November in London: concerts, festivals, exhibitions and the first lights of Christmas
November is one of London’s most evocative months. Winter hasn’t quite arrived, yet the air already carries a sense of anticipation: Christmas lights begin to flicker above the streets, ice rinks open, and markets fill with music and the scent of cinnamon. In the city’s cultural calendar — concerts, festivals and new theatre premieres. As always, Afisha.London has gathered the most inspiring reasons to step outside this month — from jazz and contemporary art to immersive performances and the first festive highlights.
This article is also available in Russian here
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City events: fireworks, parades and Remembrance Day
Guy Fawkes Night. From Hackney to Richmond, parks will turn into lively fairgrounds filled with music, food stalls and bonfires. Note: many events this year have been moved from 5 November to the nearest weekend.
A few days later, on 8 November, the streets of the City of London will fill with thousands of spectators for the Lord Mayor’s Show — the oldest civic parade in the world, now over 800 years old. This year will be historic: for the first time, the procession will be led by a Lady Mayor of London, Dame Susan Langley.
Read also: Great British contemporaries: Stephen Fry
On 11 November, the city will pause for Remembrance Day, also known as Poppy Day. At the Cenotaph on Whitehall a solemn ceremony and a minute of silence will honour those who fell in war, while across London red poppies already bloom on coats and lapels — a symbol of remembrance.
Museum Cat invites children aged 8–13 and their parents to a family tour on 9 November: “Chronicle of Courage: Alan Turing, Enigma, and the Blitz.” During the tour, you’ll discover surprising facts about London’s wartime history, hear about legendary heroes and codebreakers, and learn about the resilience of the city’s people during the Blitz. Also in November, don’t miss other family-friendly Russian-language tours from this cultural and educational project: “Secrets of Olympus: Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece” on 23 November, a signature programme about Ancient Egypt at the British Museum, and a walking tour through the world of Charles Dickens on 30 November. More information and tickets available on the Museum Cat website.
Festivals: from jazz to K-Music
After the fireworks fade, London enters festival mode. November is packed with music, film and art — from avant-garde jazz to Czech and French cinema.
Pitchfork Music Festival London returns with six days, dozens of venues and hundreds of artists. From the Royal Albert Hall to Village Underground, it brings together carefully curated line-ups, collaborations and special sets. If you want to hear the sound of 2026 before anyone else — start here.
More info.
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- Photo: Nice M Nshuti on Unsplash
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- Photo: lordmayorsshow.london / ©Clive.Totman
The EFG London Jazz Festival, the UK’s leading jazz event, fills the city for ten days with concerts, jam sessions and late-night gigs. This year’s line-up includes Nubya Garcia, Makaya McCraven, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Bill Frisell and a new generation of artists redefining the sound of modern jazz. See the programme.
The K-Music Festival, the largest celebration of contemporary Korean music in the UK, bridges classical, jazz, electronica and traditional sounds reimagined for the 21st century. This year’s edition features collaborations with two London orchestras — a vibrant cultural dialogue between East and West. Details here.
The Made in Prague Festival, marking the 30th anniversary of the Czech Centre, spans film, theatre, visual art, music and literature — building a cultural bridge between Prague and London. Highlights include the films Il Boemo, Restore Point and Petr Zelenka’s stage work Fifty. Programme overview.
Meanwhile, the French Film Festival London offers dozens of premieres — from comedies and documentaries to thrillers — along with a retrospective devoted to Marcel Ophüls and Isabelle Adjani, who celebrates her 70th birthday this year. Expect a broad spectrum of cinema, from intimate auteur works to international co-productions. Full line-up.
Concerts
On 2 November, Vasya Oblomov performs at The Tabernacle with a new album. A cult figure in Russian music, Vasya Oblomov is known for his sharp social satire, poetic lyricism and moral clarity. In recent years, he has become one of the few independent voices to speak openly about conscience, responsibility and freedom, continuing to write songs that resonate far beyond music. Tickets here.
Read also: The great and terrible English pirates: the romanticised image of sea wolves
Later this month, London welcomes Dimash Kudaibergen, the Kazakh phenomenon whose extraordinary vocal range and theatrical performances have earned him international acclaim. Singing in multiple languages — from Kazakh and Russian to English, French, Italian, Chinese and Spanish — he blends opera, rock, pop and ethnic motifs, accompanied by both traditional instruments and dazzling stage visuals. Find tickets.
Mid-November brings the return of Shortparis, the experimental group (originally from St Petersburg) whose shows defy categorisation — part concert, part theatre, part ritual. With their fusion of electronic beats, haunting vocals and multilingual lyrics in Russian, French and English, Shortparis turn every performance into an immersive experience. Book now
Sviatoslav Vakarchuk — live in London, 23 November. The legendary voice of Okean Elzy, the author of beloved songs, and a symbol of strength and inspiration.
His charity solo concert offers a rare and intimate format: in the first half, Vakarchuk performs with a guitar — just as he does during his visits to Ukrainians across the country; in the second, he accompanies himself on the piano, recreating the warmth and intimacy in which the songs were originally written. A heartfelt evening of live music, meaning, and emotion — all in support of Ukraine. Tickets available now
Exhibitions
From late November, the world of Wes Anderson comes to London — quite literally. The Design Museum will open Wes Anderson: The Archives, the first major retrospective devoted to the filmmaker. Over six hundred exhibits from Anderson’s personal collection — storyboards, puppets, costumes, miniatures and even the pink model of The Grand Budapest Hotel — trace three decades of his career. Visitors will find rare behind-the-scenes materials from Fantastic Mr. Fox, Isle of Dogs and Asteroid City, while the museum café will serve afternoon tea in perfect Wes Anderson style. More details.
