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.
Explore Croydon's music heritage
A new music trail has launched across Croydon town centre and beyond — flaunting the area's deep musical roots from Samuel Coleridge-Taylor to Nadia Rose. Download the app to follow milestones in Croydon's musical legacy. A bold mural in Queen's Gardens, starring Stormzy, Captain Sensible, Desmond Dekker and more, has just been unveiled too.
Free, until March 2024.
See this year's Sculpture in the City
The City of London is home to 17 new artworks, in the form of the 2023 Sculpture in the City trail. It's a free, open-air exhibition of works by artists from 10 different countries, located throughout the City of London. It'll be in situ for a few months, and in the past we've preferred visiting at weekends, when the Square Mile is quieter. For background on each of the installations and artists, download the app before you go.
Free, from 27 June.
Start your Pride celebrations with a pub quiz
It's just £2 per person to enter the Pride Pub Quiz at Big Penny Social in Walthamstow on Tuesday, with a chance for your team to win a £100 bar tab, or the rolling jackpot, if you beat the other teams in the trivia and activity rounds.
£2, 27 June.
Attend a curators' talk
We loved the British Library's current exhibition, Animals: Art, Science and Sound, and there's a chance to hear all about it at a free talk on Wednesday. Visual Arts Curators Malini Roy and Cam Sharp Jones and Curator of Wildlife & Environmental Sounds Cheryl Tipp join forces to discuss the process of putting the exhibition together.
Free, 28 June (note that there's a charge for the exhibition itself — but it's well worth it).
Wrap your ears around free live music
Colour us impressed by the free live entertainment on offer at Canary Wharf right now. Not only is there free minigolf, and free film screenings for both kids and adults, but there's live music for nada too.
Summer Sounds is a series of free, open-air lunchtime gigs, running each Wednesday until 9 August. The programme is curated by the Busk in London team, and covers a range of genres — this week it's flamenco-funk fusion acoustic guitarist Joncan Kavlakoglu, so take your lunch along to Jubilee Park to soak up the vibes.
Free, 28 June (and Wednesdays until 9 August).
Watch a parkour/circus comedy mash-up
Moroccan artist Said Mouhssine is quite the performer — combining circus acrobatics, parkour and a Chinese pole, for his show, Taroo. There are two performances on Friday at Samovar Space in Wembley Park (12pm and 2.45pm), and they're bound to leave your gob well and truly agape.
Free, 30 June.
Immerse yourself in open-air opera
No ticket for this year's Opera Holland Park season? No problem — you can get a taste of the performances for free at the fortnightly Songs on the Steps sessions in Holland Park. Professional performers show off new and familiar songs and arias, with anyone welcome to watch.
Free, 30 June.
Hackney Empire takes over the River Stage
The final weekend of this year's River Stage sees Hackney Empire’s Young Producers at the helm for three days of free entertainment outside the National Theatre on South Bank.
The full programme, curated by 14-21 year olds, includes street dance crew Skadeuces, dance group Atypical With Attitude, DJs Pebz and Mimi Rich, an interactive movement workshop by The PappyShow, an improvised rap battle by Young Producers, and plenty more. It's unticketed, so drop in and out as you please across the weekend.
Free, 30 June-2 July.
Visit the studios of Carshalton's artists
Saturday and Sunday marks the second weekend this year of Carshalton Artists Open Studios. Follow the map, which points out 20 locations — and 60 artists — peppered around the village, all available to visit 11am-5pm on both Saturday and Sunday. Who knows, maybe you'll find something special to buy. We're also told there over 30 'piggies' to see, decorated by the artists, and which you can win in a prize draw.
Free, 1 and 2 July.
Join the Pride in London parade
The capital goes every shade of the rainbow on Saturday for Pride in London 2023. 30,000 revellers and 300 floats are expected to take part in the parade, which heads from Hyde Park to Trafalgar Square, with stages, live music and entertainment dotted the whole way along. It's completely free to attend, and lasts about six hours — though the rest of the celebrations go on long into the night/morning.
Whether you're attending Pride or not, be aware that central London will be VERY busy on Saturday.
Free, 1 July.
Meet Michael Rosen at a children's book day
Blackheath Prep School hosts a family fun day with a focus on children's books — and Michael Rosen is the special guest. Children's entertainers, author workshops, a craft fair, music, bouncy castles, arts and craft activities, book trails, raffles, and face painting all feature on the programme of the event, and everyone's welcome.
Free, 1 July.
Last chance hot air balloons
After two possible dates were stood down earlier this year, we've got everything crossed that the weather behaves itself and the Lord Mayor's Hot Air Balloon Regatta is able to go ahead on Sunday morning. If it does, be warned that you'll have to be up early to catch it — the orbs take off from Battersea Park from around 5am, making their way across London's skies as the city wakes up. Check back here to see whether it's going ahead, or if we'll have to wait until next year to see this magnificent sight.
Free, 2 July.
The Cally Festival
Islington's Caledonian Road — affectionately known as 'The Cally' — closes to traffic and puts on its party gear for The Cally Festival. The free-entry celebration of local culture includes live music, storytelling, workshops, kids' activities and more.
Free, 2 July.
Last chance to see Corporate Queer
You've got until Sunday to see this year's edition of Corporate Queer, a photography exhibition featuring portraits of LGBTQI+ professionals who work in the City Of London.
Those featured range from legal professionals to security guards, artists, investment advisors and cleaners — and even includes current Lord Mayor of London, Nick Lyons. The photo essay — which first went on display in 2021 — now has 45 new photos, and can be seen at Guildhall Yard all this week.
Free, until 2 July.
