Unmissable Things To Do in London this October 2023

The dark nights are drawing in, and the clocks will soon be going back – which means you have a whole extra hour to make sure you do everything on our list of Unmissable Things To Do in London (and beyond) this October!

Young, Gifted & Black 2023 | Theatre Peckham | From 1 October

A fantastic season of young Black talent at the inspiring launchpad Theatre Peckham.

Dugsi Dayz | New Diorama Theatre | 3-14 October | From £14

‘The all female (presenting) cast bring heart, incredible performances and unstoppable energy to this fly-on-the-wall look at Islam, girl code and young people.’ Read our full review

All The Fraudulent Horse Girls | The Glory | 3 October | From £12

A theatrical celebration of weird kids everywhere.

RE/SISTERS: A Lens on Gender and Ecology | Barbican | From 5 October

Talks, workshops, music performances and guided tours explore the ‘systemic links between the oppression of women and the degradation of the planet’. Don’t miss a Deep Throat Choir exclusive performance.

Shorts On Tap: Serial Thrilla | Rich Mix | 5 October | £6

Lively horror and thriller shorts in Shoreditch.

Haven’t Stopped Dancing Yet! | Stanley Hall | 6 Oct | From £18

Get your dancing shoes on and head to Norwood Junction for a 70s/80s movie musical style wonderland.

Atlas Alternative Pop Up | Limehouse Town Hall | 8 October | £3

An unmissable new pancultural market and night out combined. Expect Limehouse Town Hall to be packed full of indepdentent alt traders, karaoke, food and drink plus dance and acting classes.

The Anarchist Bookfair 2023 | Whitechapel Gallery | 7 October | Multiple Venues

Six venues link up to peddle seditious literature and a little anarchy in the UK.

Melonade | Camden People’s Theatre | 10 & 11 October | From £8

A gameshow challenge to our government’s repressive, neurotypical education system.

The Flea | The Yard Theatre | From 11 October | From £10

Head to Hackney Wick for a subversive new show from ‘Ross & Rachel’ writer James Fritz.

Light Night Leeds | Multiple Locations | 12 & 13 October

Get the Flixbus up north to discover spectacular free arts events across Leeds’ beautiful city centre.

1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair | Somerset House | 13-15 October | £25

62 international exhibitors from over 31 African countries show off their eye-popping work.

Roundhouse Rising Festival x BBC Introducing Live | Roundhouse | 14 October | From £12.50

A daytime programme of live panels, performances & feedback sessions designed to empower aspiring music artists.

Apple Day | Woodlands Farm Trust | 15 October

Central London’s (yes, it may have a Dartford postcode but it’s in the borough of Greenwich) most gorgeous urban farm opens its gates to all for live music, cider, apples and a lovely pony named Bob.

Boy Parts | Soho Theatre | From 19 October | From £14

An intruiging psychological thriller telling the tale of Irina, who takes erotic photos of average looking men. Think Gone Girl, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and One Hour Photo. We loved Eliza Clark’s book – this could be just as amazing.

Can’t See for Looking | The Cockpit | From 18 October | £20

Opening on Anti-Slavery Day, this play from Carolyn Lloyd-Davies & Franchezka Cunanan – based on interviews with Filipina domestic workers rescued from modern slavery – highlights the prevalence of hidden slavery, and the reluctance to report it. Powerful stuff.

One Drop | Battersea Arts Centre | 19 & 20 October | £18

‘A speculative summoning, a decolonial dream, an autopsy of the Western stage and an operetta.’ If you need a better reason to head down to the BAC, you’re dead to us.

The Misty Moon International Film Festival | Cinema Museum | 21 October | FREE

The gala final of the Misty Moon International Film Festival sees gongs handed out by an estemed judging panel – but first, you get to see the shortlist of short films, and meet the filmmakers themselves.

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Britney Spears’ Crossroads | Clapham Picturehouse | 23 October | £10

In celebration of Britney Spears’ highly-anticipated memoir release, don’t miss the opportunity to catch Britney’s iconic Crossroads back on the big screen!

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McKenzie Wark & Lauren John Joseph: Love and Money, Sex and Death | London Review Bookshop | 24 October | £10

Mckenzie Wark discusses her recently-released book about about gender transition, communism, history, art, memory and the journey of self-discovery, with artost and writer Lauren John Joseph.

Pitchblack Playback: MGMT | Riverside Studios | 24 October | £13

Relive the late 00’s with this exclusive listening session (in the dark, for the full immersive experience) of MGMT’s debut album ORacular Spectacular, followed by their 2018 album Little Dark Age.

Desperate Times | Rich Mix | 24 & 25 October | £10

A new production from Side eYe (Dugsi Dayz), Amal Abdi’s debut play tells the story of Lucky, a young Somali teacher by day and petty thief by night.

Wordriver: Celebrating Ursula K Le Guin | Queen Elizabeth Hall | 25 October | £12

Celebrate the work of Ursula K Le Guin at this performative reading, marking the publication earlier in 2023 of Le Guin’s writings on feminism and gender, Space Crone.

Sputnik Sweetheart | Arcola Theatre | From 26 October | From £10

Haruki Murakami’s novel is adapted by Bryony Lavery, giving us this globetrotting detective love story exploration of loneliness.

The Cult of Beauty | Wellcome Collection | From 26 October | FREE

The new Wellcome exibition – running until the end of April 2024 – unpacks notions of beauty across time and cultures.

Ghosts of the Near Future | Barbican | 26-28 October | £18

Performance duo emma + pj promise to deliver a’n apocalyptic fever dream about extinction’, through music, storytelling, and live micro-cinema.

Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair | Woolwich Works | 26-29 October | £15

If contemporary print floats your boat, and you fancy adding some pretty things to your world, head down to Woolwich for a spot of high-brow shopping.

Black British Book Festival | Southbank Centre | 27 & 28 October

A showcase of the UK’s very best Black authors, this family festival champions emerging talent and offers an opportunity to discover your next favourite authors.

How To Catch A Pig 3 DAY SPOOKTACULAR | Matchstick Piehouse | 27-29 October | From £10

The outrageous punk scratch performance night stretches out for three spooky nights this Halloween, at London’s most welcoming and DIY venue, Matchstick Piehouse.

Diwali on the Square 2023 | Trafalgar Square | 29 October | FREE

Celebrate the Festival of Lights at this great free festival in Trafalgar Square, with live music and dance, workshops, food, and fun for all the family.

Maybe a Ghost Story | Wilton’s Music Hall | From 30 October | From £12

Spooky times at Wilton’s, as Daniel Kitson brings his funny and frightening seasonal show to our favourite music hall.

Brenda’s Got A Baby | New Diorama Theatre | From 31 October | From £16

A comedy about Black womanhood, motherhood, sisterhood and babyhood, from playwright Jessica Hagan and theatre company Nouveau Riche.

The Anti-Slam | Pleasance | 31 October | From £14

If there’s one sentence that can get us to a poetry night, it’s this: Worst Poet Wins! They say: “hilariously terrible, laugh-out-loud embarrassing, entertainingly cringe-worthy poetry so awful that it transcends quality”.

Did we forget something? We almost certainly did – please let us know in the comments below!