Hey Neighbour,
Your future selves have spoken, and they love a good plan. So that's exactly what i’ll do, one email a month with all the upcoming events worth knowing about.
In the meantime...
Plan Your Weekend:
Round Up
Bits and bobs worth knowing.
⚠️ National Emergency Alert test to be held on 7th September: Phones across the UK will sound and vibrate at 3pm this Sunday with a siren for about ten seconds, even if set to silent. A test message appears and you just tap OK or swipe it away.
🛣️ Camden begins enforcement on dockless e-bike parking: Camden Council is now enforcing rules on dockless hire bikes that block pavements, prioritising safer space for pedestrians and people with mobility needs. Residents are urged to report obstructions.
💸 Islington offers up to £7.5k grants for high street cultural events: £22,500 available for local businesses and traders' groups to host cultural events that bring people onto Islington high streets. Apply by 12 noon, Mon 22 Sep for projects running Dec–March 2026.
🪧 Hampstead Heath café tender faces organised opposition: Campaigners gather Thursday 4 Sep at 9:15am (Bandstand Café) and 10am (Parliament Hill Lido Café), opposing City of London plans to retender five park cafés. Locals fear a corporate takeover could swap "smiles for spreadsheets"; council decision still pending.
🛒 Five new Asda convenience stores opening in North London this autumn: Part of a 20-store UK rollout, five new Asda Express sites are planned across North London in the coming months. Locations not yet confirmed; chain says the aim is easier access to groceries on local high streets.
🚇 Live map shows real-time Tube & Elizabeth line trains: See exact train positions as they move between stations—zoom, pan, and hover a carriage to check where it is. Useful for planning a journey, or just watching on the sofa.
🥘 North London curry restaurants compete for regional 'oscar': An Indonesian street-food stall, a takeaway, and two Indian restaurants are shortlisted for the region's top curry title. Winner revealed soon; bragging rights and plenty of spice at stake.
👩🍳 Haringey recipe project celebrates neighbors' food heritage: Haringey Community Food Network's Moussa Amine Sylla highlights the success of a scheme inviting residents to contribute the dishes that matter most to them. The project celebrates local food stories and traditions.
🎶 Is Camden about to get a brand new music hotspot? Plans just lodged for a live venue with flats above, billed by developers as a way to "revitalise" Camden Town. Still at the proposal stage; size and operator remain unknown.
My North London Top Events
Folk Fest at Clitterhouse Farm | 📍Clitterhouse Playing Fields, NW2 | 6 Sept | Free
There's a working farm tucked away in NW2 that's hosting its first ever folk festival. Live music, local food stalls, workshops and storytelling circles from 12-5pm. It's their first go at this so go on, show them some support.
Angel Canal Festival | 📍 City Road Basin, Graham Street Park & Islington Boat Club, N1 | 7 September | Free
Free family festival by the canal in Angel from 11am-4pm. Puppet shows, live music, boat trips, canoeing you can try, craft stalls and food. It's a community event that happens every year - basically a Sunday afternoon by the water with entertainment and activities for kids and adults.
Palmers Green Festival | 📍Broomfield Park, N13 | 7 September | Free
Annual community festival celebrating Palmers Green with funfair, live music, food stalls, art exhibition, donkey rides, and dog show. Plus vintage stalls and model boats on the lake. Run by local groups for the local area - just turn up for a Sunday afternoon celebrating this North London neighbourhood.
Highgate Wood Heritage Community Day | 📍Highgate Wood | 7 September | Free
Annual community day in Highgate Wood from 12-5pm. Live music, craft and conservation stalls, dog show, and visits from local beekeepers. Heath Hands team running free nature activities, plus drop-in sessions at the Information Hut near the cafe. No need to book, just turn up for a free Sunday in the woods with the family.
Drumsheds Summer Flea | 📍Drumsheds, N18 | 7 September | (£)
London's largest outdoor flea market takes over the car park of the former IKEA warehouse (now Drumsheds venue). Over 200 traders selling vintage furniture, homeware, jewellery and random oddities from 10am-5pm. It's basically treasure hunting in a massive car park - traders source from across the UK and Europe so there's plenty to rummage through. Food, drinks and toilets on site, wheelchair accessible, dogs welcome.
Source: FT Weekend Festival
FT Weekend Festival | 📍Kenwood House, NW3 | 6 September | (£)
The Financial Times' 10th annual festival brings the weekend paper to life across 10 stages at Kenwood House from 9:30am-7:30pm. Speakers include Yuval Noah Harari, Lyse Doucet, Peter Frankopan, David Baddiel and Nick Clegg. There's debates, Q&As, food and wine tastings, plus podcast breakfast show with Political Fix hosts, complimentary matcha tea, and Jay Rayner Sextet closing the day.
