Free things to do in London this week.
Get swept away by these snaps of London's waterways
This week is your last chance to view Water in London, a free exhibition of photos of London's waterways, ponds, fountains, reservoirs, nature reserves and lakes. The images were taken by members of the Royal Photographic Society between July and October 2025, and can be viewed for free on the railings outside Southwark Cathedral.
Until 17 May.
See what's on for free at Dulwich Festival
A celebration of local history and culture, Dulwich Festival continues throughout this week, and some (though not all) events on the programme are free. Take your family pond dipping on Thursday, get stuck into the Love West Dulwich Spring Fair on Saturday, and follow that up with the Goose Green Fair on Sunday.
Until 17 May.
Introduce your kids to the art of stage design
It takes all sorts of stars to make London's Theatreland a magical place — take stage designers. Head to the Wolfson Gallery at the National Theatre at the moment, and you'll find a free exhibition on the Theatre's inaugural An Introduction to Stage Design course, in which a group of young people engaged in a series of workshops led by professional theatre designers. As well as checking out the resulting scale models, costume drawings and collages relating to Nigel Williams' stage adaptation of Lord of the Flies, visitors can experiment with wooden blocks, to imagine their own stage worlds. Who knows, this could be the moment your child falls in love with the theatre...
Until 6 June.
Check out schoolkids' Fourth Plinth designs
The latest Fourth Plinth design isn't unveiled in Trafalgar Square until September, but in the meantime you can scratch that plinth itch at City Hall, where winning designs from primary school children from across London are on display, including Balloon Face by Edith from Godwin Junior School, Newham; Everything by Anh and Gabriel from Pickhurst Academy, Bromley; and Sabertooth Tiger by Hector from Sutton Grammar School. City Hall is open to the public on weekdays — just remember it's now located in the Royal Docks.
Until mid-June.
Wellness Week
Throughout this week, the High Street Kensington area holds a Wellness Week. While some of the events are spenny, do browse the programme for free things to do, including free bike check-ups, complimentary massages, and free boxing and PT sessions at various businesses around the area.
11-17 May.
Delve into immigration and social justice in nursing
On Tuesday evening, the Royal College of Nursing offers a free online talk chaired by Nola Ishmael OBE, a Barbadian nurse who became the first Black director of nursing in London. She leads a panel of experts in a discussion about immigration and social justice in nursing.
12 May.
Hear from a music industry legend
Music PR legend Alan Edwards has worked with the likes of David Bowie, Blondie, the Spice Girls, Prince and Bob Marley — and you can hear all about it at Portland Hall in Marylebone on Tuesday evening.
Edwards takes part in a Q&A session and signs copies of his autobiography, I Was There, to honour his career, along with live music performances and DJs, drinks — and a display of archive pieces from throughout his action-packed career.
12 May.
Catch the first Songs on the Steps of 2026
Summer's coming, which means lots of London's culture is heading outdoors — including Opera Holland Park, the music venue which pops up in, well, Holland Park each summer. While tickets to the main shows can be pricey, everyone's welcome at the free Songs on the Steps performances which take place in the park on alternate Fridays between May and July, starting this week.
Artists from the Opera Holland Park company give a free 40-minute lunchtime performance. Take a blanket, pack a picnic, swing by on your lunch break or take the dog out for a cultural stroll.
15 May.
See new work by award-winning artist Helena Samarasinghe
Camberwell Space at Camberwell College of Arts unveils an exhibition of new work by Helena Samarasinghe, winner of the Vanguard Prize 2024. Reaching, Touching, Shedding features drawings and cut-outs exploring sport, power, integrity and belonging.
Wall-based works and free-standing drawings are arranged throughout the gallery, creating a field in which bodies meet and collide, exploring the feeling of grassroots sports.
15 May-17 July.
Chug on down to the Cheam Charter Fair
Head down to the London-Surrey border for the Cheam Charter Fair, an event thought to date back to 1259. These days, the free-entry event kicks off with a procession at 9am, followed by a market of stalls from local businesses and community groups, as well as characters in costume and other entertainment.
16 May.
Meet the animals at this farm spring fair
The bad news: Lambeth Country Show isn't happening this year. The good news: You can experience a tiny slice of it at the free-entry Vauxhall May Fair this weekend.
It takes place across Vauxhall City Farm/Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, with maypole dancing, sheep shearing, live music and performers, a chance to meet some of the farm's smaller animals — and loads more entertainment for all ages.
16-17 May.
Strut your stuff at the Grand Flaneur Walk
'A celebration of the pure, the immutable and the pointless, taken by the bold, the adventurous and the inebriated' is how organisers describe the Grand Flaneur Walk, a stroll without purpose, with participants wearing their finest dandy, flaneur or fop outfits — think top hats, handlebar moustaches, pocket squares, pocket watches, the works!
It's free to take part — or watch — and the event begins at Courtyard Wine Cellars in Covent Garden at 12pm.
17 May.
And now for some £1 oysters...
Fancy some seafood snacks without pushing the boat out? Galvin Bistrot & Bar in Spitalfields has just launched its Oyster Hour (Monday to Thursday, 3pm-6pm; Friday-Saturday, 2.30pm-7pm) where a bivalve will set you back just a quid a pop — plus you can knock back one or two mini martinis (gin or vodka) for a fiver a go.
