Free things to do in London this week.
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 on where to see art in London for free, and where you can catch cheap and free comedy.
Find free festive fun in London
Christmas can be an expensive time in London... but it doesn't have to be. If you're watching the pennies, have a read of our guide to free things to do in London at Christmas, so you can get into the festive spirit without opening your wallet. Light trails, an ice palace, a glowing garden and Snoopy are among your budget-friendly options.
Gen up at Gresham College
Though its offerings are never dull, Gresham College has a particularly tempting trio of free lectures on its schedule this week.
On Monday, legendary British photographer Martin Parr talks about his five-decade career in documentary photography. Hear him recall memorable projects and exhibitions, and discuss his own personal archive. Tickets to attend in person have sold out but you can still watch via livestream.
On Wednesday, Professor Chris Lintott (Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Oxford) discusses the five decades since the launch of the Viking spacecraft to Mars, and how our view of the Red Planet has changed in this time. Once thought of as a hostile desert, there's now a possibility that it's capable of sustaining life.
On Thursday, find out what Donald Trump's executive order to restore the death penalty could mean for the 2,400 people on America's death row, in a lecture by Gresham Professor of Law, Clive Stafford Smith JD OBE.
1, 3 and 4 December.
View hand-crafted Japanese items
Japan House in Kensington opens new, free exhibition Hyakkō: 100+ Makers from Japan on Wednesday. It showcases the beauty of everyday things through a collection of almost 2,000 exquisitely hand-crafted items.
Learn about the people and processes behind Japanese works in clay, glass, wood, leather, metal and bamboo — from ceramic matcha bowls to metal teapots and urushi lacquerware trays.
3 December-10 May.
Claim a free NYC-style cookie
4 December is National Cookie Day don'tcha know, and Waterloo-based Chocolate Dino Company is giving away 700 free NYC-style cookies to celebrate.
To claim yours, download the Chocolate Dino app and enter the code NCD25 in the voucher code field. This will automatically add a special stamp card to your app. Then, On 4 December, the card will automatically receive a stamp. Visit Chocolate Dino (36 Kennington Road) on 4 December between 11am and 6pm to redeem your free cookie by showing the completed stamp card in the app.
The giveaway is limited to 700 cookies, with only one per person, so we'd advise getting there as close to 11am as possible to be in with a shot at getting one.
4 December.
Get stuck into festive crafts
The Royal College of Physicians Museum in Regent's Park stays open late on Thursday for an adults-only evening of festive crafts. The late is inspired by the current A Body Of Knowledge exhibition, about 500 years of book collecting at the College, with a curator's tour and a chance to view the exhibition. At the crafts table, create decorations inspired by the fabric and content of the books, or bookmarks inspired by the patterns and images within the RCP's book collection.
4 December.
See the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree being lit
As is tradition, the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree is lit on the first Thursday of December. A special lighting ceremony involving carol singing and poetry readings includes the Choir of St-Martin-in-the-Fields and the Regent Hall Band of the Salvation Army. It culminates on the switch-on at 6pm.
4 December.
Stay late at the Museum of the Ho-ho-home
Hoxton's Museum of the Home stays open late on Thursday for an after-hours celebration of its Winter Past exhibition with music, festive treats and crafts. See the individual spaces in the permanent Rooms Through Time exhibition decked out for Christmas, in authentic decorations for each time period. Plus, take part in crafts, carols and candlelit tours.
4 December.
Watch a winter lantern parade
Admire a lantern parade as it wends through the streets of east London at the Aldgate in Winter Festival. Though the main festival is extended this year, including the Christmas tree switch-on on Thursday, the main action happens this Friday, including live performances on The Aldgate Stage, creative workshops and the annual Lantern Parade — all happening around Aldgate Square.
Additionally, a lantern trail takes place around the area until 15 December.
4-5 December
Discover the real Jane Austen
With the 250th anniversary of author Jane Austen's birth this month, the National Archives hosts renowned Jane Austen scholar Paula Byrne on Friday to talk about who the real Austen was, and how people have misinterpreted her since her death. Byrne uses everyday objects to show why common depictions of the "spinster" author are often inaccurate.
5 December.
Wander down a traffic-free Regent Street
Regent Street transforms into a 'Festive Mile' on Saturday, when it goes traffic-free for the afternoon and evening. Special events run at various locations up and down the street, including DJs, roving street performers and late-night openings.
Three parked-up vintage London buses each offer their own entertainment in the form or a selfie bus, a disco bus and a festive crafts bus.
6 December.
Visit a private Thames island
The secretive Eel Pie Island in west London hosts one of its open weekends, inviting the public to cross the footbridge and step inside the artist studios to meet the arty folk who work there. Browse and buy ceramics, oil paintings, jewellery, sculptures and more. Note that although the event is free, you need to book tickets in advance to access the island.
6-7 December.
And finally, something that'll only cost you a fiver...
On the first Sunday of the month (that's this Sunday!), you can score a bargainous £5 entry to Greenwich's Painted Hall and Skittle Alley, plus related talks and tours AND the Discover Greenwich exhibition in the visitor centre. That would usually set you back a darned sight more. It'll be popular though, so book your slot in advance.
7 December
