All weekend
BLOOMSBURY FESTIVAL: It's the final couple of days of Bloomsbury Festival, a celebration of arts and culture in the local area, with walks, talks, performances and exhibitions on the programme. Until 22 October
LONDON LITERATURE FESTIVAL: Patrick Stewart, Helen Oyeyemi, Adam Thirwell, Sandra Newman, and Nick Frost and Simon Pegg are among the faces on the programme at the London Literature Festival at Southbank Centre this weekend. 18-29 October
AFFORDABLE ART FAIR: Evolution London in Battersea Park hosts the Affordable Art Fair, with 100 galleries exhibiting contemporary works with prices starting from £50. There's also a recent graduates' display, a new exhibition celebrating Black History Month, and late-night openings with special events. 19-22 October
TURN IT UP: Just in time for October half term, the Science Museum opens new family-friendly exhibition, Turn It Up: The Power of Music, which looks at the effect music has on our lives. It's interactive, with a tuneful playground, a musical robot, and a chance to see and play some rather unusual instruments. 19 October-6 May
HANDEL'S WILL: The Foundling Museum has a new exhibition, Handel's Will: Love & Legacy, focusing on what the two copies of the composer's will, and the changes made over the years, tell us about his personal and professional life. As well as the original will, the display includes portraits, documents and musical scores. 20 October-28 April
SKATEBOARD: The humble skateboard is the subject of a major new exhibition at the Design Museum, exploring how the board has evolved in design and performance since the 1950s, as well as how it has brought communities together. 20 October 2023-2 June 2024
WINDRUSH FRONT ROOM: Horniman Museum has recreated a Windrush-era living room, using furniture, music, clothes and objects that were familiar to Windrushers of the 1940s-50s. Step inside the exhibit, handle some of the objects, and hear from Tony Fairweather, author of Twenty-Eight Pounds Ten Shillings: A Windrush Story, and Aunty Vie, who shares stories of life on board the HMS Windrush, and in London in the 1950s-80s. FREE, 21-22 October
HALF TERM: The school break falls over this coming week, meaning there will be plenty of family-friendly events taking place around London. Browse our half term events guide for theatre shows, exhibitions and other events and activities for all ages. 21-29 October
SKYDIVER: Performing arts festival Dance Umbrella continues, with multi-sensory, family-friendly dance experience Skydiver beginning on Saturday. It's set in the skies, and takes place at the Unicorn Theatre today, followed by various other locations around the capital in the coming week. 21-29 October
FAMILY FILM WEEK: For half term, Barbican Cinema holds a Family Film Week, with family-friendly screenings every day. It begins on Saturday with a special preview of Oink, a new stop-motion from the Netherlands which won't be released in the UK until next year. Sunday is Nimona, a "futuristic-medieval-punk-metal mash-up". 21-29 October
ICE RINK: With more than two months to go until Christmas, the first of London's seasonal ice rinks opens for business on Saturday. Ice Rink Canary Wharf is located at the foot of east London's skyscrapers, below thousands of fairy lights. Oh, and it has a roof, meaning rain won't stop play. Alternatively, try one of London's year-round ice rinks. 21 October-February 2024
Saturday 21 October
FAMILY CLAY MODELLING: Take the kids along to Leighton House, where there's a clay modelling workshop for 5-11 year olds and their families. Create fantastical creatures inspired by the imaginary worlds of artist Maha Ahmed, whose exhibition Where Worlds Meet is currently on display at the same venue. 11am-12.30pm
PHOTOGRAPHY MASTERCLASS: Improve your portrait photography skills at a masterclass led by Montcalm East's resident photographer John Steven Martinez. Use either a digital or Polaroid camera or a smartphone, and try out new tricks and techniques to capture some great shots. 11am-1pm
APPLE DAY: The Valence House Museum in Dagenham celebrates National Apple Day with a day of creative workshops for children and their families. Make both delicious and artistic creations using apples, right in the orchard where they're grown. 11am-3.30pm
