Free And Cheap London Events: 8-14 September 2014

By Silvia Baretta Last edited 114 months ago
Free And Cheap London Events: 8-14 September 2014

Interesting and unusual things to do for a fiver or less this week. For more ideas have a look at our Free & Cheap page.

Source: Totally Thames

All Week

BRIDGE EXHIBITION: Museum of London Docklands's largest ever art exhibition, Bridge, is now open. It consists of historical and contemporary depictions of London’s bridges in the form of artwork, film and photography. It also considers how bridges are used in London today. Free, just turn up, until 2 November

ART: Take a look at our September art events listing and find art openings happening this month. You should find the perfect fit to your creative side among painting, photography, drawing and more. Lots of free ones as well.

PUB: Just want to kick back and relax with a pint and a packet of pork scratchings? Our pubs guide has information about all of the best pubs in London, organised by area for your convenience. Find a boozer near you, or see if your favourite made the cut.

Monday 8 September

ART EXHIBITION: The Royal College of Physicians launches the exhibition The Anatomy of a Building. Explore the career of Sir Denys Lasdun, one of the controversial pioneers of modern British architecture. Free, until 13 February

TALL SHIPS FESTIVAL: The largest fleet of Tall Ships to visit London in 25 years brings with it opportunities to board the Tall Ships moored along the Greenwich waterfront, fireworks displays, free cultural performances, music and entertainment and a crew parade and festival procession. Free to watch, until 9 September

FOREIGN LANGUAGE: Interested in learning a new language? Lingua Diversa Group offers an introductory lesson to Italian at its offices in Holborn. £5, prebook by email, 6.30pm-7.30pm

ALLSORTS: The open mic night returns to Rich Mix in Shoreditch, with spoken word artists, rappers, singers, comedians and more all taking to the mic. Free, tweet @Allsortz1 to gain entry, 7pm

COMEDY: The Loft Tickler Free Comedy Night takes place at The Loft in Clapham. On stage: Paul McCaffrey, Luke Graves, Paul F Taylor, Twayna Mayne and Richard Stainbank. Free, just turn up, 8pm

Tuesday 9 September

ART EXHIBITION: Noise Festival charity presents an outdoor visual art exhibition in the heart of London’s Southbank. The display shows the creativity of 55 up and coming artists including Brian Eno, Tim Marlow, Elaine Constantine and Gerald Scarfe. Free, until 7 November

LUNCH BREAK: Dr Turi King, a geneticist at the University of Leicester, leads a talk about Richard III which takes place at the Society of Antiquaries of London. She will talk about her research on the king and her studies on his DNA. Free, prebook, 1pm

THEATRE PLATFORM: Author Mark Haddon and Olivier Award-winning playwright Simon Stephens are the subjects of a National Theatre Platform, about their work on bringing Haddon’s book The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time to the West End stage. £4/£3, prebook, 5pm

GOOD CAUSE: Help to raise money for Action Aid charity, take part in a fun treasure hunt and discovery walk around Mayfair. Meeting point is Piccadilly tube station — contribution for the walk starts from £2.50. Prebook online, 6pm

FILM QUIZ: The touring cinema quiz You're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat is on at The Assembly House in Kentish Town. Free, just turn up, from 7.30pm

FILM SCREENING: Head to the Kahalia Cafe in Brick Lane for the screening of Dirty Wars, followed by a panel discussion about the film. £3.50/£5, prebook, 7.30pm

Join a panel discussion about video art at Rosenfeld Porcini Gallery. Details below

Wednesday 10 September

WIENER LIBRARY: The Holborn-based library dedicates a free talk to German women's organisations during the First World War. Dr Ingrid Sharp examines the role played by middle class German women in supporting the war effort. Free, prebook, 6.30pm

LIFE DRAWING: Join the Drawing Life Workshop at the Grant Museum in Holborn and find out how the act of drawing can unlock the complex relationships at work in nature. You will immerse yourself in ecology while exploring the unique specimens of the museum's collection. Free, prebook, 6.30pm

CINEMA NIGHT: Enjoy a free film screening on the rooftop of Shoreditch's Rockwell House. The film will be announced that evening and booking in advance is suggested. Free, prebook, from 6.30pm

FREE FILM: Billy Wilder's classic The Apartment screens in Peckham Library as part of the Peckham and Nunhead Free Film Festival. It's preceded by short film Induction, made by Peckham residents. Free, just turn up, 7pm

ART TALK: Rosenfeld Porcini Gallery hosts a panel discussion about video art, connected to its current exhibition Sound and Vision. The discussion will be led by our art writer Tabish Khan. £4+bf, prebook, 7.30pm

