What's on in London this weekend, 10 to 11 October 2026, is shaped by three big events and a run of new exhibitions in Westminster. Westlife play the second and third of three nights at the O2 Arena on Saturday and Sunday. The Royal Parks Half Marathon takes about 16,000 runners through Hyde Park, Green Park, St James's Park and Kensington Gardens from 08:45 on Sunday. The BFI London Film Festival continues until 18 October, with galas in Leicester Square and on the South Bank. Two major exhibitions opened this week a short walk apart: The 90s: Art and Fashion at Tate Britain in Pimlico, curated by Edward Enninful, and Tim Walker's Fairyland: Love and Legends at the National Portrait Gallery, The WP Times reports. Frieze Sculpture in Regent's Park and the garden open days at Hampton Court Palace are free.
Plan travel before setting out. The Circle and District lines are closed through Victoria, Westminster and South Kensington all weekend, and roads in Hyde Park, St James's Park and Westminster close on Sunday morning for the half marathon. The Victoria, Jubilee, Piccadilly, Central, Bakerloo and Northern lines run as normal. The Met Office forecast for London and the South East puts Saturday as windy with sunny spells and showers, and Sunday as dry with cloudy periods and sunny spells, with the wind easing.
What are the biggest events in London this weekend
| Event | Where | When | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westlife: 25th Anniversary World Tour | The O2, Greenwich | Sat 10 and Sun 11 Oct; doors 6.30pm Sat, 6pm Sun | Limited availability; resale from about £85 |
| Royal Parks Half Marathon | Hyde Park, Green Park, St James's Park, Kensington Gardens | Sun 11 Oct from 08:45 | Free to watch |
| BFI London Film Festival | BFI Southbank, Royal Festival Hall, Leicester Square, Curzon Soho, ICA | Until Sun 18 Oct | From £10; £6 for 16 to 25s |
| The 90s: Art and Fashion | Tate Britain, Millbank | Until 14 Feb 2027 | £22; £5 for 16 to 25s |
| Tim Walker's Fairyland: Love and Legends | National Portrait Gallery, St Martin's Place | From 9 Oct | Check NPG website |
| New Scientist Live | ExCeL London | 10 to 12 Oct | Paid |
| Knit and Stitch Show | Alexandra Palace | Until Sun 11 Oct | Paid |
| The Other Art Fair | Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane | Until Sun 11 Oct | Paid; works from about £100 |
What free things can you do in London this weekend
- Frieze Sculpture: outdoor sculpture in the English Gardens of Regent's Park, free, until 1 November.
- Hampton Court Palace Garden Open Days: the gardens are free on Saturday and Sunday; the palace, Maze and Magic Garden are paid.
- Local London Guiding Day: free guided walks on Saturday from 10am to 4pm, including routes in the City, Waterloo and Pimlico.
- Magritte at Gagosian Grosvenor Hill, Mayfair: free, until 12 December.
- Tate Britain collection displays, including the Turner galleries: free, daily 10am to 6pm.
- Harvestfest on the Blackhorse Beer Mile, Walthamstow: free from noon on Saturday.
- StarQuest screening and performance-lecture at the V&A South Kensington: free, noon to 1pm on Saturday.
- Afternoon Poems at Keats House, Hampstead: free, Sunday 2.15pm.
- Watching the Royal Parks Half Marathon: free, best from the Mall or Serpentine Road on Sunday morning.
Which exhibitions are worth booking
Westminster has an unusually strong line-up of exhibitions this autumn. The 90s: Art and Fashion at Tate Britain brings together more than 100 works by nearly 70 artists, photographers and designers, including Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, Damien Hirst, Chris Ofili and Wolfgang Tillmans; tickets cost £22, with £5 tickets for 16- to 25-year-olds. Tim Walker's Fairyland: Love and Legends at the National Portrait Gallery shows five years of the photographer's portraits of LGBTQ+ activists, performers and artists. Across Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery's Renoir and Love runs until 31 January. On Piccadilly, the Royal Academy's Painting the French Riviera runs until 31 January.
