It’s always a bit sad when we say goodbye to summer - we’ll miss the barbeques, festivals and nice weather (until next year). Thankfully, London is arguably at its prettiest in Autumn - and there’s plenty to see and do from September through to Christmas. Make the most of the red crunchy leaves in our glorious parks, explore London’s museums and visit the exciting events Autumn has on offer:
Food and drink: Oktoberfest
It’s not just the Germans who celebrate Bavarian beer and culture - London sees plenty of revellers attend its many Oktoberfest festivals. The biggest one has to be Oktoberfest London in Canary Wharf’s Millwall Park, which sees over 50,000 people attend every year. Enjoy bavarian beer as well as traditional German food such as bratwurst and schnitzel.
There’s also plenty of alternative festivals, including the mega-popular Oktoberfest East at Oval Space in Bethnal Green. For £75 per person, you can enjoy a 3-course ‘Bavarian feast’ and as many beers as you like!
September 29 - October 9
Canary Wharf, Bethnal Green, multiple locations
Get spooky: Halloween
We might not take Halloween as seriously as our friends in the US, but Londoners still like to dress up and be scared witless. There’s plenty of events to choose from - nightclub events, theatre shows and immersive experiences bring plenty of visitors to the city.
Halloween Zombie Pub Crawl is pretty self-explanatory - dress up as a zombie and you might even win a prize. Tickets are £25, which gets you into five bars and four free drinks. You might also want to visit London’s most famous scary attraction - The London Dungeons, which brings to life London’s most gruesome and horrible historic events. It’s really somewhere you have to visit once, and probably never go back to.
October 31
Central London, multiple locations
Free and fun: London’s Parks
Autumn is arguably the prettiest time to visit London’s famous parks - our favourites include inner-city peaceful spot Victoria Park in Hackney, and the beautiful Richmond Park, famous for its friendly deer population.
If you’re brave enough, there’s plenty of outdoor lidos in London to enjoy before we fully enter into winter. The summer season at Tooting Bec Lido ends on September 30, so there’s still time to take an outdoor dip.
Year-round
Hackney, Richmond, Tooting, multiple locations
Nerd out: London Comic-Con
The UK’s biggest pop-culture convention returns to the Excel this year, which attracts hardcore cosplayers, film and TV fans who hope to meet their idols, and comic and videogame fans who come for the memorabilia and huge exhibitions.
This year’s highlights include ‘The EuroCosplay Championship Final’ - where each country submits their best impersonator - expect lots of zombies, pokemon, and superheroes, as well as cult TV figures.
October 28 - 30
Excel, Royal Victoria Docks E16
Get cultured: Turner Prize
Never one to shy from controversy and debate, the Turner Prize returns this year to Tate Britain for the most prestigious annual art prize. Past winners include much-discussed artist Damien Hirst, Grayson Perry and Steve McQueen, all of whom have enjoyed widely-recognised success since winning.
The work of this year’s four shortlisted artists can be viewed for a £12 entry fee, and the exhibition is running all the way through Autumn and Winter, into early January.
Tate Britain, Millbank, SW1P
September 27- January 8 2017