A summary of interesting activities for UK travel in autumn from September to October
Although the summer vacation of 2024 has passed, the streets of London, England are still bustling in September, with various activities emerging one after another. Whether it is the fascinating architectural open day, the wonderful London Fashion Week, or the creative London Design Festival, they are showing the infinite charm of this city to tourists and citizens. From art exhibitions to science festivals, from film festivals to literary gatherings, this autumn London provides a rich and colorful cultural experience for everyone. Get ready to immerse yourself in this colorful season and discover the unique charm of London!
1. Thames Carnival
Totally Thames Festival
Event time: September 2024
Location: Along the Thames
Activity fee: Most activities are free
Official website: https://thamesfestivaltrust.org/artistic-programme/totally-thames/
(Image source: official website)
Thames Carnival is a unique and diverse arts and cultural event held every September on, under and on the banks of the River Thames, featuring pop-up performances, boating events, art installations, river clean-ups, live performances, talks, workshops and more.
The biggest event is the Great River Race from Tower Hamlets to Richmond (Saturday 21 September), where 330 crews from around the world will spend the morning speeding down the Thames in wooden rowing boats, many in fancy dress costumes.
2. Greenwich Comedy Festival
Greenwich Comedy Festival
Event time: September 11-15, 2024
Venue: Greenwich Park
Activity fee: charged by session
Official website: https://www.greenwichcomedyfestival.co.uk/
(Image source: official website)
Greenwich Comedy Festival, London's largest and longest-running comedy festival, returns to the iconic National Maritime Museum this September with a fantastic line-up of stand-up shows. See some of the best comedians of the moment, while tasting trendy selections of food in the pub and street food.
3. British Science Festival
British Science Festival
Event time: September 11-15, 2024
Location: East London and University of East London
Activity fee: Free
Official website: https://britishsciencefestival.org/
(Image source: official website)
The British Science Festival is Europe's oldest science festival, held each year in a different location across the UK, and aims to connect people with scientists, engineers, technologists and social scientists.
Each year the festival offers four or five days of free events to the public, providing exciting opportunities for participation: lectures, workshops and impromptu events cover a wide range of topics covering science in the broadest sense, ensuring that participants will gain something.
4. London Architecture Open Day
Open House Festival
Event time: September 14-22
Location: Various locations in London
Activity fee: Free if booking starts from August 21
Official website: https://programme.openhouse.org.uk/
(Image source: official website)
London has held an Open House event every year since 1922, aiming to give the public a deeper understanding of the capital's architectural design through such events. You can enter various mysterious buildings in London (such as 10 Downing Street, which is not accessible on weekdays), and there are free explanations.
5. London Fashion Week
London Fashion Week
Event time: September 12-17, 2024
Location: 180 The Strand
Activity fee: Free participation in off-site activities
Official website: https://londonfashionweek.co.uk/
(Image source: official website)
2024 marks the 40th anniversary of London Fashion Week, a year that will celebrate London's position as a world-leading cultural capital and its creative community. LFW40 will focus on London's creative community and the city's position as a global cultural hub, and its role in nurturing emerging talent and the next generation of visionary creatives. For the general public, LFW also features a "citywide celebration" with free events and performances hosted by brands and designers, which the public can attend.
6. Jane Austen Festival
Jane Austen Festival
Event time: September 13-22, 2024
Location: Bath
Activity fee: £3~£25
Official website: https://janeausten-co-uk.translate.goog/pages/festival-home-page?_x_tr_sl=en&_x_tr_tl=zh-CN&_x_tr_hl=zh-CN&_x_tr_pto=sc
(Image source: official website)
The Jane Austen Festival is an annual celebration held in Bath to commemorate and appreciate the life and works of the famous British writer Jane Austen. The event attracts literature lovers and history fans from all over the world. They can participate in various activities related to the Austen era, including balls, drama performances, literary discussions, costume parades, etc. Through these activities, they can gain a deeper understanding of her novels and the style of that era, and feel the strong cultural atmosphere of the Georgian period.
7. London Design Festival
London Design Festival
Event time: September 14 - September 22, 2024
Venue: V&A Museum
Activity fee: Free
Official website: https://londondesignfestival.com/
(Image source: official website)
8. Vincent van Gogh: The Poet and the Lover
Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers
Event time: September 14, 2024 - January 19, 2025
Venue: National Gallery
Activity fee: Adults £28, students £26, under 18s free
Official website: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/van-gogh-poets-and-lovers
(Image source: official website)
This exhibition brings together Van Gogh's paintings from around the world, some of which are rarely shown publicly. In just two years in the south of France, Van Gogh completely changed his style with a symphony full of poetic colors and textures. That time in Arles and Saint-Remy was a decisive period in his career. The exhibition allows you to appreciate his "Starry Night over the Rhone", "The Yellow House", "Sunflowers", "Van Gogh's Chair" and more up close.
9. Yayoi Kusama: I pray for love every day
Yayoi Kusama: I Pray With All My Love
Event time: September 25, 2024 - November 2, 2024
Venue: Victoria Miro Gallery
Event fee: Free admission for reservations starting from September 2
Official website: https://www.victoria-miro.com/exhibitions/635/
(Image source: official website)
Victoria Miro Gallery announces Yayoi Kusama’s fourteenth solo exhibition at the gallery, which will debut a new Infinity Mirror Room and a new series of paintings titled I Pray for Love Every Day. Created in a more intimate format, the paintings continue Kusama’s unique exploration of line and form. Often rich in detail and bold in color, the paintings evoke the microscopic and macrocosm. The exhibition also features new sculptures, which will be displayed in the gallery and on the canal-side terrace.
10. Monet and London
Monet and London. Views of the Thames
Event time: September 27, 2024 - January 19, 2025
Venue: The Courtauld Gallery
Activity fee: Adults £10, students and children free
Official website: https://courtauld.ac.uk/whats-on/exh-monet-and-london-views-of-the-thames/
(Image source: official website)
Some of Monet’s most remarkable Impressionist paintings were created not in France but in London. They depict extraordinary views of the Thames as never before seen, full of evocative atmosphere, mysterious light and brilliant colour.
The series of works began during Monet's three stays in London between 1899 and 1901, depicting Charing Cross Bridge, Waterloo Bridge and the Houses of Parliament, and was unveiled in Paris in 1904. Monet was eager to exhibit the works in London the following year, but the plan fell through. These works have never been exhibited in the UK before, and this is the first time they have been brought together here since their first exhibition 120 years ago.
