Going Out: Lovely Things To Do In London This September

No need to be sad about the end of summer: September is one of the most exciting months on the capital’s calendar. The beginning of autumn brings with it an eclectic line-up of arts and culture festivals, from C&TH’s very own Chelsea Arts Festival to London Sculpture Week. Meanwhile, after a lull in new foodie openings, many restaurants are set to launch this month – plus long-standing favourites are seeing out al fresco dining season with special dinners on rooftops and terraces.

So what to bookmark for the month ahead? Read on for the C&TH pick of what to do in London in September – and for more inspiration, sign up to our Staying In, Going Out newsletter which will deliver all this and more straight to your inbox everyday.

September 2026 In London: Festivals, Pop-Ups, Openings

Go To Chelsea Arts Festival

Returning for its second edition is Chelsea Arts Festival, C&TH‘s annual arts and culture extravaganza. Last year was a big hit and the 2026 festival will be even bigger and even better, with a multitude of artists, performers, thinkers and storytellers returning to the streets of Chelsea for an eclectic programme of talks, in-conversation events, live performances and more. Susie Cave, Bella Freud, Asa Butterfield, Bernardine Evaristo, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Nish Kumar, Katherine Rundell and Mishal Husain are just some of the brilliant names on the 2026 bill – plus don’t miss the blow-out celebration of 50 years of punk on Friday 18 September. 

Where? Various locations across Chelsea

When? 16 – 20 September 2026

BOOK: chelseartsfestival.com

Enjoy The Marylebone Wellness Weekender

No matter your age (or the age of your offspring), September signals a fresh beginning. Mark it with a proper reset at Marylebone Wellness Festival this month, taking over the pretty, village-like streets from 23 to 27 September. Home to Rebase, John Bell & Croyden, Third Space and plenty more, Marylebone is already well-equipped for wellness – but these five days dedicated to wellness and wellbeing will see health experts, pioneering wellness brands, fitness innovators and beauty specialists all come together across a programme of talks, experiences, workshops, exclusive offers and events. Think a Metabolism Masterclass with ZOE‘s head nutritionist on the panel, a Nervous System Reset talk, Lululemon run clubs, and plenty more. Plus, Marylebone’s eateries will also be serving up special health-boosting dishes for the occasion; our top pick is Delamina’s nourishing Mediterranean set lunch for £29pp. See the full line-up at marylebonevillage.com

Where? Various locations across Marylebone

When? 23–27 September

BOOK: marylebonevillage.com

Goldsmiths Fair

Returning to London this autumn is the Goldsmiths’ Fair, an annual event and exhibition showcasing British craftsmanship and design in precious metals. Held at Goldsmiths’ Hall, the 2026 festival will once again bring together a sparkling selection of the UK’s finest contemporary jewellers and silversmiths, with 138 exhibitors on display. It’s an opportunity to buy directly from makers, as well as listen to talks and browse shows. 

Where? Goldsmiths’ Hall, Foster Lane, City of London, EC2V 6BN 

When? 22 September – 4 October 2026

BOOK: goldsmithsfair.co.uk

Try Bubala Food At Panzer’s

Head to Panzer’s Deli in St John’s Wood on 1 September to enjoy a late summer feast on the terrace courtesy of Helen Graham, former executive chef of veggie favourite Bubala. She’ll be drawing on recipes from her bestselling cookbook, Centrepiece: begin with flatbreads filled with creative combinations like wood-fired leek with mango and nigella seed skewers, ahead of mains including hispi cabbage with sesame whipped tofu, saffron braised fennel, and black garlic pilaf. For dessert, there’s chocolate ganache with passionfruit, black lime and urfa salsa. 

