For more of all things London history, sign up for our newsletter and community: Londonist: Time Machine.
Walking tours and talks by famous faces are on the programme for this year’s Chelsea History Festival, curated by broadcaster and journalist John Simpson.
Now in its eighth year, the festival is hosted by local institutions the National Army Museum, Royal Hospital Chelsea and Chelsea Physic Garden, offering visitors an insight into the neighbourhood’s history, as well as national, international and military heritage. Chelsea Old Church, Chelsea Theatre, Royal Court Theatre and Garrison Chapel also take part this year.
Around 100 events make up the 2026 programme, offering something for history buffs, book lovers, families — and those of us who just love a good nosey around fancy buildings. Here’s our picks of things to book right now:
⌛ Tours of the Royal Chelsea Hospital: A staple of the festival, led by a Chelsea Pensioner, who offers insight into what it’s like to live in the magnificent building (1-4 October)
⌛ Old London Slang: A Cockney Chat: A workshop delving into the origins of some common Cockney rhyming slang phrases (FREE, 1 October)
⌛ Women Who Ruled The World: Historian Dr Elizabeth discusses 5,000 years of female rulers, from Cleopatra to Elizabeth I, looking at how women have fought to hang onto their crowns in male-dominated societies (1 October)
⌛ Spies Of Chelsea: A walking tour exploring the locale’s espionage links, from Soviet spies to Nazis to James Bond (2 and 3 October). Other themed tours throughout the festival include Queer Chelsea, Tudor Chelsea, 1960s Chelsea and Chelsea Village
⌛ Hex In The Garden: A haunting evening of after-dark storytelling, history and performance at Chelsea Physic Garden exploring women herbalists, cunning folk and the Witch Craze. (3 October)
⌛ Agatha Christie’s London: Christie researcher and expert Tina Hodgkinson talks about the author’s London, and the places she knew which inspired her work (4 October)
That’s just a taster of events on this year’s programme, including child-friendly options such as storytelling walks through the Royal Hospital Chelsea, and a printmaking workshop inspired by patterns from around the world.
Chelsea History Festival 2026 takes place 1-4 October. Tickets are available now.
