It’s hard to take, but summer is over now. Fear not, though – we’re into the season of brown leaves and warmer jackets and with that comes the chance to flaunt that freshly purchased fit out among the seasonal background as you head out into the city to enjoy all it has to offer. October is usually the moment before it truly gets freezing in the capital, so you’ll kick yourself for missing out on all that’s going on. Take our advice and try out some of our recommendations on the best things to do in London throughout October…
1. Support Black-Owned Business
October is Black History Month in the UK, and you can show your support through a number of ways in London. Head over to any of London’s black-owned businesses to buy yourself a treat, purchase a gift for someone, or devour a delicious meal, and then if you’ve found your new favourite spot, continue to visit all year round!
🤤 Chuku’s – A Nigerian tapas restaurant that runs a unique brunch experience (they’re also crowdfunding to open a second restaurant!).
🍴Delina – picturesque café in Sheperd’s Bush Market where the plates of Ethiopian food match the beauty of the stunning interiors.
🍸Hacha – for lovers of Margaritas, you’ll need no introduction to these experts.
🍫 Dark Sugars – just truly delightful tasting for any lovers of indulgent hot chocolate and chocolate truffles.
🍻 Prince Of Peckham – one of the best pubs for a drink in South London and a lively Friday night dance. Their food from White Men Can’t Jerk is also essential for lovers of Caribbean food.
📚 New Beacon Books – making books from ‘Africa, the Caribbean, Asia, African America, Europe, South America and Black Britain’ available to anyone in the UK for the last 50+ years. Find their store in Stroud Green and pick up a new read.
Read a more comprehensive guide at the Black Owned London website.
2. Attend an event for Black History Month
There is also a string of events across the month tied to Black History month, and here are a few of them that are here to entertain, educate, celebrate and engage.
🔊 Black Business in Brixton: The History And The Future – a panel of black business owners gather at Brixton library to discuss their past, present, and future or Brixton’s black business owners.
🙏 Remember the words and the impact of Benjamin Zephaniah, who passed away at the end of last year, with a group of Brixton poets.
🗣️ Go on a walking tour that delves into London’s Slave Trade past.
🎶 Listen to musical icon Neneh Cherry discuss her memoir at the Southbank Centre.
😌 Attend a Black History Month wellbeing and peace event with stalls, activities, live music, crafts and more.
📖 Mark 100 years since the birth of James Baldwin by celebrating the author’s legacy with Kadija Sesay, Michael McMillan, Gabrielle Beckles-Raymond and more, including anecdotes on meeting the man himself.
🎵 Go on the Tooting Black History Walk to celebrate music and culture in South London, including the reggae music plaque!
🤔 Attend a talk on tracing your black ancestors with Black History speaker Paul Crooks, who will also provide insight on the legacy of British slave ownership and Black British heritage.
📚 Attend the Lambeth LGBTQ+ book club to discuss Jason Okundaye’s book Revolutionary Acts: Love & Brotherhood In Black Gay Britain.
Read an entire guide of events on the Black History Month website.
3. Pick out the perfect pumpkin for your Halloween festivities
Okay, okay. You can be upset that summer is done and dusted OR you can turn your attention to spooky season, which is right around the corner. You’ll obviously need a pumpkin so be sure to make a day of it at one of these pumpkin patches in and around London. Getting on last minute down the shops on the 31st isn’t very Halloween-y of you, so get down to a patch for an Instagram-worthy snap among the pumpkins, street food, and other festivities – many of which go right into the night…
Read our guide to the pumpkin patches around London.
4. Then head to a Halloween event in London
For many of us, October is all about scaring ourselves silly or delighting in the spooky world as we make a whole month of All Hallow’s Eve on October 31. There’s always plenty going on in London; it always helps to be a giant, buzzing city when it comes to celebrating Halloween. Here are a few suggestions on how to celebrate the season of the spook in the big smoke.
🌇 Head up to Sky Garden to take part in their annual Halloween x Day Of The Dead shubz with a view. Expect live DJs and specially curated cocktails.