🎾 Wimbledon 2026 Public Ballot Now Open | Deadline: 16 September
Fancy watching some tennis next summer? The ballot for next year's Championships is now open. It's kinda like the lottery but for tennis.
You can apply for day tickets to Centre Court and Courts 1, 2, and 3 for the 29 June–12 July 2026 tournament.
Source: Wimbledon 2025
If you're successful, you'll get offered two seats for a specific court and day. (Spoiler: you don't get to choose which matches.)
Tickets will likely cost £55–£350 depending on the court and day — expect a small bump from this year's prices. Winners get notified from October 2025 onwards, and you've got 14 days to decide whether to buy your allocated pair.
The ballot's been running since 1924 as the fairest way to distribute tickets, with winners picked completely at random. ⏰ Deadline's 11.59pm Tuesday 16 September, so you've got some time to get your name in the hat. Apply here.
🎟️ Heads up
Upcoming events you should consider booking in advance or planning ahead for. In and out of North London. Events marked with (£) require a ticket in advance.
🍄Flavour Fred's Foraging Walk | 📍Hampstead Heath | 27 September | (£)
Fungi-focused foraging walk on Hampstead Heath from 2-4:30pm with Flavour Fred. Learn what's actually edible, identification techniques, and safety rules around wild food. You'll compare edible plants with their dangerous lookalikes, plus get preservation tips and tastings. Meeting at Kenwood House - confirmation email sent 3 days before with full details. Few tickets available for this seasonal walk.
🕯️Romeo + Juliet | 📍Union Chapel, N1 | 11-13 September | (£)
Backyard Cinema's immersive screening of Baz Luhrmann's 1996 Romeo + Juliet takes over Union Chapel for three nights. The venue transforms into candlelit Verona with live choir and band performing soundtrack hits like "Young Hearts Run Free," "Kissing You," and "When Doves Cry" as the film plays. This tends to sell out, so book ahead.
🍺Camden Oktoberfest | 📍Electric Ballroom, NW1 | 4 October | (£)
Oktoberfest-themed party at the Electric Ballroom from 2-9pm with German beer, bratwursts, live band, and games. It's basically a German beer festival set up inside Camden's iconic music venue. Expect steins, Bavarian music, and a party atmosphere.
🥁Lord Mayor's Show | 📍City of London | 8 November | Free
800-year-old procession marking the new Lord Mayor taking office. The parade goes from Mansion House to Royal Courts via St Paul's in the morning, then returns via the Embankment in the early afternoon. It's the world's oldest civic procession with elaborate floats, military bands, and ceremonial dress.
What’s On This Weekend: 6th - 7th September 2025
Your guide to what’s happening in North London this week. Events marked with (£) require a ticket in advance.
🎶 Live Music & Concerts
Latinas Of London | 📍Jazz Cafe, NW1 | 6 September | (£)
A Night celebrating London's emerging Latin music scene with artists blending their Latin American heritage with British upbringing. Desta French hosts alongside British-Colombian 'rocketon' artist Lisey Tigra.
Max Richter SLEEP – 10 Year Anniversary | 📍Alexandra Palace, N22 | 6 September | (£)
Still tickets left for Max Richter's eight-hour overnight performance returns to London for the first time since 2017. You literally sleep through the show - beds are provided along with bedding and light breakfast.
Source: Max Richter's eight-hour overnight performance
🪩Nightlife
Room 187: 4 Year Anniversary | 📍Islington Assembly Hall, N1 | 6 September | (£)
Interactive gameshow celebrating 4 years of Room 187. Black and Gold teams compete on old-school R&B and hip-hop knowledge, plus audience members can do karaoke performing 90s and 2000s classics. Between rounds, DJ KOPEMAN plays old-school R&B, hip-hop and slow jams.
🎭 Theatre
The Switchboard Project | 📍Hope Theatre, N1 | 2-20 September | (£)
Dramatic comedy set in 1985 following four lesbian volunteers answering calls at the Gay Switchboard in King's Cross during the AIDS crisis. Lou, Joan, Nana and Jackie battle phone outages and understaffing while connecting their divided community. Based on real phone calls and interviews with ex-volunteers, it highlights the often-ignored role women played in gay liberation and building the queer community.
🎉 Festivals
Festival for Peace | 📍Camden Passage & Angel Central, N1 | 7 September | Free
Peace festival across Camden Passage and Angel Central from 11am-6pm. Free salsa, tango and bachata lessons, Japanese market with food and crafts, live music and dance performances. The main event is the Parade for Peace red carpet catwalk at 5pm, plus there's a Hiroshima exhibition marking 80 years since the bombing.
Spiral Festival | 📍The Old Church Stoke Newington, N16 | 6 September | (£)
Two-stage music festival at The Old Church with bands performing inside the chapel and outdoors. Van Houten and Black Bordello headline, with 14 other acts including Big Sky Orchestra, Vieira and The Silvers, and Lemon Power. Runs 3pm-11pm with live visuals from Pete McPartlan.