Photo: Wes Anderson. Copyright Searchlight Pictures / Charlie Gray
At Tate Britain, Turner & Constable brings together, for the first time, two titans of the British landscape. Paintings, sketches, notebooks and personal objects reveal how rivalry and admiration shaped both artists and made them enduring symbols of English Romanticism. Explore the exhibition.
At V&A South Kensington, Marie Antoinette: Style marks the UK’s first exhibition dedicated to Europe’s most fashionable queen. The show traces Marie-Antoinette’s influence on art and fashion over the past 250 years — from Versailles to Dior and Vivienne Westwood.
On 22 November, Afisha.London hosts Marie Antoinette: Splendour and Solitude, an ART Breakfast led by art historian and Afisha.London’s editor-in-chief Margarita Bagrova. Together, guests will explore the queen’s style and jewels, and gain the cultural context that will make the exhibition come alive in a new way. Book tickets. Event is in Russian
Photo: Afisha.London
For those who prefer a more immersive experience, Immerse LDN unveils The Last Days of Pompeii — a large-scale digital recreation using VR and 360° projections that lets visitors wander the streets of the ancient city, witness gladiator games and experience the eruption of Vesuvius first-hand. More info.
At Riverside Studios in Hammersmith, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Live invites audiences to join Douglas Adams’s beloved characters on an interactive journey through space — leaving Earth behind to meet aliens and improbable adventures. Learn more.
And finally, it’s the last chance to see the legendary Cartier exhibition in London. During the closing FRIDAY LATE, art expert Margarita Bagrova will give a talk — Cartier: The Final Chapter — offering a farewell glimpse of the historic tiaras, gemstones and masterpieces before they return to their private owners and vaults around the world.
Event details. Event is in Russian
Cartier: The Design of Time exhibition. Photo: Afisha.London
Theatre: classics, immersive experiments and a touch of magic
From family shows to West End revivals, London’s stages in November are full of emotion and sparkle.
Slava’s Snow Show — a poetic, funny and deeply moving production by clown and theatre artist Slava Polunin — returns to envelop audiences in a blizzard of imagination.
Tickets. | Read our interview. (In Rus only)
Every Brilliant Thing, the acclaimed one-man play about finding reasons to live, runs only until 8 November. Book here.
The Lady from the Sea, directed by Simon Stone and starring Alicia Vikander and Andrew Lincoln, explores longing, loss and renewal. Details.
Just for One Day celebrates the iconic Live Aid concert with the music of Queen, U2, Madonna and more — a high-energy musical bursting with nostalgia and optimism. Tickets.
Read also: Emigration of the Romanovs to Great Britain: the story of Grand Duchess Xenia
The Lady from the Sea Photo: © 2025 LOVEtheatre by The Ticket Machine Group Ltd
Stereophonic, fresh from Broadway acclaim, opens in London — a sharp, funny play about creativity, fame and fractured relationships. More info.
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, based on John le Carré’s classic, is a tense new adaptation about betrayal and moral compromise. Book now
The Importance of Being Earnest returns with Stephen Fry as an unforgettable Lady Bracknell in a witty, stylish take on Wilde’s beloved comedy. More details.
Families can look forward to Paddington The Musical — the much-anticipated stage debut of everyone’s favourite bear from Peru, opening 3 November. Find tickets.
Other highlights include Top Hat, the elegant musical based on the Fred Astaire classic, filled with Irving Berlin songs, glamorous costumes and dazzling choreography, Info here
and timeless legend The Phantom of the Opera, the tale of a mysterious phantom and his passion for a young soprano. Book here.
Photo: Stereophonic, Marc Brenner, © 2025 LOVEtheatre by The Ticket Machine Group Ltd
Business and innovation
After the post-pandemic pause, London has firmly reclaimed its title as the world’s exhibition and trade-show capital. At ExCeL London, one of Europe’s largest and most dynamic venues, November brings three major professional events: The Business Show — a free forum for entrepreneurs and start-ups; Event Tech Live — the leading showcase for innovation in the event-technology sector; and London Vet Show, Europe’s premier conference and expo for veterinary professionals. Their scale and diversity confirm London’s renewed position as a global hub of ideas, experimentation and business energy.
Vet Show. Photo: ©2025. Excel London
Early Christmas: what to enjoy before the crowds arrive
No sooner have the Halloween sweets disappeared than London slips into Christmas mode. Early in November, lights sparkle along Oxford Street, followed by Regent Street and Soho; by mid-month, Covent Garden and Marylebone Village glow with festive charm and host lively street celebrations. On 14 November, Winter Wonderland opens in Hyde Park — a vast festive fairground of rides, skating rinks and mulled wine.
Now is the moment to start planning: tickets for Christmas shows, ballets and pantomimes are selling fast. Explore our Afisha.London Christmas Guide for everything worth booking in advance.
Make a note of our November highlights and plan your cultural calendar while the city still belongs to locals. To stay up to date with new openings and events, follow our Events section and join us on Telegram.
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Cover photo: Anna Claire Schellenberg / Unsplash
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