The Spoonfed editorial team select the biggest and best events taking place in London this October.
Art
Every year October is about one thing in art world. Yes, it's the distended corporate megalith that is Frieze Art Fair – a whole week of free Pommery, anxious back-slapping and mega-bucks art sales. With the entire art world in London for the week it's hardly surprising that there's a whole lot of other stuff going on too: in particular, two brand new art fairs in the form of Sluice and Moving Image London. We're also particularly excited about the new collaboration between The Future Can Wait and Saatchi's New Sensations, taking place in the Art Deco majesty of Victoria House. TJ
Clubbing
It's October, meaning loads of promoters and DJs dragging their sandy asses back from Ibiza to party in London, and, of course, it's Halloween - the annual excuse to dress like the damned and dance like the night is your last. Check out our favourite Halloween parties. There are also a load of huge birthday bashes: The Nest turns one, Trouble Vision turn three, Phonica turn eight, Fabric turn twelve, Rinse turn seventeen and Bugged Out bring Boys Noize and his new show to town. Dress to sweat... LC
Theatre
The biggest play opening this month is Hamlet at The Young Vic, starring the consistently faultless Michael Sheen. The Last of the Duchess at Hampstead Theatre takes a look at Wallis Simpson the recluse, while Mike Bartlett’s new play, 13, sounds like the plot of an American sci-fi series. Definitely try and book Jerusalem if you can, it begins previews from 8th October. Some smaller theatrical gems opening this month include Lagan at Oval House Theatre, a frenetic journey through Belfast, and Honeypot at New Diorama, a look at the place of women in Mossad’s revenge after the 1972 Munich Olympic killings. NK
Live Music
Seeing that October has Halloween stuck on the end of it, it’s probably no surprise that there’s quite a lot of goth and metal going on in London at the moment. From the darkly shaped kraut-gaze of The Horrors, and Alice Cooper’s Fright Fest the full on blood-splattered insanity of Taake, if you’re into wearing black and eye-liner then you’re properly spoiled this month. Also worth checking out is the Old Blue Last’s Binnacle Festival that takes place over the 15th and 16th. Featuring début shows from hotly-tipped new boys Acid Glasses, Moths and Sun Glitters, it’s basically SXSW condensed into a weekend. DH
Other cool stuff
Top of my to-do list this month is the ever-brilliant BFI Film Festival on the Southbank, a cinematic feast covering the full spectrum from the independents to star-studded blockbusters. Also on the Southbank this month, the London Eye hosts Red Bull Revolutions in Sound (see what they did there?) with each pod becoming an individual gig space. We're saving up our monthly clothes allowance for Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair, which rolls into town on the 23rd. Of course October also means Halloween, and nobody plays dress-up quite like those renowned fetishists at the Torture Garden; their Halloween Ball is one for the hedonists. TA
Click here for things to do in London.
Image credit: Frieze Art Fair 2010 in Regent's Park, London. Photo by Linda Nylind for Frieze. 17/10/2010
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