The school alarm is back and the summer holidays are officially over but London has one last cultural treat in store: Open House London opens on Saturday 12 September, giving families free access to hundreds of buildings normally firmly shut to the public, while a brand-new immersive experience celebrating a decade of the funniest wildlife photography in the world lands at Marble Arch the same weekend.
Add a West End classic in its 27th record-breaking year, two new theatre openings for younger audiences and a riverside festival stretching across 20 boroughs all month and this first full week of September turns out to be very well stocked.
Here’s our pick of what’s on in London for families this week.
Jump ahead…
Highlights of the week
Free things to do
Worth paying for
Theatre and performances
Top eats this week
Highlights of the week
Open House London 2026
Date: Saturday 12 – Sunday 20 September 2026; opening weekend 12-13 September
Location: Citywide, all 33 boroughs
Price: Free (some ticketed events require advance booking)
Ages: All ages; children’s programme for ages 3-13
The 35th edition of Open House London launches this Saturday, giving families free access to more than 800 buildings across the capital that are normally closed to the public: from private homes and working offices to civic landmarks, community spaces and infrastructure projects, with a dedicated children’s programme of architecture activities running across the opening weekend.
FRAMELESS: Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards Immersive Experience
Date: Opens Saturday 12 September 2026
Location: FRAMELESS
Price: Adults from £29.50; children from £20; family (2 adults, 2 children) from £86
Ages: All ages
A brand-new immersive residency opens at FRAMELESS this Saturday, bringing ten years of the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards to life across seven natural habitats. 91 of the competition’s funniest animal photographs are presented at full scale with spatial sound, letting families walk face-to-face with surprised seals, sassy penguins and ninja prairie dogs.
Arcade Arena London
Arcade Arena London
Date: Opens 5 September 2026
Location: 26 Lambeth High Street
Price: Standard ticket from £30; multi-player games from £45
Ages: All ages
Created by the award-winning team behind The Crystal Maze Experience, Arcade Arena London brings three blockbuster interactive experiences under one roof on the South Bank: the capital’s first PAC-MAN Live Experience, the fan-favourite Chaos Karts go-kart racing game and the world debut of Alien Invasion.
Free things to do this week
Easy, low-cost options that still feel like a proper day out.
CelebrASIA Festival
Date: Friday 11 – Sunday 13 September 2026
Location: Battersea Power Station
Price: Free
Ages: All ages
A three-day celebration of Southeast Asian culture fills Battersea Power Station this weekend with street food, live music, traditional dance, film screenings and family workshops from artists and performers across the region.
Great River Race
Date: Saturday 12 September 2026
Location: Thames riverbanks, Richmond to Greenwich (best viewing near Millwall Outer Dock or Greenwich)
Price: Free to watch
Ages: All ages
Nearly 300 crews from around the world race 21.6 miles along the Thames from Richmond to Greenwich in one of the capital’s most spectacular free spectator events: traditional wooden skiffs, Hawaiian war canoes, Viking longboats and dragon boats all taking on the river together, part of the month-long Totally Thames festival.
Worth paying for
Experiences that feel more immersive or memorable if you’re happy to spend a little.
House of Dreamers, Immerse LDN
Date: Until end of September 2026; open daily
Location: Immerse LDN, ExCeL London
Price: Tickets from £15.90
Ages: All ages
A sprawling immersive experience across 16 interconnected installations at the ExCeL Waterfront invites families to step inside dreamscapes, digital art worlds and interactive environments.
London Theatre Week
Date: Until Sunday 13 September 2026 (final weekend)
Location: West End theatres
Price: Tickets from £15, £25 or £35 for selected shows
Ages: All ages (varies by show)
This Sunday is the last chance to take advantage of London Theatre Week, with discounted tickets to a wide range of West End shows available from just £15, including family-friendly productions including Matilda, The Lion King, and Mamma Mia!
Five Iron Golf, Broadgate
Five Iron Golf – new opening
Date: Ongoing
Location: Broadgate Circle
Price: From £30
Ages: All ages
London’s most exciting new indoor golf experience just opened steps from Liverpool Street – eight TrackMan simulator bays let you play 440+ world-famous courses whether you’re a seasoned golfer or picking up a club for the very first time, all backed by a full bar and restaurant serving tapas, artisan sourdough pizzas and shareable plates (all super tasty!). Staff are very friendly and on hand to give golfing tips, tech support and even emotional succour when your child is thrashing you. Family Traveller loved the kid-friendly games and the opportunity to switch to mini golf challenges when swinging clubs became too much – and our 12-year-old gave it rave reviews. Would go again!
Theatre and performances
Extra options if you’re still filling gaps or planning around weather.
The Pied Piper: A Rat’s Tale
The Pied Piper: A Rat’s Tale
Date: Opens Friday 12 September 2026; running to 7 November 2026
Location: Little Angel Studios
Price: From £14
Ages: Ages 4+
The beloved Islington puppet theatre opens its autumn season with a brand-new production that retells the classic Pied Piper story from the perspective of Horatio, a brave young rat, combining puppetry, storytelling and original music.
Disney’s The Lion King
Date: Ongoing
Location: Lyceum Theatre
Price: Select tickets from £25 available until 9 October
Ages: Ages 6+
Now in its record-breaking 27th year in the West End, The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre remains one of the most spectacular family theatre experiences in London.
Matilda the Musical
Date: Ongoing
Location: Cambridge Theatre
Price: From £15 via London Theatre Week until 13 September
Ages: Ages 6+
The RSC’s multi-award-winning adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Matilda remains one of the West End’s best family shows after more than a decade in the West End, with Tim Minchin’s brilliant score and a production that is as funny and anarchic as the original story.
The Globe Theatre
As You Like It
Date: Friday 14 August – Sunday 25 October 2026
Location: Shakespeare’s Globe
Price: From £5 standing; seated from £28
Ages: Ages 10+
A new outdoor production of Shakespeare’s beloved comedy opens at the Globe this Friday, following Rosalind as she escapes into the Forest of Arden in disguise.
Top eats this week
New openings and easy family-friendly options for this week.
Bancone
Location: Inside The Imperial Hotel, Russell Square
The sixth London site from one of the capital’s most respected pasta restaurants opened in August in a spacious 140-cover room with a 60-person terrace. Bancone’s signature silk handkerchief pasta is as reliably excellent as ever and the roomier layout of the Bloomsbury site makes it significantly more practical for families than some of the smaller locations.
Maai by Nikita
Location: Clapham
MasterChef: The Professionals and Great British Menu winner Nikita Pathakji opened this debut restaurant in May with her mother and sister, with the cooking rooted in diasporic flavours.
Ottolenghi
Location: 287 Upper Street, Islington
The flagship Ottolenghi on Upper Street remains one of the best weekend brunch and lunch spots in London for families who want food that is both exciting and adaptable for children.
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