🏠 See a chilling performance of Henry James’ The Turn Of The Screw at the Coliseum theatre (October 11-31) – the story of which Netflix’s The Haunting of Bly Manor was based on!
🎥 Catch a horror film at Rooftop Film Club in Peckham, which is showing Maxxxine, Scream, Joker: Foile à Deux and more throughout the month!
5. Celebrate Japanese culture here in London
Walking through Trafalgar Square on a regular day doesn’t exactly scream Tokyo, but once a year, it becomes a hub for the consumption of authentic Japanese food and traditional entertainment. That day is Sunday, October 6 this year, and you can be surer than ever that hundreds will flock over to the square for good reason to check out taiko drumming, the Japanese tango, and the catwalk showing off some beautiful costumes inspired by some of Japan’s beloved animation. Take in the atmosphere of the day as you slurp up some delightful bowls of ramen and sample the sushi on offer from the food traders.
Read more about Japan Matsuri 2024 at Trafalgar Square here.
6. Peer into the brilliantly bizarre mind of Tim Burton at this new Design Museum exhibition
The World of Tim Burton is one of the most hotly anticipated exhibitions coming to the city this year – arriving hot on the heels of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the second instalment of the beloved 1988 movie. Visitors will be treated to the creations of the idiosyncratic artist that draws from his personal collection. While most are familiar with Burton’s work in the world of cinema, this exhibition dives deep into his enigmatic creative process and shows his talent as an illustrator, painter, photographer, and author.
Read more about the exhibition and plan your visit here.
7. Attend a magical Planet Earth III live orchestra concert
Beauty in – and the fragility of – the natural world are shown in BBC Studio’s Planet Earth III, but now’s your chance to see it play out in live concert with an orchestrated score. Over at Wembley Arena on October 5, you can check out one (or both!) of two spellbinding Planet III Live In Concert and be seamlessly guided through the themes of Coasts, Deserts, Ocean, Forests, Freshwater and more through the power of the show and of the live musical score. It’s a true culmination of 1,904 days of filming across 43 countries, and shows the life-or-death moments for animals and the fight for survival amid climate change – it’s truly a magical and essential night in store.
Find out more about Planet Earth III Live In Concert and plan your visit here.
8. Have a big dance at a London gig
Festival season was great, but now it’s time for those end-of-year tours to really kick in and remind us that live music indoors is as much of a blast as in the parks. Learning of the day? Music = good. Don’t go forgetting that.
🍯 Mudhoney (October 2): Electric Ballroom – Touch me I’m Sick… with excitement about the prospect of a grungey night out watching Mudhoney.
🐌 Slowdive (October 4): EartH – after a stellar follow-up to their comeback album (always a difficult one), Slowdive are back in London for a dreamy autumn show.
😎 Ms Lauryn Hill, Fugees (October 14): O2 Arena – the idea of NOT attending this one is… killing… me… softly.
💃 The Last Dinner Party (October 16, 17, & 19): Hammersmith Apollo – taking songs from their rather excellent debut album out on tour.
🎺 Kamasi Washington (October 16): Brixton Academy – watch a true modern-day master of jazz music at work.
🎸 The Skints (October 17): Bush Hall – Rise Up and listen to good music at the Bush Hall until the morning sun…
🎙️ Dizzee Rascal (October 18): Hammersmith Apollo – hey, we’re not saying you should go to other Hammersmith Apollo four nights in a row this month for TLDP x 3 and Dizzee Rascal, but we’re also not saying not to…
🗻 Biffy Clyro (October 20, 21, & 22): Shepherd’s Bush Empire – Living Is A Problem Because Everything Dies so be sure to make the most of the life by going to see Biffy in an intimate (for them) space.
🎶 Becky Hill (October 24): Wembley Arena – get ready to dance through the night with the pulsating and infectious hooks from Becky Hill.
🤩 Ghetts (October 26): Royal Festival Hall – after curating the London Literature Festival this month, Ghetts was always going to put on a spectacular show himself.
⛓️💥 Fucked Up (October 26): Oslo – the Canadian punks are swanning into Hackney for a raucous show.
