Hokusai's Great Wave opens at Dulwich Picture Gallery on 20 October, then Halloween fireworks and Day of the Dead on the 31st. Every date to 15 November.

The next six weeks in and around Dulwich build to one weekend. Hokusai’s Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, Great Wave included, opens at Dulwich Picture Gallery on Tuesday 20 October. Then Saturday 31 October, which is Halloween and the last day of half term, stacks up the Horniman’s Day of the Dead, owls and mask making at the Picture Gallery, pumpkin carving at The Plough and the Herne Hill Velodrome fireworks. The second SE24 display, at Dulwich Sports Club, is on Saturday 7 November.

In between come six Dulwich Hamlet home games at Champion Hill, four free tours at Nunhead Cemetery, new work most weeks at Theatre Peckham, and talks and films at the South London Gallery. Every entry below was read from the organiser’s own listing and links to it, so check the link before you set off. Half term is on our October half term in Dulwich page, Halloween on Halloween in Dulwich, and places that are open whatever the month are in things to do in Dulwich.

Updated 5 October: last weekend’s events removed; the Horniman’s Octonauts sessions, the last day of Voyage to the Deep, Hamlet Women v Chatham Town and the Picture Gallery’s festive paper cutting added.

The next six weeks at a glance

  • Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 October. A sculpture talk next to the South London Gallery; open mic at Dulwich Hamlet.
  • Saturday 17 October. Hamlet v Carshalton Athletic; London Month of the Dead tour at Nunhead Cemetery.
  • Tuesday 20 October. Hokusai opens at Dulwich Picture Gallery.
  • Sunday 25 October. Faust with a live score at the Horniman; last day of Curtain Up!
  • Saturday 31 October. Halloween: Day of the Dead at the Horniman, Herne Hill Velodrome fireworks, owls and masks at the Picture Gallery.
  • Tuesday 3 November. Charlie Mackesy’s drawings open at the Picture Gallery.
  • Saturday 7 November. Hamlet v Lewes in the afternoon, Dulwich Sports Club fireworks in the evening.
  • Sunday 15 November. Festive paper cutting at the Picture Gallery.
  • Every Saturday. Parkruns at 9am, North Cross Road Market, storytime at Dulwich Books.
  • Every Sunday. Horniman Market and Herne Hill Market.

This week

  • Talk: Weight of Matter, Wednesday 7 October, 6.30pm to 8pm, Camberwell College of Arts Lecture Theatre, 65 Peckham Road SE5, next door to the South London Gallery. The curator Natalia Sielewicz and the architect Tom Emerson in conversation with the gallery’s director, Margot Heller. £10, £5 concessions (South London Gallery).
  • Dulwich Hamlet Open Mic Night, Thursday 8 October, 7pm, the clubhouse at Champion Hill (Dulwich Hamlet FC).
  • Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky, to Saturday 17 October, Southwark Playhouse Borough, 77-85 Newington Causeway SE1. From £35. Our preview has the prices and cast (Southwark Playhouse).
  • No Photos, Thursday 8 and Friday 9 October, 8pm, in the Studio at Theatre Peckham, 221 Havil Street SE5. A spoken word show about social anxiety and a man who never wants to be in the picture (Theatre Peckham).
  • Collection Tours, Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October, then 17 and 18 October, Dulwich Picture Gallery. Free volunteer-led tours, with a Collection ticket (Dulwich Picture Gallery).
  • Crypt and Chapel tours, Sunday 11 October, 2.15pm, Nunhead Cemetery, Linden Grove SE15. The Friends’ tours are free and need no booking unless stated (Friends of Nunhead Cemetery).

