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. 

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. 

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.

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.

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

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.

Get ready! This autumn, Camden hosts its largest celebration of Bavaria cuisine and of course, beer. Electric Ballroom will be transformed into an all-singing, all-dancing beer hall complete with long wooden tables and traditional bunting, fit for a decadent bohemian party with a host of games and prizes to be won. Enjoy the authentic German taste of sausages and schnitzel to the sound of live music from Oompah Bands & more. 

Get 50% off tickets to Oktoberfest 2024 at Camden's Electric Ballroom, 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.

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.

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. 

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. 

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.