Amazing things to do in London in September 2026

Huge news, history fans, the Bayeux Tapestry is going on display in Britain for the first time in 900 years. The 70-metre-long artwork is an intricately embroidered depiction of the 1066 Battle of Hastings, in which William the Conquerer took the English throne, and it’s coming to the British Museum. Although it’s believed to have been embroidered in Canterbury, the tapestry has resided in Bayeux, Normandy for the past nine centuries. Despite numerous attempts from Brits to borrow the masterpiece over the past century, it will finally be on show on British soil for the first time since it was made. 

Ever wanted to have a nosy around some of London’s coolest private buildings? Open House London gives guests free access to architectural wonders that are not normally open to the public – from schools and offices to places of worship. It’s an often rare chance to explore iconic or just interesting buildings that make up the capital’s storied history, while the programme usually includes tons of workshops, exhibitions and more, as well as the usual tours. This year, the full programme will be announced on July 15, with bookings opening on August 19. Get practising your clicking now – these tickets go faster than Glastonbury.

If you're after an exhibition that will stay with you long after you've left, the World Press Photo Exhibition is well worth a visit this September. Returning to Bermondsey's MPB Gallery from 21 August, it brings together the most powerful images from the 2026 World Press Photo Contest. Some are beautiful, some are deeply harrowing, but all offer an unflinching look at the moments, people and stories that shaped the past year. It's a chance to slow down, reflect, and experience the world through the lens of exceptional photojournalists.

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Richard E Grant’s delightfully wayward career has taken in plenty of theatre, but none of it’s been in London for a very long time (his last appearance here was in 2005 with Simon Gray’s Otherwise Engaged). A treat, then, to finally see the great thesp give the people what they want: playing a bonkers posh person in Noël Coward’s ultimately bonkers posh person comedy, Hay Fever. He’ll star opposite big name US star Christine Baranski – in her UK stage debut – in a whimsical farce set in an English country house.

The big surprise of the Royal Court's current season is a revival of Man to Man, Manfred Karge’s hallucinatory solo play about a widow who assumes her late husband’s job and identity in inter-war Germany. When it first premiered in 1987, Stephen Unwin’s production provided a breakthrough for an androgynous young actor named Tilda Swinton, starting her down the path to global cult fame.  Now, the whole band is back together for a revival of Man to Man once again starring Swinton and directed by Unwin. Although Swinton has starred in the odd stage role in Europe since, she’s not performed in the UK for over three decades, so this production is seriously hyped: tickets are sold out, but check out the Royal Court's £15 Mondays to be in with a chance.

New-York based artist Autumn Knight constructs installations and performances inspired by her background in theatre and psychology. In I Can’t Complain, her first major presentation in the UK, she explores the act of complaining and the ways in which it can be cathartic, frustrating and politically empowering. At the centre of the show is an audio installation that collates coversations about everyday irritations, exposing how minor things like food quality can be indicative of deeper inequalities. On select days (October 1,12 and 15), Knight will be in the space for solo performances that delve further into the concept of complaining, asking questions about who gets to complain? And how are those complaints received? 

London is widely recognised as one of the design capitals 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. There'll be tons to see, including a celebration of Japanese craftsmanship colliding with new tech at the V&A, a pangolin-inspired pavilion on the Strand, and a Kenzo retrospective at the Design Museum. As ever, the festival is spread across 11 Design Districts including spots like Soho and the V&A Museum, where the events will reflect the unique identity of each area.

Despite Lin-Manuel Miranda’s relentless recent hyping of Rent’s writer Jonathan Larson, it’s been ages since we actually had a revival of his magnum opus. Here, finally, were are, as star director Luke Sheppard reworks a version of the show he did during the pandemic into a full-blown West End extravaganza. For those unfamiliar, Larson’s show is a reworking of Giacomo Puccini opera tragedy La Boheme, but with the action moved from the freezing garrets of 19th century Paris to New York City at the height of the AIDS epidemic. Gaten Matarazzo of Stranger Things will star as Mark, the boho filmmaker lead character. 

