London Autumn 2019

If you thought that after such a summer autumn would be the time to be full of misery and gloom, well think again! Autumn events in London sound extra tempting, so why don’t you take a leap and see what you like? From music events to festivals and exhibitions, London is your oyster! There are plenty to see and experience, so do let me know which ones your are going to hit! I will definitely try to check out some for you guys (see all the sacrifices I do for you?) For now though, I have included some that I think interest a lot of people, so please let me know if you have more.

Music

If the summer was a nostalgic call back to the ’90s, as I’ve mentioned before, then this autumn is a complete mash up of different decades and styles. What should I mention first? Should I start decade-wise or not? Should I go by date of appearance? Decisions, decisions…

Starting from the middle of September, fans of alt rock will be delighted with the Muse concert at O2. For 2 days only – 14th and 15th of September – it will be nice to listen to them perform live after their September 2015 London concert. Another concert I am excited about (no, I haven’t booked any tickets yet!) is Alice Cooper (sans the other members of the Hollywood Vampires as far as I know)! For those of you interested, Alice Cooper will perform live on the 10th October again at the O2 Arena. Just five days after and at the same venue, it’s time for Ariana Grande! It’s not really my cup of tea, but I guess whatever floats your boat.

October at the O2 is a hot month, as apart from these mentioned above there are lots of concerts there, with Cher and John Legend among others. I am curious as to how Cher is going to appear, as it’s been so many years since I’ve watched her (or listened to her songs for that matter).

Finally, and I know it’s not really a concert, but it can be categorised as a music event, a new musical will be coming in London this autumn. And Juliet will be telling Juliet’s story after Romeo and Juliet ends and is promised to be full of fun, songs and power! Shaftesbury Theatre, here I come!

Food

Whoever said that food and food-related festivals can only happen during summer, you my friends are wrong! I have it in good authority that autumn festivals are some of the best foodie festivals around, with many seasonal products. Pumpkin spiced latte, anyone? In London only you can find some really tasty ones, like the one at the London Tower in September or the Eat and Drink Christmas edition Festival in November. Let’s start from the beginning though. For the street food lovers, the Urban Food Fest is just for you! Taking place every Saturday at the Euro Car Parks in Shoreditch, the Urban Food Fest features 15 food trucks and stalls that change every week. You can start from there and explore all that Shoreditch has to offer!

The Tower of London Food Festival is a literal feast of the senses! The moat around the castle is transformed into an area full of street food stalls, live demonstrations by celebrity chefs and live bands. There is also a cooking school and lots of other surprises along the way. This is a nice opportunity for everyone, as tickets to the festival include entry to the Tower! How is it with the birds and the stone?

All throughout October you can celebrate Oktoberfest. From Camden to Soho and from Islington to Battersea, you can transport instantly to Germany with this wild celebration of beer, bratwurst and sauerkraut. Instead of a trip to Munich, why not go to one of these festivals around the capital? Or even to a traditional Bavarian beerhouse?

Kensington Olympia will be a place to be for food lovers this autumn. At the end of October, on the 26th and 27th to be more precise, Vegfest takes place, while in November you can find there the Eat and Drink Christmas Edition. Vegans will get to enjoy Vegfest with food, wellbeing and lifestyle stalls, centered around veganism and animal activism. The Eat and Drink festival is an autumn staple and I will be happy to go there again, if I can! A great opportunity to think about Christmas (food) shopping, don’t you think?

If you are not interested in food and prefer copious amounts of alcohol, then the answer is: London Cocktail Week 2019! From 4-13 October, you can find plenty bars where you can (literally) drink to the fine art of cocktails, starting from £6.00! Now that’s something worth talking about!

For those of you looking for something that different, I have the perfect thing! Why not combine a nice daytrip outside London with a food festival? The Hastings Seafood and Wine Festival takes place on the 14-15th September and is a fantastic way to explore the town and taste some great seafood delicacies! Hastings is a very beautiful season little town, I’ve been there and enjoyed it so much you cannot believe! For £2.50 per advance ticket from the Hastings Information Centre or £4.00 at the gate, this is hardly going to break the bank!

Exhibitions

If there is one thing I love in London, it’s the wealth of exhibitions and cultural events all year round. The following two are some of my most highly-anticipated ones and with reason!

Dulwich Picture Gallery will play host to one of the greatest painters ever, Rembrandt. Celebrating 350 years since his death, this exhibition will focus on the Rembrandt’s use of light in his works. With major international loans from the Louvre and Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Rembrandt’s Light from the 4th October until the 2nd February is an exhibition not to be missed!

There will also be a new, free display at the Museum of London which will open in November. The Clash: London Calling exhibition will honour the upcoming 40th anniversary of their most iconic album, London Calling. With over 100 items – including handwritten lyrics, stage clothes and instruments – from the band’s collection on display, this exhibition will please all music lovers!

No matter what you do, enjoy it and have an absolute blast! From food to exotic beverages and from exhibitions to exclusive walks, London is worth exploring (and getting re-introduced to) over and over again!

Till next time,

Sofia-Maria

John Legend image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/inkyhack/