MUSIC: The Drury Club in Covent Garden hosts live music acts. Enjoy vibrant and funky music with 167 Live, Fudge and The Frequency. £5, just turn up, from 7.30pm

MORE MUSIC: Head to Shoreditch's Strongroom and enjoy an evening of live music. Expect live acts Freyr Flodgren, Kojey Radical and Stephanie McCourt. Free, just turn up, from 8pm

Thursday 11 September

RICH MIX: The arts centre in Shoreditch launches a photographic and video exhibition called Jamaica Hidden Histories: Fashion Archive Display. Explore the history of the building, which once was home to a dress manufacturing company, and focus on Jamaican born designer Lorna Holder, the company's Head of Young Fashion. Free, until 27 September

SCIENCE MUSEUM: Connected to its latest exhibition The Rubbish Collection and its Climate Changing programme, the Science Museum hosts a dedicated talk. Listen to featured artists who discuss their work, alongside a range of experts who bring different perspectives to the challenge of engaging audiences with climate and sustainability. Free, prebook, 2pm

FASHION PARTY: Carnaby Style Night is the free fashion bonanza taking place all around Carnaby Street. Plenty of shops, cafés and restaurants offer 20% off your purchase. The list of events is seemingly endless: music, dance performances and even a garden party. Free, sign up in advance, 5pm-9pm

MUSEUM TALK: As fifth Astronomer Royal at Greenwich, Nevil Maskelyne played a crucial role in one of the great triumphs of the Georgian age — solving the longitude problem. This talk, taking place at the National Maritime Museum, looks behind the myths to uncover something of the character and scientific stature of an important figure in the Age of Enlightenment. £5/£4, prebook, 6.15pm

POETRY TALK: Keats House in Hampstead Heath hosts a talk about the rude relationship between poets Keats and Byron. The talk is chaired by Dr Christine Kenyon Jones. £5, prebook, 6.30pm

FOREIGN LANGUAGE: Interested in learning a new language? Lingua Diversa Group offers an introductory lesson to German at its offices in Holborn. £5, prebook by email, 7.35pm-8.35pm  

EAST END LONDON: Head to Brick Lane bookshop for the launch of A Toby In The Lane, a book about the history of East End markets and street traders. Particular focus is on immigrant communities, whose businesses had to fight for survival in the area. Free, prebook, 7pm

Friday 12 September

ARCHITECTURE SHOW: New London Architecture headquarters hosts a new exhibition about home design in London. The display explores the development of this field in 40 years of history. Free, until 7 October

AFRICA UTOPIA: As part of Southbank Centre’s Africa Utopia Festival, there’s an African Marketplace. The market offers Africa-focused organisations and entrepreneurs a chance to provide information, raise awareness, showcase work and sell their creations. Free, just turn up, until 14 September

BBC PROMS: The Poetry Society and BBC Proms have paired up for the Proms Poetry Competition. Tonight at the Royal College of Music, Poet Daljit Nagra and poet and broadcaster Ian McMillan introduce the winning entries and some of the winners read their work on stage. Free, 5.45pm

POETRY TALK: Institut Français presents an evening of poetry readings and discussions featuring Jacques Réda, one of France’s greatest living poets, recipient of the Prix Goncourt de la Poésie. The event, chaired by Sasha Dugdale, will pay tribute to the continued resonance of urban poetry in London and Paris. Free, prebook by email, 7pm

STORYTELLING: Join Gabriel Moreno for the lunch of his new pamphlet at The Betsey Trotwood in Farringdon. His storytelling is inspired by the myth of Orpheus and Lorca. Free, just turn up, 7.30pm

COMEDY: Hoopla Improvised Comedy Club is on stage tonight at The Miller in London Bridge. £5, prebook, 7.30pm

Visit Warren House on its open day this Sunday. Details below

Saturday 13 September

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL: London's celebration of design in all its forms kicks off today. There are plenty of events to choose from, most of them are free: we've selected the top things to do during the festival. Until 21 September

SCREENINGS: The ICA has a comprehensive two-part screening of Michel Auder’s work, from early films to recent works. Part 1 takes place on Saturday from 5pm, and includes a Q&A with Auder himself. Part 2 takes place on Sunday, from 5pm, and is introduced by Auder. £5 per event, prebook, 13 & 14 September

CITY LIT FEST: The adult learning centre, based in Holborn, has a day-long celebration of published writers, poets and academics from City Lit. Enjoy fascinating readings and lectures, and visit exhibits from a range of publishers and magazines. £5 per event, prebook, all day

PHOTOGRAPHY WALK: Nunnery Gallery in Bow celebrates the current exhibition of Noel Gibson's East London painting with a photography walk led by Sarah Ainslie, visiting some of the places visited in Gibson's work. £5, prebook, 11am

