What's On in London This Weekend

Psychobilly Freakout 2026 — New Cross Inn is bracing itself for a full-throttle collision of rockabilly, punk, and vintage horror as Psychobilly Freakout rolls back into town for 2026 — and on Halloween eve, the timing could not be more perfect. Expect pompadours, leather, and a crowd that treats every riff like a battle cry, in one of South London's most characterful live music venues. Kicking off at 1:00pm and running well into the evening, tickets are £32–£80 and this one is absolutely not for the faint-hearted.

School's Out Trick or Treat Edition! — Rollernation in Finsbury Park transforms into the most gloriously chaotic Halloween party on wheels at 1:00pm, and families with kids in tow would be absolute fools to miss it. Costumes are practically compulsory, the rink will be buzzing with colour and laughter, and the combination of skates and spooky fun makes for a memory that will last until next October at least. Tickets run from £16–£50, making it a genuinely accessible afternoon adventure for all ages.

Mozart Piano Concertos by Candlelight — There are few more romantic settings in London than St Mary Le Strand — that elegant Baroque island church on the Strand — and at 6:00pm it will be filled entirely with flickering candlelight and the extraordinary music of Mozart. This is the kind of evening that makes you feel quietly grateful to be alive, the sort where the city's noise falls away completely and all that remains is piano and flame. Tickets are £35–£50, and it is followed later the same evening by a Chopin and Champagne edition for those who want to make a full night of it.

Hayao Miyazaki's Dreams by Mystery Ensemble — If you have ever been moved by the sweeping, magical scores of Studio Ghibli films — the soaring brass of Howl's Moving Castle, the gentle wonder of My Neighbour Totoro — then Mystery Ensemble's tribute concert at Kensington United Reformed Church at 7:00pm will feel like a deeply personal gift. The intimate church setting adds an almost cinematic reverence to the whole affair, turning beloved film music into something genuinely transportive. Tickets are £12–£26, making this one of the most generously priced special events of the evening.

Halloween Rock Show — Jam In A Jar keeps it beautifully unpretentious with a Halloween Rock Show at 7:30pm — just live guitars, proper rock and roll energy, and a crowd dressed somewhere on the spectrum between zombie and reluctant civilian. At just £7 a ticket, it is one of the best-value gigs in the city tonight, and these small-venue Halloween shows have a way of turning into the most unexpectedly brilliant nights of the year. Come for the music, stay for the chaos.

Brixton Fridays: Hip Hop, R&B & Afrobeats 'til 3AM — The Blues Kitchen Brixton needs no excuse to throw a party, but Brixton Fridays — running all the way until 3:00am with a relentless stream of hip hop, R&B, and Afrobeats — is something of a south London institution. Starting at 8:00pm, this is the kind of night where the dance floor never quite cools down, the sound system does the heavy lifting, and you emerge sometime in the small hours wondering where the time went. At just £4–£7 on the door, it is an almost absurdly good deal for a Halloween Friday in one of London's greatest neighbourhoods.

HDIF Children's Disco Halloween Party - all-ages indie club — Hands Down I'm Famous brings its legendary indie disco energy to The Phoenix at 12:00pm in a full-on Halloween edition built for the whole family — little monsters very much welcome. Expect floor-filling indie bangers, fancy dress chaos, and the rare joy of a room where parents and kids are equally obsessed with the music. At just £3–£7, it is one of the best-value afternoons the city has to offer.

Family Jam Early Session — Lace up and roll into Rollernation for the Family Jam Early Session at 12:00pm — a proper old-school roller-skating party that gives kids (and quietly competitive adults) the chance to glide, wobble, and grin under the disco lights. Rollernation is one of London's most beloved skate venues, and this session is designed with families front and centre. Tickets are £15, and the memories are priceless.

Tim Burton's Universe by Mystery Ensemble — Mystery Ensemble conjures the gothic, whimsical, and utterly cinematic world of Tim Burton through live music performed inside Kensington United Reformed Church — a venue that feels almost purpose-built for Halloween night. With two performances at 6:00pm and 8:00pm, this is spine-tingling, spellbinding stuff for anyone who has ever felt the magic of Edward Scissorhands or The Nightmare Before Christmas on a deep level. Tickets are £12–£26 — a genuinely special alternative to the usual Halloween fare.

