Things To Do This Week In London: 7-13 October 2024

Cocktail Week, Oktoberfest, BFI Film Festival... it's a busy one!

Things to do this week is sponsored by London Transport Museum.

All week

I WISH YOU WELL: Musical theatre show I Wish You Well is a take on the legal trial in which Gwyneth Paltrow was involved, following a ski crash at a resort in Utah. See it at the Criterion Theatre before Saturday. Until 12 October

NOW YOU SEE US: Last chance to see Now You See Us, Tate Britain's current exhibition, which focuses on women artists in Britain between 1520 and 1920. View works by women who paved the way for the female artists who came after them, including Mary Beale, Angelica Kauffman, Elizabeth Butler and Laura Knight, many of whom went against society's expectations to pursue life as an artist. Until 13 October

LONDON COCKTAIL WEEK: Shakers at the ready! London Cocktail Week continues throughout this week. The annual boozefest has 200 bars from across London taking part, all serving up signature cocktails which you can enjoy for £8 a pop once you've bought yourself a festival wristband (£20). There are also special events including tastings, masterclasses, bar takeovers and more. Until 13 October

SOPHIE DUKER: Comedian Sophie Duker is at Soho Theatre for a run of her current show, But Daddy I Love Her, covering her sugar daddy issues and advocating for silliness over common sense. 7-19 October

SERIOUS COMEDY: Described as "a serious new comedy", What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank is now on at Marylebone Theatre. Based on the Pulitzer-finalist short story by Nathan Englander, the play features two Jewish couples; one secular, the other ultra-Orthodox — and covers topics including Gaza, Israel, the Holocaust, Nazis, marriage and Sex. Until 23 November

PUMPKIN PICKING: Oh my gourd! Pumpkin season is upon us, with plenty of farms and fields close to London offering you the chance to pick your own orange gourd. Pack your wellies and head out for a day of pumpkin picking, photo opportunities and, in many cases, seasonal activities and entertainment too.

PLAY OF THE WEEK: When it debuted in 1959, Lorraine Hansberry's family drama A Raisin in the Sun was the first play by a Black woman on Broadway. Decades later, it remains relevant and powerful in a world still divided by inequality. You've got the best part of a month to see Headlong's production at the Lyric Hammersmith. 8 October-2 November

EAT OF THE WEEK: Eating on the tube is something best to avoid unless, that is, you've got a booking with Supperclub.Tube. The unique Walthamstow supper club, where you dine aboard a vintage 1967 Victoria line carriage, has just launched its autumn-winter menu featuring Tamal de Muerto (blue corn dumpling, sweetcorn and butternut squash salsa, guajillo sauce, Lancashire cheese) and ajiaco (corn-fed chicken breast, yellow corn, capers, dauphinoise potatoes, avocado and guasca sauce).

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Monday 7 October

MONDAY MATINEE CONCERT: Head along to Handel + Hendrix in Mayfair at lunchtime for a matinee performance by orchestra The English Concert. The quartet performs works by the likes of Cervetto and Corelli, as well as pieces by Handel himself, in his former home. 1pm

VINDICATING CHERRY: Ever heard of Apsley Cherry-Garrard? He was an English explorer who ventured to Antarctica as part of the Terra Nova Expedition, and who struggled to shake off accusations that he could have done more to save Captain Scott's team. Today, his nephew Hugh is at the Royal Geographical Society to talk about the unhappy ending to his uncle's life, as a result. FREE, 2.30pm-3.45pm

BENEATH LONDON'S STREETS: Footprints of London guide Rob Smith takes you beneath London's streets on a walking tour focusing on things happening below our feet. Meet at Tower Hill station and visit a church crypt, Roman remains, and underground shops among other sites you may not have known about. 2.30pm-4.30pm

ORCHESTRA OF UKRAINE: The Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine is at Cadogan Hall in Chelsea for a concert of music of joy, courage and reconciliation by Beethoven, Brahms, Sibelius and Stankovych. 7.30pm

