Morning, London! Happy Thursday. Right. Everyone’s back. The last batch returned to school on Monday, so we’re all in the same boat again. Hope the first few days have gone well.

I’ve managed to find out what mine had for lunch. Very little about the actual education, but apparently the pasta was good.

London finally got a proper soaking too. We might get a few weeks of green out of the parks before the leaves go brown. Small window. Also, our very popular Halloween special is coming in a couple of weeks. The shops are already selling skeletons, but some of us are still trying to buy the right trousers.

Plenty happening this weekend. Let’s go.

🚀 Interstellar Is Coming to The O2 With a Live Orchestra. The film will be screened alongside a 65-piece Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra on 23 May 2027, with the original soundtrack’s organist, Roger Sayer, joining them. Tickets go on sale this Friday. Full story

🩰 Billy Elliot’s London Comeback Has Its Cast. The musical returns to the Adelphi Theatre in February 2027, with Lesley Joseph as Grandma and original Billy, Liam Mower, returning as Older Billy. He was 12 when he first played the part in 2005. If you remember seeing him, probably best we all sit down for a moment. Full story

🚆 The DLR’s New Trains Are Back. The first of the shiny new fleet returned to service on Monday, bringing air conditioning, phone charging and walk-through carriages. Lovely upgrades, although your child’s main concern will still be getting the front seat so they can drive. Full story

📚 Gruffalo Granny Storytime @ Battersea Park Children’s Zoo
Date & Loc: Sep 11 (Fri), Battersea SW11
Hear Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s brand-new Gruffalo story at 11.30am or the handy 4pm after-school session. Storytime is included with zoo entry, and grannies get in free for the day.
Age: All ages | Price: from £13.95 | Info

🤖 Get Your Hands-Dirty with Creative Tech @ Southbank Centre
Date & Loc: Sep 11–13, South Bank SE1
A weekend of interactive artworks and hands-on tech from Peckham Digital. Saturday brings digital tile design and a 3D clay printer, while Sunday features a Rock&Robots tournament.
Age: All ages | Price: no cost | Info

🐉 celebrASIA @ Battersea Power Station
Date & Loc: Sep 11–13, Battersea SW11
Celebrate South East Asia with street food, live performances and an artisan market. Over the weekend, kids can follow a passport trail around the Power Station, with bookable craft workshops costing extra.
Age: All ages | Price: no cost | Info

🐀 The Pied Piper: A Rat’s Tale @ Little Angel Studios
Date & Loc: Sep 12 onwards, Islington N1
Meet Horatio, the little rat with his own version of the Pied Piper story. Puppetry, original music and plenty of mischief.
Age: 5+ | Price: from £8 | Info

🎤 MC Grammar: The MIC DROP Tour @ Leicester Square Theatre
Date & Loc: Sep 12 (Sat), Leicester Square WC2H
The rapping teacher brings an hour of music, laughs and dancing to the West End. A family show where getting the kids excited about words involves considerably less nagging.
Age: 4+ | Price: from £20 | Info

🥕 Harvest Festival @ Surrey Docks Farm
Date & Loc: Sep 12 (Sat), Rotherhithe SE16
Veggie-themed fair games, Morris dancing, farm produce and wood-fired pizza beside the Thames. There’s even butternut squash skittles. Finally, a vegetable activity that doesn’t involve negotiating three more bites.
Age: All ages | Price: no cost | Info

🍄 The Magic Garden @ V&A South Kensington
Date & Loc: Sep 12 (Sat), South Kensington SW7
Build twisting roots, giant seeds, worm tunnels and curious bugs using recycled materials in this artist-led drop-in. A chance to make something wonderfully oversized without having to clear the kitchen table.
Age: 5+ | Price: no cost | Info

🏛️ Open House: Free Crafting for Families @ London Mithraeum
Date & Loc: Sep 12 (Sat), City of London EC4N
Create sculptures inspired by colourful artworks, follow a wildlife trail and venture below street level to discover a Roman temple.
Age: 5–11 | Price: no cost | Info

