Having trouble deciding on the best spots for photography in London?
Then check out the fantastic events in the London and Watford area this month. These events are more geared towards photography, fashion and art.
Welcome to November; it’s here, bringing dazzling fireworks, sparkling Christmas lights, and a packed calendar of events across London and Watford. The days may be getting shorter and the evenings colder, but there’s no shortage of reasons to wrap up warm, head outdoors and explore!
From the spectacular fireworks displays in Watford and Battersea to the colourful pageantry of the Lord Mayor’s Show, November promises plenty of memorable moments. Add to that a fantastic selection of new art exhibitions, festive markets and Christmas lights switch-ons, and there’s something happening around almost every corner.
More events are listed below.
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Last Updated: 1st November
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Hyde Park Sausage Walk: Halloween Edition at Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park – on 1st
Hundreds of dachshunds and their owners gather for a Halloween-themed walk, complete with spooky costumes and a best-dressed sausage dog competition. Meet at the Physical Energy Statue from 12pm to 2pm. Free to attend, with no tickets required.
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Watford Legends Fireworks Night at Metropolitan Bushey – on 1st
A musical fireworks tribute to Elton John and George Michael.
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Diwali Celebrations at Watford Town Centre – on 1st
A colourful programme of community activities and cultural celebrations.
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Charlie Mackesy: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, the Horse… and You at Dulwich Picture Gallery – 3rd till 7th February 2027
An exhibition dedicated to Charlie Mackesy’s illustrated world, featuring drawings, sketches and creative development.
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Winston Taylor Photo Portrait Prize 2026 at National Portrait Gallery – 5th till 17th January 2027
The Winston Taylor Photo Portrait Prize (formerly Taylor Wessing) showcases the work of talented young photographers, gifted amateurs and established professionals in the very best of contemporary photography.
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Common Ghosts at APT Gallery, Deptford – 5th to 15th
Deluxe share Common Ghosts, absent, present, in between. As subject and as material, Common Ghosts reflects on zones of uncertainty, where perception falters: cultural and individual; time, memory and presence.
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Wimbledon Park Fireworks at Wimbledon Park – on 5th
Musical fireworks displays with rides and street food.
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St James’s Christmas Lights Switch-On at St James’s – on 5th
The illuminated Spirits return to the streets of St James’s.
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Wimbledon Art Fair at Wimbledon Art Studios – 5th to 8th
Explore more than 180 working artists’ studios and discover original paintings, photography, sculpture, ceramics, jewellery and printmaking. Meet the artists and buy work directly from its creators. Free entry, with a launch evening on 5 November.
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The Nue Black Aesthetic at Design Museum – from 6th to 8th August 2027
A celebration of contemporary Black designers working across fashion, furniture, architecture and installation.
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Postgraduate Shows 2026: Photography at London College of Communication – 6th to 9th
Emerging talent in documentary, photojournalism and commercial photography.
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Clare Muller at Museum of Youth Culture – from 6th to 22nd
Archival photographs documenting changing generations and youth culture.
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Does Size Matter? at Firepit – 6th to 30th January 2027
Small-format original artworks spanning photography, painting, sculpture and prints.
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Amersham Fireworks at Amersham & Chiltern Rugby Club – on 6th
Fireworks, fairground rides, music and food.
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Alexandra Palace Fireworks & Drone Festival at Alexandra Palace – 7th & 8th
Fireworks, drones, a bonfire, music and fairground entertainment.
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Battersea Park Fireworks at Battersea Park – 7th & 8th
Two evenings of fireworks and live entertainment.
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Morden Park Fireworks at Morden Park – on 7th
Music-synchronised fireworks, rides and food.
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Wembley and Harrow Fireworks at Byron Park, Harrow – on 7th
A combined Bonfire Night and Diwali celebration.
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Beckenham Charity Fireworks at Croydon Road Recreation Ground – on 7th
Community fireworks, an earlier family display and fairground entertainment.
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Cassiobury Fireworks at Cassiobury Park, Watford – on 7th
Watford’s large free fireworks display with entertainment and food.
