Unmissable Things To Do in London in September 2024

As summer waves goodbye, we say hello to a new season of cultural highlights! Pack the shorts and factor fifty away for next year, and dust off the opera glasses! Read on for our September list of Unmissable Things To Do in London (and beyond)!

Twine | The Yard | Until 21 September | From £10

A twisted tale of family and adoption, from inspiring theatre maker Selina Thompson.

Unlimited Festival | Southbank Centre | 4-8 September | From FREE

Dance, performance, comedy, music, poetry and visual art by disabled artists. Highlights – in addition to Martin O’Brien and Disco Neurotico, who are also in the September list – for us include:

• Touretteshero’s Biscuit Land Cabaret
• Maddie Morris – activist musician
• Elle Chante: Accessible Dreamscapes

Creekside Festival | Multiple Deptford Venues | 7 September | From £27.50

Affordable multi-venue music and art festival in our home town Deptford, somewhat gentrified but still outta control and independent music heaven.

Peckham & Nunhead Free Film Festival | Until 8 September | FREE

Free films galore in south London, including Halina Reijn’s whodunnit horror comedy Bodies Bodies Bodies (pictured above) on 14 September.

A Hole Is a Hole | London Performance Studios | 3 & 4 September | £15

Lily McMenamy’s performance against a mirrored backdrop is an unmissable ride through the multitude of expectactions of the female performer.

Water From Your Eyes + Ebbb | ICA | 3 September | £23.64

Violent, dark and fun music from Brooklyn’s duo brings experimental pop back to the ICA on the Mall.

Frank’s Closet | Wilton’s Music Hall | 3-14 September | From £14.50

Secret Victorian relic Wilton’s Music Hall hosts the incredible cabaret musical extravaganza, with the stunning Luke Farrugia channelling divas from days gone by.

SET Lewisham Open Studios | 5 September | FREE

SET is bringing unloved spaces and places to life, and this is a great chance to explore their art studios in the unlikely surroundings of a Lewisham retail park.

Martin O’Brien: An Ambulance to the Future | Southbank Centre | 6 September | From £10

Artist and professional zombie Martin O’Brien brings his boundary breaking work on death to Unlimited Festival.

Ugly Sisters | New Diorama Theatre | 6-20 September | £17

Feminist history is challenged via the trans gaze in this Edinburgh transfer of To Do List fave company piss / CARNATION.

The Bitten Peach | Underbelly Cavendish Square | 6-21 September | From £27.50

A tasty buffet of Asian Superqueeroes serving up drag, aerial, burlesque, Bollywood, music and silliness.

Loud Women Fest 2024 | Rich Mix | 7 September | From £6

Women take the festival stage for a day of punk smashing the patriarchy – with great tunes.

Disco Neurotico | Southbank Centre | 7 September | From £10

A disco for the neurospicy.

Step into the Metaverse | UEL Docklands | 11 September

Get the DLR to University of London’s mad campus next to City Airport and you might find some interesting projects on our Metaverse future.

The Dream of Being A Madame | Omnibus Theatre | 12-14 September | From £13

A haunting journey of two women in need of love.

Mermaid Chunky | MOTH Club | 13 September | £12.47

Art pop at its finest, Mermaid Chunky hurt your retinas and earholes in a good way.

Decolonise Festival | Signature Brew | 13-15 September | £11-44

An activist-led festival run and for punx of colour to challenge the status quo with music from the likes of the Decolonise Choir (pictured above) in Haggerston’s DIY haven Signature Brew.

The Miss Ellaneous Regret Gala | The Yard Theatre | 13 September | £13/10

A lucky dip of outrageous progressive performance themed around regret.

Black Eats Fest | Woolwich Works | 14-15 September | £13.20

Foodie heaven with divine delights from Africa, the Caribbean & beyond.

Line Dancing Party with the Double Dollys | Mildmay Club | 14 September | £15

Learn to line dance with BOGOF offer of the year, two Dolly Partons for the price of one. Epic fun.

SET Social Autumn Market | SET Social | 15 September | Free

SET Social are coming for a disused building near you. This is a nice chance to discover their Peckham social playground.

Le Gateau Chocolat presents Musicals Mayhem | Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre | 15 September | From £25

The original OTT global sensation LGC challenges you to not smile at this party in the park full of ear worms from the musicals.

Qudus Onikeku’s Re:INCARNATION | Queen Elizabeth Hall at Southbank Centre | 18-19 September | From £20

Colourful and celebrated QDance Company from Nigeria takes over Southbank Centre to reignite your autumn.

Your Disco Needs You – Fringe! | Genesis Cinema | 19 September | From £10.50

Fringe! festival is back and includes a night celebrating the queer nightlife scene including Romain Beck’s The Backstreet, a saucy look into Mile End’s former leather bar extraordinaire.

Lambeth Fringe | Various Venues in Lambeth | 19 September-20 October | From Free

Edinburgh Fringe too pricey? It was for us. Discover something new on your doorstep with this open-access fringe festival of comedy, music and theatre all over Lambeth.

Colin Hoult: Colin | Soho Theatre | 23-28 September | From £18

To Do List fave Anna Mann drags up as a man for their new comedy tackling fatherhood, mental health and funnier things.

Tituss Burgess – The Indecisive Warrior (an intimate London residency) | The Phoenix Arts Club | 30 September-13 October | From £30.80

Cult Netflix classic Unbreakable Kimmy Schmitt’s breakout star Tituss performs for an intimate London audience at our favourite cabaret dive.

ESEA Cultural Festival 2024 | Kingston Market Square | 7 September | FREE

Frank Chickens represent Japan, alongside artistic representatives from China, Hong Kong and Korea, at this fab Autumn Moon Festival of East and Southeast Asian heritage in Kingston.

Rita’s Sing Along Party | Little Nans Bars 2.0 | 13 September | FREE

Rita-Zeta Jones sings from the balcony of Pat’s Boudoir, with her magical sing-along party night of Musical Theatre hits, Camp Anthems, Pop Classics, Disney and Party Tunes!

Open House Festival | Multiple Venues | 14-22 September | FREE

The annual chance to snoop around behind (usually) closed doors returns! Including our favourite local organic farm, Sitopia (on the road to Welling). Explore some uncharted gems, or sneak a peak behind the scenes at some of London’s famous landmarks.

The Ivy House 11th Birthday Bash All-Dayer | The Ivy House | 21 September | From £10

Celebrate 11 years of community ownership at Nunhead’s The Ivy House, with an amazing line up of live music from across London.

Totally Thames Trust at Shipwright | The Master Shipwright’s House | 21 & 22 September | £25

Totally Thames festival presents a night of performances in the unique environment of The Master Shipwright’s House in Deptford.

SHOWGIRLS LIVE! | Rio Cinema | 26 September | From £15

Drag goddess Baby Lame returns to the Rio Cinema with outrageous camp classic SHOWGIRLS, like you’ve never experienced it before!

Did we forget any unmissable things to do in London? We almost certainly did – please let us know in the comments below or contact us!