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What's On in London

Friday 18 September 2026 · This weekend · City guide

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London does not do Friday by halves, and this September evening proves the point magnificently. From a reggae-dancehall legend warming up a crowd at five o'clock to candlelit Beethoven shimmering through a Strand church, the city is stacked with reasons to step out and feel alive. Whether you want to move your feet, close your eyes and listen, or simply let a live band remind you why nothing beats a room full of people sharing the same moment — tonight has you covered.

Highlights

Nuff Vibes with Apache Indian — The man who gave us 'Boom Shack-A-Lak' is live at The Tate Institute from 5:00pm, and if that sentence does not make you reach for your jacket immediately, check your pulse. Apache Indian has been fusing bhangra, reggae, and dancehall since the early nineties with an energy that refuses to age, and Nuff Vibes promises exactly what the name suggests. Check the website for ticket prices — this one could be the surprise of the week.

Beethoven Piano Concertos by Candlelight — St Mary Le Strand is one of those jaw-dropping baroque churches that stops you on the pavement, and on Friday evening at 6:00pm it becomes the most atmospheric concert hall in the city. Beethoven's piano concertos by flickering candlelight is the kind of experience that feels genuinely cinematic — the kind of thing you describe to people for months afterwards. Tickets are £35–£50, and every penny earns its keep.

The World of John Williams by the Mystery Ensemble — Raiders, Jaws, Schindler, Jurassic Park, Star Wars — if you have ever felt a film score lift the hairs on your arms, this is your evening. The Mystery Ensemble bring the legendary composer's catalogue to life at Kensington United Reformed Church at 7:00pm in what promises to be a joyful, sweeping, thoroughly crowd-pleasing night out. At £12–£26, it is one of the best-value thrills on offer anywhere in London tonight.

X Generation X — The 100 Club on Oxford Street is one of rock and roll's most sacred rooms — the Pistols played here, the Stones played here — and on Friday at 7:30pm it hosts X Generation X, a night dripping in the spirit of one of punk's most provocative bands. At £30 a ticket, you are not just buying a gig, you are buying a piece of living music history in a venue that breathes it. Dress accordingly.

Stefan Redtenbacher's Funkestra — Head out to Kingston Upon Thames for something genuinely rare: a full funk orchestra doing what funk orchestras were born to do, loud and proud in the intimate setting of Ex Cellar Kingston from 7:00pm. Stefan Redtenbacher has built a reputation for shows that are as tight as they are joyful, and the Funkestra is exactly the kind of ensemble that turns a Friday into a story. Tickets are £22 — and you will earn every calorie you burn on that dancefloor.

Moonlight Sonata by Candlelight — If the 6:00pm Beethoven concert at St Mary Le Strand sells out or you simply want to make an entire evening of it, the same gorgeous venue hosts a dedicated Moonlight Sonata performance at 8:00pm. There are few pieces of music more perfectly suited to candlelight than this one — brooding, tender, and utterly transporting. Priced at £35–£50, it is a late-evening treat that will send you home feeling quietly transformed.

Full listings

EventVenueTimePriceLink
Live Music
Nuff Vibes with Apache IndianThe Tate Institute5:00pmCheck websiteTickets
Beethoven Piano Concertos by CandlelightSt Mary Le Strand6:00pm£35–£50Tickets
Pedro Giomo + Tulip - Live at Aces and EightsAces And Eights7:00pm£9Tickets
Stefan Redtenbacher's FunkestraEx Cellar Kingston7:00pm£22Tickets
The Harbours - LondonBarfly7:00pm£12Tickets
The World of John Williams by the Mystery EnsembleKensington United Reformed Church7:00pm£12–£26Tickets
City Funk OrchestraThe Boom Boom Club7:30pm£12–£26Tickets
Spangled - LondonThe Water Rats7:30pm£12Tickets
X Generation X100 Club7:30pm£30Tickets
One Voice: Orchestral Bass by Filipe Moreno - BrazilThe Bulls Head8:00pm£30Tickets
Moonlight Sonata by CandlelightSt Mary Le Strand8:00pm£35–£50Tickets
Sport
New World OrderAcres235:30pm£40–£1200Tickets
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