Summer is over. The August bank holiday weekend has been and gone, the evenings are getting darker and schools are back in session. But the end of summer doesn’t mean that the fun has to stop, there are lots of things to do in London in September.
Although always busy, once the summer crowds of tourists have disappeared from central London, the city is noticeably calmer leaving you free to enjoy the capital’s most popular attractions with fewer crowds.
A September trip to London is the perfect time to visit famous London landmarks such as Tower Bridge, the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, and even Madame Tussauds.
You can even visit typically crowded spots like the Tower of London and see the Crown Jewels without the tourist crowds. Join a guided tour with a Yeoman Warder or book a Blue Badge Guide instead.
Museums also tend to be less busy, head to the British Museum to catch up on exhibitions you might have missed or spend an afternoon wandering around the V&A Museum instead.
And, don’t forget, the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace are open until 27 September in 2026. Combine a visit to see His Majesty with watching the Changing of the Guard (check out their timetable here). For more Royal Family fun consider a day trip to Windsor Castle.
In short, there are lots of fun things to do in London in September, enjoy our top picks with this handpicked list.
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September 2026 dates for your diary
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Get your diaries out, here are just some events taking place in London this month.
- Daily performance of classical music continue as part of the eight-week BBC Proms season at the Royal Albert Hall until 12 September.
- London’s reputation as the design capital of the world gets a lift when the London Design Festival returns this month. It takes place from 12 – 20 September.
- Get a sneak peak inside private homes and buildings including 10 Downing Street with Open House London. The Open House Festival takes place from 12 – 20 September.
- Put your best foot forwards for London Fashion Week, which takes place from 17 – 21 September
- The London Podcast Festival takes place from 3 – 13 September (one for mums and dads to enjoy!)
- The four week performing arts festival The Lambeth Fringe (formerly The Clapham Fringe) starts on 24 September. Most performances are for adults but there are a couple of kid-friendly shows too.
Our pick of the best things to do in London in September 2026
Can’t decide what to do? The following are our top picks for things to do in London in September
- The Bayeux Tapestry has arrived at the British Museum! Try and get tickets…
- Spend the night at the Natural History Museum with the Dino Snores sleepover.
- Thelma & Louise the musical opens at the Young Vic (no Brad Pitt, though).
- CelebrASIA at Battersea Power Station promises to be a fun-filled colourful weekend celebrating the best of South East Asian cuisines, cultures and creativity.
- The Brick Lane Curry Festival brings puppets, processions, and plenty of good food to East London on 20 September.
- The Dark Arts opens at the Warner Bros Studio Tour with pumpkins, Death Eaters and the chance to learn how the film’s spooky sounds were made.
- London’s Most Literary Afternoon Tea opens at the Hotel Cafe Royal.
The best things to do in London in September
The following are some of the special events, new exhibitions and fun things to do for the month of September. As always, the weather is unpredictable in early autumn so if you are visiting London in September, it’s best to pack layers for cooler temperatures, a light jacket and a waterproof jacket in case of rainy days.
Museum Exhibitions & Experiences in London
Dino Snores at the Natural History Museum
Falls asleep in the Hintze Hall this month when the Natural History Museum opens its doors after hours for its family friendly Dino Snores museum sleepover. Suitable for children age 7 to 11, this is a unique opportunity to explore the museum by torchlight with lots of fun and games along the way.
The next Dino Snores takes place on Friday 11 September, from 6.30pm. If you can’t make this one, the next Dino Snores even is on Saturday 7 November. Tickets are £87 per person.
The Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum
One of the biggest exhibitions to open this autumn is The Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum. This is the first time the famous tapestry has returned to England since it was made almost 1,000 years ago. The 70-metre-long tapestry depicting events leading up to teh Battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 is being loaned to the British Museum until July 2027.
The first batch of tickets sold out quickly and the next batch goes on sale 21 October. I highly recommend signing up to the museum’s newsletter to make sure you know when they are available.
Great Fire of London family walk at London Museum Docklands
Learn all about the Great Fire of London on a family-friendly walk led by a guide from the London Museum Docklands. Discover whether the baker of Pudding Lane really was to blame and just what Samuel Pepys buried in his garden.
There are two available dates left this month on Saturday 19 and Saturday 26 September. Walks start at 10.30am and last one hour. The tour is best suited to primary age children. Tickets are from £11 per person.
Make a Lantern for the Moon at the Museum of Home
Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival by making your own colourful paper lantern. Led by Will Pham, a Community Producer working on the museum’s local East and Southeast Asian communities, this is a fun way to learn more about this special festival while getting crafty at the same time.
Held at the Museum of the Home on 26 September, there are two sessions to choose from, one at 2pm and another at 3pm. Both sessions last one hour .
Jurassic Oceans: Monsters of the Deep at the Natural History Museum
You’ve still got time to see this exhibition at the Natural History Museum that explores the legends of Earth’s prehistoric oceans. Meet the gnarly-toothed pliosaur, come face-to-face with the speedy ichthyosaurs and discover the T.Rex of the sea, the fearsome mosasaur.
