It's somehow September again but never fear, London's putting on a last flurry of events, activities and happenings before the nights draw in and we're all invited. Here's my weekend-by-weekend guide to free September delights.
All month
» Totally Thames (Sep 1-Oct 1): Once again a whole month of river-focused events, many of them ticketed, ranging from art to walks to virtual talks to boat trips to a few exhibition boards dumped in a park. This year's festival features weekend hubs, sequentially #1 Brentford, #2 Royal Docks, #3 London Bridge, #4 Greenwich, #5 Kingston. Thankfully the website's events section is easier to scroll through these days.
» Lambeth Heritage Festival (Sep 1-30): Dozens of free talks, guided walks and openings across the borough (plus a proper week-by-week brochure to flick through, bliss). Hats off to whoever organises this every year.
Weekend 1: September 2/3
» Greenwich+Docklands International Festival (25 Aug - 10 Sep): This significant splurge of spectacular performances is better balanced between Greenwich and Docklands these days. This weekend you can enjoy aerial dance on the front of St Paul's Cathedral (very much neither G nor D) and watch robotic swans or rooftop cavorting in the Royal Docks. GDIF ends next weekend with Canary Wharf's annual day of dance and stilted poetry in North Greenwich.
» Bartholomew Fair (31 Aug - 16 Sep): The City of London has resurrected a longstanding Smithfield tradition (though not in the right location, much longer than previously and not overlapping with the correct day). Expect roaming street performers aplenty. This weekend's market is at Paternoster Square.
» Leytonstone Festival (Sat, Sun): Local performers - mostly actors and musicians - perform across E11 across the next week. The opening event is at St John's church this afternoon.
» Liberty Festival (Sat, Sun): Croydon hosts the annual artsfest celebrating deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists because it's this year's Borough of Culture.
» Lambeth Local History Fair (Sat, from 10.00): A coming-together of local societies, heritage organisations, friends groups and local history publishers at West Norwood Library. Includes short films and guided walks.
» Black on the Square (Sat, from 12): the Mayor's latest culturally-themed Trafalgar Square takeover, new for 2023.
» Camberwell Fair (Sat, 12-8.30): Back again this year, a buzzing mix of street food and live music on Camberwell Green.
» Thames Barrier Closure (Sun, from 10.10): Annual all-day maintenance closure. All the gates will be closed from 11.55 to 14.30, at which point underspill begins. Come and see water piled up on one side only (while it's only a practice).
» Angel Canal Festival (Sun, 11-4): Waterside gaiety beside City Road Lock, now in its fourth decade. Expect the Mayor of Islington to arrive by narrowboat.
» Brentford Festival (Sun, 12-6): Live tunes, stalls, vintage vehicles and the obligatory dog show in Blondin Park W5.
Weekend 2: September 9/10
» Open House London (this weekend and next): The grand-daddy of architectural festivals, with hundreds of weird and wonderful buildings throwing open their doors across the capital, once again for two weekends. The online calendar currently includes 694 properties, 449 of which are "just turn up". It's a bit more central-London-centric this year (3 in Havering but 65 in Westminster), although I always think the outer boroughs have some of the genuine treasures. It's possible to search by date, borough, event type and map location and also to filter out all the events that needed pre-booking. Less practically you can only see what's fully booked if you set up an account. As ever there's far too much to choose from, but if you need inspiration here are my reports from 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022. Be there or regret it for the subsequent 51 weeks.
» Heritage Open Days (Fri - next Sun): Once again two weekends when hundreds of buildings that aren't usually open are open. Most are outside London but 76 are in the capital, including sculpturetastic Dorich House, E3's House Mill and tours of Dulwich's British Vintage Wireless and Television Museum.
» Erith Made (Sat, Sun): Erith again attempts to whip up community spirit with an extensive selection of events. They have yet to upload the programme to their website, but it has just made it to Facebook so fingers crossed.
» St Katharine Docks Classic Boat Festival (Sat, Sun): Annual gathering of small boats near Tower Bridge, with dockside entertainment and opportunities to go on board.
» Markfield Road Festival (Sat, Sun): Art, DJs and more, spilling out into the street up N15 way.
» Scadbury Open Weekend (Sat, Sun, 2-4.30): Archaeological excavations at the moated medieval manor house near the Sidcup bypass. I went last year and I enjoyed.
» Mitcham Heritage Day (Sat, 10-4.30): Several buildings around the conservation area will be open including The Canons, the parish church belltower and the cricket pavilion. I went in 2018 and can recommend. Part of Wandle Fortnight.
» The Great River Race (Sat from 11.30): 300 craft engage in a spectacular paddle up the Thames from Docklands to Richmond.
» Croxfest (Sat from noon): OK, so this one's not quite in London, but where else are you going to hear Thee Mighty Saint Pancras, My Name Is Jeff and The Peppered Aces other than on the Green in Croxley?
Weekend 3: September 16/17
» Open House London: Weekend two
» Heritage Open Days Weekend two
» London Design Festival (continues next weekend): Hundreds of design-er events, many aimed at "the trade" but others more public-focused. The online programme is often impenetrable and this year's is even more diffuse than usual, so I have already waved the white flag and surrendered.
» Hampton Court Open Gardens (Sat, Sun): One of half a dozen opportunities annually to explore the palace's historic grounds for free.
» Peckham Festival (Sat, Sun): Since 2016 a celebration of creative Peckham, with food amidst the art, music and fashion.
» Route 38 Heritage Event (Sat, 10-5): Free vintage bus rides along route 38, and not just for People Who Like Buses.
» Royal Wharf Summer Fete (Sat, 10-6): Newham's newest neighbourhood attempts festival vibe placemaking to help make residents feel a bit more at home.
» Bermondsey Street Festival (Sat, 11-7): A designery "village fête", plus the obligatory dog show, plus curated live music, plus food and stalls.
» Thames Tidefest (Sun, 9.30-5.30): River-based activities scattered between Brentford and Chiswick, with a particular marquee-focus at Strand-on-the-Green, W4.
» Hackney Carnival (Sun, 12-7): Downgraded this year from a full-on street bash to a few sound systems in Hackney Wick.
Weekend 4: September 23/24
» Deptford X (Sat - next Sun): Celebrating 25 years of London's longest-running visual arts festival.
» Woolmen’s Sheep Drive and Wool Fair (Sun, 10-4): The celeb leading this year's first tranche over Southwark Bridge is 'top chef Richard Corrigan', which is a bit of a step down after previous shepherdesses Mary Berry and Kate Humble. Come too for wool-related trade stalls, lamb burgers and a bar on a bus.
» Chiswick House Dog Show (Sun, 11-4.15): Celebrity judges give the hounds of W4 the runaround. This year's theme is '60 years of Dogtor Who'.
» Pearly Kings and Queens Harvest Festival (Sun, 1.30): Cockney royalty offers live entertainment in Guildhall Yard.
Weekend 5: September 30/October 1
» Meet Me in Marylebone (Sat, 12-6): Unashamedly consumptionist street closure on Marylebone Lane featuring alfresco refreshments and commercial activations
» Japan Matsuri (Sun, 10-8): After a pandemic lull, Trafalgar Square once again hosts a day of all things Japanese, including mass drumming, kendo, anime, okonomiyaki and an appearance by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.
» Something Else Probably (maybe): I'm still looking, but there must be something.
