Summer is not over! The sun is still out so there’s still time to enjoy London’s great outdoors, have a peep in the city’s secret green spaces, feast in London’s best restaurants and enjoy the last days of London’s rooftop bars. September in London is also the month of the annual London Design Festival, Open House London weekend when over 800 London buildings are opened to the public.
Here at The Washington Mayfair we will be bringing you the top things to do in London during September, allowing you to make the most of your visit.
TOWER OF LONDON FOOD FESTIVAL – 7-8-9 September 2018
Enjoy the last few days of summer in the heart of the capital with the return of the Tower of London Food Festival this September. The three-day Tower of London Food Festival has over 100 hand-picked artisan producers, live music at the bandstand, vintage games and hands-on culinary masterclasses in ‘The Classroom’. Plus, join the UK’s top celebrity chefs (Michel Roux Jr, Nadiya Hussain, Melissa Hemsley) and experts for live demos, interviews and book signings. What’s more, all tickets include free entry into the Tower itself!
For more information, please visit https://www.hrpfoodfestivals.com/tower-of-london
LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL – 15-23 September
Explore a range of creative installations and events celebrating contemporary design during the London Design Festival (LDF). The launch of the first Festival took place at Bloomberg on 25 March 2003, with a huge show of support from design, education, government and London organisations. 16 years later, this vision remains ever strong.
During the festival, hundreds of large-scale installations, exhibitions and events pop up in many unique spaces across London, from world-famous museums to small local studios. The V&A is the hub of the London Design Festival, hosting a wide range of activities, from tours and workshops, to installations and exhibitions.
For more information, please visit: https://www.londondesignfestival.com/
OPEN HOUSE LONDON – 22-23 September
The annual Open House London weekend gives Londoners the chance to explore behind the closed doors of some of the capital’s biggest, most renowned and most secret venues for free. Enjoy free access to more than 800 public buildings, private houses, churches, museums, schools and offices, and join tours, guided walks and activities throughout the weekend. You can explore iconic buildings that are not usually open to the public, learn something new about more familiar spaces, and step into the private homes of the rich and famous. Highlights of the Open House London programme often include the BT Tower, The Gherkin, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, the Royal Albert Hall and Fuller’s Griffin Brewery.
For more information, please visit: http://www.openhouselondon.org.uk/
BUCKINGHAM PALACE TOUR: SUMMER OPENING – until 30 September
Every summer London’s most famous house opens for tours with an accompanying exhibition. Visit the official London residence of the Queen, as Buckingham Palace opens its doors to the public. During a visit to Buckingham Palace, visitors can see the nineteen magnificent State Rooms which provide the setting for ceremonial occasions and official entertaining. All rooms are furnished with many of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection. Every year, Buckingham Palace’s summer opening features a special exhibition. This year’s Prince and Patron exhibition celebrates the 70th birthday of Charles, Prince of Wales, with a special display of more than 100 artworks chosen by the prince. The items on display include paintings, decorative arts, furniture and textiles.
For more information, please visit: https://buckinghampalace.co.uk/index.php
FRIDA KAHLO: Making Her Self Up – until 4 November
Frida Kahlo inspires devotion in a way exceptionally few people do. The V&A’s new exhibition of over 200 Frida-related items (many of which were only re-discovered in 2004 when a room sealed by Kahlo’s husband, Diego Rivera, was opened) goes some way to explaining the allure underpinning Frida fandom. Delving into the wardrobe of the iconic painter, it showcases Kahlo’s hand-painted corsets (used to support her spine after a traffic accident when she was 18) and her prosthetic leg (designed by Kahlo herself as she lost her leg as a result of suffering from Polio as a child), as well as many more pieces sealed away by her husband Diego Rivera for 50 years after her death.
For more information, please visit: https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/frida-kahlo-making-her-self-up