Things To Do In October, 2026
I'm not going to boast, but this might be THE place to fill your diary. Charlotte Becque, the steward of this list, has outdone herself. I know this because, while she was building this article and gathering each of these events together, our site continued to crash, something that happens when we pull together an article with such heft.
It's a month of glorious events on this fair island, and one can feel really rather proud of all the things our fellow humans have conjured up to do. Three cheers for the creative, kind and clever humans who help us fill our days with the beauty of life.
Now - 4th October
Set on the corner of Ray Street, The Horses is a historic Clerkenwell pub and dining room serving seasonal British food. Dating back to 1790, it is part of the Public House Group, alongside The Hero, The Pelican, The Hart and The Fat Badger.
The Horses The Horses
Founded by Jessie Randall, Loeffler Randall opens its first international flagship in London, marking the cult New York brand’s first store outside the US. The new shop brings together its shoes, accessories and ready to wear collections, alongside exclusive styles, while coinciding with the launch of a dedicated UK website.
Loeffler Randall Loeffler Randall
The 300: A Small Works Sale, Collective Exhibition, Now - 17th October, MADE In The Pewsey Vale, The Gallery, 2 Market Place, Pewsey, SN9 5AA
MADE in the Pewsey Vale presents The 300: A Small Works Sale, bringing together works by participating artists in support of Wiltshire Air Ambulance. A percentage from every sale will be donated to the local charity, helping to fund its vital helicopter emergency medical service across Wiltshire, Bath and the surrounding areas.
The 300: A Small Works Sale, Collective Exhibition, MADE In The Pewsey Vale The 300: A Small Works Sale, Collective Exhibition, MADE In The Pewsey Vale
Noël Coward’s classic comedy Hay Fever comes to Wyndham’s Theatre in a new production starring Christine Baranski, making her West End debut, alongside Richard E. Grant. Directed by Emily Burns, the comedy of bad manners follows the eccentric Bliss family as an assortment of unsuspecting weekend guests descends on their country home, resulting in parlour games, put-downs and glorious chaos.
V&A x LDF: Awakenings presents a series of installations and interventions across the V&A for London Design Festival 2026. Exploring the connections between design, craft and technology, the programme invites visitors to discover new perspectives and consider the often invisible forces that shape and connect the world around us.
V&A x LDF: Awakenings V&A x LDF: Awakenings
Cloth Cornhill opens in October as the sister restaurant to Cloth Fair, bringing the much-loved restaurant’s approach to a new home in the City of London. The new opening builds on Cloth’s focus on seasonal cooking, carefully sourced ingredients and an intimate neighbourhood feel.
Cloth Cornhill Cloth Cornhill
Queeriosities returns to Copeland Gallery in Peckham, bringing together more than 50 LGBTQIA+ artists, makers and small businesses for its 2026 edition. This year’s programme includes the group exhibition Here We Go Again, exploring ideas of queer truth and competing realities, alongside a selection of short films presented by film collective Tranz Tropez.
The Ginger Pig Launches Steak & Wine Experience The Ginger Pig Launches Steak & Wine Experience
Henley Literary Festival celebrates its 20th edition with a packed programme of 140 conversations, talks and performances across Henley-on-Thames. Supported by Fane, the festival brings together leading names from literature, entertainment, food, politics, sport and culture, with speakers including Nigella Lawson, Julia Donaldson, Jon Ronson, Sarah Wynn-Williams, Theresa May, Meera Syal and Eric Idle.
The Oasthouse Brocante returns to a beautifully renovated Kent oast house for two days of vintage and decorative antiques for the home and garden. Hosted by Sarah Featherstone and Hetty Purbrick, with guest exhibitors Bloomsbury Revisited and Lois Kirsten, visitors can browse unique finds in a characterful setting while enjoying tea, coffee and cake around the kitchen table.
The Oasthouse Brocante The Oasthouse Brocante
A Thread Through Time celebrates the embroidered works of Kenyan artist Dhahabu Ngambau Dadu, whose instinctive practice has developed through her long-standing collaboration with Kirsten. Working with locally milled Kenyan cloth, fabrics and embroidery threads, Dhahabu creates expressive, uncontrived designs that reflect an evolving approach to stitch, texture and form.