Where? 13-19 Circus Rd, London NW8 6PB

When? 1 September 2026, 6-9pm

BOOK: £70pp, eventbrite.com

Have A Feast At Meatopia

Veggies, look away. Meatopia is the UK’s top festival for meat lovers, bringing together some of the hottest chefs in fire cooking for a food festival at Tobacco Dock. This year’s London event will star Welsh duo Sam Evans and Shauna Guinn of Hangfire BBQ, Bristol Fire School founder Genevieve Taylor, and Budgie Montoya, who helped put Filipino cuisine on London’s map with restaurants like Sarap, Apoy and Cafe Kowloon. Each chef will cook a bespoke dish over live fire, with a focus on ethically sourced meat and seafood sizzled on sustainably produced wood and charcoal.

Where? Tobacco Quay, Wapping Lane, London, E1W 2SF 

When? 3 – 6 September 2026

BOOK: meatopia.co.uk

Explore The London Design Festival

Another of the big events on the September calendar is The London Design Festival, which celebrates the capital as one of the world’s leading design capitals. It’s back for its 24th edition, with highlights for 2026 including The Pangolin Shield: a project on the Strand inspired by the world’s most trafficked mammal. Over at the Barbican, MADE is setting up an installation which draws on the work of designer Miriam Howitt, while audio brand L’Acoustics is presenting an immersive spatial sound experience at the Wapping Hydraulic Power Station. And this is just scratching the surface: there are a whole host of events taking place across 11 London districts, from Fleet Street Quarter to Dalston to Chelsea.

Where? Various places across London

When? 12 – 20 September 2026

BOOK: londondesignfestival.com

Book The Culpeper x Knepp Wilding Kitchen’s Rooftop Dinner

See out the summer on the rooftop of The Culpeper, which is rounding off its guest chef grill takeover series with a collaboration event with eco-pioneer Knepp Wilding Kitchen. Ned Burrell, the Sussex restaurant’s director, will be joining The Culpeper’s head chef Anthony Knott in the kitchen to whizz up a menu focused around regenerative cooking. Dishes will be shaped by the changing harvest from Knepp’s organic market garden and the estate’s on-site butchery, with highlights including a dayboat fish crudo, Knepp venison chop, and Portokolopita, a Greek filo cake with orange and cinnamon syrup and Greek yoghurt. Can’t make the night? A hero dish from the takeover will stay on The Culpeper’s rooftop menu throughout the month.

Where? The Culpeper, 41 Commercial Street, E1 6LP 

When? 8 September 2026

BOOK: £65pp, sevenrooms.com

Check Out The Burberry Trench Exhibition

A true icon of British fashion, the Burberry trench is in the limelight at the V&A this autumn. As part of the brand’s 170th birthday celebrations, Burberry is launching an exhibition tracing the coat’s 170-year heritage and journey from practical outerwear piece to world-renowned staple. Taking place in the museum’s Prince Consort Gallery, the show will begin with ‘Invention’: a display delving into Thomas Burberry’s creation of cotton gabardine in 1876, moving into a section called ‘Craft’ which will delve into specific details of the coat – from the hand-finished collar to the storm flap. To finish, ‘Creativity’ will spotlight a series of 19 runway looks from over the years. Better still, it’s completely free to attend.

Where? Prince Consort Gallery, V&A South Kensington, London, SW7 2RL 

When? 21 September 2026 – 3 January 2027 

BOOK: vam.ac.uk

Tap Back Into Roast Season At Teal by Sally Abé

When it’s roasting outside, it’s not often a roast we’re craving. But autumn is creeping closer – and what better way to celebrate the change in season than with a slap-up Sunday lunch? Esteemed chef Sally Abé – formerly head chef at London’s only Michelin-starred pub The Harwood Arms – is launching a new Sunday roast at her recently opened restaurant Teal by Sally Abé. Choose from 35 day aged rump of Hereford beef, Cumberland stuffed pork belly and pumpkin and sage wellington, paired with cauliflower cheese, Yorkshire puds and roast potatoes. 

