Budget-friendly things to do in London this week for £5 or less.
Looking for more free things to do in London? Here are 102 of em! We've also compiled this epic map of free stuff in London.
Gaze at a moving Windrush artwork in Piccadilly Circus
Every evening at 8.23pm this June, a digital artwork by Sir Frank Bowling — Arrival — is being broadcast on the Piccadilly Circus screens. This year marks the 70-year anniversary of the artist coming to London from British Guiana (now Guyana) — and the light show features Bowling's trademark vivid abstracts, alongside text, such as 'The moment I arrived in London I knew I was home." On Windrush Day itself (22 June), a special extended version of the artwork will play.
Free, daily at 8.23pm until 30 June.
Jouer à la pétanque at King's Cross
Club Pétanque has landed with a dull metallic thud in King's Cross's Lewis Cubitt Square this summer — and it's gratuite to play (excuse our French). Simply pick up your pétanque kit from nearby Vermuteria, and get stuck into what must be one of the most relaxed sports of all time. Gauloises and Pernod not provided.
Free, daily until 31 August.
Ogle free art in Mayfair
Art in Mayfair launches on Monday 12 June, with artist Bob and Roberta Smith decorating Mount Street, North Audley Street, Duke Street and South Audley Street with A Puzzle 4U — their colourful set of flags bearing various mottos. Elsewhere, there are four new sculptures in Grosvenor Square and one in Berkeley Square, created by French conceptual artist Bernar Venet. See what's what on the Art in Mayfair website.
Free, 12 June-9 July.
Tuck into a 71p burger
London's original Hard Rock Cafe celebrates its 52nd birthday with a bit of a knees-up — including serving its Country Burger for 71p, a nod to the 1971 opening date, for one day only. The dish was one of the original items on the all-American diner's menu and consists of two patties topped with American cheese, tomato, lettuce, red onion, pickles and burger sauce.
The offer runs 11.30am-2.30pm on Wednesday. Other events going on throughout the day include live music, free birthday cake, and special cocktail offers — see the website for details and specifics.
71p, 14 June.
Chill out at a Twilight Relaxed Opening
The wonderful Horniman Museum in Forest Hill keeps its doors open late for a Twilight Relaxed Opening, a free event exclusively for families with neurodivergent children, or those who would benefit from a calmer and quieter museum environment.
It's a chance to explore the museum, including the current Brick Dinos exhibition, without the usual crowds. The Under The Sea soft play section will be open, along with the reading and dress-up areas, making for an interactive and hands-on experience.
Free, 15 June.
Watch a film with a pint for a fiver
As it becomes increasingly rare to find a pint of beer for under a fiver in London, the legends at Genesis Cinema are offering a film screening and a drink for that price.
Kick back and watch 2001 Wes Anderson film The Royal Tenenbaums, about the siblings in a dysfunctional family reuniting after a turbulent period in all their lives. Your ticket includes a pint of your choice from local brewery Signature — cheers to that!
£5, 15 June.
Go on a City of London women walk
Remember the City of Women alternative tube map, published for International Women's Day 2022 and replacing tube station names with the names of pioneering women?
The team behind it are back, offering two free guided walks this week. Meet at UCL's Petrie Museum to begin the tour focusing on on ancient Egyptian and Nubian objects used by women. Then, wander through Somers Town, the British Library, King's Cross and up to Camden, finding out about the lives and achievements of the extraordinary women and non-binary people (both past and present) as you go.
Free, 15-17 June.
Get the lowdown on London's female statues
Did you know that London is home to more statues of animals than statues of women? It's something that artist and designer Amanda Cotton is trying to put right. Head to Shoe Lane Library in the City for a free talk by Cotton, about how she’s been empowered to do her bit to change that statistic.
It's also a chance to hear about her work, including 'Inexorable', the UK’s first non-binary sculpture of true-life 18th-century pirates Anne Bonny & Mary Read. You can watch the talk in person or online.
Free, 16 June.
Head to the Latin X Brixton Festival
Head to Brixton for a free festival of events focused on Latinx art. Grassroots organisations pair up with artists of Latin origin for a series of workshops around acting and performance, creative writing, Mapalé (a Colombian and Ecuadorian dance style), multilingual performance and more. Workshops are free but you do need to book in advance.
Free, 16-18 June.
Gaze at Luke Jerram's Gaia
Luke Jerram's Gaia — a model of the Earth covered in NASA satellite imagery — has popped up at several venues in London and beyond, and now you can see it at the Landmark Arts Centre in Teddington as part of the Richmond Arts and Ideas Festival. It's accompanied by a special sound composition, and is in situ for two weeks.
Free, 16 June-2 July.
Browse the British Academy Summer Showcase
The Windrush legacy, the importance of green space in cities, little-known women who shaped the world, the necessity of refugee camps, and aerial archaeology are just some of the topics covered in the wide-reaching and free British Academy Summer Showcase. It offers the public a chance to hear from researchers in the social sciences and humanities, through workshops, talks and panel debates.
Free, 17 June.
Marvel at Odissi dance at Wembley
Odissi is a form of ancient Indian dance, first performed in the temples of Odisha. Head north-west to Wembley Park tonight, to be transported far east, as Gairika Mathur along with her students perform enchanting moves imbued with fluid grace, sculptural sensuality and deep spirituality. Note: though the event's free, you will need to book a ticket in advance.
Free, 17 June.
Learn incredible things at the Great Exhibition Road Festival
Imperial College, the Science Museum, NHM, V&A, Royal Albert Hall and Royal College of Music are all involved in the Great Exhibition Road Festival, a free, open-air event celebrating science, technology, invention, art and design. Meet scientists, artists and musicians, and learn about their work through workshops, talks, live experiments, interactive displays and more.
The food of the future, a street-sized live art gallery, the smartest of smart machines, a musical journey through the solar system, cosmic ray baths, Japanese costumes inspired by nature, personal mini-earthquakes, and photographs of the invisible are just some of the topics covered at this year's event. Everything's free, and it's family-friendly, taking place across the whole weekend.
Free, 17-18 June.
Sing along with musical performances at West End Live
Musical theatre fans should head to Trafalgar Square for West End Live, a free, two-day festival starring the cast of all manner of West End shows. Exact details are TBC at time of writing, but we do know that cast members from Mamma Mia!, Six, Frozen, The Lion King, Cabaret, The Choir Of Man, Heathers The Musical, Grease, Jersey Boys, Magic Mike Live, We Will Rock You and many other shows are strutting their stuff on the stage. Plus cast members from upcoming shows The Wizard of Oz and The Time Traveller's Wife: The Musical are on the programme, so we may get a sneak preview of those shows before they open.
Note that it gets very busy, and in recent years has reached capacity quite early on, so get there in plenty of time to make sure you get in.
Free, 17-18 June.
