London art guide – quick links
SIX the Musical performed in Japanese (4-9 November)
SIX the Musical is performed in Japanese – the first time a major production has ever been staged this way in London. The show makes ‘herstory’ once again as the acclaimed Japanese cast takes to the Vaudeville Theatre following sold-out seasons in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. The English captions will be displayed on 10 screens around the theatre.
Two special workshops will also be held during the run. On 6 November, Dear Asia has a workshop that explores the language and culture of Japan through the songs of SIX. You can learn the lyrics in Japanese and also try your hand at traditional arts and crafts. On 8 November, acclaimed illustrator Chie Kutsuwada will lead a manga workshop with a SIX-inspired twist where you can draw your own manga-style portraits of the queens.
I’ve seen these Queens in action and they are as stylish as they are powerful, bringing Tokyo fashion flair and global girl-band energy to the stage. Don’t miss it!
Spineless Wonders: The Power of Print Unbound (closes 29 November)
The fascinating Spineless Wonders exhibition has been extended to the end of the month at the Senate House Library.
The term ‘spineless wonders’ denotes printed materials that are stapled, sewn, folded or in a single sheet. They do not have a spine, so are not books as such, and are often ephemeral and fragile. Often of little or no financial value in themselves, they are important records of social and cultural history and examples of outsider creative expression.
This exhibition uncovers many of the riches held in the Senate House Library and reveals diverse stories, from the global and collective to the local and personal, spanning 500 years of printing. From political pamphlets and manifestos to popular prints and limited-edition artists’ works, this is an intriguing display. It even includes the oldest pamphlet in the Library’s collection, Almanach auf das Jahr (1491).
Wimbledon Art Fair (6-9 November)
Wimbledon Art Fair is an open-art studio show hosted twice a year at the dynamic Wimbledon Art Studios.
This is your opportunity to explore over 180 art studios, home to some of London’s most talented artists, designers and makers. From painters and photographers to ceramicists, sculptors and textile artists, there’s a huge range of art on show and it’s all affordable and original.
See inside these genuine working artist studios and get an unfiltered, up-close look at the where the magic and creativity happens.
Organisers say their mission is simple, to make art accessible for all. It’s free but tickets can be pre-booked online.
Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair (13-16 November)
The Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair is about disrupting the elitist nature of art fairs and pushing the boundaries of print. You’ll find specialist print galleries from around the world alongside works by over 400 independent artists who were chosen through an international open call.
The fair has a focus on nurturing early-stage collectors and offers an authentic and accessible art experience. There’s an exciting program of talks, tours, demonstrations and events from leading creatives, curators, collectors and collaborators, and the online edition of the fair runs from 13 to 30 November.
London Festival of Baroque Music (1-8 November)
The London Festival of Baroque Music is a week-long celebration of an era that was defined by musical innovation and experimentation. It celebrates the dynamism of Baroque music and its continued influence on today’s musical landscape.
The festival is held at Smith Square Hall, itself a Baroque masterpiece, built in the 18th century and later reinvented as an acoustic marvel for the 21st century.
Artistic Director Iestyn Davies, an internationally acclaimed counter-tenor, has curated a rich and diverse program featuring some of the most captivating music ever written. There’s also new music to discover, including the world premiere of Toros: Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra by James Larter in the Spanish Sketches concert with conductor Frederick Waxman.
Made in Ancient Egypt (closes 12 April 2026)
The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge shines a spotlight on the craftspeople of ancient Egypt. From elaborately decorated coffins to the Books of the Dead, ancient Egyptians produced objects which remain iconic today. But who were the people who made them and how were they made?
From the domestic to the divine, Made in Ancient Egypt sheds new light on these ancient artisans and explores how they lived, worked and worshipped. Be sure to take note of the wonderful quotes on the walls, such as: ‘I have seen the smith at work at the mouth of his furnace. His fingers are like the skin of a crocodile and he stinks more than fish eggs.’