Where? 52 Wilton Way, London E8 1BG 

When? From 20 September 2026

BOOK: tealbysallyabe.com

Explore London Sculpture Week

Returning this September for its fifth edition, London Sculpture Week brings together five of the city’s biggest public art displays: Frieze Sculpture, East Bank, Fourth Plinth, Sculpture in the City and The Line. It’s a chance to explore world-class outdoor artworks and hear from the artists and curators behind them, with highlights this year including a walking tour from East Bank reflecting on the legacy of public art at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, a film screening with Zineb Sedira from The Line, and works from 11 international artists at Frieze Sculpture’s 14th edition.

Where? Multiple locations across London

When? 19 – 27 September 2026

BOOK: londonsculptureweek.org

Have Drinks At Georgie’s Bar

The spot to know for cocktails come September? Georgie’s Bar, the new opening from Tom Kerridge at Corinthia London – launching just as the chef’s restaurant Kerridge’s gets a refresh. The bar will offer a more relaxed way to enjoy Kerridge’s, with a dedicated bar menu available alongside cocktails, beers, wines and ales. This includes four martinis and classics like the Tommy’s Margarita and French 75, alongside elevated twists on familiar plates like buttermilk fried chicken, cheeseburgers and fish and chips. Meanwhile, Kerridge’s Bar & Grill – which closed for refurbishment this summer – is back with a fresh look and menu.

Where? 10 Northumberland Ave, London WC2N 5AE 

When? Opening 5 September 2026

BOOK: corinthia.com

Pick Up Antique Finds At Judy’s Vintage Flea Markets

All savvy vintage shoppers know about Judy’s, which runs flea markets all over the UK. There are a number of events taking place in different spots across London this month, from Chelsea to Marylebone and Hyde Park, all bringing together 50 of the UK’s finest vintage dealers. Delve into a treasure trove of furniture, design icons, ceramics, art, lighting and soft furnishings and give your home a boost for the new season.

Where? Various venues across London

When? Dates throughout September 

BOOK: judysvintagefair.com

Slurp Oysters At The London Oyster Championships

Oyster lover? Fill your boots at The London Oyster Championships, taking place at Richard Corrigan’s historic seafood restaurant Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill. The event marks the start of the native oyster season, and brings together chefs, oyster shuckers and seafood lovers for an afternoon of champagne, oysters and entertainment – with two competitions at its heart. The Speed Shucking Oyster Open sees hopefuls race against the clock to shuck as many oysters as possible without maiming the mollusc, with the winner going on to represent England at the World Oyster Opening Championships in Galway, Ireland. The second is Best Dressed Oyster, where chefs work to impress with their oyster dressings – judged by the likes of actor and food aficionado Stanley Tucci, British chef Jeremy Lee, and food writer Matthew Fort. 

Where? 11–15 Swallow Street, London W1B 4DG 

When? 19 September 2026

BOOK: Tickets from £55, londonoysterchampionships.com

Go To Shanghai Socials At Hutong

One of London’s best views is looking better than ever this summer. Hutong, perched on the 33rd floor of The Shard, is currently the home of Shanghai Socials – an affordable Thursday and Friday evening experience in the Shanghai Bar that combines a live DJ set, a sharing platter of Northern-Chinese dishes (from £35 per person) and a glass of champagne on arrival. Think Wagyu Beef Mille-Feuille, Spice Crispy Dumplings, Wok-Tossed Chicken Wings, plus the option to add half a crispy duck or creative cocktails featuring the likes of kumquat gin and passionfruit Aperol.

Where? lvl 33, 31 St Thomas St, London SE1 9RY

When? Thursdays and Fridays from 7pm

BOOK: hutong.co.uk

See The Newly Opened Buckingham Palace State Rooms

Summer signals the reopening of Buckingham Palace’s State Rooms for public perusal. Some of the most recognisable royal backdrops in the palace – where members of the royal family receive and entertain guests – the State Rooms were originally decorated for George IV, and now feature some of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection. Think paintings by Van Dyck and Canaletto, sculpture by Canova, Sèvres porcelain and more. On your next visit, make sure to also swing by the newly transformed Picture Gallery, which has put 120 masterpieces on the walls to coincide with the State Rooms’ reopening.