Later in October

  • Dog Mom, Wednesday 14 October to Saturday 7 November, in The Little at Southwark Playhouse Borough, by Tate Elizabeth Hanyok (Southwark Playhouse).
  • Don’t Write Me Off, Friday 16 October, 1.30pm and 7.30pm, Theatre Peckham. Interactive forum theatre for ages 13 and up, following Jubal, a young London musician (Theatre Peckham).
  • London Month of the Dead tours, Saturday 17 October, 11am, Nunhead Cemetery, on the Friends’ tour programme (Friends of Nunhead Cemetery).
  • Dulwich Hamlet v Carshalton Athletic, Saturday 17 October, 3pm, Champion Hill. Isthmian Premier League. Men’s games are £13 for adults, £5.50 concessions, under-13s free with a paying adult (Dulwich Hamlet FC).
  • Black History Month tour, Sunday 18 October, 2pm, Nunhead Cemetery. Free (Friends of Nunhead Cemetery).
  • Dulwich Hamlet Women v Luton Town, Sunday 18 October, 2pm, Champion Hill, Women’s National League South East (Dulwich Hamlet FC).
  • Hokusai: Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, from Tuesday 20 October to 17 January, Dulwich Picture Gallery. The complete series, The Great Wave included. Adults from £21.50 (Dulwich Picture Gallery). Our winter guide to the Gallery has the prices, hours and the Christmas events.
  • Dulwich Hamlet v Chatham Town, Tuesday 20 October, 7.45pm, Champion Hill (Dulwich Hamlet FC).
  • Memoriam, Thursday 22 October to Saturday 21 November, in The Large at Southwark Playhouse Borough, by Noga Flaishon (Southwark Playhouse).
  • In Her Eyes I’m a Good Man, Thursday 22 and Friday 23 October, 7.30pm, Theatre Peckham. A new comedy-drama about two childhood friends, Kay and Jay (Theatre Peckham box office).
  • Fungi Foray, Saturday 24 October, 2pm, Nunhead Cemetery (Friends of Nunhead Cemetery).
  • Jane Eyre, the John Caird and Paul Gordon musical, ends its run on Saturday 24 October at Southwark Playhouse Elephant, 1 Dante Place SE11 (Southwark Playhouse).
  • The Enchanted Cinema: The Music of Spirit Animals, Sunday 25 and Monday 26 October, Horniman Museum, 100 London Road SE23. Hour-long family workshops making live sound effects for animations, ages 5 to 12. £10 a child, £10 an adult (Horniman).
  • Art Sundays, Sunday 25 October, sessions at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm, Dulwich Picture Gallery. Free 45-minute family art sessions aimed at 7 to 12-year-olds (Dulwich Picture Gallery). The same day is the last for Curtain Up!, the display of theatre portraits, included with Gallery admission (Dulwich Picture Gallery).
  • Faust with Immersive Live Score, Sunday 25 October, 5pm to 7pm, in the Horniman’s Pavilion. Murnau’s 1926 silent film with a live score on trumpet, violin, guitar and electric viola. £15 (Horniman).
  • Before I Go: Marcel, Sunday 25 October, 5pm, Theatre Peckham. A verse play with a live band about a man serving life who is offered his freedom if he will snitch (Theatre Peckham box office).
  • Club Origami, Monday 26 October, 10.30am and 12pm, Dulwich Picture Gallery. A family dance show about a land made of paper, £12 for adults and children; again on 9 November (Dulwich Picture Gallery).
  • Kids’ Halloween Pumpkin Carving, Tuesday 27 October, 12pm to 3pm, the Crown and Greyhound, 73 Dulwich Village SE21. For under-16s, £5 a pumpkin and kit, plus a booking fee (the pub’s booking page).
  • Octonauts Storytelling and Craft, Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 October, 10am, 11.15am, 1pm and 2.15pm, in the Horniman’s Pavilion. A story and craft session for ages 4 to 7. £8.50 a child, with one adult ticket included (Horniman).
  • Film screening: Psychobuildings, Wednesday 28 October, 6.30pm to 8pm, Clore Studio, South London Gallery. Two films on how architecture affects the people inside it. £10, £5 concessions (South London Gallery).
  • Boo-zy Pumpkin Carving, Thursday 29 October, 7pm to 9pm, the Crown and Greyhound. Over-18s, £20 with a drink included, plus a booking fee (the pub’s booking page).
  • Tour with Gardener Jack, Thursday 29 October, Dulwich Picture Gallery. The gallery’s gardener, Jack Townson, leads a tour of the Sculpture Garden and the Lovington Sculpture Meadow, with tea and coffee afterwards. £12, £6 for Garden Supporters (Dulwich Picture Gallery).
  • Poetry Foyer, Thursday 29 October, Theatre Peckham, part of the Young, Gifted and Black festival for Black History Month. Doors 6.30pm, poetry and open mic 7pm to 9.30pm, sign up on the door (Theatre Peckham box office).
  • Legacy After Dark, Friday 30 October, 7.30pm, Theatre Peckham. Young Black singers, rappers, dancers and poets from across London in Legacy in Motion’s showcase (Theatre Peckham box office).