Queeriosities returns to Copeland Gallery in Peckham, bringing together more than 50 LGBTQIA+ artists, makers and small businesses for its 2026 edition. This year’s programme includes the group exhibition Here We Go Again, exploring ideas of queer truth and competing realities, alongside a selection of short films presented by film collective Tranz Tropez.
Antonio Monereo (Painter) Clément Clausse (Artist)
"TAKE A SEAT", 2nd - 10th October, Robert Young Antiques, 68 Battersea Bridge Road, London, SW11 3AG
Hosted at Robert Young Antiques in London, Take a Seat brings together 13 contemporary artists, each presenting a previously unseen work inspired by the idea of a seat and interpreted through a primitive style. Created especially for the exhibition, the works span painting, ceramics, textiles and photography, showcasing a variety of approaches to the shared theme.
Salman Toor: Someone Like You at The Courtauld is the celebrated New York-based painter’s first solo exhibition in Europe. Bringing together 19 paintings never before shown in Britain, the exhibition explores friendship, love, belonging and alienation through Toor’s intimate depictions of queer and immigrant lives, alongside a display of his drawings.
Painting the French Riviera explores how the dazzling landscapes and light of the Côte d’Azur inspired generations of artists, including Monet, Picasso, Matisse, Cézanne and Renoir. Bringing together more than 160 paintings, sculptures, travel posters and films, the exhibition traces the region’s influence on modern art and its transformation into an enduring symbol of Mediterranean glamour.
Claude Monet The Valley of Sasso di Bordighera, 1884 Henri Matisse Interior at Nice, c. 1919
Es Devlin: Other Worlds celebrates the British artist and designer’s extraordinary 30-year creative practice across sculpture, stage design, music, language and light. Bringing together installations, artworks, film and her largest archive presentation to date, the immersive exhibition explores Devlin’s imaginative process and some of her most celebrated projects.
Ossie Clark + Celia Birtwell celebrates the iconic creative partnership that helped define London fashion during the 1960s and early 1970s. Drawing on a private collection, the exhibition brings together Clark’s distinctive designs and Birtwell’s romantic, playful prints, exploring their enduring influence on British fashion.
The Cherry Orchard, 3rd October - 8th January 2027, Harold Pinter Theatre, Panton St, London, SW1Y 4DN
Kristin Scott Thomas returns to the West End in a new production of Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard at the Harold Pinter Theatre. Directed by Ian Rickson and adapted by Conor McPherson, the tragicomedy explores love, loss and change as a family faces the possible loss of their home and beloved cherry orchard.
The London Oyster Festival takes over Westbourne Grove in Notting Hill for a celebration of British Native Oyster season, bringing together local restaurants, bars and traders for oysters, food and wine across their terraces. Notting Hill Fish Shop will become a day disco for the occasion, with DJ Fat Tony providing the soundtrack alongside appearances from award-winning oyster shuckers.
The London Oyster Festival The London Oyster Festival
Week Commencing 5th October
Celia Imrie celebrates the publication of The Elegant Hustler with an evening of stories from more than fifty years of acting, writing and travelling the world. Joined by her long-time friend and travelling companion Fidelis Morgan, she shares memorable adventures by rail and sea in a celebration of curiosity, friendship and travel.
Bentley’s welcomes chef and writer Alasdair Gill for a one night only dinner celebrating his new book, Knives and Spoons. The son of celebrated restaurant critic A.A. Gill, Alasdair will serve a menu inspired by the book at one of his father’s favourite restaurants, bringing together food, stories and family history.
The BFI London Film Festival celebrates its 70th edition with a programme showcasing the best new films, series and immersive storytelling from around the world. Taking place across London and around the UK, the festival brings together exciting new releases, emerging talent and established names in cinema.