HAPPY MONDAYS COMEDY: Patrick Monahan is the headliner at tonight's Happy Mondays Comedy at the Amersham Arms in New Cross, showcasing his current work in progress. Marjolein Robertson, Hidehito Yanase, Nirali Patel and Faye Soteri also perform. 8pm

Tuesday 8 October

IGNATIUS SANCHO: Guildhall Library offers a free online talk about the life of Ignatius Sancho. He arrived in England as an orphaned baby, and rose from slave to composer, author and banker after a neighbour recognised his intelligence and began his education. FREE, 2pm-3pm

TEQUILA PAIRING: Kaso Bar & Kitchen in Shoreditch partners with Patrón Tequila for a tasting event. Sample a curated selection of cocktails, with live cocktail-making demos, paired with Middle Eastern food. 6.30pm-10pm

POLITICS OF NEURODIVERSITY: Writer Jodie Hare, who was diagnosed with autism aged 23, is at Conway Hall to discuss the politics of neurodiversity. As ever more people are diagnosed with autism, ADHD and other types of neurodivergence, Hare looks at how we can combat discrimination in society based on race, class, gender and disability. 7pm-9pm

ADA LOVELACE DAY: For the 16th year, the Royal Institution celebrates Ada Lovelace Day, marking the contributions of women working in STEM. Female experts in fields including volcanology, engineering, AI and palaeobiology take part in the science cabaret show, which you can watch in-person at the theatre, or online via livestream. 7.30pm-9.30pm

CHROMATICA ORCHESTRA: New musical group The Chromatica Orchestra performs its first concert, Opening Fanfare, at Battersea Arts Centre. The focus is on the future of music, with the orchestra promoting young orchestral players, brilliant soloists and early-career conductors, who tonight tackle Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man. 8pm

Sponsor message

Get inspired by poster art after-hours at this London Transport Museum Late

One year ago, London Transport Museum unveiled its incredible Global Poster Gallery. This week, you’re invited to celebrate its anniversary in style, with an evening of creative fun inspired by the museum’s world-class collection of poster art.

London Transport Museum’s ‘In the Frame’ Late – which takes place on Friday 11 October, 6.30pm-10pm – is a must for art and design enthusiasts after a unique way to kick off the weekend. Give retro poster printing a go, make LED art, and enjoy guided tours of the museum’s How To Make A Poster exhibition, which showcases the amazing advertising posters that have been displayed on London’s transport network since the 1900s.

The event’s also a chance to explore the museum as a whole in a child-free environment, away from the usual daytime crowds (and over a drink, if you fancy it). Tickets cost £18.50 and can be found here.

Wednesday 9 October

ART FAIRS: Some of London's biggest art fairs take place this week, bringing members of the art industry from all over the globe back to the capital. Frieze London (9-13 October) sets up shop in Regent's Park, with galleries showcasing work by contemporary artists in a variety of mediums. Over in east London, The Other Art Fair (10-13 October) takes over the Old Truman Brewery, with a focus on artworks available for all budgets, from over 100 artists. At Somerset House, 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair (10-13 October) brings together 60 international exhibitors, representing 23 countries, and the Women in Art Fair takes place at Mall Galleries (9-12 October)

BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL: The 68th incarnation of the BFI London Film Festival takes place at various venues on the South Bank and in the West End from today, with some events also screened on BFI Player after the festival, for those who can't make it in person. The world premiere of the restored version of Watership Down, and the public premiere of Steve McQueen's Blitz are the festival's headline events, though all events are selling out fast so get booking. 9-20 October

DANCE UMBRELLA: The diverse, international dance festival returns for its 46th year. Dance Umbrella sees three weeks of performance, panel discussions and family events bring out the very best of modern dance in all its forms. Takes place at various London venues, and use the pay-what-you-can Digital Pass to watch additional features. 9-31 October 2024. (sponsor)

LAND OF THE FREE: With the US election looming, a new play about John Wilkes Booth, the actor who assassinated Abe Lincoln, opens. Land of the Free comes to Southwark Playhouse in Borough, and with recent goings-on in America, the timing is even more apt than originally intended. 9 October-9 November