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Yokimono Japanese Market: Japanese Sample Sale at The Factory, Dalston – 7th & 8th
A special Japanese-themed market featuring kimonos, arts and crafts, ceramics, jewellery, records and food. The two-day event celebrates Japanese creativity and craftsmanship. Free entry.
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London Fashion Day at Porchester Hall, Bayswater – on 8th
London Fashion Day brings together emerging and established designers for runway presentations celebrating contemporary fashion and creativity in the elegant surroundings of Porchester Hall.
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Still Life: Danlu Zheng Solo Exhibition at KOPPEL Collective – 10th to 15th
Still Life brings together works from different stages of Danlu Zheng’s practice, tracing an evolving investigation into the relationships between the body, materiality and the environment.
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Chancery Lane Christmas Lights Switch-On at Chancery Lane – on 10th
A festive evening celebrating the neighbourhood’s Christmas lights.
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Tradition/Rebellion: Coming-of-Age Style in Kitakyushu, Japan at Japan House London – 11th until 18th April 2027
Japanese coming-of-age style, identity and the interplay between tradition and fashion.
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Vanessa Bell & Duncan Grant: Inside Bloomsbury at Tate Britain – from 12th until 11th April 2027
Exploring the creative partnership of two leading Bloomsbury Group artists through painting and design.
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Covent Garden Christmas Lights Switch-On at Covent Garden – on 12th
Golden bells, a towering tree and a sparkling Christmas display.
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Carter Lane Christmas Lights Switch-On at Carter Lane – on 12th
An evening of festive lights and seasonal atmosphere.
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Discerning Eye at Mall Galleries – 13th until 21st
A diverse selection of contemporary work from established and emerging artists. Building on last year’s record-breaking edition, which featured more than 730 artworks by 529 artists, selected from an outstanding 6,500 entries.
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Christmas at Kew at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – 13th until 3rd January 2027
An illuminated winter trail featuring light art and botanical landscapes.
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Lord Mayor’s Show at City of London – on 14th
An historic procession of floats, marching bands and ceremonial carriages through the City.
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The Film London Jarman Award 2026 at Whitechapel Gallery – from 17th to 13th December
Experimental moving-image work by shortlisted contemporary artists.
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Cosimo I de’ Medici: Art and Dynasty at Wallace Collection – from 18th to 21st March 2027
This free display draws on the museum’s collection to show how Cosimo used art to strengthen his authority, impress his court, and secure his family’s legacy.
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Photographic Walk in Cassiobury Park Nature Reserve – 18th
Take a guided walk through Cassiobury Park Nature Reserve & Peace Garden led by Andrew Lalchan (local photographer); we’ll explore late autumn in the park with changing leaves and fungi.
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Ludgate Circus Christmas Lights Switch-On at Ludgate Circus – on 18th
Christmas lights and a Beano-inspired sculpture trail.
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Uncanny Waters: Weathering at APT Gallery, Deptford – 19th to 28th
An experimental exhibition combining costume, photography and installation.
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Colourwalk in Spitalfields Market – 19th
An informal gathering of colourful, creative souls who meet, dressed in their finest, to walk, talk, and strut their stuff. It is excellent for photography. This happens on the 3rd Thursday of each month.
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Van Eyck: The Portraits at the National Gallery – from 21st to 11th April 2027
A rare opportunity to explore the extraordinary realism and detail of Jan van Eyck’s portraiture.
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Peggy Guggenheim in London at the Royal Academy of Arts – from 21st to 14th March 2027
A look at Guggenheim Jeune and its role in introducing European avant-garde art to London.
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Watford Christmas Lights Switch-On at The Parade, Watford – on 21st
Festive entertainment and the town centre Christmas lights switch-on.
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Solo Craft Fair at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square – 21st to 22nd & 28th to 29th
Independent makers, handmade gifts and creative workshops in the Crypt.
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Andrius Arutiunian: They Tried to Count Us at Hayward Gallery – from 24th to 7th March 2027
Humanity’s continuous quest to define the afterlife and existence beyond our planet lies at the heart of the Armenian-Lithuanian artist’s first UK solo show.