BFI London Film Festival BFI London Film Festival
The Great Room at Studio Voltaire is Katherine Hubbard’s first institutional solo exhibition outside the US, bringing together photography and her largest sculptural installation to date. Developed through a six-year collaboration with her mother, Antonette Berger, the deeply personal exhibition explores their changing relationship through experiences of care, memory, visibility, grief and loss.
The Garden Museum presents Sabine Moritz’s first UK museum exhibition, bringing together richly textured paintings and sketches inspired by memory, nature and her childhood in East Germany. Featuring largely unseen works alongside a new piece created especially for the exhibition, Lie Down in Green Pastures explores the artist’s enduring relationship with landscapes, flowers and the natural world.
The three sisters 18/4/2023, Sabine Moritz Children's Home, 1993, Sabine Moritz © Sabine Moritz. Courtesy the artist and Pilar Corrias, London Two Chrysanthemums (2014), Sabine Moritz
The 90s: Art and Fashion, 8th October - 14th February 2027, Tate Britain, Millbank, London, SW1P 4RG
Curated by Edward Enninful OBE, The 90s: Art and Fashion explores a defining decade of bold creativity, freedom and rebellion that transformed British culture. Bringing together iconic fashion, photography, art and design, the exhibition features work by figures including Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, Damien Hirst, Corinne Day and Juergen Teller.
Author Andrew Ginger joins V&A Curator Zorian Clayton for an online conversation celebrating the publication of Cecil Beaton in Love. Drawing on previously unpublished photographs and intimate letters, the talk explores Beaton’s remarkable life and career, his relationship with final partner Kinmont Hoitsma, and his journey towards greater self-acceptance.
Refrain: Georgia Merritt, Refrain presents a new exhibition by Georgia Merritt at M. Kardana on Hackney Road. The exhibition runs throughout the month and is available to visit by appointment.
Tim Walker’s Fairyland explores queer identity, community and love through the distinctive lens of one of Britain’s leading photographers. Featuring portraits of activists, performers, artists and writers alongside fantastical landscapes, the exhibition invites visitors into Walker’s imaginative world for a vibrant celebration of creativity and self-expression.
Paul Smith, Threads, My Life In Style, 10th October, Sunbeam Theatre, Ladbroke Hall, 79 Barlby Rd, London, W10 6AZ
Sir Paul Smith joins Ladbroke Hall founder Loic Le Gaillard for an intimate conversation celebrating the new edition of Threads: My Life in Style. Reflecting on his journey from a tiny Nottingham shop to one of Britain’s most recognisable fashion brands, Smith will share stories and insights from more than five decades in design, followed by an exclusive book signing.
Icons of Stage and Screen explores the lives and careers of celebrated performers through portraits in the National Portrait Gallery’s collection. Led by the Gallery’s Visitor Experience team, the tour reveals stories of fame, personal challenges and the lasting influence these figures have had on popular culture.
Week Commencing 12th October
Manifold, Freddy Tuppen’s first solo exhibition at Max Radford Gallery, presents a new collection of lighting inspired by the relationship between weaving and architecture. Working with untreated aluminium and sapele, Tuppen explores folding, repetition and structure, transforming simple materials and gestures into sculptural forms rich in detail.
Freddy Tuppen Max Radford Gallery Freddy Tuppen, FLOOR LAMP IN ALUMINIUM AND ELM WITH HARDWARE
Chairman celebrates the publication of Yinka Ilori’s first monograph with an exhibition bringing together a selection of the British-Nigerian artist and designer’s most significant chairs, each exploring stories of memory, community and transformation. Presented at the Walter Sickert Community Centre, beside the estate where Ilori grew up, the exhibition marks a homecoming to the place where many of his earliest creative ideas were formed.
Frieze London returns to The Regent’s Park, bringing together leading international galleries and some of the most exciting contemporary artists working today. Focusing on living artists and work created mainly after 2000, the fair features established names alongside emerging talent, ambitious presentations and specially curated sections.
Frieze Masters returns to The Regent’s Park with more than 130 galleries presenting thousands of years of art history, from antiquities and Old Masters to significant works of the 20th century. The fair brings historical and modern art into conversation through museum-quality works, curated presentations and its celebrated Spotlight section.
