London Weekend Guide: Lanterns, Open House, and Exhibitions for 19-20 September 2026

London offers several events and exhibitions for the weekend of 19-20 September 2026. Visitors can choose from cultural programmes, outdoor installations, and historical displays across the city.

【Attraction Tickets】Priority Entry Ticket to the British Museum in London

Available tomorrow

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【Attraction Tickets】Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter Ticket

Available 2026-10-20

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Festivals and Cultural Events

• Letters to the Future: Hosted at the Southbank Centre from 18-20 September 2026, this programme features panel discussions, talks, performances, free gigs, and DJ sets curated by cultural figures including Amelia Dimoldenberg, Ash Sarkar, and Olly Alexander.

• Water Lantern Festival: Taking place on Clapham Common on 19-20 September 2026 at dusk, participants can release paper and wood LED lanterns onto the water.

• Yard Sale Trail: A community-wide yard sale runs across Southfields on 19-20 September 2026 with no ticket required, featuring household stalls and satellite hubs at St. Barnabas and St. Michael's.

• Open House: The architecture festival runs until 20 September 2026, offering free access and tours of normally off-limits buildings.

• Judy's Kensington Vintage Market: Taking place on Saturday 19 September from 10am to 4.30pm on Phillimore Walk with free entry, this event brings together over 60 vintage specialists, independent labels, and original traders.

Exhibitions and Museums

• Moon Celebration Week: The National Maritime Museum and Royal Observatory in Greenwich host lunar tours, special talks, and an astrophotography evening until 20 September 2026.

• Waldmüller Landscapes: The National Gallery presents free landscape paintings by Austrian painter Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller until 20 September 2026.

• Underground (And Surface): Guildhall Art Gallery displays large-scale Tube paintings by Jock McFadyen with sound effects by Jem Finer until 20 September 2026.

• Sacred Treasures from Kyiv: The V&A South Kensington exhibits seven pieces of Ukrainian sacred art from the National Preserve Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, running free from 14 September 2026.

• Reviving Craft: Reflection of the Mind: Somerset House hosts a free exhibition from 16-27 September 2026 showcasing Chinese craft traditions through works by artists such as Shuang Xi and Rosalie Huang.

Saturday 19 September Activities

• Mexican Ceramics Pottery Class: Held from 10am to 2pm at Los Mochis in Notting Hill, participants learn traditional hand-building techniques with stoneware clay, followed by lunch featuring spicy salmon on crispy rice, ceviche, and miso black cod tacos.

• Mosque Open Day: Whitechapel's East London Mosque & London Muslim Centre holds a free open day from 11am to 3pm with guided tours.

• Crossing Borders: The Horniman Museum and Gardens in Forest Hill hosts a free community celebration from 11am to 4pm featuring Afghan kite-making, Honduran folk dance workshops, and live Ukrainian music.