From food festivals, to Freddie Mercury's personal collection going on display, here are the best things to do this September in London with family and friends.
1 Totally Thames
The month-long celebration of London’s watery artery returns with a varied programme of fun stuff to do and see. Encompassing arts, history, sports and science, many events are family friendly and are free. Look out for the Royal Wharf Summer Fete, Climate Cabaret, The Great River Race, Mudlarking events and the many walking tours along the Thames such as the step-free and accessible walk along Strand-on-the-Green.
Date: September 1 - 30
Website: thamesfestivaltrust.org
2 London Design Festival
The London Design Festival returns to the capital with workshops, exhibitions, talks and a plethora of events that champion and showcase world-class design. Don’ miss the HAY London Showroom, the Greenwich Peninsula Art Trail, the LEGO Piece Garden, Morage Myerscough’s exhibition Nice To Meet You Again and Pablo Valbuena’s exhibition at St Paul’s Cathedral.
Date: September 16-24
Website: londondesignfestival.com
3 Frieze Sculpture, The Regent’s Park
This free public art exhibition that coincides with Frieze London features 22 international artists who will showcase works in the park’s English Gardens. Featured artists include Yinka Shonibare, Ghada Amer, Holly Stevenson and Temitayo Ogunbiyi.
Date: September 20 – October 29
Address: The Regent’s Park
Website: frieze.com
4 HowTheLightGetsIn, Hampstead Heath
The festival that brings together Pulitzer Prize winners, Mercury nominees, captains of industry and cutting-edge thinkers returns to Hampstead for its fifth year. More than 150 speakers and comedians will look at what an increasingly dangerous future may hold, and the human desire to change this trajectory across 120 events held in 12 venues. Joining the speakers and comedians are music acts such as Badly Drawn Boy, Walt Disco and Rainbow Frog Buscuit
Date: September 23-24
Tickets: From £95
Address: Hampstead Lane, Hampstead NW3 7JR
Website: howthelightgetsin.org
5 Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup kicks off September 8 with France v New Zealand, with the final played on Saturday, October 28. Hosted by France, the tournament sees Rugby titan countries of News Zealand, Australia, South Africa and England compete – so which nation are you putting money on, and where are you going to watch the games? Find our recommendations of the best sports bars and big screens in London here.
Date: September 8-28
6 Le Petit Chef at London Cabaret Club, Holborn
For a dinner with a difference, Le Petit Chef at London Cabaret Club is a theatrical evening, brought to you by the world’s smallest chef. The elaborate meal uses 3D mapping technology to bring the 6cm tall French chef to life in a narrative played out on your dinner table. The action incorporates the tasting menus five courses, which are “prepared” by the chef and include dishes such as buffalo mozzarella caprese salad, bouillabaisse and lobster risotto. Although the tech relates to the main tasting menu, kids and vegetarian menus are also available.
Tickets: From £119 per person
Address: Victoria House, Bloomsbury Square, Holborn, WC1B 4DA
Website: lepetitchef.com
7 Supperclub.tube, Walthamstow
Another dining experience with a difference, supperclub.tube is a South American inspired dinner made up of a five course tasting menu taken inside a vintage 1967 Victoria Line Tube carriage. Housed at the Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum E17, the carriage has been transformed into a 35-seat restaurant complete with crisp linen and jazz in the background, and dishes include frijoles con arepa, asado, and tiradito de merluza.
Dates: Thursday to Saturday through to November
Times: 7pm
Tickets: £67
Address: Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum, South Access Road, Walthamstow E17 8AX
Website: supperclub.tube
8 Open City London Festival
Marvel at some of the most interesting, unique and impressive homes, buildings and neighbourhoods in the capital. The festival invites you to walk into the buildings you pass every day. Open days, walking tours through neighbourhoods such as Stoke Newington and Tottenham Hale, and talks on buildings such as the British Library and the National Portrait Gallery dot the festival’s programme, with ticketed events starting from free.
Dates: September 6-17
Website: open-city.org.uk
9 St Katharine Docks Classic Boat Festival, Wapping
The annual boating festival returns to the London Bridge-side basin featuring around 40 or so vintage boats. Boats used in the war, the Dunkirk Little Shops, motorboats form Bates Starcraft and two steam tugs are on display. In addition to the boats, look out for live music, talks and activities for the kids.
Date: September 9-10
Address: St Katharine Docks
Website: skdocks.co.uk
10 The Future of Food Festival, Regent’s Street and St James’s
This week-long food festival looking at sustainability in the industry takes over the central London precinct with immersive dining experiences, talks, masterclasses, cooking demonstrations and an urban farm, as well as other events looking at things like cocktail making and micro herb growing. There will also be drop in events and open air street feasts.
