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.
Spend the bank holiday enjoying new music
For the bargain price of £2.50, you can spend your bank holiday Monday at the Putney Half Moon's all dayer of new music, featuring boxfresh singer-songwriters, bands, poets, performance artists and more. Acts include City Lake, The Rhodes and The Zeratones.
£2.50, 27 May.
Take the kids along to a fair on a farm
Vauxhall City Farm hosts a free-entry spring fair on Thursday. Though there is a charge for some activities, there's plenty to do for free, including watching sheep shearing, wool spinning and felting demos, and a competition to name the farm's newborn lambs.
Free entry (though donations to the farm are welcome), 30 May.
Check out the Brockley Max programme
Local arts festival Brockley Max begins on Friday, with nine days of live music, art, comedy, theatre, poetry and the like, spanning 80 events in total. Browse the free section of the programme for events that won't cost you a penny including art exhibitions and Friday's opening night party.
Some events free, from 31 May.
Start your weekend with a free jazz performance
Oxford House in Bethnal Green offers free jazz performances on a Friday evening once a month. A four-piece ensemble performs well-known classics, standards and new discoveries in a show at the venue's cafe.
Free, 31 May.
Celebrate Hackney's adventure playgrounds
You've only got until Saturday to see Celebrating Hackney's Adventure Playgrounds, the current free exhibition at Hackney Museum. It uses photos and objects to tell the stories of people who played in — or created — the borough's playgrounds, from the 1950s to today. Sounds like quite a nostalgia trip for anyone who grew up in the area.
Free, until 1 June.
Visit London's little-known Sewing Machine Museum
The monthly opening of London's Sewing Machine Museum in Balham takes place on Saturday. Visit a collection of dozens of historic sewing machines — the personal collection of sewing machine salesman Ray Rushton — including one from 1865 which belonged to Queen Victoria's firstborn daughter. Read about our trip to the museum for an idea of what to expect.
Free (charity donations welcome), 1 June.
Celebrate summer in a traffic-free Hammersmith
King Street in Hammersmith goes traffic-free for the Pride-themed Summer Street Fest. The free-entry celebration consists of 100 pop-up stalls, plus free guided walks covering the area's LGBTQ+ history. Alternatively, pick up a map and follow the self-guided Pride walk yourself.
Free, 1 June.
Take your family along to the Mughal Miniatures Dance Party
Southbank Centre takes inspiration from the traditional art of Indian and Persian miniature painting for the Mughal Miniatures Dance Party. The family-friendly event consists of living portraits telling the story of the Mughal period, with performers breaking free of their frames to take part in pop-up dance performances. There's also a dance workshop for anyone who wants to have a go themselves.
Free, 1 June.
Go behind the scenes at Opera Holland Park
Though opera has a reputation for being pricey, the Opera Holland Park team invites everyone to go behind the scenes on a free open day. Take part in tours around the pop-up venue, get a closer look at the costumes used in OHP productions, and have a go at applying stage make up, or conducting a string quartet.
Free, 2 June.
