September might mean back to school and back to routine, but Waterloo certainly isn’t slowing down. From rooftop yoga and pottery to live performance, free wellbeing activities, theatre and a historical pub crawl, there’s plenty to ease you into autumn.
Reimagined Thursdays at Emma Cons Gardens
The Reimagined Thursdays programme continues at Emma Cons Gardens this September, with three more free events before we wave goodbye to summer.
3 September – Rueda Libre + Breathe London
Salsa returns with Rueda Libre for another evening of dancing in the gardens, alongside free massage and wellbeing activities from Breathe London. Whether you know your steps or have never danced salsa before, everyone is welcome to get involved.
10 September – Lambeth Fringe
Discover some of London’s exciting emerging performers as Lambeth Fringe takes over the gardens for an afternoon of live entertainment and up-and-coming talent.
17 September – End of Summer Fête
We’re wrapping up the programme with a proper celebration! Join us for our End of Summer Fête, with more details coming soon. Pop it in the diary – you won’t want to miss this one.
Catch Midnight in Nashville Before It’s Gone
Country music, comedy and plenty of raw emotion come together in the London premiere of Midnight in Nashville at The Glitch SE1, running until 7 September.
Written by Lee Papa and directed by Alex Stroming, the play stars Biz Lyon and Catherine Mieses in a funny, profane and heartbreaking journey packed with music – and you certainly don’t need to be a country fan to enjoy it.
Tickets start from £14.
Get Moving with Rooftop Yoga
Swap the desk for the yoga mat on 8 September at 4pm, when LOMA and TRIBE take things sky-high with a 45-minute rooftop yoga class.
A chance to stretch, reset and enjoy some pretty spectacular Waterloo views while you’re at it.
Find Your Purpose at the emPOWER Breakfast
On 9 September, the emPOWER Breakfast returns with former Big Al’s Creative Emporium co-founder and copywriter Stef Jones for Onwards & Upwards: Purpose, Reinvention and the XO Revolution.
After decades in the creative industries, Stef began questioning success, identity and how he could use his skills for good. That journey eventually led him to volunteer in a prison and later found Onwards & Upwards, the organisation behind Waterloo’s XO Bikes and XO Barbers, creating employment and genuine pathways forward for people with convictions.
Expect an honest conversation about career, identity, reinvention, purpose and what happens when the life you’ve built no longer feels like enough.
The event is open to everyone, with tickets available through the emPOWER app. Places are limited, so book early.
Get Creative at Café Pedlar
Get hands-on at Café Pedlar on 16 September at 6pm with a pottery workshop where you’ll create your choice of two sake cups, a bowl or a mug.
Tickets are £40 per person, plus one drink purchased from the café on the night – alcoholic options very much included!
Book your spot via Café Pedlar’s Instagram link in bio.
Free Dr Bike Check-Ups
Cycling back to work this September? WeAreWaterloo has partnered with Bike Works for another FREE Dr Bike session on 17 September.
Experienced mechanics will check your brakes, gears, wheels, tyre pressure and more, making minor adjustments there and then where possible. They can also advise you on any bigger repairs your bike might need.
Simply bring your bike along and let the experts do the rest.
Explore Waterloo One Pint at a Time
History is considerably more fun with a pub stop or three.
On 24 September, WeAreWaterloo and Tally Ho are inviting Waterloo workers to swap their desk chairs for barstools on an after-work historical pub walk through Waterloo and Lower Marsh.
Led by a local storyteller, you’ll discover everything from the area’s marshy beginnings and Victorian past to revolutionaries, wartime resilience and the arrival of the railway.
Along the way, you’ll stop at The King’s Arms, The Duke of Sussex and The Pineapple, with a complimentary drink on WeAreWaterloo. Non-alcoholic options are available too.
Romeo & Juliet Comes to Lower Marsh
There’s still time to make the most of Summer Streets, with our final free National Theatre Live outdoor screening taking place on Lower Marsh.
On 26 September, pull up a deckchair for Romeo & Juliet, starring Jessie Buckley and Josh O’Connor. Pick up dinner or drinks from one of Waterloo’s brilliant independents and settle in for an evening of world-class theatre under the open sky.
Theatre This September
There’s plenty happening on Waterloo’s stages too.
At The Old Vic, Alan Ayckbourn’s comedy How the Other Half Loves continues until 19 September, bringing affairs, misunderstandings and some spectacularly awkward dinner parties to the stage.
Over at the Young Vic, Thelma & Louise brings the iconic story to the theatre in a new musical adaptation.
Monkey Music Fridays at WAC
Got little ones to entertain? Monkey Music is back at WAC from Friday 11 September, bringing music, movement and plenty of fun for babies and young children.
Even better, your first class is FREE, making it the perfect opportunity to give it a try as the new term gets underway.
Classes continue every Friday at WAC throughout September.
Whether you’re getting back into the swing of things, looking for something different after work or refusing to admit summer is over just yet, there’s plenty happening across Waterloo this September.