Egypt: Influencing British Design 1775 – 2025 (closes 18 January 2026)
Another exhibition about ancient Egypt is at Sir John Soane’s Museum. Egypt: Influencing British Design 1775 – 2025 asks how the mystery, romance and aesthetic appeal of ancient Egypt informed British design.
As wealthy Brits travelled to Egypt, they brought back grandiose ideas about design and decoration. Those ideas went on to influence richly decorated Regency homes, through to Victorian factories and cemeteries, art deco cinemas and twentieth-century houses, shops and offices.
This exhibition explores the British fascination with all things Egyptian through evocative drawings and books owned by Sir John Soane himself.
These decorative objects – including Wedgwood ceramics, Liberty Fabrics and an Egyptian-style Singer sewing machine – all show the many ways people have brought Egypt into their homes from the 1700s to today.
Dulverton Exmoor Literary Festival (15-17 November)
The Dulverton Exmoor Literary Festival is a treat for story-lovers of all ages. It opens with a celebratory literary lunch with William Sitwell, one of the UK’s leading food writers. He’ll be discussing his new book, wonderfully titled Eggs or Anarchy.
The packed weekend program also includes best-selling historian Jonathan Dimbleby interviewing Iain Dale about his new book on Margaret Thatcher, plus tributes to Jane Austen marking the 250th anniversary of her birth.
Also appearing are investigative journalist Chloe Hadjimatheou, who uncovered the truth about The Salt Path; Penny Adie, founder of the Two Moors Festival and author of Tales from the Box Office; and royal biographer Andrew Lownie, who will be talking about the book of the moment, Entitled: The rise and fall of the House of York.
Read: Two Moors Festival: bringing extraordinary music to remarkable places
EFG London Jazz Festival (14-23 November)
The EFG London Jazz Festival showcases hundreds of artists each November, transforming concert halls, jazz clubs and public spaces into vibrant stages for the world’s best jazz.
This year, the Barbican opens the Festival with artist-in-residence aja monet, joined by a host of friends and special guests.
There are large-scale orchestral works to solo pieces, poetry, film and genre-crossing performances from local and international artists like Dee Dee Bridgewater, Anthony Joseph, Shri Sriram, Hiromi, Tortoise, Akiko Yano and many more.
Walter Sickert: Love, Death & Ennui (closes 19 December)
An exhibition of paintings, drawings and prints by Walter Sickert from the collection of American art collectors Herbert and Ann Lucas is at Piano Nobile in Holland Park.
Walter Sickert is regarded as one of Britain’s great 20th century artists, though he was somewhat mercurial. He was a vivacious and charismatic man, loved by his many friends, included Oscar Wilde and Winston Churchill.
His artistic style developed from his admiration of the French Impressionists, especially Edgar Degas, whom he described as ‘the lighthouse of my existence’.
SICKERT: Love, Death & Ennui includes over 80 works, many of which have not been seen in public for over two decades. The exhibition shows the span of his art practice, from the low-toned naturalism of his famous Camden Town period and the bright lights of his music hall paintings, to the free impressionism of his architectural studies around Europe.
Made in Prague Festival (closes 30 November)
Based at the Czech Centre in Notting Hill, the Made in Prague Festival is a vibrant celebration of Czech culture embraces film, literature, music, theatre and visual art.
Highlights include an exhibition by a Czech–British group of visual artists in the Bouda and Vitrínka gallery spaces, a collaboration with the Royal Ballet and Opera for an exhibition at the Royal Opera House, and a symposium on photography at the V&A.
The festival closes with a gala concert by the English Chamber Orchestra, joined by Czech virtuoso Pavel Šporcl, in the spiritual space of the Holy Sepulchre London.
Famous faces on London stages
There’s always an opportunity to see a famous face from film and television live on stage in London. This month, Minnie Driver delivers a standout performance in Every Brilliant Thing at @sohoplace until 8 November.
Read: Every Brilliant Thing review: Minnie Driver is ‘exceptionally good’
Brendan Gleeson also stars in The Weir at the Harold Pinter Theatre, and Oscar winner Alicia Vikander appears alongside Andrew Lincoln in The Lady from the Sea at Bridge Theatre to 8 November.
