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All weekend
FIREWORKS: Loads of firework displays going on this weekend. Find one near you with our Bonfire Night borough guide.
DAY OF THE DEAD: Drop by the Day of the Dead festival at Dalston Department Store this weekend. As an alternative to Halloween, there's a party on Thursday night but also exhibitions, workshops and Mexican food and drink available all weekend. On Saturday evening, the March of the Dead processes from Abney Park Cemetery to Passing Clouds, where there's an all-night after-party. Check the websites for details, timing and tickets.
IRISH MUSIC: The second weekend of Return to Camden Town Festival of traditional Irish music, song and dance takes place at the Irish Centre with the focus on dancing. Check out and book events here. Tickets from £10, all inclusive concert ticket £40.
FAMILY FUN: The Family Arts Festival has lots of ideas of artsy things to do with your children for the rest of half term. Highlights this weekend include Tate Britain's Time Loop family weekender and Pyjama Party tea dance for little people at Stratford Circus.
TRANSPORT FUN: It's a three-day Open Weekend at London Transport Museum's Acton Depot. Admire the amazing collections and vehicles and enjoy tours, talks, film screenings, rides, live art, workshops and costumed interpreters. Adult tickets £10.00 (£8 concessions), kids free, tickets valid all three days. Book online. 11am-4.30pm
RICHMOND: The month-long Richmond Literary Festival begins on Friday night with a celebration of poetry and spoken word by young people, then at the weekend there are sessions on the vanishing art of letter-writing and what happened when FDR met King George VI at Hyde Park on Hudson. Kids aged 8-16 can go to a beatboxing and spoken word workshop on Saturday and all under 16s can enter the Young Writers competition. Download the festival brochure here.
JEWISH FILM: There are 12 screenings to chose from this weekend as the 17th UK Jewish Film Festival gets going at cinemas across London. Here's our preview but have a look at the full London listings online.
FILM AFRICA: The Royal African Society’s film festival showcases the latest film talent from the continent. This weekend, join the Family Day or watch Shorts at Rich Mix. Here's our preview. Check the programme online for timings and booking.
IRANIAN CINEMA: The Iranian Film Festival begins and you can see Meeting Leila, The Snow on the Pines and Nowhere, Nobody at Cine Lumiere or Hush! Girls Don't Scream at the Greenwood Theatre, London Bridge. Here's our preview. Check the website for times and booking.
CRYSTAL PALACE FILM: Crystal Palace International Film Festival offers a night of Halloween and Sci-Fi in St John's Church and Shorts on Sunday. Consult the full programme and book tickets at the website.
SURF FILM: Like waves, oceans, travel and great cinematography? London Surf Film Festival presents loads of features and documentaries on surfing at Riverside Studios, Hammersmith. Here's our preview. Screenings £7.50 each, check the programme for listings and timings.
ANIMATION: The 10th London International Animation Festival climaxes this weekend at Barbican Cinemas with two Best of the Festival screenings on Sunday night. There are also industry workshops and a make a spooky film workshop for 10-14 year olds. Saturday night at the Horse Hospital sees a music video and late night bizarre showcase. Programme here.
COMEDY: Greenwich Comedy Festival returns after a hiatus with a weekend of comedy at local venues including Greenwich Theatre, Up The Creek and Greenwich Market. gigs from David O’Doherty, Sara Pascoe, Tony Law, Andrew Maxwell, Josh Widdicombe, Mark Watson and more. Also see Josie Long’s Let’s Go Adventure short film double bill plus Q&A, and Arthur Smith gives an alternative tour of Greenwich. Visit website for listings, tickets and times.
PUPPETS: Suspense London Puppetry Festival aims to bring puppetry to new adult audiences. Produced by Little Angel Theatre, the festival now includes 12 London venues and 25 different companies. Try something new. Ends Sunday.
STORIES: Words Over Waltham Forest continues with storytelling, literature, art and expression, with exhibitions, workshops, games, music and poetry events all over the borough across three weeks. Check out the festival calendar for details.
