September is when London’s season of art and design festivals really kicks into gear. There’s London Design Festival and Open House Festival (then in October, Frieze) plus a host of excellent exhibitions and art fairs to explore. You’ll also spot London’s style set as they check out the runways at London Fashion Week, running from September 17 to 21. This month, you’ll also find plenty of food events (including a whole three days dedicated to Southeast Asian cuisine), and the last of the big outdoor music festivals. These are Broadsheet’s top picks.
Thursday Lates at the V&A East Museum
Given that V&A South Kensington was a pioneer of the now-ubiquitous trend of museum lates events, it’s not a surprise that its newly opened Stratford sister, V&A East Museum, has launched its own series. Every Thursday until the end of September, the museum will stay open until 10pm and host DJ residencies, pop-up bars and after-hours exhibition access. There’ll also be talks from acclaimed artists, access to the top-floor terrace with sweeping city views, and food and drink at the onsite Cafe Jikoni.
Until September 24; vam.ac.uk
The Story
Bafta-winning actor Letitia Wright (Black Panther) stars alongside Ashley Thomas (Hostage), Lorraine Toussaint (Orange is the New Black) and Wilf Scolding (Cabaret) in the National Theatre’s gripping new production of Tracey Scott Wilson’s 2003 newsroom thriller. The Story follows four journalists racing to cover the story of the murder of a white teacher in a black neighbourhood.
August 27–October 24; nationaltheatre.org.uk
Frida: The Making of an Icon
Don’t leave it to the last minute to catch this stunning exploration of the life, work and impact of Frida Kahlo. Rather than simply following her life chronologically, the exhibition delves into the Mexican artist’s many “selves”: boundary-pushing artist, intellectual, political activist and wife. Visitors can get up close to more than 30 of her works, plus over 200 pieces by her contemporaries and those she inspires. The final section of the show explores “Fridamania”, encompassing her immense fanbase and the continued use of her art and image in commercial objects.
Until January 3, 2027. tate.org.uk
Tartuffe (Remixed)
The Oscar- and Olivier Award-winning actor Mark Rylance will take to the Marylebone Theatre stage to star as Pastor Blake in a seven-week season of Tartuffe (Remixed), an adaptation of French playwright Molière’s 17th-century comedy. Written and directed by Darren Raymond, the production transposes the story to a contemporary Nigerian Jamaican family and blends comedy with spoken word and rhyming verse.
September 4–October 24. marylebonetheatre.com
London Design Festival
Immersive sound installations, eye-popping light sculptures, major artist retrospectives and more will form the 24th edition of the London Design Festival. Bringing both emerging designers and industry-leading studios to the fore, the programme’s highlights include an audiovisual installation and light sculpture at St Paul’s Cathedral; an installation at the Barbican by homewares brand Made; a Somerset House exhibition bringing together Chinese and international artists exploring traditional craftsmanship reimagined for contemporary life; and Awakenings, a series of works at the V&A delving into the creative and destructive potential of AI.
September 12–20. londondesignfestival.com
Celebrasia
Taste your way across Southeast Asia at Battersea Power Station’s annual festival. There’ll be more than 50 stalls selling sauces, spices, accessories, artworks and more, and food stalls by some of London’s most exciting Southeast Asian chefs. Abby Lee from Clapton favourite Mambow will serve up some of her signature dishes, including her Hainanese Chicken Sando; plus there will be stalls by Roti King, Rice Bandits, Old Chang Kee and more. Hear from leading chefs at the Feast & Flavour panel, where Lee will be joined by Budgie Montoya (Cafe Kowloon) and John Chantarasak (Anglothai), and stick around for DJ sets and live music.
September 11–13. @batterseapwrstn
Open House Festival
No matter how long you’ve lived in London, there are countless stories still to discover – and a wonderful way to hear more of them is Open House Festival. This annual architecture-focused event runs walking tours through London’s most fascinating neighbourhoods and buildings. Explore the Golden Lane and Barbican estates while hearing about the bold modernist vision of their creators; take a boat ride along the River Thames as you hear from prominent architect Benedict O’Looney about key buildings on London’s embankments; and delve into centuries-long history of London’s sewers, from Bazalgette’s Victorian masterpiece to today’s Tideway “Super Sewer”.
September 12–26. open-city.org.uk
Soho Jazz Festival
While this grassroots jazz festival – returning for its 40th year – boasts more than 100 artists on the programme across over 30 shows, its organisers still prioritise making each gig feel as intimate as possible. Beloved jazz venues including Ronnie Scott’s, Piano Bar Soho and Cafe Boheme will host everything from swing, latin and blues to new-wave jazz.
September 16–19; soho.live
Chelsea Arts Festival
Back for its second year, the Chelsea Arts Festival celebrates the west London neighbourhood’s literary and artistic heritage with talks by the likes of Bernardine Evaristo and Celia Imrie; stand-up comedy by Sarah Keyworth and Tom Davis; a Friday Late at Saatchi Gallery celebrating 50 years since punk exploded on the King’s Road; and a Saturday of free outdoor entertainment across Sloane Square and beyond.
September 16–20. chelseaartsfestival.com
London Oyster Championships
Stanley Tucci will sit on the judging panel alongside Quo Vadis’s Jeremy Lee at the fourth annual event hosted at Richard Corrigan’s celebrated seafood restaurant, Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill. Leading restaurants including Bouchon Racine, The Sea, The Sea and The Suffolk will compete in categories such as Best Dressed Oyster and the Speed Shucking Oyster Open.
September 18. londonoysterchampionships.
Brick Lane Curry Festival
Shoreditch’s Brick Lane is synonymous with curry houses, and for one day, the entire street will become a lively street festival complete with dance performances, live music, street-side stalls serving food from east London’s Bangladeshi community, chef demonstrations and more. At midday, a procession (featuring Chinese lion dance performers, Bollywood dancers and giant puppets) will wind its way through Brick Lane. The festival stage will buzz with performances by the likes of Bengali British music stars Nish, Mumzy and Khiyo.
September 20; eventbrite.co.uk
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
It’s been nearly a decade since Edward Albee’s masterful 1962 play was on the West End, and this production – starring Gillian Anderson and Billy Crudup and directed by the great Marianne Elliot (War Horse, Angels in America) – is set to be explosive.
September 21–December 19; sohoplace.org
The British Art Fair
The Saatchi Gallery will host the UK’s only fair dedicated exclusively to modern and contemporary British art. More than 70 galleries will present work at the fair; visitors can browse works by big-name artists like Tracey Emin, Barbara Hepworth, LS Lowry and David Hockney, and discover newer contemporary artists.
September 24–27. britishartfair.co.uk
Vision Festival
As the name suggests, the inaugural festival held at new King’s Cross venue Town Hall by Bottaccio is about bold new ideas (as well as unexpected nights out). In addition to a special live edition of Deborah Frances-White’s popular podcast The Guilty Feminist, a highlight is set to be Offscript Summit, a full-day series of talks by creatives and entrepreneurs that seeks to offer an alternative to the doom-and-gloom narrative around the impact of AI. The festival culminates with Backgammon & Wax, a backgammon tournament hosted by Doc Brown that anyone is invited to register for.
September 25–27; visionfestival.co.uk
