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.
Seek out an unusual star
Gresham College's Professor of Astronomy (and BBC Sky at Night presenter) Chris Lintott gives a talk about Boyajian's Star — aka Tabby's Star — a faint presence in the constellation of Cygnus.
Head to Conway Hall on Monday evening to find out what might be causing it to flicker, and how citizen scientists are crucial in finding and identifying unusual objects in the universe.
Takes place at Conway Hall, but as it's a Gresham College lecture, it's free. Alternatively, watch online — also free.
Free, 29 April.
Go on a guided tour of the Museum of the Home
Three days of the week, Hoxton's Museum of the Home puts on 30-45 minute long guided tours which hone in on objects from the collection. These include tea sets, paintings and clothing — and provide a gateway into deeper histories involving social norms of centuries past, and the injustices of the British Empire.
£5, 1, 3 and 5 May (and every Weds, Fri and Sunday)
Brew over the Craft of Tea
The Chitra Collection is an archive of tea heritage, sourced by Nirmal Sethia, chairman of luxury tea company Newby London. This week, 40+ notable pieces from the collection go on display in a free exhibition at The Goldsmiths' Centre, spanning the 17th-21st century.
The Craft of Tea: 1660-2024 exhibition includes teapots from India, Japan, Netherlands and England. It's divided into eight themes, from the early beginnings of the tea trade in Europe, through tea taking as ritual, power and rebellion, to the boundary-pushing teapots of the modern and contemporary period.
Free, 1 May-27 June.
Indulge in culture at a free lunchtime concert
Once again Highgate's Lauderdale House offers a free lunchtime concert in the Long Gallery, overlooking Waterlow Park. This time Michiko Negami (violinist), Johanna Byrn (mezzo soprano) and Clare Clements (piano) perform, marking the centenary of Irish composer Charles Villiers Stanford with his interpretation of Keats' poem La Belle Dame Sans Merci.
Free, 2 May.
Immerse yourself in the London art world
There's a lovely community of London art-lovers over on our Urban Palette newsletter - with free weekly reads sent out every Monday rounding up some of the biggest news, reviews, interviews and insights from London's art world and plenty of (also free!) opportunities to meet up at exhibitions around the city. Sign up at the link to become part of the community.
Free, ongoing.
Explore a medicinal garden
The Royal College of Physicians Museum — located next to Regent's Park — stays open late on Thursday for an evening exploring both the museum itself and the medicinal garden. Join a guided tour to learn which plants are still used in medicine today, and view items from the library and archives related to the topic of medicinal plants.
Free, 2 May.
Feast your eyes on free film screenings
The New Cross and Deptford Free Film Festival runs until Saturday this week, offering free film screenings in a variety of locations in the local area. Watch 2012 Chilean film No at Vive Living, catch an evening of short films at Art Hub Gallery, or attend an open-air screening of Bugsy Malone on Saturday evening, among other events.
Nearby, the Herne Hill Free Film Festival gets underway on Thursday, launching with a screening of 2023 documentary Scala!!!, about the legendary King's Cross venue. Browse the full programme to see what else is happening over the 10-day festival.
As the name suggests, all events at both festivals are free — though donations for local charities are welcome at all screenings.
Free, until 4 May/2-12 May.
Celebrate London's waterways at the Canalway Cavalcade
More than 100 boats moor up in Little Venice (near Paddington) for the bank holiday weekend, as the Canalway Cavalcade returns.
It's a celebration of life on the waterways, though it's open to everyone. Wander among decorated boats while enjoying live music, stalls, and children's entertainment. It's worth sticking around for Sunday evening if you can, as a parade of illuminated boats lights up the area.
Free entry, 4-6 May.
Fop out at the Grand Flaneur Walk
Watch — or join — dozens of well-dressed dandies taking to the streets of central London for the Grand Flaneur Walk on Sunday.
The quirky event is described as a 'celebration of the pure, the immutable and the pointless, taken by the bold, the adventurous and the inebriated'. Participants dress up in their finest dandy, flaneur or fop outfits — think top hats, handlebar moustaches, pocket squares, pocket watches — and wander without aim or purpose.
Free, 5 May.
Find out what scientists do
Science journal Nature has a free open-air exhibition showcasing 50 photographs of scientists at work, aiming to inspire children to pursue careers in STEM.
What Does A Scientist Look Like? challenges stereotypes of what a scientist does, with examples including Egyptian scientists creating new flower colours, surfing scientists exploring coral reefs in Hawaii, and the Pope's astronomer in Rome. Each image has a QR code which can be scanned to read an interview with the person pictured.
See the exhibition throughout the King's Cross area, including King's Boulevard, Pancras Square, Lewis Cubitt Square and Battle Bridge Place.
Free, until 10 June.
