Summer may be fading into the rear-view mirror, giving way to rainy weather and evenings when the streetlights come on before you have even left the office. But there is plenty to look forward to in the capital, with a packed calendar of festivals, markets, exhibitions and theatre to carry you into autumn with a smile. Several events are free or low-cost, and many of the headline attractions – from the Bayeux Tapestry loan to Open House weekend – draw large crowds, so early booking and planning ahead pays off.

Meatorium On-Fire London

3–6 September

For more than a decade, fans of flamed, grilled and charred meats have flocked to Tobacco Dock to get their fix of some of the finest steaks, rumps, bellies and shoulders in London. The 2026 festival promises to be another hit, with a line-up of top chefs including Nathan Chapman of Quality Chop House, Dave Marrow of Embers and Melanie Brown of The Laundry. General admission starts at £31.80 for a day ticket, with bundles available that include “meatbucks” redeemable against food. Visit the website here

London Podcast Festival

3–13 September

Now in its 11th year, the London Podcast Festival is another long-standing fixture of the festival calendar, returning for a fortnight of live podcasts featuring some of your favourite podcasters. Guests include Jameela Jamil and the hosts of Life After Prison. Book tickets in advance and head to King’s Place to have your ears filled with the sounds of content being created. Visit the website here

Bruce Lee Festival

5 September

If you are into classic kung-fu movies – and you really should be – Genesis Cinema in Whitechapel is the place to be this Saturday. Screenings of the star’s films and documentaries about him will run throughout the day, and organisers promise an “immersive program celebrating Bruce Lee’s enduring legacy, cinematic impact, and martial arts philosophy” to really get you in the mood. Visit the website here

Walthamstow Flea Market

6 September

Big Penny Social has become a hub for the good people of Walthamstow, offering everything from rare shoe markets to sports screenings. On Sunday the Flea Market returns, with 60 vendors offering furniture, second-hand clothes, collectibles and assorted ephemera. It is a great place to spend an afternoon, and after lightening your wallet at the market you can play a few games of table football while drinking locally brewed craft beer. Visit the website here

London Design Festival

12–20 September

One of the biggest design festivals in the world, the London Design Festival spans the capital, from Earle’s Court to Bethnal Green and from Finsbury Park to Peckham. Expect an eclectic mix of workshops, seminars, displays and lectures on everything from how to make a bowl to designing for those with neurodivergence. There is something for everyone, all delivered with a typical sense of art-school cool. Visit the website here

London Film Festival

7–18 October

Rupert Murdoch’s early career on Fleet Street is explored in Ink, new from Danny Boyle and one of hundreds of films premiering at this year’s London Film Festival. Elsewhere, the capitalist takedown and absurdist crime comedy I Love Boosters follows a group of shoplifters. Opening gala Elsinore is a biopic of actor Ian Charleson, who played Hamlet in the months before he passed away aged 39. You can book tickets to dozens more films, attend Q+As with A-list actors, or take in immersive experiences around the capital. Run by the BFI, the festival has long served as a launchpad for films heading into the autumn awards season. Tickets go on sale from 17 September; galas cost £40. Visit the website here

The Happy Minds Clinic

16–18 September

Beryl Flynn’s new play The Happy Minds Clinic comes to Greenwich Theatre for three performances later this month. Billed as a dark comedy set behind the doors of an exclusive private psychotherapy clinic, it blends dark comedy, psychological drama and workplace satire, taking aim at toxic workplace culture, professional power and obsession. Visit the website here

Bayeux Tapestry in London

From 10 September

Excitement is at fever pitch for this incredibly old piece of wool yarn to arrive in the capital. For the last 949 years, the seventy-metre-long medieval artwork has been based at the Bayeux Tapestry Museum in Normandy, France, but it will reside at the British Museum until July 2027. The piece retells the story of the events leading up to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, and its London showing marks a rare chance to see it outside France. Demand is expected to be high, so check booking arrangements early. Visit the website here

Open House London

12–20 September

Poke around some of the capital’s most impressive buildings as part of Open House London, which provides temporary access to places typically closed to the public. The annual event, coordinated by Open City, has run since 1992 and typically attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors, with entry free of charge though some sites require pre-booking. Unusual buildings available for tours this year include the top floor of the revolving BT Tower; the iconic ‘inside-out’ Lloyd’s Building in the Square Mile, with its exposed metalwork; and the Kilmorey Mausoleum in Twickenham, an Egyptian-style tomb decorated with eccentric design styles. Visit the website here

Underbelly Boulevard Soho’s ‘Fringe Fix’

Throughout September

If you failed to make it up to Scotland this month, fear not: some of the best shows from the Edinburgh Fringe make their way to London this September. Underbelly Boulevard Soho’s ‘Fringe Fix’ offers a dedicated selection of shows from the Scottish capital. Highlights to catch include Never Let Go: An Unauthorised Retelling of James Cameron’s Titanic; CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation; and Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story. Visit the website here

Totally Thames

All month

Running in one form or another since 1997, this celebration of the capital’s great waterway takes place “on, beneath and along” the water, with events stretching the length of the river from Hampton Court to Dartford Crossing. Organised by the Thames Festival Trust, this year’s programme includes the Turning the Tide riverside photography exhibition at Peter’s Hill near St Paul’s Cathedral; the Sing for Water event uniting over 40 choirs in the Oxo Tower Courtyard; and an orchestral performance of Handel’s Water Music at Bexley near Abbey Wood. Visit the website here

Brick Lane Curry Festival

20 September

This celebration of the food, culture and communities of Brick Lane will see live music, dance and puppetry take to the famous cobbles. The street has long been associated with London’s Bangladeshi community and its curry houses, making the festival as much a neighbourhood celebration as a food event. Alongside the entertainment, which runs from noon until 7pm, participating curry houses will offer speciality regional dishes. During the day, visitors can also try saree draping, join dance workshops, and hear Bollywood brass bands and dhol drummers. Visit the website here

Elektra/Persona

Until 10 October

You have seen those viral clips of her cycling out of the National Theatre stage door on her fancy Brompton bike – now you can see her on the actual stage. Hollywood legend Cate Blanchett returns to London theatre this month in Elektra/Persona, a modern piece of writing conjoining the ancient Greek myth of Elektra with Ingmar Bergman’s 1966 psychological thriller Persona. The first act, Elektra, follows a woman’s grief after the death of her father, while the second act, Persona, is inspired by Bergman’s film, in which an actor goes mute mid-performance. With a limited run, tickets for star vehicles like this tend to sell quickly. Visit the website here