Explore London
Places to Visit in London: 59 events this week (14 Sept to 19 Sept)
The best places to visit in London this week: galleries, exhibitions, cultural venues and more. Curated for curious locals and visitors. Updated daily.
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Lights Up and Audio Described Tours of The Coming of Age
A.P.T Open Studios 2026
Blackhorse Workshop Open Studios
A Celebration of Art Squared
Future Observatory: Tools for Transition
EXHIBITION ON SCREEN: JAMES MCNEILL WHISTLER
František Vízner: Beyond the Vessel
Vincent Dubourg: Blue Weather
Exhibition on Screen: David Hockney at the Royal Academy of Arts
Youth Arts Crafting Change
Immuno-cautious Openings of the 'Audrey Amiss' and 'Rudy Loewe' exhibitions
Making my Mark Exhibition at St Margaret's House
Responders Exhibition
We Lift Each Other
OpenHouse - Flood Meadows at Hampton Court
Book Salon with Fiona McKenzie Johnston
Dementia-friendly Sensory Walks
James McNeill Whistler
Introduction to Framing
New Works: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Fleurs de Villes DIANA in Support of The Diana Award
Xiaochi Dong: Understory
Hernan Bas: TIME TO SHINE! (the salesmen)
Walton Ford: An Orbed Drop of Light
Hayal Pozanti: A Dream That Rhymed With Mine
Weight of Imagination: With Andy Holden and Jarvis Cocker
BBC TV 90 at Ally Pally
Running Jump Print Workshop Exhibition Private View
Twickenham Repair Cafe
Magic and Marvels
Day Funk DJs
The Secret Garden
Desmond Morris (1928-2026)
Pub Quiz
Lucy Dodd
Louis Fratino
Colin Self: Unseen
Ce Roser: Running with the Sun, Works 1961-2014
The Lock House, Richmond Lock & Weir
Ansel Krut: YAWA EKAT RO NI TAE / EAT IN OR TAKE AWAY
Lawrence Perry: Careless Rapture
One Love: Paintings and Sculptures by Errol Lloyd
OpenHouse - St Mary Magdalene
London is not short on things to see. The harder question is where to start, and how to avoid spending your time on the obvious when something more interesting is ten minutes away. The city is dense with galleries, historic buildings, markets, and public spaces that most people walk past without stopping. The best visits are rarely the ones you planned a month in advance.
If you are new to London or trying to see more of it, the rough logic is this: the centre is efficient but crowded, the east has shifted a lot of the contemporary culture, and south and north London hold their own distinct pockets worth knowing. Bermondsey, Dalston, Peckham, and Marylebone each carry a different character. One trip to each will tell you more about the city than any list.
Galleries and exhibition spaces are some of the most consistent places to visit because they change regularly and the entry is often free. The major national collections stay open most of the week. The smaller commercial and community galleries in Shoreditch, Hackney, and Brixton tend to have more specific, sometimes stranger things on, and the openings are usually open to anyone. Worth keeping an eye on if you like being in a room with new work.
Markets and public spaces do a lot of the social and cultural work in London that formal venues do elsewhere. Borough, Broadway, Maltby Street, and Columbia Road are places to spend time in, not just pass through. The rhythm of the city is easier to feel in those spots than in most ticketed attractions. Timing matters, and going early or on a weekday changes the experience significantly compared to a Saturday afternoon.
Venues to know
- Blackhorse Workshop 4 events this week
- Wellcome Collection 2 events this week
- Carpenters Workshop Gallery 2 events this week
- 1 Hampton Court Road 1 event this week
- Firmdale Hotels 1 event this week
- Harrow Arts Centre 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
What are the best places to visit in London for free?
Many of London's best places cost nothing to enter. The national museums and galleries, including the V&A, Tate Modern, the British Museum, and the National Gallery, are all free. Most public parks, markets, and historic neighbourhoods cost nothing to explore. Checking what is on in a space before you go is the best way to make the most of a visit.
What places in London are worth visiting outside the centre?
A lot of what makes London interesting sits outside Zone 1. Peckham has a strong arts and food scene. Hackney Wick has a concentration of studios and independent venues near the canal. Brixton has markets, music, and a distinct community feel. Greenwich is worth the trip for the park and the architecture. Most of these are 20 to 40 minutes from central London by tube or Overground.
What are the best places to visit in London this week?
That depends on what is on. London's event and exhibition calendar moves fast, and the best things to see change week to week. The live listings below are updated daily and pull from across the city, so checking them is the most reliable way to find what is worth visiting right now.
What are the most interesting places to visit in London for culture?
Beyond the major national institutions, London has a strong independent gallery scene in Fitzrovia, Bethnal Green, and around the Barbican. Smaller venues like the ICA, the Photographers' Gallery, and Whitechapel Gallery programme things you are less likely to have already seen. The Barbican itself is worth a visit for the architecture as much as what is on inside.
How do I find places to visit in London that are not too touristy?
The most useful signal is whether locals go there too. Markets like Maltby Street or Netil Market, community arts spaces, and neighbourhood cinemas tend to have a different feel to the headline attractions. Going on a weekday and avoiding the obvious central spots helps. Looking at what is on in areas like Stoke Newington, Elephant and Castle, or Walthamstow usually surfaces things with less of a tourist crowd.
How many places to visit in london are listed right now?
There are 59 events listed on this page right now. It updates daily.