LONDON.-The city’s major galleries and museums set to offer an alternative to pubs, clubs and bars with a series of after-hours events and late openings Night-owls will discover a buzz beyond London’s pubs, bars and restaurants this October as its major galleries and museums join together for Lates – a month-long season of after-dark events and late-night openings across the city.

When darkness descends, after-hours art and culture will begin; as live music, film screenings, performances and cocktails transform art spaces into social scenes. Live ska and funk leads a 2-Tone revival at Museum in Docklands, Poptails will be served in a 60s counter-culture celebration at National Portrait Gallery, audiences will be seduced by adult performance story-telling at the Barbican and a thirst for film can be quenched at BFI IMAX with an exclusive all-night screening of the Bourne trilogy – the first time all three films have been shown together.

Halloween has inspired V&A’s Who’s Afraid of the Dark? event featuring torchlight gallery tours, whilst the ICA will immerse visitors in a spooky multi-sensory attack in its 3D audio-visual cinema installation Ear Cinema.

Alongside special events, Lates taps into the appetite for around-the-clock entertainment with longer opening hours for flagship exhibitions – making a cultural visit an after-work possibility, a first-date option or after-dinner suggestion.

The programme is presented by the Mayor of London in association with the cream of the arts and culture crop, with Barbican, British Museum, Institute of Contemporary Arts, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain, Tate Modern, V&A, Whitechapel Gallery, Museum in Docklands, Museum of London, BFI IMAX and Southbank Centre all staying up late to stimulate the senses in the moonlight.

Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, said: “London has an incredibly dynamic cultural scene and the development of seasons like Lates is an exciting way to highlight the range of cultural activities taking place in the capital. The city's museums and galleries make an increasingly important contribution to London’s late night economy and social scene. With Lates, we want infrequent as well as regular visitors to take the opportunity to experience what our museums and galleries have to offer."