Where? Buckingham Gate, London SW1A 1AA 

When? Open until 27 September 2026

BOOK: rct.uk

Visit Trent Park House of Secrets

We love a country house with history, but few have kept theirs quite this hidden – 70 years, in this case. (About time someone spilled the beans.) Enfield’s Trent Park has just opened Trent Park House of Secrets, a museum built around the double life of its former owner, Sir Philip Sassoon, one of England’s wealthiest men. In the 1920s, weekends drew the future Edward VIII, Winston Churchill, Noel Coward, Charlie Chaplin and T.E. Lawrence to his estate. By the Second World War, however, the government had requisitioned the house, wiring skirting boards, light fittings and even the billiard table with hidden microphones to eavesdrop on captured German generals (while secret listeners, many German-speaking Jewish refugees, worked from a concealed basement below). The museum now reunites both chapters, restoring Sassoon’s state rooms with his own art and furniture and reopening the listening stations exactly as they operated. Turns out the best-kept secrets were hiding in plain sight all along.

Where? Daffodil Cres, Barnet EN4 0PS

When? Open now

BOOK: trentparkhouse.org.uk

Try A Cult Brooklyn Pizza At The Standard

Best Pizza is one of the hottest pizza joints in Williamsburg, New York – and this summer, it’s coming to London. See what the fuss is about by heading to Double Standard at The Standard, London, where the restaurant is popping up with its signature pies. On the menu? Classics like the Margherita, White Pie and Marinara, as well as a special made just for Londoners: the Soppressata Coppola. Pair with drinks from Two Tribes brewery – and be sure to finish with a classic tiramisu.

Where? 10 Argyle Street, King’s Cross, London, WC1H 8EG 

When? Until 13 September 2026

BOOK: standardhotels.com

See LUMINISCENCE

A spine-tingling new immersive concert experience has landed in the heart of London. Combining live choral singing, orchestral music, dazzling 360° projections and narration from none other than Hugh Bonneville, it is unlike anything you will have experienced before (unless you were one of the 2 million spectators to see the show first in France, then in Manchester). Taking over the historic Westminster Cathedral for a limited run, LUMINISCENCE tells the history of the striking neo-Byzantine landmark, in turn also briefly detailing the history of the capital. The swooping columns and distant ceilings of this, Britain’s largest cathedral, are transformed with sweeping projections which metamorphose across the vast domes, trickle down the brick walls, and breathe new life into the vast interiors left bare for more than 120 years. Between songs masterminded by Beethoven, Verdi, Debussy, Vivaldi, Bach, brought to life by the spellbinding Lux Aeterna choir, Bonneville’s pre-recorded narration explains it all.

Where? 42 Francis Street, London, SW1P 1QW

When? Until Saturday 26 September

BOOK: Tickets from £32.50, luminiscence.com

See CATS At Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Nothing screams summer like a spot of open air theatre. The show to see this year? The first ever UK revival of Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s classic musical CATS, which is being performed amid the enchanting setting of Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. Based on T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats and with a score featuring hits like the chart-topping ‘Memory’, it’s set to be one of the hottest tickets on the 2026 theatrical calendar.

Where? The Regent’s Park, Inner Cir, London NW1 4NU 

When? Until 19 September 2026

BOOK: openairtheatre.com

Check Out The Frida Kahlo Exhibition

Over 70 years since she died Fridamania remains rife, with the Mexican painter’s face still plastered all over homeware, tote bags, fridge magnets and more. So how did we get here? This June, the Tate Modern is exploring how Frida Kahlo became one of the most influential artists of all time in a major exhibition (the first dedicated to the artist in eight years). It will feature over 30 of Kahlo’s works spanning paintings, documents, photographs and memorabilia, alongside 200 pieces from the artists she inspired from later generations. 

Where? Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG 

When? Until 3 January 2027

BOOK: tate.org.uk