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.
Watch UMBILICAL weave its magic
Conrad Shawcross Studio at Here East in Hackney Wick is currently exhibiting UMBILICAL, a major new commission that will end up at the Museum of Old and New Art, Tasmania. This preview sees three impressive installations, one of them a 10-metre-tall, 12-metre-wide rope-making contraption of 40 interlocking arms that sweep in a sequence of orbits that will never repeat as they continually weave. The display is wheelchair accessible, and there are beanbags and sofas to crash on.
Until 2 November.
Have a wander around Wonder
Wonder is the name of the Linnean Society's new exhibition — a veritable wunderkammer of the Burlington House-based group's unusual, quirky and lesser-seen objects, including playing cards/herbarium sheets, an ad for for Pain's Daylight Fireworks and a set of scales for weighing bats.
Until 6 March 2026.
Find out how London rebuilt after the Great Fire
Head to Guildhall Library on Tuesday afternoon to hear from City Guide & Lecturer Jill Finch about London after the Great Fire of 1666. Specifically, she talks about how — and how quickly — the City of London was rebuilt following the devastating inferno.
7 October.
Go on a Space Odyssey
The Royal Society holds an adults-only late on Tuesday night, themed on its Space: 2075 report, published earlier this year. Enjoy talks, performances, crafts and film screenings, all looking at how space travel is expected to develop in the next 50 years. Create your own galaxy or map of Mars, find out what the space suits of the future could look like, and hold a 4.5-billion-year-old meteorite in your hands, among many other out-of-this-world activities.
7 October.
Transform your brainwaves into art
Appliance brand Breville opens a pop-up 'sensory playground', the Art of Espresso Café in Fitzrovia. Enjoy complimentary coffee, then use electroencephalogram (EEG) brainwave technology to transform your (caffeine-fuelled) brain activity into live digital art.
Masterclasses on aspects of coffee including milk texturing and flavour balancing also take place.
8 October.
Learn about the Templars and Hospitallers, in a unique setting
Dr Rory MacLellan invites you into the Museum of the Order of St John inside St John's Gate, for a free talk on the intertwined stories of the orders of the Templars and Hospitallers, and the pseudohistories that still tie them together today.
7 October.
Get enlightened about lightning at sea
We'll be honest, we've never even thought about lightning striking at sea, but now, we can't stop thinking about it. Swing by the Royal Geographical Society in Kensington on Thursday evening to hear from Dr Sara Caputo about lightning at sea in the 18th and 19th centuries. At a time when many vessels used sails, lightning strikes were fairly common, and this talk uses archives sources to show how lightning shaped the maritime world.
9 October.
Stay late at the British Academy
Ancient Greeks and the environmental crisis, sustainable AI, and the business of climate change are just some of the topics covered at the British Academy's Living with the Planet late on Thursday evening. Visit its HQ near The Mall for an evening of talks, workshops, performances and exhibits that examine our evolving connection with the natural world. Age 18+.
9 October.
See photos of women, by women
'Rooted in Resistance' is the theme of this year's Women by Women photography exhibition, hosted by charity ActionAidUK to celebrate women both in front of and behind the camera, specifically brave women from around the world who are defending their land from destruction. See it at OXO Gallery this weekend.
9-12 October.
A London Year
Artist and long-time Londoner Lesley Dabson opens her exhibition, A London Year, at Highgate Gallery on Friday, showcasing city scenes throughout the seasons and in all lights, rendered in oil paint.
10-23 October.
View new exhibition, Available Light
The debut solo London exhibition by artist and writer Morgan Quaintance, Available Light opens at UAL's Chelsea Space, near Tate Britain in Pimlico. It's the culmination of a year-long performance and exhibition touring project, exploring themes of home, belonging, displacement, foreignness and familiarity.
10 October-12 December.
Celebrate Diwali in Trafalgar Square
Central London comes alive with Diwali celebrations on Sunday, as the free Diwali On The Square festival unfolds over the afternoon and evening. Organised by the Mayor of London and featuring people from across London's Hindu, Jain and Sikh communities, it features live music and dance performances, yoga, meditation, sari and turban-tying workshops — and plenty of South Asian-inspired food options.
12 October.
Go fly a kite
Embrace your inner George Banks at the annual Kite Day on Blackheath. Watch performances by the Kent Kite Flyers, accompanied by a steel pan band from local schools. There's a funfair taking place nearby this weekend too, so you can make a day of it.
12 October.
