Half-term’s here, so this one’s got plenty for the kids. MCM Comic Con takes over ExCeL all weekend, Trafalgar Square throws its big free Diwali party on Sunday, and Professor Brian Cox brings his new show to The O2 on Friday. The Apollo’s got a film-with-live-music double on Sunday too, and Chelsea host Spurs in a Saturday-teatime London derby. One thing to remember: the clocks go back an hour in the early hours of Sunday, so you get a lie-in.
MCM Comic Con London — ExCeL London (Friday 23–Sunday 25 October)
The UK’s biggest pop-culture weekend is back at the Royal Docks, with anime and gaming voice actors, TV and film guests, and loads of independent artists and creators. General entry runs 12pm–6pm on Friday (with After Hours till 9pm), 11am–7pm on Saturday and 12pm–5pm on Sunday. Saturday’s sold out, but Friday and Sunday general entry are £29 each including fees. Kids’ day tickets are £7, and under-5s go free with a paying adult. ExCeL’s parking for the weekend has sold out, so take the DLR or the Elizabeth line to Custom House.
Official: MCM Comic Con tickets — venue: ExCeL London.
Diwali on the Square — Trafalgar Square (Sunday 25 October, 1pm–7pm)
London’s big free Diwali celebration fills Trafalgar Square on Sunday afternoon. Expect a 200-dancer opening, music and dance on the main stage, a vegetarian food market, and sari and turban tying. There’s no booking, so just turn up. It’s a lovely one for families.
Event details — Mayor of London (free, no booking).
Professor Brian Cox – Emergence World Tour — The O2 (Friday 23 October, doors 6pm)
Brian Cox’s new arena show explores how all the complexity around us emerges from the laws of nature, told on a giant screen. It’s a great one for curious teenagers, too. Tickets go through AXS, The O2’s official ticketing partner.
Event details — The O2 / AXS (official venue tickets).
Half-term with the kids
Hocus Pocus in Concert — Eventim Apollo (Sunday 25 October, 2.30pm)
The Sanderson sisters are back on the big screen, with the score played live by a full orchestra. It’s the perfect Halloween warm-up. Doors are at 1.30pm, it’s done by about 5pm, and tickets are £31.75–£50.75.
Event details — Eventim (the Apollo’s official ticketing) — partner option: Ticketmaster UK.
Barbican Family Film Week — Barbican Cinema (from Saturday 24 October)
The Barbican’s half-term film festival for young ones kicks off on Saturday at 11am with A Shuffle of Shorts!, a mix of animations from around the world for ages 5+, with free crafting in the Cinema Café from 10am. Studio Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle starts its run on Sunday. Tickets are £2.50 for under-18s and £5 for adults, and every group needs at least one child and one grown-up.
Official: Barbican (official venue tickets).
October half-term at Royal Museums Greenwich (from Saturday 24 October)
The National Maritime Museum’s going all creepy-crawly this half-term, with free drop-in crafts and storytelling, Cutty Sark’s cook James Robson popping in on Saturday, and the Unboxing the Universe science show at 11.30am and 1.30pm on both days. Entry to the museum’s free, though booking’s recommended. Up the hill, the Royal Observatory’s running Observatory Unlocked: Moon from 10.15am to 1.30pm on Saturday and Sunday, included with admission (adults £24, children £12).
Official: National Maritime Museum — Royal Observatory.
London Transport Museum: along the Piccadilly line — Covent Garden (from Saturday 24 October)
The museum’s celebrating 120 years of the Piccadilly line, with sensory storytelling for under-5s and drop-in “design a carriage” crafts for ages 5+. Activities are free with museum admission, and kids go free.
Official: London Transport Museum.
Also good with kids: Disney’s The Lion King at the Lyceum has 2.30pm matinees on Saturday and Sunday and a 7.30pm show on Saturday, recommended for ages 6+ (event; official tickets; also London Box Office).
Gigs and concerts
Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of The Worlds – Live — Eventim Apollo (Saturday 24 October, doors 7pm)
The rock-opera arena spectacular in a theatre-sized room. It’s a proper big Saturday-night nostalgia trip, with tickets from £47.25.
Event details — Eventim (official).
Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: In Concert — Eventim Apollo (Sunday 25 October, doors 6.30pm)
Make it a Sunday double after Hocus Pocus. The 1986 cult classic plays on the big screen with a live band, and Bowie’s Magic Dance, Underground and As the World Falls Down are all in there.
Official: Eventim — venue: Eventim Apollo.
Lake Street Dive — Eventim Apollo (Friday 23 October, doors 7pm)
The Boston band’s soulful, harmony-rich pop is made for a room like the Apollo. Mamas Gun are supporting.
Official: Eventim — venue: Eventim Apollo.
Fally Ipupa — The O2 (Saturday 24 October, doors 6.30pm)
The Congolese superstar brings rumba, soukous and R&B to Greenwich for what’s billed as the biggest Francophone show the UK’s ever seen. Sunday’s already sold out, so Saturday’s your night.
Official: The O2 / AXS (official venue tickets).
Orchestral Qawwali Project — Royal Albert Hall (Saturday 24 October, 7.30pm)
Sufi qawwali meets the BBC Concert Orchestra in a big, joyful fusion of South Asian and orchestral traditions.
Official: Royal Albert Hall.
Sport
Arsenal v Everton — Emirates Stadium (Saturday 24 October, 3pm). Members only, through the ballot and the club’s official Ticket Exchange. Event details — Arsenal ticket information.
Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur — Stamford Bridge (Saturday 24 October, 5.30pm). The London derby’s members only. The official Ticket Exchange is open to members until 2.30pm on matchday. Chelsea ticket exchange update.
Crystal Palace v Newcastle United — Selhurst Park (Sunday 25 October, 2pm). Members and season-ticket holders only, and every fan needs a Palace ticketing account. Resale’s open to members now. Crystal Palace match page.
Free and outdoors
Frieze Sculpture — The Regent’s Park English Gardens (until 1 November). The free outdoor sculpture trail’s into its final fortnight. It’s open 8am to dusk with no booking, so it’s a great half-term wander with a scooter or two. Event details — Frieze Sculpture.
West End and theatre
Jesus Christ Superstar’s into its second week at Drury Lane, with Sam Ryder as Jesus. Glenn Close plays Herod for the final week, 4–9 January (event; official tickets; also London Box Office). The Devil Wears Prada is at the Dominion, with music by Elton John (event; official tickets; also London Box Office). There’s also Into the Woods at the Noël Coward (event; official tickets; also London Box Office), and Christine Baranski and Richard E. Grant in Hay Fever at Wyndham’s (event; official tickets; also London Box Office).
Tickets and tours
If you’re filling a half-term week, the London Pass from Go City bundles a lot of attractions into one ticket. For a wider West End catalogue with offers across shows, see London Box Office, and for gigs and arena shows, Ticketmaster UK is a handy partner option. Whatever you pick, check times with the organiser before you head out, especially on Sunday once the clocks have gone back.
Browse the full events calendar for more dates through half-term and into November.