Vivaldi Four Seasons by Candlelight (8pm) — There are few more seductive ways to spend a Halloween evening than inside the beautiful St Mary Le Strand as candlelight flickers across the walls and Vivaldi's Four Seasons unfolds live around you. The 8:00pm performance is the late, atmospheric option — perfect for those who want the drama of the night at its fullest. Tickets run from £35–£50, and this is the kind of concert that stays with you long after the last note fades.

Mario Bakuna Band: Brazilian Landscapes Live @Karamel N22 — Head north to Wood Green at 7:30pm where the Mario Bakuna Band promises to fill Karamel N22 with warm, rich Brazilian sounds — the kind of music that makes your shoulders drop and your feet start moving entirely of their own accord. Karamel is one of London's most welcoming independent arts spaces, and this is exactly the sort of intimate, joyful live gig that the city does better than anywhere. Tickets are £12.

The South London Soul Train Halloween w/Dr Meaker (Live) — The South London Soul Train is already one of the most beloved nights on the London calendar, and the Halloween edition at Peckham Levels from 10:00pm promises to be something truly electric — especially with Bristol's Dr Meaker bringing their explosive live funk and soul to the dance floor. Peckham Levels has become a cultural heartbeat of south London, and this is the kind of night where you walk in as a stranger and walk out feeling like you have found your people. Tickets are £13.

Mega Mega: Romford's Suburban Sound Revolution — Step out to ATIK Romford from 12:00pm for what promises to be a genuinely fascinating dive into the musical identity of one of London's most undersung outer boroughs. This exhibition-style event celebrates the grassroots club culture and sonic heritage that grew up on the city's suburban fringes, and it costs anywhere from nothing to £12, making it one of the most accessible and thought-provoking ways to spend a Sunday afternoon. If you've ever wondered what the edges of the city sound like, this is your invitation to find out.

Open Age Early Session — Rollernation throws open its rink at 12:00pm for its Open Age Early Session, and whether you are a seasoned skater or someone who last laced up in 1987, the energy in this place is genuinely infectious. At £15 it is an affordable, joyful, and frankly brilliant way to get the blood pumping before the afternoon sets in. Bring friends, bring family, bring absolutely anyone — this one levels the playing field beautifully.

The Dome: Northern Soul and Motown Alldayer — From 2:00pm, The Dome becomes a time-travelling dancefloor where the driving rhythms of Northern Soul and the smooth heartbeat of Motown take over for the entire afternoon. For £12 you get hours of music that has soundtracked love stories, road trips, and kitchen discos for decades, performed in a venue with real character and warmth. This is the kind of event that reminds you why people fell in love with live music in the first place.

Tom Rush — Union Chapel — one of London's most breathtaking live music venues, all gothic arches and candlelit atmosphere — hosts American folk and blues legend Tom Rush at 7:00pm. Tickets are £34 and honestly, given the setting and the calibre of the performer, that feels like an extraordinary bargain; Rush has been shaping the sound of American folk for over sixty years, and hearing him here will be something to tell people about. This is a night for anyone who values artistry, intimacy, and the kind of music that genuinely endures.

Restless — The 100 Club on Oxford Street is one of those rooms that practically hums with rock and roll history, and at 7:30pm Restless bring their sharp, energetic sound to that legendary stage for £20. There is something thrillingly alive about seeing a band throw everything they have at a crowd in a club this iconic, and a Sunday night here will feel anything but ordinary. Get down early, get close to the front, and let the music do the rest.

Queen Greatest Hits Putney — If you want to round off your Sunday with something unashamedly, euphorically fun, The Half Moon in Putney has you covered from 8:30pm with a full Queen Greatest Hits show for £20. Every anthem you know by heart, played live in a proper pub venue where the ceiling feels low and the crowd feels electric — this is the kind of night where strangers end up singing arm in arm. Don't stop them now.