City of London
Events at and Around the Gherkin, London: 21 events this week (14 Sept to 20 Sept)
Tours, talks, and open days in and around the Gherkin and the Square Mile. Find what's on this week. Updated daily.
Get the app Open House Festival: Guided tours of the Engine House and Coppermill Tower
Open House Festival - The Photography Foundation Studio Drop-In Day
London Walking Tour - Mayfair & Royal Academy Café
Drag Queen Disco Diva Tour- Silent Disco Walking Tour #SilentTours
Open House Festival - Water Lane Building - Trigon Fire Safety
Five Points Brewery Tour & Beer Tasting (1pm)
Saint Monday Brewery Tour
Five Points Brewery Tour & Beer Tasting (3:30pm)
A Ted Lasso Historical Pub Tour of Richmond
Behind the Scenes Nature Recovery Tour
Lights Up and Audio Described Tours of The Coming of Age
Romford Town Heritage Walks – Heritage Open Day
Orbit Brewery Tour and Tasting
Backstage Tour
Just Giving: The Clink
Young's Birthday Celebration
Friday Lates takeover: CTRL + CREATE: Where we belong
Anthony Scaramucci: The All The Wrong Moves Tour SOLD OUT
Audio Described Tour
Boris Brejcha Reflections Tour 2026
Box Walks | Nature-based walk from Richmond to Twickenham
30 St Mary Axe is one of those buildings that stops you mid-stride. The Gherkin has been part of the City skyline since 2003, and it still earns a second look. But beyond the architecture, the Square Mile around it quietly hosts more events than most people realise.
The building itself opens to the public more often than you might expect. Open House London brings it out every autumn, and private dining and evening events run throughout the year from the top-floor restaurant. If you want inside access rather than just the view from street level, it's worth knowing when the doors are open.
The neighbourhood rewards slow exploration. Leadenhall Market is five minutes south, a Victorian arcade that now hosts food traders, pop-ups, and occasional evening events. The Barbican is a short walk north and runs one of the most serious arts programmes in London across theatre, cinema, music, and gallery shows. Liverpool Street and Aldgate carry their own smaller venues and club nights.
Timing matters in the City. The Square Mile empties fast on Friday evenings as workers scatter, so the best-attended public events tend to run midweek or on Saturday afternoons. Architecture tours, walking tours of the Roman and medieval layers beneath the glass towers, and talks on the built environment cluster around this area more than anywhere else in London.
Venues to know
- Walthamstow Wetlands 2 events this week
- The Lass O' Richmond Hill 2 events this week
- The Five Points Brewery & Taproom 2 events this week
- Building D2, Design District, London 1 event this week
- Ale Hunters 1 event this week
- Wellcome Collection 1 event this week
How we pick
OnlyHere tracks live listings from over a hundred London venues, councils, and programmers, refreshed nightly. Picks favour events with confirmed dates, real venues you can find on a map, and editorial notes written by us, not the promoter. Prices and dates come from the listing itself; we never guess.
Frequently asked questions
Can you go inside the Gherkin?
The Gherkin is a private office building, so public access is limited. The top-floor restaurant and bar, Searcys at the Gherkin, takes bookings for dinner and private events. Open House London, which runs every September, is the main free opportunity to get inside and up to the higher floors.
What events happen near the Gherkin?
The Square Mile and its immediate edges host architecture tours, walking history tours, talks at nearby livery halls, and cultural events at the Barbican and Guildhall. Leadenhall Market runs food and seasonal events. The area is also a node for City-based running clubs and outdoor fitness events.
Is Open House London the only time you can visit the Gherkin for free?
Open House is the main public free access event, typically in September. Occasionally corporate tenants or arts organisations partner with the building for one-off open days. Check what's running this week above for anything currently listed.
What is there to do in the City of London on a weekend?
The Barbican has weekend exhibitions, cinema, and performances. The Museum of London Docklands and the Monument are close by. Walking tours of the Roman wall, the Inns of Court, or the medieval lanes around Leadenhall are well-run and genuinely informative. The area is far quieter than on a weekday, which makes it good for walking.
Are there any tours of the Gherkin or nearby buildings?
Architecture-focused walking tours regularly cover the cluster of Norman Foster and Richard Rogers buildings in this part of the City, including the Gherkin, the Lloyds building, and the Leadenhall Building. Some are free, some ticketed. The listings above pull in what's running this week.
How many events at and around the gherkin, london are listed right now?
There are 21 events listed on this page right now. It updates daily.