BARBIE BRUNCH: Boxpark Croydon holds a screening of this summer's blockbuster Barbie film, accompanied by a bottomless brunch. Tuck into a street food dish, bottomless prosecco for the duration of the film and a selection of cocktails — then take part in games, singalongs and dance-offs. 1pm-4pm
ROCKY HORROR BRUNCH: Barbie brunch (above) not your thing? How about a Rocky Horror Halloween brunch instead? Dress up and head to Devonshire Terrace to see scenes from the cult musical film recreated, as you tuck into a two-course brunch — or upgrade your ticket for bottomless cocktails too. 1pm-5pm
SECRETS AND SPIES: Join Footprints of London guide David Charnick for a walking tour around the Pimlico, Vauxhall and Westminster area, focusing on espionage and counter-espionage, and how they intersect with politics. 2.30pm-4.30pm
ORPHEUS IN ENGLAND: Enjoy a concert of lute and continuo songs written by three of the greatest songsmiths of the 17th century: John Dowland, Henry Lawes and Henry Purcell. Alysha Paterson (soprano) and Din Ghani (lute and archlute) perform at The Charterhouse in Clerkenwell. 3pm-4pm
SOULFUL MAGIC: Britain's Got Talent finalist Magical Bones brings his touring show, Soulful Magic, to Bloomsbury Theatre for one night only. Age 10+. 4.30pm
WE ARE WINDRUSH: The Reggae choir promise to 'uplift, inspire, and bring people together' with their performance of We Are Windrush at Catford's Broadway theatre tonight. Music infused with the sounds of the Caribbean propels this story of the migrants who made Britain's culture all the richer for coming here. 7.30pm
Sunday 22 October
OVARIAN CANCER WALK|RUN: Sign up to take part in the Ovarian Cancer Walk | Run in Regent's Park and raise money for charity Target Ovarian Cancer. Choose either the 5km or 10km route, or go along to support those taking part. From 10am
WALTHAMSTOW FLEA MARKET: Furniture, industrial fixtures, electricals and other household objects are all for sale at Walthamstow Flea Market at Big Penny Social. There are 60+ traders, dogs are welcome, and it takes place in what claims to be the UK's largest beer hall — so liquid refreshment is readily available. 11am-5pm
VINTAGE FAIR: Head to Kensington Town Hall for Frock Me! Vintage Fair, and browse vintage clothing, accessories, jewellery and textiles from 100 different exhibitors. Vintage British labels such as Ossie Clark, Bill Gibb and Biba often turn up at the event, so keep your eyes peeled. 11am-5.30pm
CRICK CRACK CLUB: Storytelling experts Crick Crack Club bring storyteller Kersti Ståbi and musicians Mikael Öberg and Leif Ottosson to the British Museum for an epic performance of Vǫluspá, one of the oldest of the Eddaic poems. Hear the Nordic story of the creation of all the worlds, of the civil war of the gods, and of Ragnarok — the Old Norse apocalypse, in truly dramatic fashion. 2.30pm-3.30pm
ELEANNA TRIO: "Distinctive, haunting, magical, hypnotic" are all words that've been used to describe the voice of Eleanna; she appears at the Bulls Head in Barnes this afternoon, accompanied by guitar and bass. 3pm
STAR WARS MUSIC: The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra presents John Williams’ musical scores written for the Star Wars films, performed at the Royal Albert Hall. Tunes includes Star Wars: Main Theme, Imperial March, The Force Awakens: Suite, The Return of the Jedi: Parade of the Ewoks, and Princess Leia’s Theme. 3pm/7.30pm
TRIFFIDS: It's the final day of Pumphouse Gallery's current exhibition, Triffids by Annie Trevorah, and Londonist art critic Tabish Khan is in conversation with Trevorah at the closing event. The exhibition is part of Chelsea Physic Garden's 350th anniversary celebrations, and takes inspiration from The Day of the Triffids, to look at a sci-fi future where plants become the colonising species, posing a threat to human survival. FREE, 4pm-7pm (talk at 5pm)
MEZCALERIA: The last instalment of The Explorer Series at KOL Mezcaleria takes place, with the team from El Primo Sanchez bar in Sydney serving a limited edition menu of Oaxaca-inspired cocktails for one-night only. The six drinks use three different expressions of agave from The Lost Explorer Mezcal — Espadín, Tobalá, Salmiana — and are served alongside an antojitos menu which includes wagyu empanadas. 5pm-9pm
BSL TOUR: Exclusively for D/deaf and hard of hearing visitors, Sir John Soane's Museum offers BSL tours of its current Georgian Illuminations exhibition, led by Deaf guides. Learn more about the spectacular illuminations which were popular in the Georgian period. FREE, 5.30pm
