15 Things to Do in London This Weekend (24–25 October 2026)
London is heading into one of the busiest weekends of October.
Halloween is getting closer, October half-term is beginning, autumn is properly settling into the parks, and Christmas is starting to appear on the horizon. But this weekend isn't just about Halloween.
There is a huge Diwali celebration at Trafalgar Square, MCM Comic Con is taking over ExCeL, the London Literature Festival is bringing some major names to the South Bank, and several of London's big Halloween attractions are starting their half-term programmes.
There are also pumpkins to pick, films to watch, live circus performances, family activities and even a live orchestra accompanying Hocus Pocus.
So if you're wondering what to actually do in London on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October 2026, here are 15 ideas worth considering this weekend.
1. Celebrate Diwali at Trafalgar Square
Sunday 25 October | 1pm–7pm | Free
If you only choose one free event this weekend, Diwali on the Square is a brilliant option.
The Mayor of London's annual Diwali celebration returns to Trafalgar Square on Sunday, bringing London's Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities together for an afternoon of music, dance, food and cultural activities.
The programme includes a colourful opening sequence featuring around 200 dancers, live music and dance on the main stage, family activities such as sari and turban tying, yoga, meditation, puppet shows and dance workshops, as well as food stalls and a market.
And the best part is that it's completely free and you don't need to book a ticket.
Official Diwali on the Square information
If you've never experienced Diwali in London before, this is one of the easiest ways to experience the festival right in the centre of the capital.
2. Get Lost in MCM Comic Con London
Saturday 24 & Sunday 25 October | ExCeL London
For anyone who loves anime, gaming, films, television, comics or pop culture, ExCeL London is going to be one of the busiest places in the city this weekend.
MCM Comic Con runs from 23–25 October, meaning both Saturday and Sunday fall within the weekend. Expect celebrity guests, anime and gaming voice actors, artists, independent creators, merchandise and plenty of elaborate costumes.
General entry on Saturday is scheduled from 11am to 7pm, while Sunday general entry runs from 12pm to 5pm.
If you're going for the first time, give yourself several hours. There is far more to see than simply the main stage.
3. Spend the Afternoon at the London Literature Festival
Saturday 24 & Sunday 25 October | Southbank Centre
Prefer books, writers and conversations to Halloween scares?
The London Literature Festival is running at the Southbank Centre, and this weekend is its opening weekend.
The 2026 festival is being curated by Dua Lipa, with events across the Southbank Centre. On Saturday, highlights include Dua Lipa & Zadie Smith: White Teeth at 3pm, British-Somali poetry, Poems on the Underground celebrating its 40th anniversary and a Dua Lipa & Mustafa event in the evening.
Sunday includes Dua Lipa & Patti Smith: Bread of Angels at 7:30pm, as well as poetry workshops, literary conversations and other events.
Some events are free while others are ticketed, so check the individual event before heading to the South Bank.
London Literature Festival programme
It is a particularly good choice if you want your weekend to feel a little more cultural and a little less Halloween-heavy.
4. Visit Halloween at Kew
Saturday 24 & Sunday 25 October | Kew Gardens
Kew Gardens becomes a completely different place after dark during Halloween.
The 2026 Halloween trail runs until 1 November, with the weekend split by the UK's clock change.
On Saturday 24 October, sessions run from 6pm to 10pm. From Sunday 25 October, sessions begin earlier, from 4pm to 10pm. Last entry is 8:30pm.
The approximately 1.5km trail features spooky scenes, live performers, fire performers, Dracula, the Headless Horseman and new attractions including a Cursed Tomb, Medieval Dungeon, Forest Ritual and Monster Disco.
Non-member adult tickets start at £19.50 off-peak and £24 at peak times.
The later the session, the darker and generally spookier the experience becomes.
One important detail: Halloween at Kew is separately ticketed and isn't included with a normal daytime Kew Gardens ticket.
Halloween at Kew official information
5. Go on Kew's Plant Horror Tour
Saturday 24 October | Kew Gardens
If you like Halloween but don't necessarily want people jumping out at you, Kew has another unusual option.
The Plant Horror Tour takes visitors into the strange world of plants and fungi that have developed genuinely bizarre adaptations.
Think carnivorous plants, flowers that smell of rotting flesh and fungi that attack insects. The tour also includes access to Kew's Fungarium basement collection and an eerie glasshouse filled with unusual plants.
There are two Saturday sessions:
4pm–5:30pm
6:30pm–8pm
Tickets are £46 for non-members and £40 for members, including general admission to the Gardens from 10am. The tour is for ages 18+.
It's one of the more unusual Halloween activities in London because the things you're learning about are actually real.