FAMILY FUN DAY: There's a fundraising day at the Oval in aid of Evelina London, the fundraising partnership for Guy’s and St Thomas’ and King’s College Hospitals. Take part in activities including a ‘scootathon’ for the kids, farmers and arts and craft market stalls, vintage fundraising stalls, net sessions, tours of the ground, arts and crafts competitions, construction games, live music, farm animals, bouncy castles, face painters, balloon artists and much more. Free (charge for some activities, more info here), just turn up, 11am-5pm

BEER FEST: The Grande Finale of the British Craft Beer Challenge takes place at London Fields Brewery, in which British beers take on the rest of the world. £4, prebook, 12pm-2am

FREE WALK: Join this free walk taking in sights around the Docklands area, including canals, docks, warehouses and old streets of Canada Water and Rotherhithe. Meet at Canada Water Library. Free, just turn up, 12.3opm

SWAPAHOLICS: Take your old clothes, accessories and shoes along to Ritzy in Brixton, and receive a token from Swapaholics UK which will allow you to swap each item for something new. £5, just turn up, 1pm-4pm

COMEDY: Hoopla Improv Comedy Club features fast and funny short-form games and improvised acts. At The Miller in London Bridge. £5, prebook, 8pm

Sunday 14 September

EXPLORE ERITH: Why not take a walk along the Thames from Erith to Greenwich? We've plotted a route which charts London’s ascent and evolution as a city. You begin in boggy Erith and go west, moving inwards towards the Emirates Airline and Docklands. Completely free, whenever you like

OPEN DAY: Kingston’s Warren House opens its doors to the public today, on occasion of the 20th Anniversary of Heritage Open Days. There will be a free tour of the house and its garden, guided by author V.K.L. Free, prebook essential by email, 1.30pm/2.15pm/3pm

VINTAGE COLLECTIONS: To tie in with London Fashion Week, Clerkenwell Vintage Fashion Fair holds a special event, The Vintage Collections. Vintage vendors have sourced iconic fashion pieces from different periods, so whether you love the stylish 60s or the fluorescent 80s, you can get hold of genuine vintage pieces. Takes place at Old Finsbury Town Hall, entry £4, 11am-5pm

FROCK ME!: Frock Me!, Chelsea’s resident vintage fair, gets in on the Fashion Week action. For one day only, vintage clothes take over the Chelsea Town Hall, helped along by the Blackbird Tea Rooms. Over 50 traders will be selling everything from 1920s flapper dressers, to collectable designer pieces. £4+bf, prebook, 11am-5.30pm

PHOTOGRAPHY FAIR: Since 1982 the London Photograph Fair has been a meeting place for collectors, enthusiasts, museum curators and dealers on the hunt for original photographs and photobooks. Head to the Bloomsbury Holiday Inn where you will find more than 50 dealers from across Europe. £5, just turn up, 11am-4pm

HACKNEY CARNIVAL: The carnival procession is the main event, but alongside this, young musicians perform on a stage in Hackney Town Hall Square, there's an all-day children's play area in Gillett Square and, in Ridley Road, there's reggae, soca and Brazilian music, plus food and arts and crafts from around the world. Free, just turn up, 2pm-8pm

ACOUSTIC CITY: To celebrate the London launch of The Acoustic City, an edited collection of essays on sound and the city, the UCL Urban Laboratory hosts a night of live music at the Arcola Theatre Bar in Dalston. Free, just turn up, 6pm


Totally Thames

Londonist is proud media partner to Totally Thames, the river-based festival taking place throughout September. Each weekend, we’ll be bringing you our pick of Totally Thames events taking place on Saturday and Sunday. See individual events for prices and other information.

CLASSIC BOAT FESTIVAL: St Katharine Docks offers a chance to climb aboard classic boats, whilst making the most of the bars and live music, with ensembles from the National Youth Jazz Orchestra performing through the day. 13-14 September

FORESHORE FIRING: Pots made from Thames river clay will be fired in two bonfires constructed on the foreshore from Thames driftwood — an ancient London tradition going back more than 5,000 years. 13 September

BARGE RACES: Modern day watermen and lightermen battle it out in two separate Barge Driving Races. For professionals, the Steve Faldo Memorial Barge Driving Race takes between Westminster and Tower Bridges, while newcomers get the shorter Waterloo Bridge to Tower Bridge route for The Dave Pope Challenge. 14 September, 11am-3pm

Come join Londonist Afloat on the Thames on 20-21 September.


Check out our map of free things to do in London for more frugal fun. Or pop over to BrokeInLondon.com who also have plenty of great ideas.

Last Updated 07 September 2014