Where to celebrate Diwali in London

This free Diwali festival, organised by the Mayor of London, is the city's largest Diwali celebration and will take place on 12 October in Trafalgar Square. It attracts around 35,000 attendees every year and features live music and dance performances on stage and throughout the square. Enjoy a variety of Indian snacks, including vegan and vegetarian options, alongside sweet treats from the many vendors lining the streets.

Babur in South London is celebrating Diwali with an immersive dinner featuring live Bollywood dancing and a five-course tasting menu. Created by Executive Chef Jiwan Lal, the menu reflects Diwali's themes of light, abundance, and new beginnings through inventive dishes like sweet potato chaat, tandoori salmon, duck Chettinad pie, kale and paneer kofta, and saffron balushahi. The special menu will be available daily from 20–26 October.

As Diwali lights up London, Kanishka in the heart of Mayfair is marking the festival of light with a six-course tasting menu from Executive Chef Atul Kochhar. Guests start with canapés before enjoying achari paneer tikka, a pickle-stuffed cottage cheese; lehsuni palak chenna, garlic-sautéed spiced spinach with roasted baby burrata; and the celebrated house speciality, Rogan Josh Wellington, a new take on the British classic using Kashmiri-spiced lamb, duxelle, pastry, and Rogan jus. Finish with gulab jamun saffron brulee, milk dumplings in saffron custard for the ultimate feast.

To mark Diwali, Harrods is hosting a special Meet the Author event with Chef Chet Sharma, who will be introducing his debut book, “BiBi The Cookbook: Stories from my Bibi” on 1 October. Blending memoir with recipe collection, the book features 60 dishes – including BiBi favourites – alongside personal tales drawn from Chet's family history and upbringing. Guests will have the chance to purchase the book ahead of its official global launch, listen to an on-stage conversation led by pastry chef and writer Ravneet Gill, and meet Chet in person for signings and a Q&A.

Greenwich Peninsula will come alive for Diwali on 18 October this year with live music, dance performances, arts and crafts, and delicious food and drink. The festivities will end with an incredible lantern parade that will light up the entire Peninsula. You can bring your own lantern from home or craft one on the day.

Acclaimed Indian chef Vivek Singh's Cinnamon Collection restaurants are known as some of the top spots for authentic Indian cuisine in London. For the Hindu festival of light in 2025, they've curated multiple-course Diwali feasts that are tailor-made for sharing and designed to capture the richness of the season. The menu varies from location to location, as does the availability – the Kitchens serve it throughout October, while the Club and Bazaars offer it from 15 October to 15 November.

When it comes to Indian food in London, it doesn't get much better than Gymkhana – the two Michelin stars are proof of that. They're running a special tasting menu for Diwali, with vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. You can choose from dishes such as chicken butter masala, kid goat methi keema, and achari paneer tikka, with wine pairings and luxe upgrades such as caviar also available.

Trishna is another Michelin-starred Indian restaurant, excelling in serving modern Indian cuisine in a contemporary setting. Trishna's Diwali tasting menus feature five courses with optional wine pairing. You can start with an assortment of papads and chutneys before digging into dishes such as Amrut grouse, tandoori lamb chop, or Dorset brown crab. Round off your meal with one of the desserts, including a Valrhona chocolate chikki.

Brigadiers is a grill restaurant and sports bar in The City that's inspired by the military mess halls of India. Classy yet casual, it's a top choice for a group Diwali outing, with a menu to match. The Diwali feast at Brigadiers features vegetarian and non-vegetarian options and includes dishes such as tandoori guinea fowl, dum venison biryani, and more.

Yaatra is an Indian restaurant set in a former fire station that is offering a fine dining experience led by head chef Amit Bagyal for Diwali. While the menu is a hit year-round, Diwali brings something extra special with a five-course feast through Indian flavours. Expect dishes like beetroot and coconut croquettes, kasundi mustard prawns, and masala lamb rump, with gulab jamun parfait and petit fours to end the meal.

