Things to Do in London: Autumn Festivals, Frieze Art, and Quirky Competitions

Welcome, sporty, curious, and let’s be honest—slightly peculiar travelers to Things to Do in London, with your host, Ollie Bennett, reporting live on this crisp, breezy Friday, October 17, 2025. The city’s mood? Think golden leaves swirling through historic squares, the occasional drizzle that somehow makes London even more atmospheric, and an undercurrent of electric energy as the capital dives headfirst into a weekend bursting with festivals, art, and, dare I say, a few quirky competitions.

Let’s get a quick pulse check. According to the latest buzz from London Minute, it’s a classic autumnal day—cool but comfortable, perfect for exploring by foot or hopping on a double-decker to see where the day takes you. Now, let’s dive into the London Olympics of the odd and outstanding—what’s happening right now!

First up, the Bloomsbury Festival is in full swing, turning one of London’s most intellectual neighborhoods into a living, breathing carnival of music, performance, walks, talks, exhibitions, and, yes, plenty of free events for everyone. This year’s theme, The Paths We Tread, celebrates the city’s history through creative exploration—so expect the unexpected, from street art to family-friendly workshops. Bloomsbury Festival’s website has the full rundown—just pick your path and see where London’s characters of the past and present collide.

Art lovers, brace yourselves—Frieze has taken over Regent’s Park, with Frieze London and Frieze Masters showing everything from boundary-pushing contemporary art to masterpieces reimagined for the modern eye. There’s even a sprawling, free-to-view outdoor sculpture park. And, for those who like their art with a side of history, don’t miss your last chance to catch the ancient India exhibition at the British Museum, where millennia of sacred sculpture and painting tell stories older than London itself.

Staying with culture, the BFI London Film Festival is wrapping up, but there are still a few seats left for today’s screenings—including Paolo Sorrentino’s latest, La Grazia, and the star-studded closing gala tonight at the Southbank Centre. Film buffs, this is your red-carpet moment.

Families, listen up! Half term kicks off with a bang at Kew Gardens, where the Halloween after-dark adventure includes Frankenstein’s lab, a forgotten fairground, and an army of creepy characters lurking among the trees. Or, if you’re after something a little less spooky, the Science Museum’s always a crowd favorite, with themed trails and activities for all ages—plus, it’s free, just book your slot.

As the sun sets, London’s nightlife gears up. The city is still buzzing from London Cocktail Week, with over 200 bars shaking and stirring up inventive drinks until Sunday. Cocktail aficionados, make a beeline for Little Blue at The Peninsula or Bar Kinky in Fitzrovia. And for the truly adventurous, Shoreditch is hosting immersive experiences like Alcotraz, where you can play prisoner and learn the fine art of liquor smuggling, and Hexmoor, a wizarding prison escape—only in London!

Now, let’s sprinkle in some local intel. London’s public transport is running smoothly, but keep your Oyster card handy—weekend engineering work can pop up. Foodies, take note: Il Bambini Club has just launched in Shoreditch, bringing Parisian-Italian flair to the East End, and Diwali celebrations are lighting up menus across town.

For a true Londoner tip, remember: if you want to blend in, embrace the weather. Londoners never let a little rain stop them—grab a brolly, wear your best walking shoes, and be ready for anything. And here’s a fun fact: did you know London has over 8 million trees? That’s more than people! No wonder autumn here feels like a living painting.

Looking ahead, tomorrow brings even more—Apple Day at Gillespie Park, the Festival of the Girl in Islington, and, for art lovers, the final day to catch the Ancient India exhibition. So, tune in tomorrow to find out what’s next—and maybe even discover a bizarre British sport or two.

Thanks for listening, please subscribe, and remember—this episode was brought to you by Quiet Please podcast networks. For more content like this, please go to Quiet Please dot Ai.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is your Things to Do in London podcast. Welcome, sporty,
curious and let's be honest slightly peculiar travelers to Things
to Do in London with your host Olly Bennett, reporting
live on this crisp breezy Friday, October seventeenth, twenty twenty five.
The city's mood think golden leaves swirling through historic squares,

(00:21):
the occasional drizzle that somehow makes London even more atmospheric,
and an undercurrent of electric edgy as the capital dives
headfirst into a weekend bursting with festivals, art, and dare
I say a few quirky competitions. Let's get a quick
pulse check. According to the latest buzz from London Minute,

(00:42):
it's a classic autumnal day, cool but comfortable, perfect for
exploring by foot or hopping on a double decker the
see where the day takes you. Now, let's dive into
the London Olympics of the odd and outstanding. What's happening
right now? First up, the Bloomsbury Festival is in full swing,
turning one of London's most intellectual neighborhoods into a living,

(01:04):
breathing carnival of music performance walks, talks, exhibitions and yes,
plenty of free events for everyone. This year's theme, The
Paths We Tread, celebrates the city's history through creative exploration,
so expect the unexpected, from street art to family friendly workshops.

(01:25):
Bloomsbury Festival's website has the full rundown. Just pick your
path and see where London's characters of the past and
present collide. Art lovers brace yourselves. Freeze has taken over
Regent's Park with Freeze London and Freeze Masters, showing everything
from boundary pushing contemporary art to masterpieces reimagined for the
modern eye. There's even a sprawling, free to view outdoor

(01:49):
sculpture park, and for those who like their art with
a side of history, don't miss your last chance to
catch the Ancient India exhibition at the British Museum, where
male Ennia of Sacred sculpture and painting tells stories older
than London itself. Staying with culture, the BFI London Film
Festival is wrapping up, but there are still a few

(02:11):
seats left for today's screenings, including Paolo Sorrentino's latest Lagratia
and the star studded closing gala tonight at the south
Bank Center film buffs this is your Red Carpet Moment,
Families listen up. Half term kicks off with a bang
at Q Gardens, where the Halloween After Dark Adventure includes

(02:31):
Frankenstein's Lab, a forgotten fairground and an army of creepy
characters lurking among the trees. Or if you're after something
a little less spooky, the Science Museum's always a crowd favorite,
with themed trails and activities for all ages. Plus it's free,
just book your slot. As the sun sets, London's night

(02:52):
life gears up. The city is still buzzing from London
Cocktail Week, with over two hundred bars shaking and stirring
up inventive drinks until Sunday. Cocktail officionados make a bee
line for Little Blue at the Peninsula or Barkinki in Fitzrovia.
And for the truly adventurous, Shoreditch is hosting immersive experiences
like Alcatraz where you can play prisoner and learn the

(03:14):
fine art of liquor smuggling, and Hexmore, a wizarding prison
escape only in London. Now, let's sprinkle in some local intel.
London's public transport is running smoothly, but keep your oyster
card handy. Weekend engineering work can pop up. Foodies take note.
Ill Bambini Club has just launched in Shoreditch, bringing Parisian

(03:36):
Italian flare to the East End, and Devallei Celebrations are
lighting up menus across town. For a true Londoner tip,
remember if you want to blend in, embrace the weather.
London has never let a little rain stop them. Grab
a brollie, wear your best walking shoes and be ready
for anything. And here's a fun fact. Did you know
London has over eight million trees. That's more than people.

(03:59):
No wonder Autumn here feels like a living painting. Looking
ahead Tomorrow brings even more Apple Day at Gillsby Park,
the Festival of the Girl in Islington, and for art lovers,
the final day to catch the Ancient India Exhibition. So
tune in tomorrow to find out what's next and maybe
even discover a bizarre British sport or two. Thanks for listening,

(04:22):
Please subscribe and remember this episode was brought to you
by Quiet Please Podcast Networks. For more content like this,
please go to Quiet Please dot Ai