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 to where to see art in London for free, and where you can catch cheap and free comedy.
Dance in the streets at Notting Hill Carnival
Bank holiday Monday is the big day of Notting Hill Carnival, when thousands of revellers make their way to west London to party in the streets. The parade is the main event, beginning at midday and kickstarting an afternoon of samba, mas, soca and calypso music — with around 40 sound systems popping up to pump out tunes, and Caribbean-inspired street food stalls and bars keeping revellers going.
Our Notting Hill Carnival guide has everything you need to know, from how to get there, to when and where the action takes place.
25 August.
Listen to live lunchtime music in Leadenhall Market
The final Summer Session at Leadenhall Market takes place on Wednesday. The free lunchtime micro-concert brings the cobbled market building to life, with deckchairs available for anyone who wants to watch, and different performers popping up each day. This time round, Moon & Kym Duo fuse flamenco, Latin, and North African rhythms
27 August.
Celebrate African superheroes
Take the kids along to celebrate African superheroes on screen and in history at Fulham Palace this Wednesday. African Superheroes Day is organised by Black History Walks and is suitable for ages six+, taking the form of a mini animation festival featuring African-themed cartoons, short films and powerful stories from Black history. Find out how Marvel has borrowed from real African traditions, through magical Nigerian women warriors, the West African folk hero Anansi, teenage Black superheroes, and deities Ogun and Oshun.
27 August.
Watch Grease at a free outdoor cinema
The final Lower Marsh Late of the year sees classic film Grease shown on the big screen.
Head to the traffic-free street in Waterloo on Thursday for an evening of entertainment. A compere warms up the crowd from 5.30pm, with the film shown from 6.30pm. It's worth getting there early, to bag yourself a deckchair. Fancy dress is very much encouraged, so dig out your tightest leathers/glitziest pink jacket and get ready to sing along as Danny and Sandy's timeless story plays out in front of you.
28 August.
Watch a free parade on the streets of east London
Colours of Redbridge is a free community arts festival, kicking off on Saturday with a nature-inspired street parade in Valentines Park, choreographed by STOMP co-founder, Carl Smith.
There's a relaxed version of the parade, with no music or loud effects, inspired by the sea, in the morning, followed by the main show with a jungle theme in the afternoon.
30 August.
See out summer at this free community celebration...
Brand new Artist Studios have just opened at Chiswick House, and it's holding a free open studios and family day on Saturday to celebrate.
Head to the Kitchen Garden for creative workshops with different crafting stations led by artist Ayesha Weekes, with a chance to get messy and contribute to a clay garden. Follow a self-guided nature trail seeking out the insects, bees and butterflies which call the garden home, and of course, visit the new studios and meet the artists working there.
30 August.
... or at this one
Riverside Gardens in Erith hosts a free community day on Saturday too. From 11am-3pm you can dive into architectural walks, food demos, a mosaic workshop, and bird watching — to name just some of the activities.
30 August.
Be wowed by free circus shows
The ever-popular Greenwich + Docklands International Festival (GDIF) continues into September, and this weekend it's shining the spotlight on circus acts, with two days of free performances in Greenwich Peninsula.
The Turning Worlds programme sees four shows staged in public spaces, including London's only rooftop basketball court. Walking on the Wall uses inventive staging to enable a performer to defy gravity and walk on walls, while The Scale evokes the weightless movement of astronauts in space. Robopole fuses robotic engineering and circus skills, and Ripple sees acrobats using a giant metal spiral as their playground. Everything is free and unticketed, just turn up to watch.
Until 6 September.
Seek out six sizeable lobsters
If you find yourself in the vicinity of Borough Yards (near Borough Market) between now and October, things might look a little fishy. Contemporary artist Philip Colbert has installed five large-scale lobster sculptures in surreal costumes around the area, in addition to the world premiere of large inflatable work, Seated Lobster Inflatable. Also look out for a towering lobster wrapped around a railway column, and a vinyl mural across a railway arch, all designed to draw visitors into Colbert's "hyperpop lobster universe". Claw-some!
Until 30 October.
View images of rock band Blondie
Fronted by Debbie Harry, rock band Blondie rose to fame in late-70s New York — and legendary music photographer Martyn Goddard was there to capture it all.
50 of his photos documenting early Blondie are now on display in free exhibition Blondie in Camera 1978 at Barbican Music Library, from shots of live shows, to quieter moments in recording studios. Rare posters, album covers and tour memorabilia are also on show.
Until January 2026.
Other cheap things to do in London this week
Events and things that'll cost you a fiver or less.
🌿 Stay in Chelsea Physic Garden after hours on Tuesday for its August late opening. Creative stations are set up throughout the garden, so you can have a go at still life drawing and painting. Not your thing? You're welcome to wander around the garden without picking up a pencil or paintbrush too. £5, 26 August.
✒️ Hear about the life and London of poet John Keats in an illustrated talk at the London Archives on Thursday lunchtime, from his birth in Moorgate, to training in Southwark and living in Hampstead. Watch in person (£5) or online (free). 28 August.
☕ Coffee's not all that cheap these days, but if you find yourself near a branch of Mildred's (Covent Garden, Soho, Victoria, Camden, King's Cross) know that you can get yourself a brew — iced latte, flat white, oat cappuccino, you name it — for just two quid a pop. Ongoing.