⛵ Classic Boat Festival @ St Katharine Docks
Date & Loc: Sep 12–13, Tower Hill E1W
Get close to beautifully preserved boats, including Dunkirk Little Ships, and meet the people who look after them.
Age: All ages | Price: no cost | Info

🚣 The Great River Race @ River Thames
Date & Loc: Sep 12 (Sat), Millwall E14 to Richmond TW10
Cheer on hundreds of crews rowing 21.6 miles along the Thames, with traditional boats and some enthusiastic fancy dress.
Age: All ages | Price: no cost | Info

🚲 On Your Bike Baffo! @ Lyric Hammersmith
Date & Loc: Sep 12 (Sat), Hammersmith W6
Bumbling clown Baffo tackles tyres, bikes and some deeply questionable cycling techniques in a show packed with slapstick, live music and audience participation.
Age: 3–8 | Price: from £12 | Info

🌕 Wonders of the Moon @ National Maritime Museum
Date & Loc: Sep 12 (Sat), Greenwich SE10
Join astrophysicist and author Raman Prinja for an illustrated journey through the Moon’s past, present and future, exploring the challenges facing tomorrow’s astronauts.
Age: 9+ | Price: from £4 | Info

✈️ Barnet Food Festival @ RAF Museum London
Date & Loc: Sep 12–13, Colindale NW9
Street food, live music and aircraft, plus an included kids’ zone with circus games, biscuit decorating and an inflatable obstacle course. Under-16s enter free; adults need a festival ticket.
Age: All ages | Price: from £10 | Info

🎙️ Ask the Nincompoops @ Kings Place
Date & Loc: Sep 12 (Sat), King’s Cross N1
Andy Stanton and Carrie Quinlan take children’s big questions and answer them very, very badly in this live family podcast.
Age: 4–12 | Price: from £12 | Info

🎪 Pinner Rotary Village Show @ Pinner Memorial Park
Date & Loc: Sep 12 (Sat), Pinner HA5
Children’s rides, Punch and Judy, live bands and Bollywood dancing, alongside stalls and plenty to eat. A proper community day out.
Age: All ages | Price: from £4 | Info

🌱 Allotment Open Day @ Kensington Gardens
Date & Loc: Sep 12 (Sat), Kensington Gardens W2
Explore the park’s allotment, spot wildlife and make a paper pot with a seed to grow at home. There are arts, crafts and playful activities too.
Age: All ages | Price: no cost | Info

♻️ Wonder Day @ Southwark Integrated Waste Management Facility
Date & Loc: Sep 12 (Sat), Old Kent Road SE15
Find out what happens after the recycling truck leaves, with a rare look inside a working waste facility.
Age: All ages, tour restrictions apply | Price: no cost | Info

🌾 Open Weekend @ Brixton Windmill
Date & Loc: Sep 12–13, Brixton SW2
Take a short guided tour inside the windmill, join a collaborative collage workshop on Saturday or hear stories about its workers on Sunday. A little slice of countryside hiding off Brixton Hill.
Age: All ages, workshops 4+ | Price: no cost | Info

⚓ SENsory Sailors @ National Maritime Museum
Date & Loc: Sep 12 (Sat), Greenwich SE10
A relaxed creative session for children with special educational needs and disabilities, led by disabled artists.
Age: Under 13 | Price: no cost | Info

🎻 Virtual Orchestra: Play Along @ Southbank Centre
Date & Loc: Sep 12–13, South Bank SE1
Pop on a VR headset, choose an instrument and learn to play alongside the Philharmonia Orchestra. From complete beginner to orchestral performer in under 30 minutes.
Age: 7+ | Price: no cost | Info

🏛️ Open House Festival @ Two Temple Place
Date & Loc: Sep 13 (Sun), Temple WC2R
Explore an elaborate mansion with a family trail uncovering the stories and characters carved into its walls. There’s a sound installation in the Great Hall too.
Age: All ages | Price: no cost | Info

🌳 The Hideout @ artsdepot
Date & Loc: Sep 13 (Sun), North Finchley N12
A fallen tree becomes a secret playground in this mix of circus, parkour and storytelling.
Age: 4–8 | Price: from £13.75 | Info

