From the BT tower to the treelined estate of Central Hill, the Open House Festival 2026 has a lot in store
Open House 2026 begins this weekend (September 12) with a free festival showcasing some of London’s top buildings until September 20. Founded in 1992, Open House attracts around 250,000 people to come and explore some of London’s most celebrated buildings, from manor houses to modern architectural wonders.
From Soho’s Comedy House to ‘The Cloud House’ to Charing Cross Library, there is a range of new venues for curious Londoners to come in and traverse. You will need to register to attend or participate on the Open House Festival website.
The range of spaces to be explored is vast, so here at MyLondon, we’ve rounded up five of our picks from this year’s event:
Soho Comedy House
Visitors can come to the Soho Comedy House on one of Soho’s oldest streets to enjoy a free show, explore the building’s history, and see memorabilia from the venue’s past. On Saturday, September 12, the prestigious comedy club will invite visitors to come between 2pm and 6pm to view a small exhibition that will run until September 20.
There are also comedy nights available; they need to be booked and run nearly every day of the Open House event. Please check the Open House website for more.
The Cloud House
The Cloud House in Hampstead Heath is opening a pair of semi-detached three-story houses, designed by Peter Morris Architects, for visitors to explore. There are three dates when festival-goers can roam through the Miami Art Deco houses in North London, with two sessions each day.
The sessions run from 10am to 12pm and from 2pm to 6pm on Saturday, September 12; Sunday, September 13; and Saturday, September 20. The Vicars Road houses are owned by Peter Morris, the architect of the scheme.
A description of the buildings from Open House 2026 says: “The arches on the Cloud House take their cue from the arches on the church over the road, and are made from a dense recyclable polystyrene.
“The construction is otherwise completely standard – with pink render over the Build-Lite arches, stuck onto a steel and blockwork structure.
“The colours and shapes of the building are inspired by Peter’s honeymoon with his wife Emily in Miami. Building work on 20A Vicars Road was completed in August 2026. The Cloud House is due to be featured in an episode of Grand Designs, going out on Channel 4 at 9pm on 23rd September.”
BT Tower
On Saturday, September 19, and Sunday, September 20, there are numerous opportunities for people to go and visit the BT Tower; tickets are limited and sometimes operate on a ballot to get in. The Open House website describes this as: “An enduring, distinctive feature of the London skyline for the last 54 years, this is a rare opportunity for members of the public to visit the famous revolving floor, 158m above the capital.
“After the flight, the guests can watch a history of the BT Tower film in our auditorium.”
Buzz Bingo Hall
The former Granada Cinema in Tooting features a gothic interior with a mirrored hall, an auditorium, and a double-layered foyer in an intricate layout. The 1930s Grade I-listed cinema was built by Theodore Komisarjevsky and seats over 3,000 people.
There will be a drop in guided tours on Sunday, September 20, from 10 am until 12pm, with the tours happening every 20 minutes, and the only condition being that participants have to be over 18. An architectural description of the building from Open House says: “The Tooting Granada was constructed in 1930-31, the shell of the building being the work of an architect previously used by Cecil Bernstein, Cecil Massey.
“The entrance front on Mitcham Road was adapted by Massey from the design for another Bernstein project, the Phoenix Theatre in Charing Cross Road, designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the architect of Liverpool Anglican Cathedral.
“For the interior Bernstein employed the remarkable theatre director and stage designer, Theodore Komisarjevsky (1882-1954), an emigre from Revolutionary Russia who had received his architectural training in St. Petersburg.”
Guided tour of the Central Hill Estate
Guided tours of the tree-lined estate of Central Hill are being offered as part of the open house Festival, inviting visitors to come and take in the architecture while engaging with the residents on the regeneration of Lambeth.
There are two days of events for the Central Hill Estate, including morning walks with residents on Monday, September 14 and again on Sunday, September 20. Please check the Open House website for availability.
If you require information on any of the events or want to check out what else will be hosted in the Open House Festival 2026, please head over to this link.
