Amazing things to do in London in September 2024

The best events, exhibitions and all-round great things to do in London in September 2024

September in London may be ‘back to school’ time, but it’s also when the city comes alive. A lot of London’s cultural scene goes into semi-hibernation mode over the summer, but come autumn it kicks back into gear with landmark museum exhibitions, new theatre and art shows and brand new food and drink openings.

There’s also a whole host of city-wide fests taking over the capital, including Open House London – giving us a chance to get a sneak peek inside usually private buildings – London Design Festival and Totally Thames – the brilliant celebration of London’s watery main artery complete with an illuminated flotilla installation.

While autumn is still on the horizon, summer isn’t over yet. So make sure you grab your final chance to enjoy the spoils of the season by booking a seat at some of London’s best rooftop bars and alfresco restaurants and lolling about in the city’s best urban beaches, parks and lidos. Get your diary out and start filling it up now.

1. Keep up with the spectacular programme of outdoor theatre at Greenwich + Docklands International Festival

London’s spectacular free outdoor Greenwich + Docklands International Festival. As the programme continues thrugh September look out for theatre from international companies Gecko and Good Chance which will join forces for ‘From Here On’ (Sep 6 and 8), a new work marking the eighty-fifth anniversary of the Kindertransport and the return of the beloved Dancing City programme of dance in, er, The City.

2. Watch Ben Whishaw and Lucian Msamati head up this major revival of Beckett’s ‘Waiting for Godot’

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.

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3. Enjoy the sights and stories of the river at Totally Thames Festival

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.

4. Get inspired at London Design Festival

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.

5. Immerse yourself in the eras on the Taylor Swift Songbook Trail

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that 2024 is Taylor Swift’s year – again, largely thanks to her continued Eras Tour. As the tour rumbles on, The Taylor Swift Songbook Trail will take over the V&A this summer, with 13 installations celebrating not just the success and achievements but also the creative process of a modern pop history maker. The trail will take visitors around the museum’s permanent galleries, offering a look at costumes and accessories worn by Swift and insights into her songwriting, storytelling, and music videos at each stop.

Along the way, there’ll be stations dedicated to her self-titled debut album, her 2008 hit single ‘Love Story’, her first completely self-written album ‘Speak Now’, the crossover landmark of the ‘Red’ album and its follow-up ‘1989’ and her darker turn in ‘Reputation’. Elsewhere, you’ll find odes to ‘Lover’, the ‘folklore’ and ‘evermore’ eras, ‘Midnights’ and ‘The Tortured Poets Department’, plus the pioneering pursuit of re-recording her first six albums as ‘Taylor’s Version’s.

6. Party in the street at Camden Inspire

Community-powered street festivals are an essential staple of London summertime and Camden’s celebration of grassroots culture is a must-visit. Partnered with the likes of The Roundhouse, Green Note, Fiddlers Elbow and Camden Open Air Gallery, expect a jam-packed programme of topnotch live music, spoken word, poetry and dance. There’ll also be street art galleries, creative workshops and plenty of delicious local food on offer.

7. Catch new drama about the extraordinary true story of the first Black woman to enter an English beauty contest

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.

8. See into the future at Regent Street and St James’s Future of Food Festival

9. See a snapshot of the UK’s art scene at The Turner Prize 2024

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.

10. Tour the city’s architectural wonders at Open House London

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.