St. James' Court, A Taj Hotel, is celebrating Diwali with various events, from special menus to luxurious stays and gift hampers. Feast on thali menus inspired by west, north, and south Indian cuisines. For example, the northern thali features dishes like chicken tikka makhanwala or paneer butter masala, served with black lentil daal, butter naan, and pickles. For dessert, guests can enjoy the likes of baked motichur or gulab jamun milk dumplings.

Ambassador's Clubhouse is celebrating Diwali with a focus on traditional Punjabi recipes. The menu features dishes like papads and chaat to start, followed by tandoor-cooked mains such as achari duck chaat, tawa masala crab cheela, and masala mathi. Guests can book a private dining room for a more intimate dining experience.

This October, visitors are invited to celebrate Diwali in the lush gardens of Marble Hill. Guests can craft their own lanterns at the lantern-making table, participate in a Bhangra dance workshop, and enjoy the stunning light parade leading down to the banks of the Thames. This event is free to attend; you just have to book a ticket on their website.

Blackheath's Everest Inn is a popular Nepalese restaurant that is bringing back its much-loved Diwali celebrations for two nights. Guests will be greeted with a warm, authentic welcome, including a bindi and traditional scarf for women and a Nepali hat for men. Feast on a sharing-style candlelit meal featuring both meat and vegetarian options, and enjoy traditional Diwali dance performances as you dine.

Shoreditch's Mama Shelter hotel is marking Diwali with a one-night-only supper club on 24 October, led by acclaimed British Bengali chef Sohini Banerjee of Smoke & Lime, known for blending authentic Bengali flavours with global inspiration. The festive family-style menu will feature dishes such as spiced roasted cauliflower, fish with lentils, and traditional pumpkin alongside other Bengali specialities.

Mayfair's lavishly decorated Jamavar highlights flavours and specialities from all over India. Their Diwali feasting menu with accompanying wine flight includes multiple courses of elegantly presented dishes such as Kerala prawn biryani or their signature Old Delhi butter chicken. It's available from 15 to 21 October.

The sleek and sophisticated Farzi in Piccadilly Circus is hosting a Diwali Sunday brunch on 19 October. Guests can enjoy an unlimited buffet spanning classic dishes like paneer shahi, mutton badami korma and prawn moli, alongside live stations including a chaat counter and pani puri, plus a dessert spread of mithai and festive sweets. The afternoon will be filled with live music, entertainment, henna and face painting, making it a family-friendly celebration.

The National Maritime Museum invites visitors to celebrate Diwali with “Illuminate”, a vibrant, family-friendly festival on 25 October. Curated by Mehala Ford of the South Asian art collective COMMONGROUND&, the programme focuses on the theme of inner light. Guests can enjoy free performances, talks, workshops, and a colourful lantern parade that brings the day to a joyful close.

Celebrate Diwali at Cho Asia from 13–19 October with a special three-course sharing-style set menu curated by Chef Parminder Singh of “MasterChef: The Professionals”. Each dish reinterprets India's diverse culinary traditions through a modern, inventive lens, from panko-crusted Amritsari fish and paneer tikka to lamb pepper fry and spinach parmesan kofta.

Bombay Bustle is marking Diwali with a special collaborative thali menu created by Samyukta Nair, Culinary Director Surender Mohan, and guest chef Chetna Makan, known for her vibrant Indian cooking. Served on traditional silver platters and blending Bombay Bustle's refined flavours with homely touches in dishes like chilli garlic chicken and Kashmiri lamb rogan josh, the menu rounds things off with masala chai tres leches cake, a sweet finale to this colourful celebration of Indian heritage and festive generosity.

The Colonel Saab restaurants are serving five courses in honour of the festival of light, with choices including spice-grilled lamb chop, smoked hariyali paneer tikka, chicken chettinad, and beetroot and lotus kofta curry. These contemporary Indian eateries are inspired by the travels of the owner's parents and are decorated with a charming assortment of mementos, including plates, ornate rugs, and love letters.