Free & Cheap London Events: 23-29 September 2013

Rachel Holdsworth
By Rachel Holdsworth Last edited 126 months ago
Free & Cheap London Events: 23-29 September 2013

Interesting and unusual things to do for a fiver or less this week.

Celebrate chillis at Spitalfields City Farm on Sunday

Monday 23 September

PRIVATE EYE: The satirical magazine's Ian Hislop and Nick Newman are at the National Theatre discussing the funniest and most influential of Private Eye's cartoons from its 50 year history. £4 / £3, prebook, 5.45pm

SHORTS: Watch new short films and animations with Bar Shorts at The Book Club in Shoreditch, plus DJ Kung-FU plays between screenings. Free, just turn up, 7pm

COFFEE: MR PORTER are giving away free coffee at various Taylor Street Barista shops each morning this week. Today it's Canary Wharf. Free, just turn up, 8am-10am

Tuesday 24 September

QUIZ: The You're Going to Need a Bigger Boat Film Quiz is upstairs at The Ritzy in Brixton. £4, first come first served, 7.30pm

CRICKLEWOOD GREATS: Discover film and TV programmes connected to Brent at Wembley Library. Free, just turn up, 6pm

MERMAIDS: Discover mermaids through history, from London coffee shops to the Wellcome Collection, with a talk at the Hunterian Museum. £4, prebook, 1pm

DANCE: Mark the end of the cloud installation at St Pancras with dance performances by Combination Dance Company. Free, just turn up, 8am-9.30am, 12.30pm-2.30pm, 5pm-6.30pm

Wednesday 25 September

MARS: Professor Carolin Crawford talks about the robots exploring Mars, and what they've found, at Gresham College. Free, just turn up, 1pm

PODCAST: Geekatorium presents Richard Sandling, Paul Gannon and Eli Silverman recording podcast The Uncliquables at the Camden Head. £3, just turn up, 7.30pm.

SCIENCE LATES: The Science Museum opens until 10pm with events covering game theory, maths and the Underground, 1860s photography and a silent disco. Free, just turn up, from 6.45pm

Thursday 26 September

ROBOTS: Artist Alex Kiessling is creating a new piece – in Vienna. But a robot in Trafalgar Square will mirror his movements and make its own work. Free, just turn up, 10am-5pm

FORTEAN LONDON: Four speakers talk about labyrinths, magic, marshes and the curse on Eddie and the Hot Rods for the London Fortean Society at The Bell pub on Middlesex Street. £3 / £2, just turn up, 8pm

BOOKS: John Rogers talks about This Other London, ten walks through the more obscure parts of the capital (we loved it), at Belgravia Books. Free, prebook via events at belgraviabooks.com, 6.30pm

Friday 27 September

JULIEN TEMPLE: The Portobello Pop-up Cinema finishes Julien Temple/Fest with a screening of London, The Modern Babylon with guests Will Self and Temple himself. £5, just turn up, 7.30pm

OPEN DOORS: Go behind the scenes at some of London's current construction sites and talk to the people making it all happen. Also on Saturday. Free, prebook, 9am-4pm

ART: Over 50 new artworks will be projected around Dalston's Gillett Square (indoors and outdoors) for Night Contact multimedia and photography festival. Free, just turn up, dusk-midnight

TEA: Learn about the Japanese tea ceremony over a demonstration at the British Museum. Free, just turn up, 2pm-3pm and 3pm-4pm

Saturday 28 September

WALKS: Go for long rambles all over the capital with Walk London. Free, just turn up, various start times.

HARVEST FESTIVAL: There's food glorious food at Abbey Gardens in West Ham; competitions, cupcake decorating, a quiz and music, plus tea and cake to buy. Free, just turn up, 1pm-4pm

BOYS AND GIRLS: Gender and identity is under discussion at the Bishopsgate Institute, and how they're expressed in our lives. Free, just turn up, 2.30pm

SOUL: Dance to soul records in the Betsey Trotwood's basement for a similarly basement entry price. 99p, just turn up, 8pm-1am

Sunday 29 September

FILM: Catch a screening of Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom, starring Bill Murray, Edward Norton and Frances McDormand, at the Southbank Centre. Free, just turn up, 8pm

LATIN AMERICA: Rich Mix hosts two talks as part of the Latin American theatre festival CASA 2013, a photographic survey of Britain's Latin American community over the last 30 years and on theatre of exile. Both are followed by performances from Instrucciones para Abrazar el Aire. Free, just turn up, 5.30pm / 6.15pm

NEW RIVER: There are lots of events happening to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the New River. How about popping to Clissold Park for the family fun day? Free, just turn up, 12pm-4pm

CHILLI: Celebrate the chilli pepper at Spitalfields City Farm with the Festival of Heat. There'll be a bar, live music, and more chilli than you can shake a chilli at. Free, just turn up, 12pm-6pm

Check out our map of free things to do in London for more frugal fun.

Photo by Savage Pink from the Londonist Flickr pool

Last Updated 22 September 2013