Amazing things to do in London in September 2024

Despite the late Irish titan’s estate being famously resistant to any sort of major innovation when it comes to revivals of his work, Samuel Beckett’s existential masterpiece ‘Waiting for Godot’ still gets wheeled out semi-frequently. But, this is the first time it’s had a full-on West End production since Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart did it in 2009, though, as heavyweights Lucian Msamati and Ben Whishaw take on the role of tramps Estragon and Vladimir, lolling about in a no-man’s land while kidding themselves that the mysterious Godot is going to visit them sometime soon. The great director James Macdonald will helm things. 

Every year, London’s famous river gets a whole festival of art installations, performances, and talks devoted to her watery charms, many of which are free to check out. This year’s Totally Thames Festival has scores of events throughout September, all dotted along riverside locations from Richmond to Barking & Dagenham.

The month's biggest event is the Great River Race (Saturday September 21) from Tower Hamlets to Richmond, where 330 crews from across the world spend the morning speeding down the Thames on wooden rowboats, many of them in jaunty fancy dress costumes. But there are plenty of other, less splashy highlights. You can clamber aboard antique vessels at St Katharine Docks Classic Boat Festival and see site-specific, river-inspired dance performances, visit a mudlarking exhibition, walk and masterclass, take the Tideway boat tour, listen in to special lectures and see a performance from a kids’ choir.

Grab your Ministry of Sound birthday weekender tickets for £10, only through Time Out Offers.

London is widely recognised as one of the design capital’s of the world. Cementing this title is the annual Design Festival, a colourful and thought-provoking celebration of some of the world's best designers, who interrogate the boundaries of design through events, exhibitions and installations. 

This year, the festival will showcase special projects and installations embodying major
themes across society such as sustainability, AI and inclusivity. For this edition, there will be new insights into the ideas of play and creativity. Lookout for ground-breaking projects such as ‘Vert’, a design which is looking to transform city life through the creation of sustainable wooden structures covered in plants designed to cool urban areas. 

As ever, the festival is spread across 11 Design Districts including spots like Chelsea College of Art and the V&A Museum, where the events will reflect the unique identity of each area.

Mark Rosenblatt’s ‘Giant’ looks set to be the defining piece of programming of David Byrne’s Royal Court tenure, or certainly of the first year. There’s the director, for a start: Bridge and former National Theatre boss Nicholas Hytner. And then there’s the subject: beloved children’s author Roald Dahl’s notorious antisemitism. Not only is it a potentially incendiary subject at a time when Dahl’s back catalogue is being milked on stage and screen like never before, but a play calling out antisemitism feels like a statement intent for Byrne’s time at the Court given the theatre has diced with several antisemitism scandals over the years. All very fascinating, though for most normal people the appeal will certainly be US actor John Lithgow starring as Dahl. 

If you're a theatre lover, you’re probably familiar with the all-time Broadway hit Guys & Dolls. However, you might not have experienced it quite like the recent run at the Bridge Theatre. Step into the Hot Box and be transported to the streets of Manhattan and the bars of Havana, as you become part of the show itself in this immersive, show-stopping favourite. Whether you’re a long-time fan or eager to see it for the first time, Time Out has you covered with an incredible offer on all standing tickets. Grab your tickets now and be part of the magic. 

Kwame Kwei-Armagh’s swansong at the Young Vic is this ambitious new musical adaptation of the cult classic 1957 film of the same name. Written by US dramatist Sarah Ruhl with songs by the legendary new wave icon Elvis Costello, ‘A Face in the Crowd’ is the story of a charismatic drifter who is given a slot on a local radio station by an intrigued producer and ends up becoming a raging populist demagogue. Which sounds vaguely familiar… Heavyweight West End and Broadway star Ramin Karimloo will play drifter Lonesome Rhodes, while Anoushka Lucas will play Marcia Jeffries, the radio producer who takes a fateful chance on him. 

See why this D&D London restaurant sits at the forefront of the capital's food scene, with a best of British menu, created by executive Head Chef Owen Sullivan. For starters, you can enjoy refined, comforting classics, like the leek and potato soup and spicy salmon maki avocado. It only gets better with the mains, with Delica Pumpkin Tortellini and Aged Beef Ragu on offer. Top it all off with your pick of dessert and a glass of prosecco.

Enjoy three courses and a glass of prosecco for an exclusive £23, only through Time Out Offers.

Last seen in London a little over a decade ago at the National Theatre, this is an altogether bigger revival for Seán O’Casey’s classic tragicomedy about an unusual family struggling through the chaos of the Irish civil war. J Cameron Smith – aka Gerri from ‘Succession’ – will star as quick-witted matriarch Juno (a role she’s already played top acclaim in the US) with the might Mark Rylance as her absurd, posturing, drunken husband Jack (aka ‘The Paycock’ ie ‘the peacock’ in an Irish accent). Old Vic boss Matthew Warchus takes a rare break from his home turf to direct.

