ListingsUpdated Tue 13 Oct
Talks and readings in London this week
Talks, readings, lectures and Q and As. Many are free and most need booking a week ahead, which is the only reason people miss them.
What to expect
11 listings filed under Talks. The busiest rooms are Kiln Theatre, Hyde Park and Wilton's Music Hall. Concentrated in Bloomsbury, Kilburn and Mayfair.
Nearby
Every listing here has been checked against the venue that is putting it on.
Tuesday
13 October-
Talks From £12
Planetarium show at the Royal Observatory
The only planetarium in London, in a cone of bronze angled at the pole star, with a live astronomer rather than a recording. Shows run through the day and last about half an hour.
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Talks
Bloomsbury Festival
Until 31 Oct
Bloomsbury Festival's twentieth year: 150 events through October in the squares, churches and colleges around Russell Square.
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Talks
London Month of the Dead 2026
Until 1 Nov
A month of torchlit cemetery tours, catacomb visits and macabre talks, starting with a moonlit walk in West Norwood on Thursday.
Wednesday
14 October-
Talks £5
ESP Live From Soho
Until 2 Dec
A podcast recorded live in the main theatre at Underbelly Boulevard, on Walker's Court in Soho. It is a run rather than one night, so there is more than one chance at it. Start time is on the venue's page.
Monday
19 October-
Talks £10 to £18, concessions from £7.50
Wilton’s Music Hall: OneTrackMinds
OneTrackMinds at Wilton's Music Hall in Whitechapel, the oldest surviving grand music hall in the world.
Thursday
22 October-
Talks Free
Bloomsbury Festival: Discovery Hub 2026
Part of the Bloomsbury Festival, which runs across October in its twentieth year and puts about a hundred and fifty events into the museums, churches, libraries and squares of Bloomsbury. Free, walk in.
Tuesday
27 October-
Seasonal £15
Beyond the Veil at Highgate Cemetery
One night only: a one man gothic adaptation of George Eliot in the cemetery chapel, doors 7pm. Fifteen pounds including a glass of wine. Highgate runs no ghost tour and no Halloween event.
Thursday
29 October-
Talks Free
Bloomsbury Festival: The Science of Growing Minds
Part of the Bloomsbury Festival, which runs across October in its twentieth year and puts about a hundred and fifty events into the museums, churches, libraries and squares of Bloomsbury. Free, walk in.
Tuesday
10 November-
Talks £25 to £32, concessions from £15
Kiln Theatre: Raising Hare: an evening with Chloe Dalton
Raising Hare: an evening with Chloe Dalton at the Kiln Theatre. The theatre publishes the run and puts the times and prices on the booking page.
Thursday
19 November-
Seasonal Ticketed separately, two Ice Kingdom tickets included
Winter Wonderland: Ice Sculpting Workshops
Until 3 Jan 2027
Carve your own sculpture in the studio, and the ticket includes two entries to the Magical Ice Kingdom. Over twelves.
Saturday
11 September-
Talks Free
Open House London: buildings open to the public
Until 19 Sep
Nine days of normally shut buildings, free, from private houses to livery halls. The 2027 dates are ours until Open City publishes.
