LONDON EVENTS – Best guide to South Bank this Autumn

Posted by Editor on September 30, 2022 in Lifestyle, London, London Events | Leave a comment

Autumn is typically the height of London’s cultural scene and in the run up to the festive season, the capital’s favourite riverside hotspot, South Bank, is teeming with must-sees and dos .

Arts & Entertainment highlights could include:

• The Hayward Gallery – Strange Clay: Ceramics in Contemporary Art (26 October 2022 – 8 January 2023) the first large-scale group exhibition in the UK of its kind, exploring how contemporary artists such as Grayson Perry, Magdalene Odundo, and Betty Woodman use clay in unexpected ways. 
• The Garden Museum – Lucian Freud: Plant Portraits (14 October – 5 March), the first exhibition to bring together a selection of Freud’s rarely or never-before-seen paintings and etchings of plants.
• BFI IMAX – Britain’s biggest screen will be reopening early this November following a refurbishment as it comes back into operation by the BFI. This year’s most exciting blockbuster Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be screened from 11 November. 

Hidden Gems could include:

• This October the BFI Mediatheque will reopen to the public after refurbishment. Choose from over 95,000 films to watch in your own booth with a headset and discover the world’s greatest film and TV archive, from timeless classics to quirky gems – all for free.
• Oxo Wharf Tower – combines up-and-coming design and retail therapy, hosting a run of creative studio stores by jewellery designers, ceramicists, accessory designers and more. Favourite picks include Loveness Jewellery for contemporary ‘wearable sculptures’, or Archipelago for gorgeous textiles. 
• Until 16 December every Tuesday afternoon, The Bernie Spain Gardens are offering free ‘gentle gardening’ sessions, where you can have a cuppa, meet locals and get your hands muddy.

Food & drinks highlights could include: 

• London Cocktail Week – The world’s biggest cocktail festival is back from 13 – 23 October, and several South Bank hotspots are taking part. Purchasing a wristband to the Week will give you access to £7 Signature Cocktails in 300 of the best bars in London
• South Bank Centre’s Winter Market – Returning this year with dates to be announced. Stroll along the Thames under twinkling lights and sample indulgent drinks, scrumptious street food and seasonal goodies.
• New Brewdog Waterloo – The biggest BrewDog in the UK, which has opened in the new Sidings area of Waterloo station complete with a slide and duckpin bowling, is perfect for evening or after-work drinks.