🥾 History Walks & Tours
Finchley Goes to War - WWI Guided Walk | 📍Finchley, N3 | 7 September | (£)
Two-hour guided walk exploring how the First World War affected this north London suburb. Blue Badge guide Mark King shares local stories including the street where Britain's first WWI casualty grew up, fields where cows still graze that fed locals during the war, and a grand home turned into a hospital for injured troops. You'll also see memorials and learn about a French statue commemorating a Western Front battle. Proceeds go to Help for Heroes. 2:30pm start.
Art of the London Blitz, 85 years on | 📍St Paul's Cathedral area, EC1R | 7 September | (£)
Walking tour marking 85 years since the Blitz through the eyes of artists who responded to the bombing with paintings and drawings. City of London Guide Lecturer Jonathan Wober leads the two-hour tour around St Paul's Cathedral, exploring how contemporary artists documented this intense period of aerial bombardment. 11am-1pm, organised by London Archives.
😂 Comedy
Stand Up Comedy at The Phoenix | 📍Phoenix Cinema, N2 | 7 September | (£)
Live comedy returns to the Phoenix Cinema. Ross Smith (E4), Sara Barron (Live at the Apollo), and Tom Price (Magic FM host) are trying out new material, hosted by Joe Bor from Channel 4. Proceeds go towards the cinema.
🌿 Community & Horticulture
Highgate Horticultural Society Autumn Show | 📍Holly Lodge Community Centre, N6 | 6 September | Entry fee
39th annual autumn show from Highgate Horticultural Society from 2-4:30pm. Plant and produce stalls, raffle, homemade teas, and auction of donated exhibits. It's the kind of local community event where you can browse gardening displays, pick up plants, and have a cup of tea with your neighbours. Perfect Saturday afternoon if you're into gardening or just want to support the local horticultural society.
Islington Grow Show | 📍Whittington Park Community Centre, N19 | 7 September | Free
Community celebration of food growing and gardening from 11am-4pm. Bring your flowers, fruits, vegetables, preserves, or garden art to enter the show - wonky and creative entries welcome. Entry submissions 11-11:30am only. Activities include gardening workshops, cob bee hotel building, African drumming, garden art, tree walks, plus food and drink stalls. No need to book, just turn up with whatever you've grown or made.
🔥 Midweek Burners
Some events happening midweek.
✏️Charcoal & Character Part 2: Portrait Class | 📍Kenwood House, NW3 | 8 September | (£)
Local artist Mark Mindel leads a two-hour portrait drawing class inspired by Sargent's charcoal portraits. Starts 9am with private tour of the Heiress exhibition at Kenwood House, then 90-minute drawing session in the Old Kitchen working from a live model. Learn charcoal techniques while exploring how Sargent captured character and personality in his portraits of American women. All levels welcome - mix of experimental exercises and longer poses
🩰Backstage at the Ballets Russes | 📍The Well Walk Theatre, Hampstead NW3 | 10 September | (£)
In the 1990s, choreographer Millicent Hodson and art historian Kenneth Archer became known as “dance detectives” for reconstructing lost works by the Ballets Russes — including Nijinsky’s Till Eulenspiegel, first staged in 1916 and almost forgotten. This illustrated talk shares what they uncovered, with drawings, documents, and stories from their research, followed by a Q&A. Runs 7:30–8:30pm, with an exhibition and bookshop open before and after.
Is It Worth Leaving North London for?
I don’t know, but here’s what caught my eye.
🔭Astronomy Viewing | 📍Wanstead Cricket Club, E11 | 6 September | Free
Local amateur astronomers bring telescopes to view the moon, planets and stars from 8pm at Wanstead Cricket Club. Bring your own telescope if you have one, otherwise telescopes will be provided. They'll guide you around the night sky and help you learn what you're looking at.
🛍️By Rotation Preloved Designer Sample Sale | 📍31 Brook Street, W1 | 5-6 September | (£)
Designer resale app By Rotation's sample sale with over 1,000 preloved pieces from brands like Jacquemus, Cult Gaia and 16Arlington. Items start from £20 with up to 80% off retail prices. Pieces come from their top lenders including Sophie Hermann and Tara Zadeh.
🕺Sober Dance Music & Wellness Festival | 📍Hackney Bridge, E15 | 7 September | (£)
Who says you need a drink to lose yourself on the dancefloor? This day-long festival proves otherwise with Groove Armada DJ set, Sam Divine, Sarah Story, and Madame Gandhi from 10am-8pm. Between sets there's yoga, run clubs, saunas, and cold plunges.
↳ Street food market? Your mate's coffee shop event? New launch? Festival? Art gallery? Nothing is too big or too small, you can send it all here.
THANKS FOR READING!
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