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You might be under the impression that autumn is a time for retiring to your sofa in your comfiest PJs armed with a steaming mug of tea, the new Sally Rooney novel and/or season three of Industry. I’m here to tell you, politely, to get off your arse and put some proper trousers on, you layabout. You’re not a small woodland mammal, you’re a Londoner, and going into hibernation is the last thing you should be doing right now.
As the days get shorter and you prepare to enter into your usual passive-aggressive battle over the thermostat with your most frugal housemate, London’s cultural scene comes alive. As well as loads of blockbuster theatre shows and major art openings, the capital goes all-in on Halloween celebrations, Black History Month and bonfire night festivities. And that’s before we even get to the plethora of festivals that arrive in town over the autumn.
Harper Stern isn’t going anywhere. Sally can wait (as a certain resurgent Britpop group would be at pains to remind you). Go and grab your diary, because you’re not gonna want to miss these.
The UK’s biggest film festival is back this October, with 11 days and nights of cinematic excellence taking over theatres across central London from Wednesday October 9, kicking off with Steve McQueen’s ‘visually dazzling tour de force’ Blitz. As usual there are plenty of UK and world premieres to get excited about, with flicks from Mike Leigh, Pedro Almodóvar, Andrea Arnold, Sean Baker, Marielle Heller and Jia Zhangke on the programme this year. And there’s plenty more on the agenda besides screenings, from talks with Daniel Kaluuya, Lupita Nyong’o and Denis Villeneuve, to DJ nights in the BFI Southbank bar and even a gaming lounge as part of the festival’s extensive programme of immersive art and extended reality picks. Pass the popcorn!
If you were thinking of going sober for October, the return of one of London’s best drinks festivals might put an end to those thoughts. London Cocktail Week returns over ten days this month (London Cocktail Ten Days isn’t quite as catchy, you see) with all manner of tastings, masterclasses, bar takeovers and pairing menus on offer across 200 of the capital’s best bars. Better yet, each bar taking part is offering £8 specials over the course of the festival, meaning festivalgoers can sample creations from some of the finest drinking establishments in the capital – the likes of Coupette, Bar Américain, Happiness Forgets, Lyaness, Homeboy, Swift and Nightjar – for not much more than the price of an average London pint. Cheers to that.
Is your 2024 Goodreads target starting to look like a lost cause? This major fixture in the capital’s literary calendar might inspire you to pick up whatever novel you abandoned halfway through the summer. London’s longest-running literary festival returns to the Southbank Centre for two weeks of talks, readings, workshops and kid-friendly events featuring a stacked line-up cross-genre of literary talents. The festival’s opening weekend will be co-curated by Mercury-nominated grime artist Ghetts, who will throw a show-stopping performance and gather writers and artists to discuss the link between their art forms, while you can also hear from the likes of Gen Z feminist influencer Florence Given, prolific romance writer Jilly Cooper, best-selling scientist Richard Dawkins, comedians Russel Kane and Sara Pascoe, Booker Prize-nominated novelist Deborah Levy and Oscar-nominated screenwriter Hanif Kureishi.
Big fan of the new Beetlejuice film? Then you’ll probably want to check out the Design Museum’s next exhibition, exploring the comically grotesque world of director Tim Burton. The esteemed director behind Corpse Bride, Edward Scissorhands and The Nightmare Before Christmas is put under the spotlight at this blockbuster which concludes its decade-long world tour in London. Curated in collaboration with the famous goth himself, the collection draws from Burton’s personal archive of drawings, paintings, photographs, sketchbooks, moving-image works, sculptural installations, set and costume designs to shine a light on his distinctive, darkly humorous aesthetic.
Pitchfork Music Festival is back in the UK for its fourth edition in November, featuring a jam-packed six days of eclectic live music encompassing everything from avant-rock and post-punk to psych-pop, UK rap and deconstructed dance music. Gigs take place at plenty of the capital’s most illustrious music and nightlife venues, including Fabric, HERE at Outernet, The Village Underground and The Roundhouse, plus a bunch of atmospheric small venues like the Shacklewell Arms, Hackney Church and the ICA. The likes of CASISDEAD, Cobrah, Sega Bodega, Tierra Whack, Empress Of and Arooj Aftab are headlining, alongside sets from a bunch of up-and-coming acts that will no doubt be on your Spotify Wrapped come December 2025.
Here’s all the things our food editor is looking forward to eating