There's just a few weeks left to see Lightroom's 'The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks', so don't miss your chance to see this breathtaking spectacle for just £19. Tom Hanks narrates an epic experience that offers a unique new perspective on humankind’s past and future voyages to the moon. See this exciting Apollo Remastered collaboration with Tom Hanks, Christopher Riley and 59 Productions with an insight into the impending return of crewed surface missions by going behind the scenes of the Artemis programme, including interviews between Hanks and Artemis astronauts. 

Save up to £10 on ticket to 'The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks' at Lightroom, only through Time Out Offers.

The last major London production of Coriolanus was way back in 2013, when Tom Hiddleston took on the role at the intimate Donmar Warehouse. Eleven years on and here’s something a bit bigger in scale: screen star David Oyelowo makes his debut in the National Theatre’s huge Olivier to play the role of Shakespeare’s heroic Roman general turned embittered national foe after his distaste for the plebs becomes public knowledge. NT regular Lyndsey Turner will direct, her first shot at a Shakespeare play since her blockbuster Benedict Cumberbatch-starring Hamlet back in 2015.

Anyone who’s ever stepped inside the Royal Albert Hall will understand that it can’t be filled with just any old music – it needs scale and drama. And every year it gets exactly that with the BBC Proms, one of London’s best-loved and most dazzling cultural festivals. This year, highlights include Florence + The Machine – Symphony of Lungs (Sep 11) where Florence Welch and conductor Jules Buckley lead celebrations of her BRIT Award-winning debut album, and of course, the Last Night at the Proms (Sep 14), which is apparently the world’s biggest classical music party. 

Working hard? Or hardly working? This exhibition explores the physical, mental and societal impact of labour and the drudgery of toil. It will be the Wellcome’s usual combination of science, history and art, with a specific focus on the impact of work on the most marginalised people in society.

If you’re captivated by the stars and the stage, Hampstead Theatre’s latest production is a must-see. For just £15, down from £55, see ‘The Lightest Element’, set in 1956 Boston, where Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, a pioneering astronomer, faces two obstacles: a covert investigation into her political affiliations and the sexism of her male colleagues. When a student journalist offers a profile opportunity, it seems like a chance to shape her own story – if the invitation is genuine…

Head to Hampstead Theatre for just £15, down from £55, only through Time Out Offers.

The first new play proper to run outdoors at the Globe since ‘I, Joan’, actor Anne Odeke’s play tells the extraordinary story of Princess Dinubolu, the first woman of colour to enter a beauty pageant in the UK: way back in 1908, Southend-on-Sea. Almost certainly not a princess, the mysterious woman was initially barred from the contest, but insisted upon entering – and succeeded after no rules were found stopping her. Odeke stars, in a production directed by Robin Belfield. 

Foodies, pay attention – the culinary hotspots of Regent Street and St James’s will play host to the Future Of Food Festival in September, with a range of events to tickle your tastebuds. Join panel talks with industry experts to get some insight into where food is heading in the coming years, tuck into some unique dining experiences and meet some of the most innovative chefs, restaurateurs and suppliers in the country. There’ll be the opportunity to try dishes by 2-Michelin-starred chef Alex Dilling and feast on sustainable treats at Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill and Wilton’s. Across the whole of September, the area will be a treasure trove of promotions, with select restaurants offering £10 dishes and other discounts, while the Discovery Zone will take you on a journey via taste, smell and touch to find out what the future of food is.

Feeling stressed or need a city escape? Treat yourself to a relaxing weekday spa day at Montcalm East in Shoreditch. For just £69, enjoy a welcome glass of prosecco, towels and robes, and your choice of a back, neck, and shoulder or lower leg massage, plus three hours of spa access. For £20 more, add a healthy and nutritious selection of fresh food and juice at the Marlowe restaurant, where British classics are served in a chic setting. Or just enjoy spa facilities for just £31 – that includes the sauna, pool and more. Pure relaxation awaits!

Treat yourself to a day of total bliss in Shoreditch with spa packages from £31, only through Time Out Offers.

The Turner Prize is returning once again to London (every other year it goes to a different city, last year it was at the Towner Gallery in Eastbourne), bringing with it its annual celebration of the best artists in the country. This year’s shortlisted artists are Pio Abad, Claudette Johnson, Jasleen Kaur and Delaine Le Bas. The Turner Prize has lost almost all of its old ability shock, and even a lot of its ability to annoy, but it’s always an interesting snapshot of art in the UK.