London's musical theatre fans have been eagerly waiting for their chance to see wildly acclaimed US indie musical Kimberley Akimbo, created by composer Jeanine Tesori and writer David Lindsay-Abaire. And now it’s finally here, putting a musical spin on the story of a 16-year-old girl afflicted by a rare/essentially magical disease that makes her age four times faster than usual. It bagged multiple wins at the 2023 Tony Awards – including the all important best new musical – and now it's aiming to wow UK audiences with a Michael Longhurst-directed production at Hampstead Theatre.

Serpentine North is set to host an evocative trio of film works by Indian filmmaker Amar Kanwar, known for lyrical films which move between documentary, travelogue and visual essay while exploring the legacies of decolonisation on the Indian subcontinent. The darkened galleries will house free screenings of Such a Morning (2017), multi-screen installation The Peacock’s Graveyard (2023), and the premiere of a new multi-screen work titled The Charcoal Man (2026).

Bringing together a wide spectrum of voices from various disciplines of alternative East and South-East Asian creativity, Margins United is back for its third one-dayer this autumn. Created by Eastern Margins, a platform for alternative Asian culture in the UK, the day-to-night festival will feature a full takeover of the Club 360 in Tottenham, with tickets available for the day part, the night part or the whole thirteen-hour marathon if you can hack it. Headlining this year’s edition is South Korean singer Yves from K-pop girl group Loona. She’s joined by J-pop superstars F5ve, singer The Deep and British-Asian rapper Heroic Dragon for the daytime part of the festival, before a night-time line-up that features virally successful DJ and saxophonist Amanda Sze, Filipino producer DJ Love (Sherwin Tuna), audiovisual duo Tamanaramen and more. 

Make the most of the last of the year's light evenings at one of London's very best rooftop bars. From swanky skyscrapers to casual warehouse hangouts and hidden pub terraces, you'll find the opportunity for booze with views all over this city. So browse our list and take your pick from spots in stylish Shoreditch, buzzing Soho and Covent Garden, hipster haven Peckham and more.

Nadia Fall’s second season at the Young Vic gets off to a real firecracker of a start, with the world premiere of a new musical based on Ridley Scott’s smash 1991 film about two women who snap one day and head out on a nihilistic road trip with a very famous denoument. Written by the film’s screenwriter Callie Khouri, helmed by US indie director Trip Cullman and with songs – rather astonishingly – by cryptic alt country icon Neko Case, who'll offer something much weirder and hopefully more interesting than trad showtunes.

Former National Theatre deputy artistic director Clint Dyer is at the helm of this widescreen Olivier Theatre UK premiere of Tracey Scott Wilson's 2003 play. Based on a series of real-life stories, it follows four journalists as they frantical scrabble to land the story of a white teacher murdered in a Black neighbourhood. Letitia Wright of Black Panther fame is the big name in the cast – other members include Ashley Thomas, Lorraine Toussaint and Wilf Scolding.

The September edition of Tate Modern’s ever-popular Friday Late series centres around the gallery’s critically acclaimed exhibition on 20th century Cuban-American artist Ana Mendieta, whose work explores the ancient traditions, displacement and humanity’s connection to the natural world. As always, you can expect a full programme of live music, DJs, workshops and talks, curated with involvement from some of London’s most interesting creators. Details will be announced soon. 

Who doesn’t love sunflowers? Those golden, spindly, great-vibe giants are always a real treat to see in people’s gardens come the summer months. But seeing the vibrant blooms en masse is even better.  For those not so in the-know, sunflowers usually hit their bright yellow peak from August to September. And there are plenty of gorgeous pick-your-own sunflower fields within very easy reach of London, ready for scenic picnicking, photoshoots, or simply gathering armfuls of flowers for your mantelpiece. Before you head off on a sunny adventure, make sure to check in with these sites in advance to be sure of fresh crops and full blooms – Mother Nature is an unruly and unpredictable force.

Even the most hardcore Sting fans might have missed the fact that he wrote a whole musical, inspired by his childhood in the northeast and relationship with his ship engineer father. And that's because attempts to turn it into a massive Broadway hit didn't go all that well, despite the star himself joining the cast in an attempt to boost sales. But now The Last Ship is back in a large scale production that’s hopping around global capitals and stars Sting himself in the lead role of Jackie White. It'll be in the West End for just a fortnight, introducing audiences to the emotive story of a shipyard in a downward spiral.