Great Things To Do This October in London

London is well known for being a fantastic city, filled with incredible things to see and do, so in this blog I wanted to show you the 9 best things to do in London during October 2021 from Black History Month events, to Oktoberfest right in the heart of London – you’ll want to check all of these out this October!

No Time to Die – Leica Exhibition, Leica Gallery

To celebrate the release of the latest instalment to the James Bond series, No Time to Die, camera maker Leica will be hosting a new exhibition at its Duke Street gallery showcasing behind-the-scenes images shot on the set of No Time To Die from 10th September to 15th October. 

Featuring works by Greg Williams, Nicola Dove, producer Michael G. Wilson and Daniel Craig himself, all the images were, of course, shot on Leica cameras and the exhibition also coincides with the release of a limited Leica Q2 “007 edition” camera, of which only 250 will be made.

Black History Month Events in London

• Join a Black History River Cruise to explore thousands of years of African and Caribbean history, with a special lineup of historical speakers – 3rd October
• Discover contemporary works by Black artists at Zari Gallery’s Honour, Remember, Inspire exhibition. 4th – 29th October.
• Follow young actress Lou on a haunting journey through London’s past and present with Rockets and Blue Lights at the National Theatre. Showing until 9th October.
• See American playwright Aleshea Harris’ award-winning tale of revenge Is God Is at the Royal Court Theatre. Showing until 23rd October.
• Celebrate six decades of works from British-Ghanaian photographer James Barnor in a major retrospective exhibition at the Serpentine North Gallery. Until 24th October.

There is a huge range of events happening for Black History Month in October, you can view all of them here.

Frieze Week – Regent’s Park, London

Explore two of the most influential events on the capital’s art scene in one place with the world-renowned Frieze London and Frieze Masters art fairs in Regent’s Park.

Every year, Frieze hosts two incredible art fairs side by side: Frieze London which showcases the best of contemporary art, and Frieze Masters which specialises in art from the past. Explore thousands of years of art history from the ancient era and Old Masters to the late 20th century.  Major galleries from across the globe reunite to celebrate the creative spirit of London from 13th – 17th October. 

You can enjoy talks from top artists, screenings and hundreds of galleries showcasing artworks from across the globe, which attracts top exhibitors and buyers to the city.

1:54 London – Somerset House

Smartly lining itself up with Frieze week, 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair will be once again held at Somerset House and this year’s dates are 14 – 17 October. 1:54 is the first leading international art fair dedicated to contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora. Founded by Touria El Glaoui, the fair has held annual editions in London since 2013, New York since 2015 and Marrakech since 2018. Drawing reference to the fifty-four countries that constitute the African continent, 1-54 is engaged in contemporary dialogue and exchange.

This year’s exhibition will be presenting work from 48 leading international galleries from 19 countries across Europe, Africa and North America.  This year will feature 20 galleries from Africa, a record number from the continent. You’ll be able to see the work of more than 150 emerging and established artists, working in a wide variety of mediums and from a range of geographical backgrounds.

The fair will be accompanied by 1-54 Forum, an extensive programme of artist talks, panels, screenings, performances and readings that take place both online and at Somerset House. Entitled Continental Drift, 1-54 Forum will gather artists and audiences; mediators and narrators, to discuss themes of legacy, philanthropy, and digitality. Exploring this interstitial moment in history, 1-54 Forum explores the concept of the drift as a moment for gradual reflection.

Oktoberfest – Electric Ballroom, Camden

Well, I couldn’t discuss events in October without highlighting Oktoberfest.  If you’re like me and didn’t actually know the origins of Oktoberfest, it is the world’s largest beer festival that is held annually in Munich Germany.  This Bavarian folk festival is actually a 16-18 day festival that starts in the middle of September and goes till the first week of October.  More than 6 million people attend the event in Bavaria which originated in 1810.  Well of course it’s gone global and there is plenty of events here in London.  The Camden Oktoberfest presents a series of Oktoberfest celebrations that goes across all 4 Saturdays of October. 

Their version will be a mix of some of the traditional elements of Oktoberfest along with a modern twist featuring cutting edge live brass bands and DJs at Electric Ballroom, one of Camden’s leading music venues. The region’s largest Oktoberfest will take over this historic venue for daytime sessions from 2pm to 9pm on Saturdays 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th October.

Full fancy dress or costumes is encouraged and wait staff will be decked out in authentic Dirndl and Lederhosen as they keep your steins filled to the brim.

The beers originate from across Germany and are supplied by Spaten, Löwenbräu & Becks. And apparently, the legendary Bratwurst sausage street food trader Brat Bros is the exclusive food partner.

Which events are you looking forward to attending this October in London?