NEW PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITIONS: As is its way, the Photographer's Gallery opens three new exhibitions simultaneously today. Deborah Turbeville: Photocollage highlights the work of the American fashion photographer, Ten.8 in Focus: The Legacy of Black Image and Body Politics is a special archive display celebrating the renowned photography journal, and Letizia Battaglia: Life, Love and Death in Sicily is a solo show of work by the trailblazing Italian photographer. All 9 October-23 February

SEX, GIN & OPIUM: Three words you might not immediately associate with Charles Dickens, but that's the name of a new evening tour at Charles Dickens Museum. The event (repeated on future dates; see website) explores the seedier side of Victorian London, and the author's own personal life. 5pm, 6pm, 7pm

GREAT FIRE OF WESTMINSTER: Everyone’s heard about The Great Fire of London of 1666, but whoever’s heard about that epic blaze which tore through the Houses of Parliament in 1834? On its 190th anniversary, tour guide Richard Watkins explores the area and recounts the events of the disastrous blaze. Repeated on 16 October. 6pm

FIRKIN HILARIOUS: Collywobblers Comedy launches a new monthly comedy night at the Fox & Firkin in Lewisham. The inaugural Firkin Hilarious stars stand-up comedian and ex-junior doctor Michael Akadiri, along with Stefano Paolini, Sarah Evans, Tony Ukulele and Şaban Kazim. 7pm

PIATTI QUARTET:Soundbites is a programme of hour-long concerts taking place at Kings Place, performed by the resident Piatti string quartet. Tonight, hear a London premiere by British composer Joseph Phibbs, world premiere arrangements of songs by Grace Evangeline and Lucy Walker, and music by American composers Caroline Shaw and John Adams. 7pm

REMEMBERING TIGERS: The Royal Geographical Society hosts the book launch for Remembering Tigers, a new photobook by Margot Raggett. The foreword was written by Valmik Thapar, who appeared in BBC documentary My Tiger Family in the summer. Raggett and Thapar talk at the event, along with Executive Director of Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) Belinda Wright OBE, and guide, wildlife photographer and presenter Paul Goldstein. 7.15pm-10.30pm

PHENOMENAL WOMEN: The Chineke! Orchestra, a group of Black and ethnically diverse musicians, is at Southbank Centre for a concert honouring female composers through the ages including Avril Coleridge-Taylor. The event finishes with a UK premiere of a rediscovered Florence Price work. 7.30pm

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Thursday 10 October

MENTAL WEALTH FESTIVAL: On World Mental Health Day, City Lit launches its Mental Wealth Festival, with a focus on the impact of connections on mental health through workshops and talks. All events are either free or low-cost, and topics include boosting your brain power and thriving in menopause. 10-12 October

KNITTING AND STITCHING SHOW: The Knitting & Stitching Show is at Ally Pally, with hundreds of exhibitors selling supplies including yarn, fabric, buttons, fat quarters, sewing machines and more. Get inspired in the galleries, which display works by textile artists and groups. 10-13 October

BEHIND THE BOOSH: Marking 20 years since The Mighty Boosh first appeared on TV, Behind The Boosh is an exhibition of photos by Boosh cast member Dave Brown, aka Bollo, telling the story of the comedy troupe's journey from unknown to a hit TV show and live tour. See it at 2 Hoxton Street from today. 10-13 October

CITY MUSIC FESTIVAL: A new festival celebrating the City of London launches today. The City Festival of Music, Invention & Knowledge is a programme of evening events performed by world-class classical and jazz musicians, plus a series of free, Before They Are Famous lunchtime recitals by up-and-coming musicians. Head to St Dunstan-in-the-West at lunchtime or Mansion House this evening to catch the first events. SOME EVENTS FREE, 10-24 October

FRANCIS BACON: The National Portrait Gallery opens a new display, Francis Bacon: Human Presence, showcasing more than 55 works from the 1950s onwards which show how Bacon challenged the traditional definitions of portraiture. 10 October-19 January

