Everything On In October

As the days dim and the leaves blow in, we’re not cosying up indoors just yet as October offers plenty to get us out and about.

Dive into our comprehensive guide to the best events and activities on this October. From Oktoberfest to RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants on tour, and the newest art gallery openings, it’s time to get stuck in.

Café Mambo Ibiza

Located in the heart of San Antonio, Ibiza, Café Mambo is famous for its unmatched sunset vistas.  Making a name for itself during the 90s house music heyday, some of the biggest names in dance music have graced their decks.

Although the whole of Ibiza was rocked by the consequences of the pandemic, the iconic venue was able to re-open for the Summer of 2021. Now Café Mambo is throwing its final party of the season this Saturday the 23^rd of October.

Join them on the strip for dinner, drinks, and to take in that famous sunset view one last time.

This Week At Pikes

Boasting 25 rooms set around an idyllic fairy-tale garden, iconic Ibizan establishment Pikes is a venue steeped in rock’n’roll history. With only three weeks left of the season, Pikes shows no signs of letting up. Brunches, book launches, fabulous flamenco, a very jazzy dinner show, the all-star Pikes House Band’s birthday bonanza and Pike’s famous Sunday roast, the list goes on – and that’s only what’s on this week!

Oktoberfest Around the UK

With October, inevitably, comes Oktoberfest and though we may not be in Germany, the UK has plenty of beer-themed events to show for.

Boxpark Croydon has upped the competition with a live music-accompanied event. East Enders actor Shaun Williamson will be hosting Barrioke live, while DJs will play late into the night on Saturday 23 October.

Meanwhile, Oktoberfest Kent 2021 promises to be a truly Bavarian affair, with quizzes, pub games and German cuisine all for your delectation. Oktoberfest Norwich returns but this time to Eaton Park boasting a Bier tent to stun.

Brick Lane Bier Fest promises to be different from all the other Oktoberfest’s happening this year. Hosted at Brick Lane Tap Room in East London, beer drinkers can indulge in Munich lagers as well as a bespoke cocktail bar. Plus, there will be live music, comedy, drag performances and DJs.

Circoloco @ DC10 in Ibiza

After what feels like an eternity, the Balearic Government has given the green light for clubbing to go ahead on party hub Ibiza from the 8^th of October. On the back of this revelation, one of the island’s most renowned residencies, Circoloco, has announced three new Monday dates on the 11^th, 18^th and 25^th of October, housed by beloved club DC10, maintaining a partnership that has thrived and grown since 1999.

Catch Some Spoken Word

Literature more your kind of thing? There are lots of literary events happening up and down the country this autumn, with our particular favourite in the capital. London Literature Festival returns to the Southbank this year, from 21-31 October. Offering everything from neuroscience to poetry, there are talks and events with the likes of Caleb Azumah Nelson, Grayson Perry, Inua Ellams, Candice Carty-Williams and Michael Rosen. The perfect way to get some more grey cells.

Head Over to Diwali Celebrations in Leicester

Leicester’s annual Diwali celebrations will be back this year, though firework displays are being replaced with a “Fire Garden” while a Global Rainbow will light up the city skies. Food stalls and funfair will also be popping up for the occasion.

Kicking off with a switch-on on 24 October, the festivities will carry over into November with a full cultural programme.

Frieze Art Fairs

Two Frieze art fairs will unfurl in the lush surroundings of Regents Park between 13-17 October.

Frieze London explores the best of contemporary art including Sadie Coles HQ, Hauser & Wirth, Xavier Hufkens, Taka Ishii Gallery, Karma, Kukje Gallery, Matthew Marks Gallery, Mendes Wood DM, Maureen Paley, Sfeir-Semler Gallery, Stevenson and David Zwirner. “Focus” will pay special attention to galleries founded in the last 12 years. The “Unworlding” section will put the spotlight on artists who do just that.

Frieze Masters will look at 6 millennia of art history in collaboration with many galleries and museums. Tickets are available from the Frieze website.

Fashion Minority Alliance Festival

Fashion, beauty, and lifestyle festival, FMA Fest, is set to host live talks, workshops, roundtables, interviews, and Q&As with key influencers in the industry.

Taking place on 23rd and 24th October, the digital festival will feature Charlie Casely-Hayford, Dominic Skinner, Daniel Martin, Veronica Webb, Rankin, and many more key figures and trailblazers.

Sponsored by Amazon Fashion EU, the festival celebrates the first year of the non-profit organisation, Fashion Minority Alliance. Register now at fashionminorityalliance.com

Get Spooked

Halloween is on its way and with it comes a series of creepy events, from ghost hunts – our pick is foreboding mansion Charlton House and their terrifying tour on 30 October – to parties to make you scream – head over to Pergola Paddington’s Halloween Party from 29-31 October with a fitting Bavarian-Transylvanian theme.

Rivoli Ballroom will be hosting a cinematic Fright Night with The Shining, The Crow, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show on the schedule, and some family favourites for those who can’t face the fear. A disco and funk session will follow on 30th October which promises the perfect opportunity to get dressed up.

Fancy tucking into some ghoulish meals instead? Lost Boys Pizza, which takes its name from the cult vampire movie, has a special menu featuring black charcoal pizza and some horrifying cocktails.

Pumpkin Picking

Crockford Bridge Farm is holding pumpkin picking weekends throughout the month of October, along with having a Pumpkin Market crammed full of the orange veg and an annual Pumpkin Festival too with theatre, carving, and fun activities. Tickets must be booked online in advance.

Heels Of Hell Tour

On the topic of Halloween, our favourite drag queens courtesy of RuPaul’s Drag Race will be out and about around the UK for a special Heels Of Hell tour. You can catch Sharon Needles, Alaska Thunderfvck, Jinkx Monsoon, Willam, Latrice Royal, Ivy Winters and Aja up and down the country at various O2 Academy venues, from Birmingham to Glasgow to Dublin.

Feast Your Eyes

There are some stunning art exhibitions landing this October around the UK. Legendary performance artist Marina Abramović has taken over two London venues, Lisson Street and Cork Street, with her tribute to singer Maria Callas titled “Seven Deaths”.

The Ikon Gallery in Birmingham is exhibiting “We Thought About It A Lot” by Bill Woodrow and Richard Deacon until November, a collection of shared drawings.

Over at the Pallant House Gallery in Chichester, iconic artworks have been shrunk down to a more manageable size for Masterpieces in Miniature.

In Edinburgh, Scottish artist Karla Black is the first to exhibit in the Fruitmarket with a collection of sculptures made since 2001, some of which have never been seen before.

Amazing Grace

A new music venue ready to sate all of your post-lockdown needs will soon throw open its doors. Amazing Grace will launch on October 15^th. Taking over St Thomas’ Church, the venue will showcase many of the building’s original features, from glass stainless windows to a mezzanine repurposed for gazing across the dancefloor. Behind the stage, a 3D-mapped wall set will be bedecked with animations to further the immersive experience of live music performance.

Amazing Grace will boast an original Banksy ‘Christ With Shopping Bags’ as well as an external seating area under a pergola. Peckham’s beloved eatery Mr Bao will provide food for the venue.