Top London Events for September 2018

September is an eclectic mix of boat races, art events and Japanese culture—all to be enjoyed in the fantastic city of London.

Whether you like to go paddle-boarding and litter-picking, attend a R.A.P party on a boat, admire artwork in East London or check out the latest wheels, in this list of London September events, there’s something for everyone.

Spin – The Cycling Festival | Rotherhithe

A huge festival for cyclists, this event will have over 100 road, urban and lifestyle exhibitors showing their best bikes and accessories. There will be workshops on frame building, stalls to browse and talks from compaigners and experts as well.

Totally Thames Festival | Wapping

Art on the riverbanks as well as in the water, this annual event spans the length of the Thames for a full month. Highlights include a pop-up museum, a Rivers of the World exhibition, a R.A.P party on a boat, concerts in subterranean Victorian spaces and animated films. The boat race on the 8th is a big part of the festival too.

The Great River Race | From the Docklands to Richmond

The oldest boat race in the world, this event is a semi-competitive race between the London Docklands and Richmond. You can get a good view from any of the brigdes in between and it starts at 12.45pm. The race is part of a month-long festival listed above above!

Greenwich Comedy Festival | Greenwich

The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich is the annual host for this comedy-packed few days in the city. The line-up features some great names including Nish Kumar, Henning Wehn, Tim Key, Shappi Khorsandi, Reginald D. Hunter, Russell Howard, Adam Buxton and Aisling Bea. Try to get your tickets early – they cover a night which includes 4 different comedians – so choose wisely!

London Design Festival | Various locations

A city-wide festival exhibiting the best of London’s design community, there will be installations at a variety of popular spots including Trafalgar Square and the V&A. Landmark projects are some of the highlights and can be seen Fortnum and Mason and Liverpool Street Station among others.

Acton Depot Open Weekend: Moving London | Acton

The third and final of this year’s open weekends, this event will focus on the engineering feats of transport in London. You can learn about the past, present and future of transport with talks, tours and presentations as well as plenty of activities for kids.

Open House London | Various Locations

Making the bold claim of being the biggest architectural festival in the world, this festival sees over 800 buildings opening their doors. Usually closed, the buildings all offer a different insight into the architectural history of the capital with tours and talks offered too.

Great Gorilla Run | Tower Hill

A name which manages to describe the event perfectly while not explaining it at all, this is actually one of London’s biggest conservation events of the year. Held to raise awareness of the critically endangered gorillas, you can walk or run the 8km race if you pay your £60.00 entry fee, which includes your own gorilla suit. Aiming to create a Planet of the Apes style scene, it will be good to watch, but be sure to have some cash handy for the charities!

Japan Matsuri Festival | Charing Cross

Bringing a slice of Tokyo to the center of London, this festival delivers music, martial arts demonstrations and of course plenty of delicious food. There will be a chance to make your mark on a huge scroll which will be delivered to the National Gallery and compete in the karaoke festival.

Catford Arts Trail | Catford

An arts trail in the south east of London,this event features over 100 artists and over 50 venues to explore. The event supports local artists and you’ll have the opportunity to participate as well as admire with activities, classes, ceramic workshops, group events and more—although not all are free so check in advance.

Last chance events

Skylight Summer Opening  |  Until Sept 16th  |   Wapping

Underbelly Festival  |  Until Sept 30th  |  South Bank

Midnight Apothecary | Until Sept 30th | Rotherhithe

Ongoing Events

Summer Season at Shakespeare’s Globe | Until Oct 10th | South Bank

Brixton Windmill Open Days | Until Oct 14th | Brixton

Deptford Market Yard  |  Until December 22nd  |  Deptford

Votes for Women Centenary Exhibition | Until Jan 9th 2019 | Barbican

Poster Women: A Century of Art and Design  |  Until Jan 2019  |  Covent Garden 

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