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Free And Cheap Things To Do This Week In London: 14-20 July 2025Things to do for a fiver or less.
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, and have a helpful guide to where to see art in London for free, and where you can catch cheap and free comedy. Visit an exhibition on Nazi lootingWhen Katharina Mayrhofer discovered a table in the attic of her family house near Braunau, she embarked on a search for its original owners, leading to the discovery that the table first belonged to the Jewish neighbours of her pro-Nazi antecedents. Wiener Holocaust Library in Bloomsbury explores the phenomenon of Nazi looting through this simple household object, with new exhibition Looted: Two Families, Nazi Theft and the Search for Restitution. Free, 16 July-10 October. Subscribed to our listings yet? It’s free, you know! SubscribedSee the latest instalment of Sculpture in the CityThe latest edition of free art trail Sculpture in the City fully launches on Wednesday (though you may spot some of the artworks popping up before that). Wander around the eastern end of the Square Mile to see new sculptures by big names including Ai WeiWei, Jane and Louise Wilson, and Andrew Sabin. Every year, a few installations from the previous year are kept in situ, and this year these include Maya Rose Edwards' Kissing Gate on the pavement at Aldgate. This edition will remain in place until next year, so there's plenty of time to see it. Free, from 16 July. Learn about power couples of the Tudor eraThe London Archives in Clerkenwell hosts author Jo Romero on Wednesday, discussing her new book, Power Couples of the Tudor Era. From the legendary marriage of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon, to the political machinations of Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley, hear the remarkable stories of the dynamic duos whose partnerships shaped the course of English history. £5, 16 July. Track down this trail of turtlesThe second free art trail opening in London this week is the Tusk Turtle Trail, a collection of 16 turtle sculptures, each individually designed by big names including musician and Tusk ambassador Ronnie Wood, photographer Rankin, illustrator Ralph Steadman, Dragon's Den's Deborah Meaden and comedian John Cleese. Find them dotted through central London including Covent Garden and Carnaby, before they're auctioned off to raise money for conservation charity Tusk. They're in situ throughout the summer, so bookmark the info now for a free day out in the summer holidays. Free, from 17 July. Stay late at Whitechapel GalleryWhitechapel Gallery holds its monthly Thursday late opening, this time curated by creative collective DAYTIMERS. The event shines the spotlight on South Asian artists through art, live music, workshops, talks, poetry and more — inspired by current exhibition, Hamad Butt: Apprehensions. Free, 17 July. Watch one of the City's most unique eventsSee dozens of historic and vintage vehicles driven through Guildhall Yard for the Ceremony of Cart Marking on Saturday. It's a 500+ year old tradition from the Worshipful Company of Carmen, which sees a collection of handcarts, horses and carts, steam-driven vehicles, electric, solar-powered and hydrogen vehicles on display at Guildhall, with Livery Masters and Court Assistants in their official robes, chains and hats. The event first began around 500 years ago, as a form of vehicle licensing. After the owner had paid for a licence, a mark would be burnt onto their wooden cart, signalling it was officially certified. These days, it's more for show than anything, and is a sight well worth seeing. Free, 19 July. Celebrate Croydon PrideThe main Pride in London festival has been and gone, but the celebrations continue down in south London. Croydon Pride is back to its full fat form after a slimmed down event last year, with a parade beginning near West Croydon station and ending in Wandle Park. Once it reaches the park, the party continues, with stars such as DJ and dancer Natasha Cox and X Factor winner Louisa Johnson performing on the main stage, and plenty of stalls to browse. Free, 19 July. Take your family dancing in a very special parkCoram's Fields in Bloomsbury is a very special park where adults must be accompanied by a child. It gets even more special on Saturday when The Place theatre hosts a Family Dance Day, with performances, dance workshops, interactive storytelling and arts and crafts throughout the afternoon. Free, 19 July. Alternatively, take the kids along to the free Pavilion Family Day at Serpentine Pavilion (also free, 19 July). Attend the Ura Matsuri Japanese summer festivalSouthbank Centre's newest festival, ESEA Encounters, celebrates East and South East Asian culture through a long weekend of events. We're particularly excited about Ura Matsuri on Saturday night, an evening of live music, dance and storytelling, with performers including punk pop group Frank Chickens, Chinese percussionist Beibei Wang, and Japanese Benshi style performer Tomoko Komura. Entry is free, and everyone's welcome. Free, 19 July. Be a fungi and try a free mushroom ice creamChin Chin Dessert Club in Soho has created a new mushroom ice cream, in time for National Ice Cream Day. The roasted chestnut mushroom ice cream is served with a hand-rolled chocolate and mushroom flake and candied close cup mushroom chips... and if you're fast, you can try it for free. The first 50 visitors to Chin Chin Dessert Club in Soho on each day, 19 and 20 July, will receive a free chestnut mushroom soft serve sundae. It's located at 54 Greek Street, and opens at 1pm both days... though you might need to get down there early. Free, 19 and 20 July. Look out for hot air balloons over London's skiesKeep your fingers crossed for clement weather on Sunday morning, as it's the second of three days set aside for the London Hot Air Balloon Regatta this year. If all goes to plan, dozens of hot air balloons will take flight from Battersea Park in the early hours of the morning, and float across the city. You won't be able to access to the launch site, but keep your eyes to the skies. Between bad weather and Covid, the event hasn't happened since 2019, and an initial date in May this year was cancelled due to the weather, so it'll be rather special when it does finally take flight. We should know by Friday whether it's going ahead on Sunday. Free, 20 July (alternative date is next Sunday, 27 July). Celebrate International Chess Day in Spitalfields MarketSpitafields Market celebrates International Chess Day with a free event hosted by the Chess In Schools charity. Everyone from beginners to masters are welcome to pull up a seat at the tables set up near Commercial Street, and get stuck into a game. Free, 20 July. Celebrate summer at the Soho Village FeteA tug of war between the police and fire brigade, a best in show where pooches must dress like royalty, and a music stage are all part of the Soho Village Fete on Sunday. But surely the highlight is the Soho Waiters' Race, which sees serving staff from different restaurants legging it around the area while balancing a bottle of fizz, wine glass and ashtray on their tray. The fete itself takes place at St Anne's on Wardour Street. There's a limited capacity, so arrive early and be prepared to queue. Free entry, 20 July. View an exhibition of railway photographyThe free Landscape Photographer of the Year exhibition is held in a mainline railway station every year, with winning images on show in a free display. This year, Liverpool Street station is the chosen host, and it's a special one because it's comprised entirely of railway photography, part of the Railway 200 national events celebrating two centuries of the modern railway. Alongside those images, view an exhibition on the history of Liverpool Street, which was created for the station's 150th anniversary last year, and relaunched here. Head to the balcony next to Leon to find it. Free, 20 July-1 November.
© 2025 Londonist: Things To Do |
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