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Nan Goldin: You Never Did Anything Wrong at Hayward Gallery – from 24th to 14th March 2027
Photography and film exploring identity, relationships and community.
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Ebony Scrooge at Sadler’s Wells East, Stratford – 24th to 3rd January 2027
A hip-hop dance reimagining of A Christmas Carol.
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Chelsea Winter Village at Royal Hospital Chelsea – 25th to 28th December 2026
Light installations, festive markets and winter entertainment.
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Last chance to see
Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art at V&A – till 8th November
The UK’s first exhibition on Elsa Schiaparelli spans the 1920s to today, celebrating the innovative designer’s influence. It traces the fashion house’s groundbreaking origins and its evolution under current creative director Daniel Roseberry.
Find out more here.
The Last Princesses of Punjab at Kensington Palace – till 8th November
Discover the story of Punjabi princess and suffragette icon Sophia Duleep Singh, and of five women who shaped her extraordinary life, in a new exhibition at Kensington Palace for 2026. Sophia and her sisters, Catherine and Bamba, her mother, Bamba Muller, grandmother Jind Kaur and godmother Queen Victoria each expressed womanhood, power, and royalty in different ways. They infused their identities and heritage into the causes they devoted themselves to, becoming powerful changemakers in their own right.
Find out more here.
Cindy Sherman: Fabric Matrons at Hauser & Wirth London – till 23rd December
A new series of staged portraits exploring ageing, femininity and visibility.
Find out more here.
Frida Kahlo exhibition at Tate Modern – till 3rd January 2027
Discover the extraordinary story of how Frida Kahlo became one of the most influential artists of all time, a cultural phenomenon, and an internationally recognised commercial icon.
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Salman Toor: Someone Like You at The Courtauld Gallery – till 10th January 2027
The New York painter’s first European solo show, with 19 works about friendship, love and belonging.
Find out more here.
Zineb Sedira Exhibition at Tate Britain – till 17th January 2027
Sedira is a Franco-Algerian artist who has worked across film, photography and installation.
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Ana Mendieta exhibition at Tate Modern – till 17th January 2027
This major exhibition dedicated to Ana Mendieta presents many of her iconic works alongside newly remastered films, early paintings, and late sculptural pieces, many of which have never been seen in the UK before. The show will continue outside the gallery walls, embracing Mendieta’s deep relationship with the natural world.
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Tim Walker’s Fairyland: Love and Legends at the National Portrait Gallery – till 31st January 2027
Five years of new portraits of queer trailblazers by one of Britain’s leading fashion photographers.
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Renoir and Love at the National Gallery – till 31st January 2027
Renoir at his peak, including ‘Bal au Moulin de la Galette’, shown in the UK for the first time.
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Amar Kanwar exhibition at Serpentine North Gallery – till 31st January 2027
Over three decades, New Delhi-based artist and filmmaker Amar Kanwar has developed a distinctive body of lyrical films and multi-video installations that move between documentary, travelogue and visual essay. This major solo exhibition unfolds as a site-specific installation, bringing together new and existing films to transform Serpentine North into a meditative visual and sonic environment.
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Korea at the British Museum – 31st January 2027
2,000 years of Korean art and design, and the most comprehensive survey of its kind in Europe in over 40 years.
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Painting the French Riviera at the Royal Academy of Arts – 31st January 2027
Over 160 works, including Picasso, Matisse and Cézanne, tracing how the Côte d’Azur shaped modern art.
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The 90s: Art and Fashion at Tate Britain – till 14th February 2027
Edward Enninful curates British art, fashion and photography from the 90s, including Juergen Teller, Damien Hirst and Alexander McQueen.
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Light and Magic: The Birth of Art Photography at Tate Modern – till 21st February 2027
Over 200 rare prints tracing pictorialism as a global photography movement.
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Es Devlin: Other Worlds at the Design Museum – 2nd till 4th April 2027
The first European retrospective of the artist and stage designer’s 30-year career in sculpture, light and performance.
Find out more here.
Julio Le Parc Exhibition at Tate Modern – till 3rd May 2027
Discover seven decades of joyful works by Argentinian artist Julio Le Parc, which turn visitors into active participants.
Find out more here
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