consecutive visits with no recovery time, particularly when they sit in different boroughs.
Use the official programme
Locations, remaining capacity and visitor instructions may change. The official Open House programme provides the current map, collections, neighbourhood filters and booking links. Recheck every selected listing on the day rather than relying on an old social post or saved screenshot.