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.
Test out a solve-along murder play
Interactive show Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote gets a new format for this year's Edinburgh Fringe, and you can be part of the test audience at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern on Monday night, for just a fiver a ticket. Hosted by Agatha Christie super-fan Tim Benzie, it features games, prizes and audience participation as you race to solve the crime.
£5, 28 July.
Visit the farm... in Covent Garden
Vauxhall City Farm is on the move! For one day only, some of its residents, including goats, alpacas, sheep, rabbits and guinea pigs (accompanied by humans), pop up in Covent Garden Piazza for Family Farm Day. It's a chance to meet some of the furry and feathered residents, see them up close and learn more about them.
Other activities include yarn-spinning demonstrations, storytelling sessions, face painting — and you can learn how to make musical instruments from vegetables, with the London Vegetable Orchestra.
Free (donations welcome), 28 July.
Get your chops around some free pizza...
Italian tomato brand Mutti has teamed up with the Napoli on the Road pizzeria, to dole out thousands of free pizza slices on the South Bank this Tuesday and Wednesday (11am-7pm). Claim your slice at Observation Point, in front of the National Theatre.
Free, 29 and 30 July.
... or a free cocktail
To celebrate its opening, the Eden Lounge at Sinners in Shoreditch is slinging free cocktails — including the Eve's Delight and Forbidden Fizz — for a week starting Wednesday. You'll need to give the barperson a password: "Heaven or Hell". And it's one free cocktail (or mocktail) per person. You can't just keep saying "Heaven or Hell" all night.
Free, 30 July-5 August.
Hear about the history of St Paul's
On Wednesday, the London Archives in Clerkenwell offers a talk about St Paul's Cathedral during the Blitz, given by Cathedral Guide Jill Finch. She reveals how it survived largely unscathed due to the bravery and commitment of a group of people who defended it throughout the war.
£5, 30 July.
Get an insight into Japanese design
Japan House in Kensington opens a new, free exhibition focusing on Pictograms, symbols which are used to convey a specific meaning. Many pictograms recognised worldwide, from street signs and text messages to toilet doors and maps, were created in Japan, and the exhibition looks at the role Japan played in developing them. Feeling inspired? Have a go at creating your own unique symbol from a selection of component pieces.
Free, 30 July-9 November.
Watch a rubber duck race
3,000 rubber ducks are released into Paddington Basin (and later collected) on Thursday lunchtime... all for a good cause. The annual rubber duck race raises money for local charity Cosmic (Children of St Mary's Intensive Care) by allowing the public to sponsor a duck at £3 a pop. Later the same day, a dragon boat race takes place along the same stretch of water, also for charity.
Free to watch (donations welcome)/£3 to sponsor a duck, 31 July.
Take a curator-led exhibition tour
The current (free!) exhibition at Islington Museum is Undercurrent, taking a (metaphorical) dive into the area's lost waterways including the Walbrook and Fleet rivers. On Thursday afternoon, curator Sarah Guzman offers an hour-long talk and tour of the display, covering some of her favourite objects and stories featured.
Free, 31 July (Undercurrent runs until 19 August).
Watch Dirty Dancing at a free outdoor cinema
Have the time of your life with Baby and co, as Dirty Dancing is shown for free on a large, open-air screen in Waterloo. The Lower Marsh Late sees the pop-up cinema erected in the street for one night only, with seating available on a first come, first served basis, and Dirty Dancing-themed costumes encouraged. Food and drink is available to buy from local businesses.
Free, 31 July.
Pitch up to a baseball festival
Interactive games, live game screenings, baseball-themed food and drink — plus appearances from special guests are promised at a free three-day Major League Baseball (MLB) festival at Hackney Bridge, happening Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 12pm-late each day.
Free, 1-3 August.
Mark African Remembrance Day
London Museum Docklands marks 30 years of African Remembrance Day on Friday with a talk from leading voices including historian Professor Hakim Adi, human rights advocate Jacqueline McKenzie, and lawyer Dele Ogun. There's also a three-minute silence at 3pm to honour enslaved victims across the Americas, Asia and Africa.
Free, 1 August.
Lay your towel on a free rooftop beach
A pop-up beach appears on a car park rooftop in south London. For the second year, Costa Del Croydon offers a giant sandpit, a toddler paddling pool and a shaded chill zone. Dance workshops and arts and crafts events take place daily (free), but note that some entertainment, such as go karts and bungee trampolines, has an additional charge.
Free entry, 1-31 August.
Visit London's newest chippy
Don't arrive hungry at London's newest fish and chip shop. The Bourdon Street Chippy opens in Mayfair, but you won't get a chippy tea here, as everything is made from felt. It's the work of genius textile artist Lucy Sparrow, who has created a full-sized replica of a fish and chip shop made entirely from felt — that's the 'food', the counter, and even the artworks on the wall. We can't wait to skate on over and see the plaice.
Free entry, 1 August-14 September, Wednesday-Sunday 11am-4pm.
Party in the streets with Ronnie Scott's
For the first time in six years, jazz club Ronnie Scott's brings its free summer party back to the streets of Soho. Head to Frith Street for an afternoon of live music on a pop-up stage including mento, ska, reggae, and jazz collective Jazz Jamaica; tuba virtuoso Theon Cross; genre-blending Cosmic Fusion; the inspiring Tomorrow's Warriors Youth Ensemble; and youth music charity group Kinetika Bloco.
Free, 2 August.
Have fun at Thamesmead Festival
The free Thamesmead Festival returns to Southmere Park. Several stages pop up, allowing local performers to showcase their talents, spanning R&B, soul and rap music and more. Elsewhere, wander among community stalls and a craft market, take part in Irish dancing and swing dance workshops, and watch a parade weave its way through the festival site
Free entry, 2 August.
