Open House Festival 2024
Saturday 14 - Sunday 22 September
A London-wide festival that opens up and celebrates the city’s architecture, special places and neighbourhoods, with free open days and events taking place across all 33 London boroughs.
I want to open a building or run an event during the festival
If you’re one of the individuals, groups, collectives or organisations planning to open up a building or run an event during the festival, then you are an Open House Festival contributor. Thank you! The festival would not be possible without you.
We are now open for applications for Open House Festival 2024. The final deadline for submitting your application is Monday 1 July at 5pm.
As usual, we ask that all contributors complete an application, whether you’re a veteran or you’re brand new to the festival. If your building or event has never been in the festival before, you’ll need to start by completing an expression of interest, followed by an application.
Accessing your account
If you already have an account, start by logging in here.
If you don’t yet have an account, you can register for one here.
Resources for contributors
To help you through the process, we’ve created the following resources:
A video guide to the application process, which you can find here.
A written Guide for Open House Festival Contributors 2024, which you can download here, covering the application process as well as the practicalities of planning and running your open day or event
The Open House Festival Curatorial Criteria 2024, available here, which explains what the team is looking for this year
A series of online surgeries for contributors, which you can find here, each dealing with a different aspect of being an Open House Festival contributor
The application process
Key dates for Open House Festival 2024
1 June at 5pm - deadline for expressions of interest (you only need to complete one of these if your building or event has never been part of the festival before)
14 June - we’ll get back to you by this date to let you know if a) your expression of interest has been approved or b) we have some feedback to share
1 July at 5pm - deadline for applications
17 July - we’ll get back you to you by this date to let you know if a) your application has been approved or b) we have some feedback to share
18 July at midday - programme preview is up on the festival website, so visitors can view dates and times of open days and events, but can’t book
16 August at midday - volunteers can book slots at buildings and events that have requested volunteer support
21 August at midday - the festival programme goes live for bookings
When should I run my open day or event?
You’re welcome to run your open day or event at any point during the festival, but if you’re planning weekend activities, we’re offering guidance on which weekend to choose, based on which borough you’re in. Please see the table below.
Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 September
Barnet
Brent
Camden
Croydon
Ealing
Hammersmith and Fulham
Harrow
Hillingdon
Hounslow
Kensington and Chelsea
Kingston
Lambeth
Merton
Richmond
Sutton
Wandsworth
Westminster
Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 September
Barking and Dagenham
Bexley
Bromley
City of London
Enfield
Greenwich
Hackney
Haringey
Havering
Islington
Lewisham
Newham
Rebridge
Southwark
Tower Hamlets
Waltham Forest
I want to visit buildings and attend events
The full Open House Festival programme for 2024 will be launched at midday on Wednesday 21 August.
In the meantime, you can view the 2023 programme here.
If you plan to come along to the Open House Festival, please register for a visitor account, so that you can book places on ticketed events from across the programme, build your itinerary and enter ballots to visit buildings that are in very high demand. Find out more here. If you have an account from previous years, you don’t need to register again.
If you have any questions relating to the accessibility of the programme, please contact access@open-city.org.uk.
To keep up-to-date with festival announcements and the work of Open City more broadly, sign up to our weekly newsletter here.
I want to volunteer at buildings and events
In a lot of cases, open days and events would not be able to go ahead without volunteer support, so we need your help to make this year’s festival happen. You can find out more about volunteering at Open House Festival 2024 here.
If you have any questions relating to the accessibility of the programme as a volunteer, please contact access@open-city.org.uk.
I am interested in sponsorship or partnership opportunities
For partnership enquiries, please write to sponsorship@openhouse.org.uk.