🥺 Laura Marling (October 29 & 30): Hackney Church – a soothing string of concerts in a church to carry you through to the end of the month.
🖤 Chelsea Wolfe (October 29): KOKO – gothic darkness collides with ethereal beauty at the spectacle that is a Chelsea Wolfe show.
🕺Mk.Gee (October 29, 30, & 31): Electric Brixton – are you looking up are you asking why… you didn’t get a ticket to these ones?
Here’s our handy guide to some of the best gigs around London.
9. Walk in the wunderland during Oktoberfest in London
It’s time to whack out the lederhosen and start saying PROST! to random strangers in the street, because Oktoberfest season is well and truly underway. We’ve had our fun in brat summer, but Charli has told us that’s all over now so one can only assume it’s Bratwurst-tober now. There are brilliantly lively events to celebrate in London all throughout the month, so get ready for a Bavarian knees-up with live Oompah bands and plenty of beer
🍺The Official Camden Oktoberfest at the Electric Ballroom (October 5, 12, 19, & 26)
🍺German Gymnasium (live band on October 4, 11, 18, & 25)
🍺Between The Bridges (October 4, 5, 11 & 12)
🍺The Bermondsey Bierkeller (every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in October)
Read our full guide to Oktoberfest in London here.
10. Head over to a bookish event for the annual London Literature Festival
October is a great month to read. Sure – summer is about sitting by a pool with a sun lounger and tucking into reads such as The Portable Nietzsche (if you’re in The White Lotus, that is), but there’s something to be said for the soothing calm of with a paperback in hand as the rain beats down on your windows. And in this period of literary setting, we’ll also encourage you to take the moments where the sky is clear and leave your house for more book fun at the London Literature Festival.
Back for its 17th year, its curator this year is rapper Ghetts, who will both perform himself and present an evening of poetry and music coming together, and there’s a whole host of events you can check out at the end of the month (October 23 – November 3).
Read more about the London Literature Festival here.
11. Then head out to one of London’s many beautiful bookshops
After you’ve got into the literary spirit you’ll be glad to live in a city that is stacked with beautiful piles of books that are waiting to be transported from the shelf in the shop to your bedside table pile.
Here are some of our favoruite bookshops in London.
12. Dance along to a screening of Stop Making Sense that mimics a standing gig
After the superb collection of films on offer here in September, the October offerings are continuing strong with a 40th-anniversary screening of Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense that will completely rework the space into what feels like a standing gig. It helps that the venue inside The Vanguard stables, which houses a sound system reserved for gigs, for you to fully immerse yourself in the famous concert and dance along to the iconic tunes.
Find out more and plan your visit here.
13. Catch the colourful Pulse: Beyond Delight exhibition before it leaves London
Explore the heart of Seoul without even getting on a flight out of London as you work your way through the layered installations of Pulse: Beyond Delight. In some instances, visitors are even able to step inside the pieces, and many others cover the floor and ceiling in their carefully digitalised curation. As an innovative and bright exhibition with multiple fascinating rooms, Pulse is not one to miss before it leaves London on October 8.
Read more about Pulse here, and book your spot here.
14. Go to one of the many art exhibitions running in the capital
In London, you’re never far from an art gallery but you are in danger of it leaving before you get a chance to go. So let’s make sure that doesn’t happen this month, shall we? Have a scroll through what’s on and pick out your favourite exhibition in the capital to lose yourself in.
Read our handy guide to the art exhibitions currently on in London right now.
15. Check out London’s haunted past
It may sometimes be difficult to remember when swanning through the all-glass skyscrapers, but London is an ooooooollllddd city. And with that means the inevitability of spooky ghost stories to tell. For those that feel brave enough, October is the perfect time to have a peek and learn about the most haunted spots in London, which even include some spooky old London Underground stations. There’s really no shortage of eery places to wander around in this city, and you can even jump head-first into the horror by taking on one of London’s terrifying ghost tours. Exploring backstreets, landmarks and more, you best have your wits about you! The world is your oyster Ouija board.