6. Explore Halloween at the Tower of London
Saturday 24 & Sunday 25 October | 10:30am–4pm
The Tower of London doesn't exactly need much help becoming spooky.
Its Halloween programme begins this weekend and runs from 24 October to 1 November.
During the daytime experience, visitors can encounter Halloween-themed elements including the Haunted Forge, Enchanted Wishing Well and Raven's Observatory.
The Halloween activities are included with palace admission, while Historic Royal Palaces members can enter free without pre-booking.
If you want something even more atmospheric, separate evening Ghost Tours are also running during the Halloween period, with advance booking required.
For first-time visitors, this is a good way to combine one of London's major historic attractions with the Halloween season without committing to a dedicated scare attraction.
7. Have a Halloween Day Out at Hampton Court Palace
Saturday 24 & Sunday 25 October
Another historic London attraction is also starting its Halloween programme this weekend.
Halloween at Hampton Court Palace runs from 24 October to 1 November and is included with normal palace admission.
The palace is being transformed with atmospheric projections, eerie sound effects, ghostly figures and Halloween storytelling.
There are also daily storytelling sessions in the King's Guard Chamber, with sessions throughout the day.
The experience is designed to be family-friendly, but Historic Royal Palaces warns that visitors may encounter darkness, loud noises, flashing lights and occasional jump scares.
So if you're visiting with younger children, it's worth considering how comfortable they are with spooky environments.
8. Visit Eltham Palace for the Great Pumpkin Party
Saturday 24 & Sunday 25 October | 10am–4pm
Eltham Palace is one of London's more unusual historic attractions, combining a medieval palace with a striking Art Deco mansion.
This weekend, it becomes part of London's Halloween half-term programme.
The Great Pumpkin Party runs from 24 October to 1 November and includes interactive storytelling, spooky games, a themed trail, a seasonal selfie spot and a daily fancy-dress competition.
The Halloween activities are included in standard admission, and English Heritage members receive free entry. Booking ahead can also save 15%.
If you prefer something a little more relaxed than a dedicated horror attraction, this is a good family option.
There is also a separate Twilight Halloween Tales experience at Eltham Palace on Saturday 24 October, with 90-minute after-hours tours starting at 4:15pm and 4:30pm.
9. Pick Your Pumpkin at the London Pumpkin Patch
Saturday 24 & Sunday 25 October | Parsons Green | From £7.50
Pumpkin season is officially here.
The London Pumpkin Patch at Parsons Green opens for 2026 on Saturday 24 October and runs through 1 November, from 10am to 7pm daily.
The experience lets visitors explore the pumpkin patch, while families can also add the Trick-or-Treat Lane experience.
Tickets currently start from £7.50, with pumpkins charged separately.
The organisers describe it as an autumn adventure featuring pumpkins, lanterns and Halloween characters, and the location is walkable from Parsons Green station.
If your main goal this weekend is simply finding a pumpkin and getting some autumn photos, this is one of the easiest options within London.
10. Spend Half-Term at London Museum Docklands
Saturday 24 & Sunday 25 October | Free
London Museum Docklands begins its October half-term programme this weekend.
The programme runs from 24 October to 1 November and includes free family activities, with some activities requiring booking.
The museum is particularly useful if the weather turns typically London-like and you want somewhere indoors.
There are crafts, storytelling and creepy-crawly themed activities throughout the week, making it a good option for families who want Halloween atmosphere without paying for a major Halloween attraction.
11. Watch Howl's Moving Castle at the Barbican
Sunday 25 October | 1:15pm | Barbican Cinema
Anime fans have a particularly good reason to head to the Barbican this weekend.
The Barbican's Family Film Week begins on Saturday 24 October and runs through 1 November. On Sunday, it screens Hayao Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle at 1:15pm.
The film is part of a wider programme that combines family cinema with crafts, introductions and other activities throughout half-term.
If you want to make a full day of it, you can combine the film with lunch around Barbican and a walk through the City afterwards.
For anime fans, this is a particularly nice weekend option because you're seeing a Studio Ghibli classic on the big screen rather than simply streaming it at home.
12. Watch Hocus Pocus With a Live Orchestra
Sunday 25 October | 2:30pm | Eventim Apollo
Want something properly Halloween-themed but don't fancy a scare maze?
Disney's Hocus Pocus is being shown with its score performed live by an orchestra at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith on Sunday afternoon.
The performance starts at 2:30pm, with doors at 1:30pm.
The film is rated PG. Children under 8 aren't admitted, while those aged 8–14 must sit next to an accompanying adult aged 18 or over.
The whole experience lasts approximately two hours including an interval.
It's a great choice if you want a Halloween afternoon that feels more like a special event than an ordinary cinema trip.
