London news · 24 October 2026
London Tube and Train Closures This Weekend: District, Circle, Elizabeth and More Affected
Major planned closures hit the District and Circle lines across both days of 24–25 October, with further disruption on the DLR, Elizabeth, Mildmay and Windrush lines.
Clocks Go Back on Sunday as BST Ends Across the UK
British Summer Time ends at 2am on Sunday 25 October 2026, with clocks reverting to Greenwich Mean Time and London's sunset falling at 4:45pm.
Dua Lipa-Curated London Literature Festival Opens on the South Bank
The London Literature Festival launches its 2026 programme curated by Dua Lipa, with a conversation with Zadie Smith about 'White Teeth' among the highlights of Saturday 24 October.
Freddie Mercury's Stage Costumes Go on Free Display at the V&A
A new free trail at the V&A South Kensington opens on 24 October, showcasing eight of Freddie Mercury's most legendary stage outfits to mark what would have been his 80th birthday.
Halloween at the Tower of London: Spooky Half-Term Trail Opens for 2026
The Tower of London is hosting a family Halloween trail from 24 October to 1 November 2026, with spooky characters, themed areas and a ghost bear to discover across the historic fortress.
Halloween at Kew Gardens Runs Illuminated Trail Until 1 November
Kew Gardens' Halloween light trail, which began on Friday 16 October, continues nightly until Sunday 1 November, offering illuminated trees, ghoulish installations and fire performers across three time slots.
Barbican Family Film Week Kicks Off Half-Term Cinema Celebration
The Barbican Centre's Family Film Week offers seven days of international cinema, live introductions, workshops and quizzes over the half-term holiday, running until 1 November 2026.
London Transport Museum Launches Piccadilly Line 120th Birthday Celebrations
The London Transport Museum in Covent Garden opens a week of half-term activities on 24 October marking 120 years since the Piccadilly line's opening as the world's longest underground railway.
London's Ten Best Free Halloween Events 2026 Revealed
Time Out London rounds up ten free Halloween events across the capital, from a pumpkin carving contest in Walthamstow to a Thriller flash mob in Covent Garden.
Mayor's Violence Reduction Unit Reaches One Million Londoners
London's Violence Reduction Unit has this month reached one million Londoners — 750,000 young people plus 250,000 parents, carers and professionals — since its 2019 founding, as hospital admissions for knife assault among young people fall 55 per cent.
Mayor Announces Network of Community Memorials for Transatlantic Slavery Across London
Ten community groups across nine London boroughs receive grants of up to £10,000 each to create memorials connected to The Wake, the capital's forthcoming cowrie-shell slavery memorial at West India Quay.
Met Police Arrests 42 and Seizes Stolen Goods Worth Tens of Thousands in Retail Crime Blitz
A two-week Metropolitan Police operation targeting the resale of stolen goods resulted in 42 arrests, 11 shop closure orders and the recovery of tens of thousands of pounds of suspected stolen stock across London.
Enigmatic Central London Nightclub Lost to Return at Former Oxford Street Fashion College
The secretive no-phones nightclub Lost has announced it will reopen in the former London College of Fashion building on Oxford Street, describing it as 'an entire block' to reimagine the heart of London.
Berryman's: Three Sheets Founders to Open Intimate Oyster and Martini Bar in Dalston
The siblings behind acclaimed cocktail bar Three Sheets are opening a 20-cover oyster, martini and wine bar called Berryman's on Kingsland Road in Dalston on 13 November.
London Literature Festival Opens With Dua Lipa as Curator This Weekend
The London Literature Festival runs at the South Bank until 1 November 2026, with pop star and Service95 Book Club founder Dua Lipa curating the programme, featuring talks with Zadie Smith and Patti Smith alongside a packed weekend of theatre and festivals across the capital.