16. Or take part in an experience based on the past
Though the Gunpowder plot may have famously taken place in November, there’s no doubt it falls under the spooky season umbrella. And you grab this opportunity to reenact the plot in the vaults of the Tower Of London in this gripping experience that sends you over to 1605 along with a crew of live and virtual actors (give a wave to Tom Felton on the screens!). Explore a glimpse into the history of one the night, and then walk back out into the world free as a bird… unlike Guy Fawkes.
Read more about the Gunpowder Plot experience and plan your visit here.
17. Go to a musical of The Devil Wears Prada with the musical score by Elton John
In what is perhaps the musical adaptation of the year, The Devil Wears Prada is taking to the stage in October with Vanessa Williams taking on the Miranda Priestly duties. And the pedigree doesn’t end there either – Sir Elton John is in charge of the musical score of the production, so you’re all set up for a viewing of the must-see musical of this year. Just don’t get on the wrong side of Miranda!
Read more about ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ musical and plan your visit here.
18. See Steve Coogan in Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Dr. Strangelove’
Another big name is kicking off a big role in theatre, as Steve Coogan stars in the onstage adaptation of Stanley Kubrick’s seminal Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb. In what’s sure to be one of the year’s highlights for cinema and theatre fans alike, it all kicks off Noël Coward Theatre on October 8 for a look into the War Room in the dark comedy that is one of Kubrick’s most revered achievements among his treasure chest of classic films.
Read more about the play here.
19. Or choose another play from London’s usual stunning theatre selection
There’s always an abundance of shows on at London’s West End and beyond to dig your teeth into, so have a browse and pick out something to head out and watch on a cold October evening…
Read our handy guide to what’s on at the West End here.
20. Experience a Martian invasion in London
Another spooky experience in a spooky month comes in the form of Jeff Wayne’s The War of The Worlds: The Immersive Experience, which plonks you in the middle of a Martian invasion. Transporting visitors to Victorian Engalnd, you’ll be greeted by live actors to take you along through the war-torn Martian land.
Read more about the experience and book your spot here.
21. Celebrate the 25th birthday of a true London institution
If the rave is calling you in London, then fabric is the answer. And the iconic club is celebrating a milestone birthday this year as it turns 25, and it’s certain that many will have a story or two to share about it. But their celebration is less sit-around-a-camp-fire and share and more non-stop-party-for-more-than-a-day, as they’re marking the occasion with a 30-hour rave within their walls. Kicking off on Saturday, October 12 and ending on the early hours of the Monday, you’ll catch the likes of Ben UFO, Sonja Moonear, Quest and many more going the distance behind the decks. After taking fabric on tour earlier this year, hitting the likes of Berlin, Glastonbury and Lima, it’s time to end proceedings and rein in the big 2 5 in style. Find out more information and plan your visit here.
22. Discover a new world at the Avora Cocktail experience
Enter a neon world where you can forage for your own drinks and mix them up at this truly delightful cocktail experience that draws on all your senses and takes you on a ride of theatrical experience and tasty tipples.
Find out more and book your spot here.
23. Keep exploring this wonderful city
Of course, there really are endless things to do in this city, and here are a few more to leave you with as you make your plans for the month of October.
🌳 14 Magical Woodland Getaways Less Than 90 Minutes From London
🐎 Follow In The Footsteps Of TV’s Most Dysfunctional Spies On This Slow Horses Tour Of London
🤤 12 Of The Best African Restaurants In London To Try Some Mouth-Watering Cuisine
🛥️ The Horrible Histories Boat Tour Of The ‘Terrible Thames’ Is Sailing Back To London At Half Term
🎭 17 Of The Most Delicious Restaurants For A Pre-Theatre Dinner In London
🍺 This Unique London Pub By The Thames Floods At High Tide – So Make Sure You Wear Your Wellies
🍫 This Beloved Restaurant From Dubai Opens In London – And They Serve The Viral ‘Matilda Cake’
More things to do inspiration…
😁 200 fab and FREE things to do in London
📃 50 Things To Do In London You Need To Try Before You Die
🙃 All our ideas for unusual places to visit in London