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The Late Edition

London's evening edition. Independent, updated daily.

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

10 listings filed under Talks. The busiest rooms are The O2, Kiln Theatre and Hyde Park. Concentrated in Greenwich, Bloomsbury and Kilburn.

Nearby

Every listing here has been checked against the venue that is putting it on.

Friday

23 October
  1. Talks From £12

    Planetarium show at the Royal Observatory

    12:00 Peter Harrison Planetarium, Greenwich

    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.

  2. Talks

    Bloomsbury Festival

    Times vary Bloomsbury, Bloomsbury

    Until 31 Oct

    Bloomsbury Festival's twentieth year: 150 events through October in the squares, churches and colleges around Russell Square.

  3. Talks

    London Month of the Dead 2026

    Times vary Cemeteries and chapels across London

    Until 1 Nov

    A month of torchlit cemetery tours, catacomb visits and macabre talks, starting with a moonlit walk in West Norwood on Thursday.

  4. Talks £5

    ESP Live From Soho

    18:00 Underbelly Boulevard Soho, 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.

  5. Talks

    Professor Brian Cox: Emergence tour at The O2

    18:00 The O2, Greenwich

    Brian Cox's new Emergence tour, from Kepler's snowflake to the cosmic web, on the arena screens for one Friday.