Saturday 31 October is Halloween and the busiest day of the six weeks. Our Halloween in Dulwich page has the running order:

  • Day of the Dead Family Festival, 11am to 4pm, Horniman Museum and Gardens. Performances, activities and a Mexican market in the gardens. Adults £8, under-16s £6, under-2s free; every member of the group needs a ticket, including babies (Horniman).
  • Halloween Mask Making, 11am to 3pm, Dulwich Picture Gallery. A Day of the Dead mask workshop for families. £6 a child, £1 on Universal Credit (Dulwich Picture Gallery).
  • Wild Life Drawing: Owls, 11am and 2pm, Dulwich Picture Gallery. A family drawing session with live owls. £60 for one adult and one child, £30 for each extra child (Dulwich Picture Gallery).
  • Family Space with Sadie St Hilaire, 11am to 1pm, Clore Studio, South London Gallery. Free, for 5 to 12-year-olds with an adult (South London Gallery).
  • Kids Pumpkin Carving, 2pm to 5pm, The Plough, 381 Lordship Lane SE22. £4.50 a child, pumpkin included, limited spaces (the pub’s booking page).
  • Herne Hill Velodrome Halloween Fireworks, 104 Burbage Road SE24. Gates 5pm, bonfire 6pm, fireworks 7pm, close 9.30pm. £13 adults, £8 ages 12 to 16, £1 under-12s, plus a booking fee on each; advance tickets only (Friends of Herne Hill Velodrome). Both SE24 displays are compared on our Dulwich fireworks page.
  • Day of the Dead Evening Fiesta, 7pm to 10.30pm, Horniman. Over-18s only, with live music, a Sonidero DJ and Mexican street food. £22 (Horniman).

November

  • Voyage to the Deep: Underwater Adventures ends on Sunday 1 November at the Horniman, 10am to 5.30pm, last entry 4.45pm. Adults £9.80, children £7, and the Horniman recommends booking (Horniman). Its free Octonauts trail around the museum ends the same day.
  • Nero, Monday 2 November to Saturday 5 December, Southwark Playhouse Elephant. A musical by Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik (Southwark Playhouse).
  • Curator’s Talk: Hokusai, Tuesday 3 November, Dulwich Picture Gallery. £35, £30 concessions, £25 Friends (Dulwich Picture Gallery).
  • Charlie Mackesy: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, the Horse and You, from Tuesday 3 November to 7 February, Dulwich Picture Gallery. Included with a Gallery admission ticket (Dulwich Picture Gallery).
  • Dulwich Hamlet v Cray Wanderers, Tuesday 3 November, 7.45pm, Champion Hill (Dulwich Hamlet FC).
  • Dulwich Hamlet v Lewes, Saturday 7 November, 3pm, Champion Hill (Dulwich Hamlet FC).
  • Dulwich Firework Display, Saturday 7 November, Dulwich Sports Club, Giant Arches Road SE24. Gates 5pm, fireworks about 7pm. £13, £8 juniors, £1 under-12s, plus Eventbrite fees, and nothing sold at the gate (Dulwich Sports Club).
  • Make Your Own: Beaded Felt Stars, Sunday 8 November, Dulwich Picture Gallery. A morning making Christmas decorations. £55, Friends £50 (Dulwich Picture Gallery).
  • Dulwich Hamlet Women v Chatham Town, Sunday 8 November, 2pm, Champion Hill, Women’s National League South East. £5 adults, £2.50 concessions (Dulwich Hamlet FC).
  • Relative Motion, Wednesday 11 November to Saturday 5 December, in The Little at Southwark Playhouse Borough, by Stephanie Greenwood (Southwark Playhouse).
  • Book Talk and Signing: The Story of Printmaking with Holly EJ Black, Thursday 12 November, 6.30pm to 8.30pm, Dulwich Picture Gallery. £15, Friends £13.50 (Dulwich Picture Gallery).
  • Festive Paper Cutting, Sunday 15 November, 11am to 2pm, Dulwich Picture Gallery. A workshop with scalpel, paper and cutting mat. £65, Friends £58.50 (Dulwich Picture Gallery).