Affordable Art Fair returns to Battersea this autumn, bringing together works from over 100 UK and international galleries. Alongside plenty of art to discover, visitors can explore curated displays, the annual Graduates Exhibition, Finds Under £500, workshops, special events and a new installation.
Spazio Leone presents Yumo Yuan’s first solo exhibition, showcasing his contemporary weaving practice inspired by traditional Chinese craftsmanship, symbolism and storytelling. Bringing together new woven works, reupholstered historical pieces and bespoke lighting, the exhibition explores the relationship between textiles, memory and material history.
Spazio Leone, Yumo Yuan Spazio Leone, Yumo Yuan Spazio Leone, Yumo Yuan, Chrysanthemum
Future Ruins at Sir John Soane’s Museum brings together Michael Landy’s intricate drawings of iconic buildings imagined in states of decay and ruin. Inspired by a work in the Museum’s own collection, the exhibition features new and recent drawings of landmarks including the Bank of England, New York Stock Exchange and Sir John Soane’s Museum itself, exploring architecture through themes of capitalism, destruction, memory and nostalgia.
The Spotlight Market returns to London for two days, bringing together 13 established and emerging antiques dealers at MKII in Clapton. Visitors can discover a carefully curated selection of one-of-a-kind antique furniture, art, sculpture and decorative objects, alongside food, coffee and drinks throughout the weekend.
The Spotlight Market The Spotlight Market
Where The Wind Blows - Two Poems, Opening 17th October, 95-97 Heath Street, Hampstead, London, NW3 6SS
Where the Wind Blows marks the inaugural exhibition of Two Poems Gallery in Hampstead, bringing together drawings, letters and ephemera never intended for the gallery wall. The exhibition features works by Alberto Giacometti, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Pierre Bonnard, Kiki de Montparnasse, Jean Cocteau, Lucian Freud, Man Ray and Francis Picabia, offering an intimate glimpse into the personal and creative lives of some of the 20th century’s most celebrated artists.
The Garden Museum Harvest Festival returns for its third edition, celebrating creative approaches to growing and producing food in cities. Created in collaboration with felloe, the day brings together independent food producers, growers and makers for a lively programme of stalls, talks and workshops exploring urban growing, sustainability and our connection to food.
Garden Museum Harvest Festival Garden Museum Harvest Festival
Week Commencing 19th October
There’s No Place Like Home presents recent paintings by British artist Michelle Maddox at The Gallery at Green & Stone, following her receipt of the Green & Stone Award in 2025. Through intimate still lifes, interiors and familiar objects, Maddox explores ideas of home, belonging and identity, using colour and memory to capture the quiet emotional resonance of everyday life.
National Portrait Gallery Stories: Beyond the Legacy is an exclusive tour led by Senior Storyteller and London guide Daniel Hausherr, who has worked at the Gallery since 2019. Taking place during Legacy Week, the intimate tour uncovers fascinating stories behind portraits in the collection and explores how gifts in Wills and the Acceptance in Lieu scheme have helped preserve them for future generations.
London Literature Festival returns to the Southbank Centre this autumn, with Dua Lipa curating the 2026 programme. Bringing her passion for the written and spoken word to the festival, she presents a line-up of favourite established and emerging writers, drawing on her work as founder of the Service95 Book Club.
Dame Judi Dench joins her friend and writing partner Brendan O’Hea for an intimate evening celebrating her new memoir, Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It?. Through cherished memories and humorous anecdotes, she reflects on more than seven decades on stage and screen, from Shakespeare and James Bond to the people and experiences that have shaped her life.
Taking place at the Museum of the Home, Spitalfields Fogeys and New Georgians explores the enduring influence of Spitalfields on British interiors and the revival of neo-Georgian design. Marianna Kennedy and Ruth Guilding are joined by Plain English Design’s Merlin Wright to discuss the area’s distinctive houses, creative residents and lasting impact on contemporary design.