BENJAMIN BUTTON: F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story The Curious Case of Benjamin Button comes to life on stage at Ambassadors Theatre, in the form of a musical. The tale, of a man who is born old and becomes younger as his life goes on, is set in a Cornish fishing village in this retelling. 10 October-15 February

BLACK REGENCY BRITS: The Bow Street Police Museum in Covent Garden hosts Mary L. Shannon to talk about her book, Billy Walters Is Dancing. She tells the story of Walters, a busker, sailor, immigrant and forgotten Black celebrity from Regency London. 6.30pm

Friday 11 October

WINGTOBERFEST: Big Penny Social in Walthamstow brings the spice as Wingotoberfest begins. The food and drink festival has an Oktoberfest theme, with steins of beer, lederhosen and the like, and a chicken wing festival thrown in. Munch your way through wings by Wingmans of London and Ginger Wings in Marlow, along with entertainment including a wing-eating contest. 11-12 October

STREATHAM FESTIVAL: A printmaking workshop, a Zumba party, a group art exhibition and a salsa and line dancing evening are some of today's events kicking off Streatham Festival, celebrating culture in the local area. Music, theatre, comedy, walks, talks and classes are among the events taking place over the coming days. Browse the full programme and get planning. 11-20 October

TURN OF THE SCREW: Just in time for Halloween, Britten's unnerving opera The Turn of the Screw arrives at the London Coliseum, performed by the English National Opera. The story of a young woman terrorised in a remote country house is told through flashbacks from a psychiatric ward. 11-31 October

MAKING A RUKUS!: The joy, friendship, resistance and art of Black LGBTQIA+ people in Britain is explored in new Somerset House exhibition Making a Rukus! Over 200 objects including archive materials, contemporary artworks and brand-new commissions feature, with a programme of public events running alongside the exhibition. FREE, 11 October-19 January

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY: One of our favourite annual exhibitions, Wildlife Photographer of the Year returns to the Natural History Museum for its 60th incarnation. See photos of animals and the natural world taken by photographers all over the globe, including the overall winners (announced on 8 October). From 11 October

THE BIG SMOKE: A night of comedy, conversation and community awaits at Sacred Grounds cafe in Soho. This edition of The Big Smoke – a twice-monthly variety show and live recorded podcast – features free-style rapper LeeN, stand up from Kate Sharp, interactive games and a few surprises. You can even BYOB! Book ahead for £8, or pay what you can on the door. 7pm (sponsor)

MARQUEE CABARET: Every Friday, 100 Wardour St harnesses the power of cabaret to travel back in time to when it was the famous Marquee Club. Sing along to the likes of David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, Queen and Guns N' Roses, while swigging fizz or indulging in a three-course meal. 8pm-11pm

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Saturday 12 October

GO MENTAL: Aimed at people who want to safeguard their own mental health, as well as those who want to help others who are struggling, Go Mental is a one-day festival of interactive workshops, and keynote speakers including GP and nutritionist Dr Divya Sharma, Alcohol Change UK ambassador Millie Gooch, and mental health campaigner Ben West. Takes place in Bloomsbury. 12 October

NEW SCIENTIST LIVE: Supermassive black holes, brain health, volcanoes, screen time and free will are just some of the topics covered at this year's New Scientist Live at ExCeL London. Experts from all manner of fields give talks on their topics including Professor of Forensic Science Anne Coxon, primatologist Caroline Thompson and astrophysicist Chris Lintott. 12-13 October

CHOCOLATE FAIR: Kickstart Chocolate Week at the Cocoa Runners Craft Chocolate Fair at Fidelio Cafe in Farringdon. Sample chocolate from some of the best chocolate makers in the world, learn why craft chocolate is so much better for you and the cocoa farmers, and enjoy tastings and talks hosted by experts including Paul A Young and Annalisa Barbieri. 12-13 October

CONKERS: Peckham Conker Championships returns, and its brutal 'Battle Royale' rules mean that nut-pimping, stampsies and more or less any kind of cheating are fair game. It's all in the name of winning the coveted 'Golden Nut', a 22 carat gold conker, currently held by 'Pietro the Pummeler'. There's a Juniors (1pm-3pm) and a Seniors (3pm-6pm) competition, and we predict tears at both. 1pm-6pm