🌶️ Chilli Fest @ Fulham Palace
Date & Loc: Sep 13 (Sun), Fulham SW6
Live music, salsa dancing, market stalls and a chilli-eating competition in the Palace grounds. Bring a picnic and watch someone else make questionable decisions about their spice tolerance.
Age: All ages | Price: no cost | Info

🐝 Bee Bug Crafty @ Chelsea Physic Garden
Date & Loc: Sep 13 (Sun), Chelsea SW3
Follow a short garden trail, then turn twigs, leaves, conkers and acorns into bugs, birds and imaginary creatures to take home.
Age: 5+ | Price: from £10 | Info

🤖 Digital Design Weekend @ V&A South Kensington
Date & Loc: Sep 18–20, South Kensington SW7
Play with drawing robots, explore interactive artworks and meet the artists mixing creativity with technology. Free drop-in activities throughout the weekend.
Age: All ages, activities vary | Price: no cost | Info

🪁 Crossing Borders @ Horniman Museum & Gardens
Date & Loc: Sep 19 (Sat), Forest Hill SE23
Try Afghan kite-making, decorate cupcakes and discover Ukrainian music and Honduran dance at this community celebration led by refugees and people seeking sanctuary.
Age: All ages | Price: no cost | Info

🐑 London Harvest Festival @ Mudchute Park & Farm
Date & Loc: Sep 19 (Sat), Isle of Dogs E14
London’s city farms come together for animal competitions, horticultural displays, tug of war and hands-on heritage crafts. Try pottery or wool spinning, meet the animals and bring a picnic.
Age: All ages | Price: no cost | Info

✏️ Nick Sharratt: Once Upon a Drawalong @ Polka Theatre
Date & Loc: Sep 20 (Sun), Wimbledon SW19
The illustrator behind You Choose and Shark in the Park shares favourite books, drawing tips and games in this interactive Big Dreams Festival event.
Age: 3–7 | Price: from £13 | Info

🕵️ The Comedy About Spies @ Adelphi Theatre
Date & Loc: until Sep 26, Strand WC2
Mischief’s 1960s spy caper returns to the West End, packed with rogue agents, double agents and the sort of escalating chaos you’d expect from The Play That Goes Wrong team.
Age: 10+ | Price: from £15 | Info

🐱 Cats @ Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
Date & Loc: until Sep 19, Regent's Park NW1
One of the world's most famous musicals returns to the magical setting of Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. If you've never seen Cats, this is probably the place to do it. Big songs, incredible dancing and a summer evening under the stars.
Age: 5+ | Price: from £15 | Info

🇯🇵 AnimeCon UK @ Olympia London
Date & Loc: Oct 3-4, Kensington W14
Two packed days of anime, manga, cosplay, J-Pop, K-Pop, special guests and an Artist Alley full of fan-made creations. One for the Pokémon-and-beyond crowd.
Age: All ages | Price: from £25 | Info

🍎 Apple Day @ Fulham Palace
Date & Loc: Oct 4 (Sun), Fulham SW6
Celebrate the orchard harvest with garden games, themed activities, market stalls and plenty of apple-inspired food.
Age: All ages | Price: from £3 | Info

🔎 The Mystery Of... @ artsdepot
Date & Loc: Oct 11 (Sun), North Finchley N12
Calling all junior detectives. Team up to examine evidence, inspect video footage and interrogate suspects in this interactive murder mystery show.
Age: 7+ | Price: from £13.75 | Info

🎻 Aurora Orchestra: Meet the Instruments @ Kings Place
Date & Loc: Oct 17 (Sat), King’s Cross N1
A lively interactive concert where kids can sing, dance, play games and discover the sounds of different orchestral instruments.
Age: 3-7 | Price: from £15 | Info

💭 House of Dreamers @ Immerse LDN
Date & Loc: until Oct 31, Royal Docks E16
Wander through 16 surreal dreamscapes filled with giant pink ball pits, cloud swings, digital forests and interactive creatures. Subtle it is not.
Age: All ages | Price: from £16.90 | Info

🙏 If this makes your week a bit easier, pls think of two parents who'd love it, or drop it in a WhatsApp group. Takes 20 seconds. Please don’t ignore me 😂.
Appreciated, kind Londoner!

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