SHOPPING: Canary Wharf's fashion shops are taking part in a three-day shopping event called Canary Rocks to celebrate new store openings with discounts to tempt you to part with your hard earned cash ahead of Christmas Party season. Yikes.
SKATING: The seasonal ice rinks are popping up across the city. Check out our round-up here.
LEGO: Last chance to see Brick City, the Lego landmark exhibition at ArtsDepot in Finchley. Free, just turn up, 10am-5.30pm
Saturday 2 November
CARS: The Regent Street Motor Show brings over 300 cars, spaning motoring's history, to central London. Free, just turn up, from 10.30am-4pm
GET CREATIVE: Celebrate the last day of Liberty's Get Creative campaign at their Regent Street shop, with free craft workshops such as origami greeting cards, diary embossing and digital t-shirt printing. Prices vary but many are free, just turn up, from 10am
CHOCOLATE: Get a dose of the good stuff at Brixton’s Chocolate Museum Festival. You can look around the museum, enjoy a free chocolate demonstration and tasting (which is the bit everyone really wants, right?) and children can take part in a chocolate making workshop (£2 charge). Free, just turn up, from 11am
BEER: Try some wintry brews on the last day of Wandsworth Common Halloween Beer Festival. Free entry, just turn up, 1-11pm
FINNISH MUSIC: What does Finland sound like? Sample its finest folk, electro, prog, jazz and more at King's Place with London International Festival of Exploratory Music 13: The Finnish Line from Friday to Saturday. Timings, tickets and more info online.
DAY OF THE DEAD: Rich Mix promises a "technicolour world of fright and mystery, zombies and music, voodoo and carnival riot" at its Dia de Los Muertos Experience, including Mexican horror films, dance and theatre performances and "supernatural sounds". Tickets £10 adv, £12.50 on the door, 7.30pm
VAMPIRES: Watch an immersive performance of Dracula in Westminster Reference Library. Tickets £15/£12.50, under 21s £5, prebook, 7.30pm
FUTURE: Take a journey through London subculture 2013-2040 at the Old Selfridges Hotel for a 'a re-staging of an ICA exhibition from 2013'. Free, prebook, 4pm
Sunday 3 November
DRAW TOMORROW: Sharpen your pencils, pack your imagination and head to Horniman Museum to draw tomorrow as part of the Big Draw. Turn your drawing into a wire object! Free, just turn up, 11am-3.30pm
MATHS ON TRIAL: Coralie Colmez is at Conway Hall to discuss how numbers get used and abused in the courtroom, and examples where mathematical misconceptions have resulted in grave miscarriages of justice. £5, prebook, 11am
DIWALI: It's just outside of London but you can celebrate the festival of lights at Bhaktivedanta Manor, the home of the Hare Krishna movement, with drama, dance, cows and fireworks this afternoon. Free, just turn up, from 2pm
HIP HOP: Listen to A Tribe Called Quest's Midnight Marauders with Classic Album Sundays at the Hanbury Arms, N1. Tickets £8 on the door, £8+bkg online, 5-8pm
BOURGEOIS & MAURICE: The demented darling duo's sex tapes videos and animations are showcased at BURN: Moving Images by Cabaret Artists at the Hackney Picturehouse Attic. Expect live outrageousness, plus "the usual on-screen hot mess of music, comedy and documentary". Tickets £7, £5 concs, show 8pm
ILLUSTRATION: Last chance to submit your London story artwork to the Serco Prize for Illustration.
Other good stuff
- What’s on stage and art shows to see
- Live comedy in London
- Booky and spoken word events
- Free things to do in London
- What’s on in Museums and Galleries
- Eating and drinking
- Listen to our latest podcast, as recommended by The Telegraph
Catch up on all latest features, see what we like in theatre and arts and browse more things to do in London.
Photo by Simon Hadleigh-Sparks via the Londonist Flickrpool.
