Things To Do In London This Weekend: 4-5 October 2025

All weekend

MORE THAN HUMAN: The More than Human exhibition at Design Museum explores how design can assist our planet alongside other living beings. It features over 140 works by more than 50 international artists, architects and designers, including a monumental seaweed installation and artworks aimed at octopuses. This weekend is your last chance to see it. Until 5 October

CORNWALLIS CLOTH: The Old Royal Naval College screens new film installation Cornwallis Cloth, commissioned by the Imperial War Museum and using oral testimony to uncover the untold stories of British Caribbean lives during the Second World War. The 20-minute film is set in Barbados in 1942, centring around Mrs Bonita Skeete (aka Bonny), a Black woman whose story is a metaphor for British Caribbean civil rights during the conflict. From 4 October

THE FUTURE WAS THEN: Bloomsbury's Cartoon Museum opens its new exhibition, The Future Was Then, on Saturday, looking at how original comic art has depicted the future of the human race from 1990 to 4000 AD. Original work from futuristic worlds such as Tank Girl, Judge Dredd, Black Mirror, Buck Rogers and Thunderbirds features, among 80 pages of original comic art. 4 October-21 March

LAMBETH FRINGE: A kid's bubble show, a sultry Nigella Lawson-inspired performance, steampunk storytelling and live comedy from Improv Wolves are just some of the options on the extensive Lambeth Fringe programme this weekend. Until 25 October

MONTH OF THE DEAD: Macabre festival Month of the Dead is now under way — although it's proved SCARILY popular this year, with many events now sold out. At time of writing, however, there are still spaces on Taming the Beast: An Animal Phobia Workshop, taking place on Saturday. Until 2 November

OKTOBERFEST: Raise a stein to Oktoberfest, the Bavarian beer festival which has more than made itself at home here in London. Various festivals and parties take place through October, packed with oopmah bands, bratwurst, and the all-important suds. Pour yourself a cold one and peruse our Oktoberfest events guide to see what's on this weekend.

THE DELUSION: A new video game commission and multiplayer immersive experience is the latest free exhibition at Serpentine North Gallery. Artist Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley explores themes of polarisation, censorship and social connection in The Delusion, which invites visitors into a post-apocalyptic world. In this imagined future, society has broken into factions, each clinging to its own version of truth, providing a space for players to pause, discuss and reconnect. FREE, 30 September-18 January

AUTUMN WALKS: Start your October with a wholesome stroll. We've shared seven of our favourite autumnal walking routes in London, taking you through Royal Parks, cemeteries and botanical gardens in search of London's finest red and orange hues.

Saturday 4 October

WILDLIFE ART: Wildlife artist Hannah Shergold displays her latest collection in a free exhibition at Mall Galleries, and today's your last chance to see it. 30 new works, including depictions of British and African wildlife, domestic animals and portraiture feature in the show. Perhaps unexpectedly, so does her portrait of musician Ronnie Wood. Well, he is an ambassador for conservation charity Tusk. FREE, 10am-5pm

BEATLES PHOTOS: Today is also your last opportunity to see Rearview Mirror: Liverpool–London–Paris, a free exhibition of photos taken by Paul McCartney at the height of Beatlemania. See the Fab Four's rise to fame and fortune through McCartney's lens, in candid photos snapped in 1963-4, including backstage shots taken before gigs. It's at Gagosian Davies Street in Mayfair. FREE, 10am-6pm

JEWELLERY MARKET: 100+ established and emerging international jewellery artists and designers show and sell their work at the Independent Jewellers' Market, which returns to Copeland Park in Peckham. Browse for yourself, treat someone special or — dare we say it — make a start on your Christmas shopping. 11am-5pm

FREE FILM FESTIVAL: Moana 2, Sunset Boulevard and Little Shop of Horrors are the movies being shown on the final day of Streatham Free Film Festival. St Peter's Church and St Margaret the Queen Church host the free screenings. FREE, 11am/2pm/7pm

BEER MILE HARVEST FESTIVAL: Walthamstow's Blackhorse Beer Mile will use any excuse for a party, and today that takes the form of harvest festival celebrations. It's family-friendly until 7pm (18+ after that), with performances from the Blackhorse & Standard North West Morris Dancers, plus a live band and DJ, and a pop-up food donation and fundraising point in support of local food bank Eat or Heat. 12pm-1am

