The Notting Hill Carnival has been over and done with for a while now, and for plenty of Londoners, the end of the summer bank holiday weekend can be tough to get over. Thankfully, however, there’s always enough going on in and around the city and the boroughs to keep you occupied until the fireworks for 2026.
At the time of writing, September is well underway, meaning that we’re largely focusing on October and November for this guide. That way, you have plenty of time to plan your calendar and grab tickets for any festivals, talks or tours that appeal to you.
Below, we take a quick look at some of the most exciting and culturally intriguing events unfolding around London and beyond as autumn gives way to winter.
Take in a movie or two at the BFI London Film Festival
Cinema buffs will certainly want to make a beeline for the BFI London Film Festival this October, with the 69th edition offering an 11-day event covering movies of all genres and themes from 8th through to 19th.
If you enjoy more than the odd blockbuster and want to take in challenging, experimental media and immersive presentations, the BFI is absolutely the place to be during mid-autumn. This year’s event will cover art installations, novel adaptations, artist portraits and more besides.
More than just a quick trip to the cinema, the film festival has gained a reputation among Londoners as being your best front-row seat to enjoy some of the most creative filmmaking output of the year.
Critically acclaimed films that appeared at the 2024 festival included The Room Next Door, Pepe, Queer, Hard Truths and Anora.
Black History Month tours and exhibitions
London will be marking Black History Month this October with walks, tours, exhibitions and displays, with both the London Museum Docklands and the Horniman Museum offering insights into the slave trade and Nigerian heritage and independence, respectively.
For an in-depth, interactive analysis of Black culture in and around the city, Black History Walks offers guided tours across London’s streets. In fact, the organisation will be offering helicopter, train and canalside tours this year.
Although October is officially designated as Black History Month, there are lessons we can all learn from history all year round. That said, London takes a particular deep dive into Black culture in the autumn, meaning that there’s usually a lot to explore and learn.
The EFG Jazz Festival comes to town
London is no stranger to jazz, and there are plenty of opportunities for you to listen to some live music this autumn. However, the famed EFG Jazz Festival is certainly one to watch this year, with the likes of the legendary Dee Dee Bridgewater taking centre stage on 15th November. In fact, if jazz is your thing, you might want to stick around for the full roster of acts heading to arts venues from 14th to 23rd November across the city.
There’s more than just live music to dive into though. The festival will be serving up workshops and live talks to help welcome new ears to the genre, and to enlighten those who have already collected more than a few albums of their own over the years.
If you can’t get enough of jazz this November, there’s also the Dundee Jazz Festival taking place up in Scotland. And if you’re really keen to travel for your music, you might want to check out Spain’s Zaragoza Jazz Festival, which takes place from 14th to 23rd November.
Open up to London Literature Festival
Autumn is truly one of London’s most culture-packed seasons, with 2025’s Literature Festival opening up on 21st October and taking us all the way through to 2nd November.
This time around, the festival will showcase popular names and icons such as Malala Yousafzai, Zadie Smith, Jimi Famurewa, Simon Armitage, Travis Alabanza and Self Esteem. The latter, real name Rebecca Lucy Taylor, is the lead creator for this year’s events.
While the name of the festival might suggest that it should only be reserved for die-hard bookworms, there’s always plenty of poetry, music and mixed art on display here, making it a major cultural touchstone for anyone down on the South Bank.
The festival will be unfolding at the Southbank Centre around the end of October, meaning that there is still time to book tickets at the time of going to press.
