Our pick of free things to do in London this week. Get earlier access to this article, delivered straight to your inbox for free every week, via our newsletter.
Spicy lattes on the house
Those in need of a morning pick-me-up — who happen to be in the vicinity of Market Halls Canary Wharf on Tuesday — head to Amma & Atta. The first 100 folks through the doors from 7.30am receive a free latte made with ashwagandha, turmeric, cinnamon, jaggery and oat milk. Just utter the code word 'AMMA'.
20 October.
Free events at London Literature Festival
London Literature Festival opens at Southbank Centre this week, curated this time round by Dua Lipa. While there's a charge for many of the events, it's worth sifting through the programme for free events too; they include a large-scale book swap, where you can take along an old book, write a short note about why you recommend it, and leave with a new (to you) read. Dua Lipa, Anish Kapoor, Elizabeth Day, Holly Blakey, Jacqueline Wilson, Michael Rosen, Nish Kumar and Travis Alabanza have all contributed books to the swap.
20 October-1 November.
A history of poverty in London
University of London and the London School of Economics (LSE) team up for free exhibition A Place To Call Home: Poverty and Housing in London at Senate House Library. Taking Charles Booth's 19th-century 'poverty maps' as a starting point, the exhibition delves into the historical roots of issues around housing and poverty that we still face today. Post-war development, housing policy and squatting are among the issues tackled through photography and imagery.
23 October 2026-5 March 2027.
Tapestries in town
Thanks to a certain embroidered artwork visiting from France at the moment, London is in the midst of a tapestry mania. Case in point: Beyond Bayeux: Tapestry Now, a free exhibition at Guildhall Art Gallery, featuring a tapestry version of David Hockney’s 1963 painting Play within a Play, plus a new, six-metre-wide tapestry by Turner Prize-nominated artist, Hurvin Anderson — among others.
23 October 2026-21 March 2027.
American history at the Science Museum
In the year when the United States marks 250 years of independence, the Science Museum opens a new, free display Becoming America: How Science Shaped A Nation. A curated collection of maps, artworks, instruments and artefacts tells the story of the four decades from the 1760s-90s, looking at how scientific knowledge was used to navigate, survive and cultivate the American landscape, and effectively create a whole new country.
A particular highlight is a rare surviving 1776 print of the Declaration of Independence.
23 October-25 April.
Screen your own home movies
Got some old family films lying around at home? The Cinema Museum wants to see — and potentially screen — them, particularly if they're on 8mm, Super8, 9.5mm or 16mm.
The Kennington museum's annual Home Movie Day invites the public to bring along homemade films, and get advice on caring for them from expert archivists. They might even give you the chance to screen them to an audience on the day, so you can share your family memories with fellow Londoners.
24 October.
Freddie Mercury at the V&A
It's a kind of magic: The V&A South Kensington opens a new display of some of Freddie Mercury's costumes and stage outfits from the 1970s-80s.
Freddie Mercury | Splendid Things takes the form of a trail, with six stops dotted throughout the museum. Clothing from Mercury's days as Queen frontman, as well as his solo career, is displayed, including the Mercury Wing catsuit made famous in the Bohemian Rhapsody video, and the crown and cloak designed worn on the Magic tour — Mercury's last appearance with Queen.
From 24 October.
Diwali in Trafalgar Square
Diwali isn't officially until November this year, but London gets the celebrations started early with the annual Diwali on the Square festival in Trafalgar Square this Sunday.
It's free entry, open to everyone, and is led by people from across London's Hindu, Jain and Sikh communities. The programme includes an opening ceremony consisting of 200 vibrantly-clothed dancers, performances by Bollywood Dance School and a live garba band, and dance workshops where you can give the Bollywood style a go yourself.
25 October. Find other Diwali events — some free, some paid — in London this year.
Family-friendly story festival
Lambeth's Imperial War Museum holds its first ever Big Story Festival, a family-friendly celebration of books, linked to its current (also free) Childhood in War exhibition.
Entry to the Big Story Festival is free, as are several activities, including doodling on the Big Story Wall, singing along to a Family Knees Up led by Tom Carradine, and illustration workshops from Will Hughes.
Note: there is a charge for a few of the events, including sessions with authors Jacqueline Wilson and Tom Palmer.
25-26 October. If your kids are into reading, Artsdepot in Finchley also holds a free Book Buzz on Sunday, with drop-in activities and a book swap.
Free things to do in October half term
Kids off school for half term? Entertaining them can be exhausting — and expensive! Our October half term events guide has a whole section dedicated to free things to do in half term, spanning forensic science, books, playgrounds... and even a free maze (fingers crossed for decent weather, eh?).
