The Brunel Museum has announced an extensive autumn season of events, bringing theatre, music, comedy and interactive experiences to its historic Thames Tunnel Shaft and Engine House in Rotherhithe.
Running from September to November 2026, the programme explores the stories, innovations and people connected to one of London’s most remarkable engineering achievements, while offering audiences a chance to experience events in one of the capital’s most atmospheric heritage spaces.
A major addition to the museum this autumn is the new permanent installation Caisson Interactive, opening in October. The hands-on experience demonstrates how Marc Brunel and his team used caissons during the construction of the Thames Tunnel, giving visitors a deeper understanding of the ingenuity behind the pioneering project.
Director of the Brunel Museum Katherine McAlpine said: “We’re so excited to launch our Autumn season of events. Following the success of our sold-out show Engineering is a Joke back in March, we’re really excited to invite some more of London’s most exciting new comedic talent to the Museum. We’re also delighted to be collaborating with Editor at large of Londonist Matt Brown to bring a pub quiz with a difference to the Brunel Museum this autumn.”
The season opens with The Lost Boy on 18 September. Presented in the Tunnel Shaft, the opera tells the story of two teenage boys, Harrison and John, in a fictional 1980s fishing village as they navigate love, family expectations and the emerging AIDS crisis.
Created by JAM and North Wales International Music Festival, the production blends 1980s synthesisers with contemporary classical music and draws inspiration from the Kent coastline, as well as the work of Derek Jarman and Caroline Bergvall.
Comedy returns to the museum on 23 September with Underground Comedy, hosted by science communicator Steve Cross. The evening brings together comedians, researchers and museum experts to explore science, engineering and history beneath the surface.
The event is headlined by Iszi Lawrence, known for appearances on Radio 4, BBC World Service and Discovery Channel.
Classical music audiences can also enjoy DEBUT’s Secret Concerts on 10 September and 15 October. Founded by soprano and creative producer Lizzie Holmes, the series showcases emerging musicians in intimate performances inside the Tunnel Shaft.
On 7 October, Underground Pub Quiz will see teams test their knowledge of London’s hidden infrastructure and subterranean history. Hosted by Londonist editor-at-large Matt Brown, the quiz will feature 50 questions covering Tube stations, sewers, bunkers and tombs.
Brown said: “I’ve spent 22 years exploring and writing about London’s subterranean spaces, and they don’t come more atmospheric or historically important than the Brunel shaft. I can’t wait to welcome guests to London’s deepest quiz.”
For Halloween, The Dark Side of Rotherhithe arrives on 31 October. The lantern-lit walking tour will take visitors through tales of murder, graveyards and Victorian London before descending into the historic Thames Tunnel Shaft for stories of the dangers faced by those who built the tunnel beneath the Thames.
Alongside the events programme, visitors will be able to view newly displayed items from the museum’s collection, including a rare 1815 portrait print of Marc Isambard Brunel, Marc Brunel’s personal shoe buckles, an Isambard Kingdom Brunel commemorative £2 coin and a Great Western Railway seal.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
