September is one of the best months to visit London so, each year, Totally Thames celebrates the river Thames through a great series of events that encourages Londoners and visitors to the capital to participate in artistic, historical and musical entertainment in celebration of our iconic landmark that is the river Thames.
With over seventy events lined up for this September, and most of them free, this year’s festival ensures that there is something that everyone can enjoy. This year, Totally Thames takes a closer look at the river shore with a number of fascinating mudlarking events. Mudlarks have been present along the Thames for hundreds of years, and modern day mudlarks continue the tradition. Mudlarking Ehxibition at St Paul’s Cathedral looks at tools that mudlarkers used to discover fascinating objects. Come to see some of the personal belongings which people escaping from the Great Fire of London lost as they crossed the river fleeing from the all-consuming inferno. The Thames Weekend at Cutty Sark on 20 and 21 September includes Lost & Found photography exhibition inspired by objects mudlarked from the river. Come to learn about what what the river was like when the Cutty Sark ship was afloat, and the lives and work of Londoners by the Thames.
Totally Thames will see artistic, musical, dance and literary events celebrate the river this September with the River of Hope exhibition of artwork created by young people from five Newham secondary schools and a City of London primary school, inspired by their reflections of the river. The Shield of Achilleus on SS Robin is an immersive installation inspired by Homer’s Iliad by Venice-based artist Dominique Pinchi. And o festival is complete without live performances and the free Kids Choir and Sing for Water at The Scoop at More London on 14 September welcomes everybody to come along and join the 40 choirs and more than 400 voices from all over the UK perform a wonderful mix of songs and new compositions.
The Great River Race on 20 September is the annual river boat race spanning 21.6 miles from Millwall to Richmond, featuring nearly 300 boats that include serious competitors and those participating for fun and charity. For a touch of classic (boating), head to St Katharine Docks Classic Boat Festival on 6 and 7 September for an opportunity to see war heroes like the Dunkirk Little Ships, motorboats from the Bates Starcraft range, and other impressive working vessels, including historic tugs and a Navy P2000 vessel. For stunning photography of our beautiful river, check out the Thames Lens Exhibition 2025 by Thames Festival Trust, which offers non-professional photographers a chance to showcase the diverse beauty of the River Thames in London. The outdoor exhibition runs throughout the month in the City of London.
The full Totally Thames 2025 programme of over 70 exciting cultural events is an incredible celebration with something to delight everyone who visits our city and enjoys our beautiful river Thames.
Keep up to date with more family-friendly fun by following us on Instagram. For more ideas of things to do with the kids in London, visit our events and activities area which provides details of free and ticketed events and special offers from London’s finest venues.