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.
Peruse an art exhibition on a rooftop
The work of three British Bangladeshi artists — Mohammed Z Rahman, Puer Deorum and Ace Rahman — is currently on display at the rooftop of Old Spitalfields Market. Electrifying street photography, introspective self-portraits and vibrant paintings appear in Bidrohi, capturing the essence of migrant life in East London's rag trade.
Free, until end October.
Catch the main day of Notting Hill Carnival
Notting Hill Carnival is back on the streets of west London, with bank holiday Monday being the main day of the action. Expect the usual heady mix of Caribbean culture, samba, mas, soca and calypso, dazzling costumes... and lots and lots of people. Here's everything you need to know about this year's event, including how to get there, your food and drink options, and some crucial info about toilets.
Free, 26 August.
Learn about Victorian London at the Charles Dickens Museum
Representatives from the Old Operating Theatre pop up at the Charles Dickens Museum in Bloomsbury on bank holiday Monday for an object-handling session, where you can learn about the health hazards in Victorian London. Get up close to 19th-century medical and surgical objects as you hear tales of stinking rivers and choking smog.
Free, 26 August.
Demolish a 99p Screwball cocktail from the Alchemist
Happy 10th birthday to the Alchemist's Screwball cocktail — an unabashed mixture of raspberry vodka, blue Curacao, lime juice, apple juice and bubble gum syrup, topped with white chocolate foam and a cherry. To celebrate, you can nab one of these sweet sups from any branch of the Alchemist this Tuesday, between 5pm and 7pm for just 99p. Just try not to spoil your dinner.
99p, 27 August.
Keep up with the action at the Paralympics
The Paralympics get underway this week in Paris, with two weeks of sporting championships to soak up. The Opening Ceremony takes place on Wednesday, with the competition beginning properly on Friday. Several venues around London are screening the action live from France — you can see the full schedule here to make sure you don't miss your favourite sport.
Free, 28 August-11 September.
Learn how to play Egyptian board games
Take the kids along to Sir John Soane's Museum for a free workshop focusing on the Ancient Egyptian board game Senet. Learn how to play the game, which was discovered in Ancient Egyptian tombs and played by the ancient pharaohs, and make your own version to take home.
Free, 29 August.
See street artist Sickboy's new work
Banksy's not the only Bristol-based street artist at large in London at the moment. Graffiti artist Sickboy opens a new, free exhibition of work at The Muse Gallery in Notting Hill, showcasing his text-based works. Pieces on canvas, sculpture, and digital media all feature.
Free, 30 August-22 September
Go to Brompton Cemetery's annual open day
The Friends of Brompton Cemetery host their annual open day on Sunday, with a programme of tours, including a rare chance to venture into the catacombs, and a closer look at the burial ground's many trees. Alongside this, expect birds of prey, pedicab rides, children's storytelling, dog grooming advice and a lot more.
Free, 1 September.
Watch a free open-air acrobatics performance
The African Acrobats is a performing arts troupe which trained in Ghana, and specialises in street dance, African drumming, traditional African dance, circus skills, fire eating, fire limbo and acrobatics. See them for free in two open-air performances at Woolwich Works on Sunday.
Free, 1 September.
See what's on at GDIF 2024
Free outdoor performing arts festival Greenwich and Docklands International Festival is in full swing, with two weeks of theatre, art, dance and circus in outdoor locations. Highlights this week include Bodies of Water, a theatrical experience on the banks of the Thames, and Crap at Animals, a show which uses VR and physical theatre to take you on a tour of the animal kingdom.
Free, until 8 September.
Catch the Taylor Swift Songbook Trail before it leaves town
You've only got a couple more weeks to catch the V&A Museum's free display, Taylor Swift | Songbook Trail. Through 13 stops around the museum, it showcases costumes and instruments belonging to the singer, including her outfit from music video The Man, a sequinned cape from the Rep Tour, and a replica of the Folklore piano.
Free, until 8 September.