| Exhibition | Venue | Until |
|---|---|---|
| The 90s: Art and Fashion | Tate Britain, Pimlico | 14 February 2027 |
| Tim Walker's Fairyland: Love and Legends | National Portrait Gallery | Early 2027 |
| Renoir and Love | National Gallery | 31 January 2027 |
| Painting the French Riviera | Royal Academy, Piccadilly | 31 January 2027 |
| Korea | British Museum | 31 January 2027 |
| Es Devlin | Design Museum, Kensington | 5 April 2027 |
| Robert Ryman | Barbican | 28 February 2027 |
| Magritte | Gagosian Grosvenor Hill, Mayfair (free) | 12 December 2026 |
What's on day by day
Saturday 10 October
| Time | Event | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 10am to 4pm | Local London Guiding Day walks (free) | Various, including Pimlico and the City |
| 10am to 5.30pm | Welsh Autumn Market | London Welsh Centre |
| 11.15am to 7.30pm | Classically Black | Kings Place, King's Cross |
| 11.45am | Big Gig 2026 | OVO Arena Wembley |
| From noon | Harvestfest (free) | Blackhorse Beer Mile, Walthamstow |
| Evening | Trainspotting screening | Clore Auditorium, Tate Britain |
| 6.15pm | Strictly Come Dancing, week 3 | BBC One |
| 6.30pm doors | Westlife | The O2 |
| 7.30pm | Adam Rowe: Fashionism | Hackney Empire |
Sunday 11 October
| Time | Event | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 08:45 | Royal Parks Half Marathon starts | South Carriage Drive, Hyde Park |
| 10am to 4pm | Harley Owners Group display | Whitewebbs Museum of Transport, Enfield |
| 1.30pm | Gospel Brunch | 606 Club, Chelsea |
| 2.15pm | Afternoon Poems (free) | Keats House, Hampstead |
| 6pm doors | Westlife | The O2 |
| 6.30pm | Edinburgh Quartet | Conway Hall, Holborn |
| Evening | Strictly Come Dancing results | BBC One |
Which Tube lines are closed this weekend
The Circle line is closed between Edgware Road and Aldgate via Victoria, and the District line from Edgware Road and Tower Hill to Ealing Broadway, Kensington (Olympia), Richmond and Wimbledon, on both days. The DLR is closed between Stratford International and Woolwich Arsenal, the Weaver line has no service until 10:15 on Sunday, and the Elizabeth line is closed between West Drayton and Slough until 08:15 on Sunday. For Tate Britain use Pimlico on the Victoria line; for the O2 use the Jubilee line to North Greenwich; for the Royal Parks Half use Knightsbridge, Hyde Park Corner or Green Park on the Piccadilly line.
| Going to | Use |
|---|---|
| Tate Britain | Victoria line to Pimlico |
| The O2 (Westlife) | Jubilee line to North Greenwich |
| National Portrait Gallery, National Gallery | Bakerloo or Northern line to Charing Cross or Leicester Square |
| Royal Parks Half | Piccadilly line to Knightsbridge, Hyde Park Corner or Green Park |
| ExCeL (New Scientist Live) | Elizabeth line to Custom House |
| Alexandra Palace | National Rail to Alexandra Palace, or Piccadilly line to Wood Green and bus W3 |
What will the weather be like
The Met Office forecast for London and the South East, issued on Thursday 8 October, describes Saturday as windy with sunny spells and showers, and Sunday as dry, with a mix of cloud and sunny spells and the wind easing. Friday was forecast to reach 19C. Sunday's drier conditions favour the half marathon and outdoor visits such as Frieze Sculpture and Hampton Court.
Frequently asked questions
What's on in London this weekend?
Westlife at the O2 on Saturday and Sunday, the Royal Parks Half Marathon on Sunday, the BFI London Film Festival, and new exhibitions at Tate Britain and the National Portrait Gallery.
What free events are on in London this weekend?
Frieze Sculpture in Regent's Park, Hampton Court Palace garden open days, Local London Guiding Day walks on Saturday, and watching the Royal Parks Half Marathon on Sunday.
Is the Tube closed this weekend?
The Circle and District lines are closed through central London on both days. The Victoria, Jubilee, Piccadilly, Central, Bakerloo and Northern lines are running.
Will it rain in London this weekend?
Saturday is forecast to be windy with showers; Sunday is forecast to be dry.
Read about the life of Westminster and Pimlico district, London and the world. 24/7 news with fresh and useful updates on culture, business, technology and city life: What will Ruthin School closure mean after 742 years of
Sources used: Londonist weekend and weekly listings, Time Out London, Tate press release, The O2 and JamBase listings, OVO Arena Wembley listings, BFI London Film Festival ticketing guide, Royal Parks Half Marathon, Met Office regional forecast (8 October 2026), Transport for London planned closures.