Little Londoners Festival at the London Museum
There’s a whole host of fun things happening at the London Museum at the end of the month.
Options include the Museum’s Mudlarking event where you can listen to expert talks, marvel at the fascinating collections found along the river banks and much more.
Also taking places is the Big Dig, a family-friendly event that encourages kids to dig down through the centuries to discover real objects made and used centuries ago. Working alongside a team of archaeologists, this is an incredible way to discover just how old London really is! Tickets for this event start at £6.50 and advanced booking is recommended.
Other events include Tots at teh Docks, perfect for under 5s, and the early years festival, also aimed at little ones. A handful of baby and toddler sessions are also taking place.
All events take place between the 20 and 30 September, check the website for details.
Family Workshops at the British Library
Taking place on 20 September are a handful of family-friendly workshops at The British Library that are perfect for younger kids. These include the chance to design and play your own board game, learning how to grow a story, building a comic strip, designing a book cover and more. All workshops take place on Sunday 20 September
Astronomers Take Over at the National Maritime Museum
Head to Greenwich and the National Maritime Museum to see the new space-themed adventure, Astronomers Take Over. This multi-zone, family-friendly experience is your chance to meet real astronomers, try your hand at landing a Mars rover, step inside a mind-boggling galaxy box and more.
Star Trek at 60 at the Science Museum
You still have some time to see the free trail celebrating 60 years of Star Trek. The sci-fi series first hit the TV screens in 2026 and the Science Museum is celebrating with a trail filled with iconic objects from the TV series and films. The Star Trek Warp Trail closes on 13 September.
Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends at the Young V&A
If you haven’t been to the Young V&A yet to see the exhibition dedicated to Aardman Animation then make sure you do. Held to celebrate the animation studio’s 50th anniversary year, this family-friendly exhibit peeks behind the scenes of everyone’s favourite stop-motion animations to find out how the clever folk at Aardman bring clay to life.
The excellent exhibition dedicated to Shaun the Sheep, Wallace and Gromit and other Aardman characters closes on 15 November.
Visit the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace
You still have a few weeks to visit that State Rooms at Buckingham Palace. Every year, royal palace open its gilded gates for 10 weeks, welcoming visitors to tour the magnificent State Rooms including the Throne Room, the Ballroom and the White Drawing Room.
Buckingham Palace will be open until 27 September.
The World Photo Press Exhibition
One for older children and teens is the annual World Press Photo Exhibition. Held in Bermondsey’s MPB Gallery, the exhibition brings together some of the most powerful images from this year’s World Press Photo Contest covering the people and stories that have shaped the last year. The exhibition runs until 30 September.
Festivals & Days Out
London’s Most Literary Afternoon Tea at Hotel Café Royal
Launching on September 8 to coincide with International Literacy Day, this literary-themed afternoon tea at the Hotel Cafe Royal celebrates three of the hotel’s most literary guests: Oscar Wilde, Virginia Woolf and John le Carré.
Inspired by works including The Picture of Dorian Gray, Mrs Dalloway and Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy, the new menu includes plenty of literary references. The hotel has also partnered with Harchards, the UK’s oldest bookshop, meaning you can browse and buy editions of the featured books. This is a great afternoon tea option if you are visiting London with teens.
London’s Most Literary Afternoon Tea runs from 8 September to 4 November and is £85 per person.
The Classic Boat Festival
The annual St Katharine Docks Classic Boat Festival returns this year giving landlubbers and their nautical pals the chance to admire over 60 beautiful vintage vessels.
These include the Dunkirk Little Ships, motorboats from the Bates Starcraft range, a Navy P2000 vessel and more. Live music, talks and kids activities round up the day’s events.
The Classic Boat Festival takes place on 12 – 13 September from 10.30am to 5.30pm.
Colourscape Music Festival
Enjoy live music performances at the slightly bonkers but highly entertaining Colourscape Music Festival.
Taking place on Clapham Common, near the Windmill Pub, between 12 – 20 September, the Colourscape Music Festival promises a typically eclectic and fun line up of fabulous alternative performances.
Heritage Open Days
Heritage Open Days returns this year with the chance to peek behind the scenes of some of London’s most famous attractions, and some lesser known ones too.
There are over 30 London-based happenings this year including a special tour of the Cartoon Museum, a talk by the curator of the Florence Nightingale Museum and, especially for kids, the chance to hear visit Southwark’s Integrated Waste Management Facility to learn what happens to your recycling. The free, family-friendly Wonder Day takes place on 12 September. Booking not required.
Events take place from 12 to 21 September and are free to visit but you will need to book in advance for some. Take a look at the calendar here:
Brick Lane Curry Festival
Brick Lane in east London has long been the place to go for a curry in London and the Brick Lane Curry Festival is the perfect place to try some of the best curries in town.