Date: September 18-24
Website: regentstreetonline.com
11 Sami Tamimi Supper Club pop up at 180 Corner
Long-time Ottolenghi collaborator, Sami Tamimi will put on a feast at the strand restaurant that presents guest chef talent from around the world. For three nights, Sami will showcase the depth of Palestinian cuisine, with dishes such as lasbneh with roasted grapes and zaatar, musabaha (warm chickpeas, green chilli and lemon sauce, fish koftas, and sumac roasted plum for dessert. Vegetarian options available on request.
Date: September 6-8
Time: From 6.30pm
Tickets: £70pp
Address: 180 Corner, 180 Strand, Temple WC2R 1EA
Website: 180studios.com
12 Wineyard at the Round Chapel, Clapton
This independent wine market sets up shop for a day in east London with more than 100 wines to taste and buy from 12 stalls. There’s wine masterclasses, so you can tell the difference between your Chardonnay and your Chenin Blanc. Food trucks and live music will also be on site, as well as entertainment for the kids.
Date: Sunday, September 10
Time: 12pm-7pm
Tickets: £15 includes tote, GoVino glass and five tasting tokens
Address: The Round Chapel Lower Clapton Road, E5 0LY
Website: eventbrite.co.uk
13 Big Mamma Flea Market, Fitzrovia
If you’re a fan of the restaurant group’s OTT venues – Ave Mario, Carlotta, Gloria, Jacuzzi and Circolo Popolare – then here’s your chance to bring a little bit of the group’s camp maximalism into your home. Held at Fitzrovia’s Circolo Popolare, the group is putting on a flea market to sell their Sicilian crockery, glassware and vintage Italian furniture. Proceeds go to youth homelessness charity, DePaul UK.
Date: Saturday, September 9
Time: 10am-2pm
Tickets: Free but ticketed
Address: Circolo Popolare, 40-41 Rathbone Place, Fitzrovia W1T 1HX
Website: eventbrite.co.uk
14 Liberty Festival, Croydon
The Mayor of London’s flagship disability arts festival heads to Croydon for one weekend, featuring stand up, fitness sessions, and a family friendly garden party. Stand ups including Francesca Martinez, Aaron Simmons and Steve Day, and the festival finale features Candoco Dance Company, poet Ellen Renton, Inner vision Orchestra and Rachel Gadsden, a visual and performance artist.
Date: September 1-3
Tickets: Events are individually, starting from free
Address: Various locations around Croydon
Website: culturecroydon.com
15 Back to Hogwarts, King’s Cross
Wave the Hogwarts Express off for another year from King’s Cross’s platform 9 ¾ as part of London’s annual Harry Potter fest at the central London station. Children and fans are invited to dress up in their wizard and witchy finest to quaff Butterbeer, play Hogwarts Legacy and get amongst the other themed activities running across the weekend.
Date: Hogwarts Express departs on September 1, Back to Hogwarts runs September 1-3
Time: Countdown at 11am
Address: King’s Cross Station, Euston Road, N1 9AL
Website: wizardingworld.com;
16 Freddie Mercury: A World of His Own exhibition at Sotheby’s, Mayfair
It’s your final chance to see the Queen leadman’s personal collection before it gets auctioned off on September 6. Taking over all of the galleries in Sotheby’s London, the exhibition features iconic costumes and outfits, handwritten lyrics and pieces of art from his private collection.
Date: Running until September 5
Address: 34-35 New Bond Street, Mayfair W1S 2RP
Website: sothebys.com
17 Bartholomew Fair, City of London
The first weekend of Bartholomew Fair’s public art programme kicks off this weekend, opening with Resurgam, a death-defying vertical dance performance held on the façade of St Paul’s Cathedral by California-based company Bandaloop. Taking place in public spaces across City of London, look out for clowning, puppetry and circus shows.
Date: Thursdays-Saturdays, August 31-September 16
Website: thecityofldn.com; thecityofldn.com
18 Greenwich + Docklands International Festival, London-wide
From a vertical dance performance held on the side of St Paul’s Cathedral, to a performance on a to-scale roof of a house submerged in the Thames, London’s biggest free theatre and arts festival continues through into September, injecting the capital’s streets with colour and fun. Performan respond to this year’s festival theme, Acts of Hope, and all in all there’s more than 35 events including two world premieres and 14 UK premieres, as well as the popular Greenwich Fair and Dancy City in Canary Wharf.
Dates: August 15 to September 10
Tickets: Free, but check programme for ticketed events
Address: Various locations in Greenwich and London
Website: festival.org/GDIF-2023/
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