Further out, Theatre Peckham’s Christmas show runs from 4 December: see our Peckham panto page. Whippersnappers’ Santa’s grotto in Dulwich Park opens on 29 November and is already booking: see Dulwich Park Santa’s grotto.

Regular events

  • Dulwich parkrun, every Saturday at 9am, a free 5k of just under three laps of Dulwich Park, starting at Queen Mary’s Gate on Dulwich Common. Register once before your first run (parkrun).
  • Peckham Rye parkrun, every Saturday at 9am, Peckham Rye Park, Colyton Road SE15. Free (parkrun).
  • North Cross Road Market, every Saturday, 8am to 5pm, Northcross Road, East Dulwich SE22 (Southwark Council).
  • Storytime at Dulwich Books, every Saturday at 11am, 6 Croxted Road, West Dulwich SE21. No need to book (Dulwich Books).
  • Horniman Market, every Sunday, 10am to 3pm, in the Gardens. Free to walk round (Horniman).
  • Herne Hill Market, every Sunday, 10am to 4pm, Station Square by Herne Hill station (City and Country Farmers’ Markets).
  • Children’s Garden Trail, every Saturday and Sunday, 12pm to 6pm, South London Gallery. Free (South London Gallery).
  • Creative Tales, the last Friday of the month (next: 30 October), Dulwich Picture Gallery. Storytelling for under-5s, £16 a child including two adults (Dulwich Picture Gallery).
  • Mini Masterpieces, the first Friday of the month (next: 6 November), Dulwich Picture Gallery. Painting sessions for young children, £16 a child including two adults (Dulwich Picture Gallery).

Exhibitions on now

  • Monika Sosnowska: Weight of Matter, to Sunday 22 November, South London Gallery Main Gallery and Fire Station. Monumental sculptures in steel and concrete. Open Wednesday 12pm to 9pm and Thursday to Sunday 12pm to 6pm; during Frieze week, 14 to 18 October, it also opens on Tuesday and from 11am (South London Gallery).
  • British Wildlife Photography Awards, to 21 February, The Studio at the Horniman, 10am to 5.30pm. Free (Horniman).

Getting there

Dulwich Picture Gallery is at 14 Gallery Road, SE21. The two firework displays are both off Burbage Road in Herne Hill, neither has parking, and both organisers ask you to walk or come by train. Theatre Peckham is on Havil Street between Camberwell and Peckham, served by the 12, 36, 171, 345 and 436 buses. If you do drive, our parking in Dulwich page has the zone hours and charges, and the roadworks and travel page has closures and bus diversions this week.

This page is rewritten as organisers confirm new dates. Listings were first read on 28 September 2026 and re-checked on 3 October 2026. More in our What’s On section.

Send us your event

Running something in Dulwich, Peckham, Camberwell or Herne Hill? Email hello@dulwichtoday.co.uk with the date, time, venue, price and a photo. Listing is free, and it goes on this page and in the What’s On diary.

Sources