Howard Hodgkin: In a Public Garden is a major print retrospective celebrating one of Britain’s most distinctive modern artists. Bringing together more than 30 works spanning five decades, the exhibition explores how Hodgkin transformed memories, places and personal encounters into richly layered prints through bold colour, expressive marks and experimental techniques.
A Call to Art explores the radical ideas and creative vision of William Morris and the Pre-Raphaelites, revealing their shared belief in art as a force for positive social change. Bringing together paintings, drawings, textiles and ceramics, the exhibition offers a fresh perspective on their work, collaborations and hopes for a fairer future.
Arthur Hughes, April Love. Oil paint on canvas, 1855–1856. © Tate William Morris, La Belle Iseult, 1858, Oil paint on Canvas. © Tate Robert Bryden, after a photograph by Frederick Hollyer, William Morris. Woodcut on paper, around 189
Dennis Severs’ House sets the scene for A Ghost Story by Candlelight, a haunting Halloween evening featuring Walter de la Mare’s supernatural tale Out of the Deep. Performed by Lisa D’Agostino with music and sound by Dominic Stokes, the intimate reading takes place beside a flickering fire in the candlelit Withdrawing Room, with just sixteen guests at each performance.
Marking 50 years since his death, MK Gallery presents the first major survey of L. S. Lowry’s career in five decades. Alongside his celebrated scenes of industrial Britain, the exhibition explores the breadth of his work through portraits, seascapes, early studies and enigmatic later pieces.
Week Commencing 26th October
An Evening with Fran Lebowitz brings the celebrated American author and cultural satirist to the stage for a live conversation filled with her famously dry and forthright observations. From life in New York and her early career to contemporary culture, media and society, Lebowitz shares stories and insights before taking questions from the audience.
An Artist in Residence presents new work by Elizabeth Dimitroff, the first artist in residence at the historic Coughton Court. Inspired by the house’s architecture, objects, landscape and six centuries of history, Dimitroff’s resulting paintings will be exhibited throughout the house, bringing contemporary art into conversation with its remarkable heritage.
An Artist In Residence: Elizabeth Dimitroff At Coughton Court Coughton Court
The Chelsea Rare Book Fair returns to the historic Chelsea Old Town Hall, bringing together specialist dealers in rare books, first editions, maps, prints, manuscripts and ephemera from around the world. From seasoned collectors to curious newcomers, visitors can browse an eclectic selection, discover unique pieces and seek advice from expert exhibitors.
Jack Penny: An Appetite That Survives All Feasts, 30th October - 21st November, The Dot Project, No.9 Cork Street, London, W1S 3LL
An Appetite That Survives All Feasts presents a new body of paintings by Jack Penny exploring greed, appetite and the contradictions of human nature. Drawing on memory, instinct and personal experience, Penny moves between humour and unease, using recurring figures such as chefs to explore ambition, pleasure, excess and the complexities of human behaviour.
Jack Penny Jack Penny Jack Penny
Royal Albert Hall Presents Maestro Of The Movies: A Tribute To John Williams With The London Symphony Orchestra, 31st October, Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AP
Maestro of the Movies celebrates the music of legendary composer John Williams, performed live at the Royal Albert Hall by the London Symphony Orchestra. Featuring iconic scores from Star Wars, Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, Jaws and more, the concert pairs the music with specially edited scenes from some of his best-loved films.
Royal Albert Hall Presents Maestro Of The Movies: A Tribute To John Williams With The London Symphon Royal Albert Hall Presents Maestro Of The Movies: A Tribute To John Williams With The London Symphon
Magic and Mess: The Artist’s Studio Revealed at Leighton House explores the 19th-century artist’s studio as both a place of creativity and a source of inspiration. Featuring 56 rarely seen paintings, drawings and photographs, including works by Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Paul Cézanne and Henri Matisse, the exhibition offers a fascinating glimpse inside the working spaces of celebrated and lesser-known artists.
New Film Releases
Verity (2nd October), Extra Georgraphy (2nd October) & Digger (2nd October)
Verity Extra Geography Digger
Antique Fairs & Markets
Auctions