13. Stay Late at Seven Dials Market
Saturday 24 October | From 7pm | Covent Garden
You don't always need a huge ticketed attraction to have a good London evening.
Seven Dials Market is running its Dials After Dark series on Friday and Saturday nights, with live music and DJs from 7pm.
On Saturday 24 October, the scheduled act is Voices Radio + Slouchy.
The market itself is home to independent food traders and bars, so you can make an evening out of dinner followed by live music without travelling across half of London.
It's particularly easy to combine with a walk around Covent Garden and Seven Dials while the area is lit up for the autumn and Halloween season.
14. Explore October Half-Term at the National Maritime Museum
Saturday 24 & Sunday 25 October | Greenwich | Free activities
Greenwich is another strong option this weekend, especially for families.
The National Maritime Museum's October half-term programme runs from 24 October to 1 November and includes free family craft workshops and storytelling themed around bugs and creepy crawlies.
On Saturday, children can meet James Robson, Cutty Sark's cook, while Sunday includes a creative activity called Silverfish Scribblers, where children can make their own paper silverfish puppets.
There is also Unboxing the Universe, a live science theatre show running on both Saturday and Sunday at 11:30am and 1:30pm.
The museum is free to enter, although some activities and experiences may have their own booking arrangements.
And of course, you can combine it with Greenwich Park, the Queen's House or a walk towards the river.
15. Celebrate Diwali at Marble Hill
Saturday 24 October | 2pm–7pm | Free
If you can't make Trafalgar Square on Sunday, there is another Diwali celebration taking place in London this weekend.
Diwali at Marble Hill takes place in Twickenham on Saturday afternoon and is free to attend.
The event includes illuminations, dancers, dhol drummers, giant puppets, hands-on activities and a free lantern-making workshop.
The lantern workshop uses timed slots, so although the event itself is free, you should book your place if you want to take part in that particular activity.
It is a very different setting from Trafalgar Square: instead of being surrounded by central London landmarks, you'll be celebrating Diwali at Marble Hill with the park and riverside setting nearby.
Which One Should You Choose?
With 15 options, the hardest part may be deciding what actually suits you.
For a free day out:
Diwali on the Square, Diwali at Marble Hill, London Museum Docklands or the National Maritime Museum.
For Halloween:
Kew, the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace or Eltham Palace.
For pumpkins:
The London Pumpkin Patch at Parsons Green.
For anime and pop culture:
MCM Comic Con or Howl's Moving Castle at the Barbican.
For books and culture:
The London Literature Festival.
For a family cinema experience:
Hocus Pocus with a live orchestra or the Barbican's Family Film Week.
For an evening with food and music:
Seven Dials Market.
A Simple London Weekend Plan
If you're visiting London for the first time and don't want to spend the entire weekend rushing between events, I'd keep it simple.
Saturday
Start around Greenwich and spend the morning around the National Maritime Museum and Greenwich Park.
In the afternoon, head towards Covent Garden and Seven Dials.
Have dinner at Seven Dials Market and stay for Dials After Dark from 7pm.
Sunday
Start slowly especially because the clocks change overnight.
Head into central London for Diwali on the Square from 1pm to 7pm.
If you have booked tickets for an evening event, you can then move elsewhere afterwards.
Alternatively, make Sunday your Halloween day and visit Kew, Hampton Court or another seasonal attraction.
The key is not trying to squeeze five different parts of London into one day.
One Important Thing to Remember: The Clocks Change
There's another reason this weekend is slightly unusual.
The clocks go back in the early hours of Sunday 25 October 2026.
At 2am BST, the clocks go back to 1am GMT, meaning the hour between 1am and 2am happens twice.
So, technically, you get an extra hour overnight.
For most modern phones and devices, the change should happen automatically if automatic time and time-zone settings are enabled.
The bigger difference you'll notice as a visitor is that evenings will become darker earlier by the clock.
So if you're planning an outdoor activity on Sunday, remember that the light will disappear earlier than it did earlier in October.
Final Thoughts
This is one of those London weekends where you could easily build a completely different itinerary depending on your interests.
You could spend Saturday surrounded by pumpkins and Halloween characters.
You could watch Howl's Moving Castle at the Barbican.
You could eat your way around Seven Dials Market.
Or you could spend the afternoon celebrating Diwali with thousands of other people in Trafalgar Square.
And because October half-term is beginning, there are plenty of family-friendly activities happening across the city too.
You don't need to do everything.
Pick one or two things that genuinely sound like your kind of weekend, leave some space between them, and let London fill in the gaps.
Planning your next London day out? Discover more neighbourhood guides, hidden gems, food spots and things to do on LondonYaar.com.
Follow @rohan.londonyaar for more London places, stories and things worth knowing before you visit.