Formerly known as Clapham Fringe, Lambeth Fringe hasn’t just undergone a rebranding but an expansion, too. Over five weeks, the south London festival will take over 23 venues in the borough, bringing with it theatre, comedy, cabaret, music and experimental performances, many of which highlight underrepresented voices. There’s a lot to catch at this year’s festival – 150 shows, to be precise – from the Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton-celebrating ‘Against The Clock’ to ‘Does Anyone Else Smell Curry?’, a triple threat of lip syncing, spoken word and dance that follows a British Asian as she tries to make sense of her identity. Elsewhere, there are shows about the plight of Korean women at the hands of the Japanese army in WWII (‘The Comfort Woman’), a dystopian battle against Andrew Lloyd Webber (‘Hello, Box Office’), the tales of real women in Colombia (‘Cassette ’93’) and much more.

British art wouldn’t be what it is today without the influence of Sir Michael Craig-Martin. The pioneering conceptualist has taught some of the most important artists this country has produced in the past 5 decades, and now he’s getting celebrated on his own terms. Expect cups of water that are actually oak trees and more colourful images of everyday objects than you could ever wish to see. 

Ever wanted to have a nosy around some of London’s coolest private buildings? Open House London gives city dwellers free access to some of the capital’s architectural wonders that aren’t usually open to the public – from schools and offices to domestic homes and places of worship.

The hugely popular, capital-wide fortnight-long festival is back for 2024, with properties open for you to peak in – for free – all across the capital’s 33 boroughs. All you need to do is create an account online and you can register to see as many buildings in the programme as you like. As well as the festival’s usual line-up of community events, drop-in sessions and tours, this year, there are also plenty of events tailored specifically to young people. 

Peter Jones, the artist and creator of this colourful music festival, sadly passed away last year. But his legacy continues as Colourscape’s labyrinth of polychromatic tunnels is returns for a UK tour, stopping in Clapham Common once more this September. Never been? Self-described as ‘Europe’s most unusual festival’, wander around its big inflatable labyrinth to see what musicians you can find inside. You might happen upon a flautist, a classical guitarist or maybe some bloke playing an actual conch. Who knows!? Those kaleidoscopic innards are designed to surprise. 

Claude Monet loved foggy old London. Between 1899 and 1901, the pioneering French artist came to the city three times, painting stunning, incandescent visions of views across the Thames. And now, for the first time, they’re going to be shown here when 21 paintings of Charing Cross Bridge, Waterloo Bridge and Houses of Parliament will go on show at the Courtauld Gallery, just a few hundred metres from the Savoy where many of the works were painted.

The National Theatre’s Sam Mendes-directed blockbuster ‘The Lehman Trilogy’ – now on its fourth West End run, after conquering Broadway – is performed on Es Devlin’s modern boardroom set, and bookended by short scenes from the 2008 demise of Lehman Brothers, the investment bank. But despite this, ‘The Lehman Trilogy’ isn’t about banking or the credit crunch. It’s about a family, and about the dizzying lifecycle of that family’s business during America’s chaotic years of ascent. This time around, John Heffernan, Aaron Krohn and Howard W. Overshown take up the title roles in this rare, true, virtuosic look at the entire lifecycle of a family business, burning its way indelibly through history. 

Uncomfortably, uncannily human robots fill Geumheung Jeong’s world. The Korean artist dances with the animatronic figures, interacts and communicates with them. The result is an uncomfortably emotional exploration of consumerism, technology and desire. Can’t wait. 

Some of London’s most illustrious institutions – the National Army Museum, Royal Hospital Chelsea and Chelsea Physic Garden – join forces for the sixth edition of this history bonanza. This year’s highlights include international bestselling author Kate Mosse reflecting on her hit novel ‘The Map Of Bones’, previews of the Soane Stable Yard at the Royal Hospital, James Holland discussing the story of the Battle Of Monte Cassino, a celebration of Anne Boleyn and more powerful women throughout history from Estelle Paranque, and a turn from ‘Horrible Histories’ icon Terry Deary. Plus, go on a unique walking tour of Chelsea with Katie Wignall from Look Up London, discover a new perspective on Africa with Zeinab Badawi, and tour the borough with former Rolling Stone Bill Wyman.

Charge the steins! You don’t have to travel all the way to Germany for a lederhosen-clad knees-up this Oktoberfest – and you don't even have to wait until October. Munich’s world-famous beer festival is very much on in London and starting this September; with big steins of beer, platters of excessively long wurst and loud oompah bands blowing brass like they don’t give a schnitzel. 

Whether you’re after a traditional take on the event or want to cut loose with some raucous table dancing, authentic Bavarian beers or east London craft IPAs, you can find the perfect Oktoberfest for you right here in London. Give yourself a warm willkommen at one of these London Oktoberfest events.  

Returning to White Cube to follow up her brilliant 2019 solo show, Tracey Emin is bringing yet more paintings, drawings, bronzes and angst to the south London mega-gallery. Her personal, painful, tender approach to depicting everyday emotions is always raw, always in your face, and always affecting.