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, and have a helpful guide to where to see art in London for free, and where you can catch cheap and free comedy.
Celebrate the 80th anniversary of VE Day
You'll see various events happening this week to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Many are free, including special exhibitions, military marches and a flypast featuring the Red Arrows. Read our VE Day 80 guide for everything you need to know.
Some events free, various dates.
Have your head turned by some Turners
To mark 250 years since the birth of artist JMW Turner, Tate Britain has opened a new, permanent room filled with his works — an extension of what is already the world's largest free display of Turner paintings. Among the canvases on show are Norham Castle, Sunrise (see above), a dramatic painting of the Tower of London ablaze, and a piece created by Turner when he was 12 years old.
Free, ongoing.
Catch the final day of this canal festival
On bank holiday Monday, the third and final day of the Canalway Cavalcade takes place in Little Venice. Dozens of boats moor up on Regent's Canal for a day of entertainment including live music, craft, food and drink stalls, and children's activities.
Free, 5 May.
Take a tour of Shoreditch Town Hall
As part of Hackney History Festival, take a guided tour of Shoreditch Town Hall. Visit parts of the Grade-II listed building which aren't usually open to the public, and hear about its history, from opening in 1866 to holding the inquest into the murder of Mary Kelly, the final victim of Jack the Ripper. It has also been a boxing venue, and appeared on screen in shows and films such as Baby Reindeer and A Quiet Place: Day One.
£2, 6 May.
Listen out for a gun salute
6 May marks two years since the coronation of King Charles III, and as is the way with these things, it's being celebrated by a 41-round gun salute in Hyde Park at lunchtime. So if you're anywhere in the vicinity at midday, don't be surprised if you hear a volley of big bangs.
Free, 6 May.
Celebrate Tate Modern's 25th birthday
This year marks 25 years since Tate Modern opened in a former power station on Bankside, one of many millennium additions to the capital.
The milestone is celebrated at the gallery's Birthday Weekender, kicking off on Friday with tarot readings, live DJ sets and a chance to (literally) leave your mark on the building by putting your height in the Turbine Hall, part of Roman Ondak – Measuring the Universe.
The party continues throughout the weekend, with activities including workshops, talks and tours for all ages.
Free, 9-12 May.
See what's on at Dulwich Festival
A celebration of art and culture in the local area, Dulwich Festival gets underway on Friday, with an impressive programme lasting all of next week. While there's a charge for many events, several are free, including dancing in Dulwich Square, a chance to have a go at playing an historic church organ, a family fun day at Kingswood Arts Centre, and live folk music at Dulwich Orchard — and that's just this week. Browse the full programme to see what's happening next week too.
Some events free, 9-18 May.
Visit St Paul's Cathedral at night
At time of writing there are still a few tickets left to visit St Paul's Cathedral at night for free — though they're likely to sell out. As part of the Cathedrals at Night initiative, visit the Crypt and other areas of the historic building, and hear talks from expert guides. Stone masons and embroiderers are on hand to talk about their heritage skills and how they're used in maintaining the cathedral, and the evening ends with a sung service of Compline under the Dome.
Free, 10 May.
Visit Hampton Court Palace Gardens for free
This weekend, Hampton Court Palace holds its garden open days, where you can visit the garden and grounds without buying a ticket. The Great Fountain Garden, the Kitchen Garden and the Pond Garden are among the areas you can visit, though note that the normal entry fee applies if you want to visit the maze, Magic Playground, or the palace itself.
Free, 10-11 May.
(Hopefully) see hot air balloons floating across London
Keep your fingers crossed for good weather on Sunday morning, as it's the first of three days set aside for the London Hot Air Balloon Regatta this year. If all goes to plan, dozens of hot air balloons will take flight from Battersea Park in the early hours of the morning, and float across the city. You won't be able to access to the launch site, but keep your eyes to the skies to see them.
Between bad weather and Covid, the event hasn't happened since 2019, so it'll be rather special when it does finally take flight. We should know by Friday whether it's going ahead on Sunday.
Free, 11 May.
Attend a huge free double festival in Covent Garden
One of those unique London events we love, the Covent Garden May Fayre & Puppet Festival celebrates the first recorded production of a Mr Punch show, as seen/recorded by Samuel Pepys in Covent Garden in 1662,
Puppeteers from all over the country take part in a procession, church service, shows, stalls and workshops, all free and open to everyone
This year's event is a special one, as it coincides with the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of street performers in the area, with free shows throughout the afternoon, including a brass band, an acrobat and a sword swallower. Kids, don't try this at home.
Free, 11 May.
See London's best dressed chaps (of all genders) strolling the streets
'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!
Free, 11 May.
Enjoy the Wandsworth Spring Fayre
Wandsworth Bridge Road goes pedestrianised for its annual Spring Fayre on Sunday, with market stalls, two stages of live entertainment, family games and a chance to view plans for the future of the thoroughfare.
Free entry, 11 May.