BLACK BRITISH FOLK TAKEOVER: The Black British Folk Revival is a day-long festival featuring traditional folk sounds, modern British music inspired by folk traditions, a live conversation on African diasporic identities and much more. Guest curator Angeline Morrison and friends take over Cecil Sharp House with music from Angeline Morrison & Mataio Austin Dean, Zakia Sewell, Germa Adan, Bethany Weimers and others. 1.25pm-10.30pm

GREAT ALIEN HUNT: Take the kids along to the Royal Institution for a great alien hunt. Astronomer and author Matt Bothwell leads the way, as you search for life across the Galaxy, considering topics such as what aliens look like, what's the worst holiday destination in the universe — and whether there could be another Earth out there. 2.30pm-3.45pm

ARDAL O'HANLON: Irish comedian and actor Ardal O'Hanlon takes to the stage at Alexandra Palace, performing his current show Not Himself. In his own inimitable style, he reflects on who he is as a man and a comedian. 7pm

DANCE LIKE NOBODY'S WATCHING: Paraorchestra — consisting of professional disabled and non-disabled musicians — performs the London premiere of Dance Like Nobody's Watching, a programme of work by Arnold Schönberg, Gustav Mahler and Johann Strauss II. It's inspired by the Society for Private Musical Performance, the underground and utopian club Schönberg founded in 1918 in Vienna, to promote contemporary music. It's on at Southbank Centre.7pm

CHAPEL COMEDY: This month's Live at the Chapel comedy night at Islington's Union Chapel is led by comedian Nish Kumar, with Tim Key, Ele McKenzie, Bridget Christie and Esther Manito also on the bill. 7.45pm

ARMAND VAN HELDEN: Legendary nightclub Ministry of Sound celebrates its 34th birthday with a dance night spread across four rooms. Armand Van Helden headlines, with Olive F, Paisley Jensen and others also taking to the decks. 10.30pm

Sunday 5 October

ANTIQUES FAIR: It's the time of the month when the Adams Antique Fair pitches up at the Royal Horticultural Halls in Westminster, bringing together 130+ traders from across Europe selling all manner of vintage goodies. 10am-4.30pm

APPLE DAY: Fulham Palace celebrates the orchard harvest with its annual Apple Day, a family-friendly event featuring market stalls, a tombola, a baking contest, garden games, storytelling, children's crafts and other activities. 11am-4pm

KOREAN THANKSGIVING: London Good News Church in Hanwell hosts a Korean Thanksgiving Festival, featuring authentic Korean grub, traditional games (some recognisable from Squid Game, yet 100% more family-friendly) and cultural activities such as hanbok dress-up. 11am-5pm

CERAMICS MARKET: Support independent artists and makers while brightening up your home at the ceramics market at Copeland Park in Peckham. Cups, vases, sculptures and more are available from 150 established and emerging artists. 11am-5pm

NFL TAILGATE PARTY: Today the first of three NFL in London games takes place, with Cleveland Browns taking on Minnesota Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. If you didn't get match tickets, get in on the action at the tailgate party at Between the Bridges, which screens the action American-style, with food, drinks, live DJs and team colours flying. 12pm-11pm

THE PARENT TRAP: Rooftop Film Club Peckham screens 1998 family film The Parent Trap, starring Lindsey Lohan as twins who were separated at birth and taken to live on different sides of the Atlantic, unaware of each other's existence. 5pm

BEAT THIS!: Musical comedian Rob Deering hosts Beat This! a quizzy evening of mash-ups, megamixes and mayhem at the Mildmay Club, in which four guests battle it out to win Rob's pop quiz. You, the audience, play a major part in the proceedings too — all those years accruing 'useless' pop knowledge are about to pay off... 5.30pm-9.30pm

SUNDAY CONCERT: Today's Sunday Concert at Conway Hall in Holborn spotlights the Adderbury Ensemble, performing quartets by Beethoven and Dvořák alongside original arrangements by the Danish String Quartet. 6.30pm-8.30pm

GILBERT & GEORGE: Ahead of their highly-anticipated exhibition opening next week, artistic duo Gilbert & George join forces with the Philharmonia Orchestra for a special concert. Their images are projected onto a large screen, along with interview footage filmed at their home in Spitalfields, while the Philharmonia performs symphonic music exploring the themes of sex, money, race and religion. 7pm

OUTLAW ORCHESTRA: End your week on a lively note, as the Outlaw Orchestra — described as "the love child of Motorhead and Johnny Cash" — host a night of raucous rock and roll music at the Fiddler's Elbow in Camden. They're joined by blues rock/hard rock band Ross Harding & The Dark Hearts. 7pm