Enjoy an opening procession themed floats, giant puppets and vibrant dancers followed by musical performances, street food stalls and live cooking demos. There’s also the Gaat Family Zone with free family activities including lungi wrapping, saree draping and a bouncy castle.
The festival takes place on 20 September and is free but it’s worth reserving your spot.
Dark Arts at the Warner Bros Studio Tour
It’s time for pumpkins, autumn colours and the Dark Arts at the Warner Bros Studio Tour. Opening on 16 September, the annual Dark Arts feature opens with iconic sets, props and costumes from the Harry Potter film series.
Witness floating pumpkins in the Great Hall, dare to encounter Death Eaters and Dementors and, new for this year, discover how the wizarding world’s most atmospheric sounds are made. If you’re looking for more wizarding fun, try this Harry Potter walking tour in central London of filming locations that includes Diagon Alley and Platform 9 3/4.
Dark Arts runs until 8 November 2026.
Strawberry Hill House & Garden
As Britain’s most sustainable flower festival takes place from 10 – 13 September at Strawberry Hill House & Garden in Twickenham.
Now in its 8th year, the festival (everything used is reusable, compostable, or homegrown) transforms Horace Walpole’s famous “faery-tale castle” into an enchanted world of folklore and flowers. Over 30 of the UK’s leading florists will create spectacular installations using only British-grown flowers and sustainable techniques.
The festival takes place 12 – 14 September from 9am to 5pm daily.
Wanstead Fringe
Wanstead in East London is the setting for three weeks of theatre, music, outdoor cinema screenings, kids’ shows and a street festival, all part of the Wanstead Fringe 2026.
Wanstead Fringe runs from 5 – 26 September.
CelebrASIA at Battersea Power Station
The summer holidays might be over but that doesn’t mean you can’t travel. Early September sees Battersea Power Station once again play host to CelebrASIA, a three-day festival that celebrates the cuisines, culture and creativity of South East Asia.
Lanterns, sculptures and immersive installations will transform the iconic riverside building, both inside and out. Shop for sauces, spices and homewares at the artisan market, taste delicious local delicacies made by renowned chefs from across South East Asia, try the Malaysian art of Batik and more.
This year there is also the CelebrASIA Film Festival showcasing films from Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.
There are hands-on workshops for families too, from hibiscus sand art to Underwater World. Workshops should be booked in advance.
CelebrASIA takes place from 11 – 13 September.
Black on the Square 2025
Another free event takes place this month, this time to celebrate Black culture, its people and communities in helping shape London’s creativity. Taking place on Trafalgar Square on Saturday 5 September from 12pm to 6pm, the event includes live music, activities and workshops. This year’s theme is “This is our London”.
Sheep Drive
One of those “only in the UK” events takes place this month courtesy of the London Bridge Sheep Drive and Livery Fair.
Each year, a celebrity is handed the honour of herding sheep over Southwark Bridge with a crowd watching and cheering them on – actor Damian Lewis led the way in 2024 and in 2025 it was Countryfile presenter, Adam Henson. The star guest for 2026 has yet to be announced. A livery fair takes place at the north end of the bridge.
Totally Thames Festival
The annual month-long Totally Thames Festival celebrating the Thames river is back with over 100 events taking place on, beneath and along the River Thames. These include music, film, art installations, theatre shows, guided walks, tours, river cruises, mudlarking, and more..
Don’t miss the Great River Race on Saturday 12 September when up to 300 boats and over 2,500 people will row from Millwall in East London to Richmond in traditional wooden row boats to raise money for charities, many decked out in fancy dress.
Other events include a mudlarking exhibition, urban sketching and more.
Greenwich+Docklands International Festival (GDIF)
You still have time to enjoy one of best free festivals returns this month.
The GDIF started on 21 August and runs until 6 September with a colourful line up of theatre, dance, circus and installations on the shore of the Thames.
While most family events were scheduled to coincide with the summer break, taking place on 5 September is Bench, a mind-boggling display of balance, timing and control, and The Aunties: House of Masks, a fun and dynamic celebration of resilience and identity. Closing the festival on 6 September is (In)visible Dancing, a spectacular flashmob filled with energy and joy.
Shows & Plays
Kimberley Akimbo at Hampstead Theatre
The Tony award-winning musical about a 16-year-old girl afflicted by a disease that makes her age four times faster than usual was a huge hit in the US and is now playing at Hampstead Theatre.
Thelma & Louise at the Young Vic
Based on the wildly popular 191 film by Ridley Scott, this new musical opened at the Young Vic at the beginning of the month and runs until 24 October.
Beetlejuice The Musical
Still playing to rave reviews is this musical adaptation of Tim Burton’s film, Beetlejuice. It’s playing at the Prince Edward Theatre in the West End and is on until 2 January so you still have time to see it but it’s a good idea to book your tickets now.
These all sound like amazing activities to do with little ones. Too bad we are on the other side of the pond! Thanks for sharing!
Hopefully you’ll be able to visit soon!