DRAG PIZZA BRUNCH: Drag queen Lucinda B-Hind provides the entertainment at a drag pizza brunch, taking place at Unlock restaurant in Hackney Wick. Your tickets includes unlimited slices of margherita and diavolo pizza, and bottomless beer or prosecco, to be enjoyed as Lucinda takes you on a journey through circus, rollerblading and general chaos. 1.30pm-3pm

BOXTOBERFEST: Oktoberfest celebrations take place all over town this month, including at Boxpark Croydon today. Raucous entertainment comes in the form of The Amazing Bavarian Beer Stompers, as well as Shaun Williamson AKA Barry From Eastenders, who hosts Barryoke live. Steins and jugs of beer are available from the bars, along with traditional Bavarian food. 2pm-11.30pm

BLACK NURSES: Author Kandace Chimbiri is at the Florence Nightingale Museum in Lambeth to discuss her new book, The Story of Britain's Black Nurses. It's a children’s book, although people of all ages will enjoy and learn from the talk. It's followed by a Q&A. 6pm-7.30pm

SPECIAL KINDA MADNESS: Live music pub The Half Moon in Putney hosts The Specials and Madness tribute band Special Kinda Madness. Their show consists of one set from each band, to get you dancing away to the soundtrack of the era of 2-Tone and ska. 8pm

Sunday 13 October

ROYAL PARKS HALF: The Royal Parks Half Marathon takes runners on a route through four of the eight Royal Parks (Hyde Park, Green Park, St James's Park, Kensington Gardens), and closed-off roads around central London. You've missed your chance to take part this year, but why not turn up on the day to support the runners. FREE to watch, from 9am

VINTAGE KILO SALE: Add some autumn/winter staples to your wardrobe at the Peckham Vintage Kilo Sale, where nine tonnes of vintage and pre-owned clothing is sold by weight, priced at £20 per kilo. There's no minimum spend, so shop well and you could get away with just a few quid for some new threads. Find it at the Bussey Building, and if you want first dibs, book yourself an early bird ticket. 10am-4pm

KITE DAY: Make like Mary Poppins on Blackheath, where a Kite Day takes place. Eyes to the skies as the Kent Kite Flyers bring out their big kites, with a steel pan performance by Grinling Gibbons and Lucas Vale schools at 2pm. FREE, 12pm-4pm

PARK TO PARK: Fancy a lengthy weekend stroll? Tim Ingram-Smith (whom you may remember from the London Spiral Walk), is leading monthly walks that connect up London's parks. Today, the group will take in Greenwich Park, Blackheath, Charlton Park and Maryon-Wilson Park in a five-and-a-half-mile green amble. 1pm

ABBA FOR KIDS: Mamma Mia! Kids are never too young to be introduced to ABBA, so take them along to Cadogan Hall in Chelsea, where ABBA Revival & Mozart Symphony Orchestra are performing ABBA For Kids. The 90-minute show features many of the band's biggest hits with plenty of dancing thrown in. 1.30pm/4.30pm

BISCUIT ART: Design historian and artist Ella Hawkins will teach you how to decorate a biscuit with edible inks, taking inspiration from Edwardian tiles. It's happening at Stanley Arts in South Norwood, and yes, you can eat your biscuit at the end. FREE, 1.30pm-2.30pm

RAVILIOUS: Acton's ActOne cinema screens Eric Ravilious: Drawn to War, a full length feature documentary on the great artist, featuring appearances from Ai Weiwei, Alan Bennett, Grayson Perry and Tamsin Greig. The screening is followed by a Q&A with the director. 2pm

PRETTY WOMAN: Big mistake. Big. Huge... not ending your weekend at Rooftop Film Club, that is, as the Peckham branch is showing 1990 romantic film Pretty Woman. Richard Gere plays a wealthy businessman opposite Julia Roberts in the role of prostitute Vivian. 6.15pm

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