Open House Festival 2024 Visitor FAQs
Where and when can I see which buildings and events are part of this year’s Open House Festival?
A preview of this year’s programme is now available to view on the Open House Festival website. You will be able to view all buildings and events confirmed in the programme so far, along with the dates and times they’ll be open, but you won’t be able to book yet.
Booking will go live at midday on Wednesday 21 August.
Do I need to book to attend Open House Festival open days and events?
Some open days and events are ‘drop-in’. There is no maximum number of attendees for drop-in open days or events, although you might be required to queue at busy times. We strongly recommend you click the ‘add to my itinerary’ button, which registers your interest in the open day or event and means the organisers will contact you if there are any changes to the published programme.
Other open days or events are ticketed. Ticketed events have a maximum capacity, so can become fully booked. You will need to book in advance for all ticketed events.
You will need an Open House Festival visitor account to add open days or events to your itinerary and to book tickets.
How do I enter ballots?
If we expect an open day or event to be in particularly high demand, we ask visitors to enter a ballot to win tickets rather than allowing bookings.
Ballots will be released during July and August, with details still to be confirmed. Check back here or sign up to Open City’s weekly newsletter for up-to-date information.
You will need an Open House Festival visitor account to enter ballots.
How do I get an Open House Festival visitor account?
Register for an Open House Festival visitor account. If you already have an account, for example from previous years, you don’t need to register again, you just need to log in.
How do I log in?
Go to the Open House Festival website and click on the ‘log in’ icon in the right-hand corner of the page. Alternatively, you can go directly to the login page via this link.
What if I’ve forgotten my password?
Follow the above steps to log in, but select ‘I’ve forgotten my password’ under the login button and you’ll be sent an automatically generated email to reset your password.
If you don’t receive an email to reset your password and it isn’t in your junk folder, you might need to adjust your antivirus settings.
How can I see which activities I’ve booked?
You will find a list of all your bookings on the ‘My itinerary’ tab.
Where can I find information about the accessibility of a particular building or event?
When viewing the calendar page of the Open House Festival website, use the ‘facilities’ filter (on the right-hand side of the page) to only view listings that have particular facilities available.
In the top right-hand side of each individual listing page is the heading ‘Access’, under which will be listed the facilities available at that open day or event. You’ll also find two headings, ‘Accessibility notes’ and ‘What to expect’, if these sections have been completed by contributors, containing additional information which you might find useful.
Please note that individual contributors are responsible for the information included here.
Can I bring children to festival open days or events?
There is no minimum age requirement for attending festival open days or events, unless where specified in an individual listing. If you’re planning on bringing children to an open day or event, please read make sure you read all the information on the listing in detail.
When viewing the calendar page of the Open House Festival website, use the ‘facilities’ filter (on the right-hand side of the page) and select ‘family-friendly event’ to view only open days and events that have identified themselves as being suitable for children.
How do I volunteer during the Open House Festival?
From midday on Friday 16 August, registered volunteers will be able to choose from a list of hundreds of different buildings that have requested volunteer support. If you don’t yet have a volunteer account, you’ll need to register for one. Please note, if you have volunteered in previous years, you do not need to register again.
Find out more information about being an Open House Festival volunteer.
What’s the difference between Open House Festival, Open City, Open House weekend and Open House London?
Open House Festival is an annual celebration of London's architecture and neighbourhoods, and the people and communities behind them. Previously, the festival has been known simply as Open House or, when it was a shorter festival, Open House weekend. As one of a network of over 50 festivals worldwide, the festival is sometimes known as Open House London.
Open House Festival is run by Open City, a charity dedicated to making architecture and neighbourhoods more open, accessible and equitable. Our mission is to enable communities to learn about, experience and have a role in shaping places where they live. We collaborate with people from diverse communities to widen access to spaces, neighbourhoods, knowledge and careers they are often excluded from. We do this by creating educational and cultural programmes discussing, celebrating and opening up historic and contemporary buildings and landscapes.