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.
Fulham art
Fulham Library hosts the Annual Autumn Exhibition of work by the Society of Fulham Artists and Potters (SoFAP), with a collection of paintings, ceramics, sculptures, drawings and 2D and 3D artworks. All are free to view, although if you're in Christmas shopping mode, all are also available to purchase.
Until 15 November.
Press, polemic and the Dreyfus Affair
The 1890s saw one of history's first viral mass media moments — the Dreyfus Affair, in which the only Jewish captain in the French Army, Alfred Dreyfus, was wrongly accused of treason and held prisoner on Devil's Island off the coast of French Guiana. The Wiener Holocaust Library's free exhibition J'accuse! Press, Polemic and the Dreyfus Affair explores this pivotal moment in which the whole of France was forced to do some soul searching.
Until 19 March 2027.
Catch a free talk or lecture
It's a bumper week for free talks and lectures in London, covering a gamut of subjects, including:
WOMEN CLIMBERS: Hear about nine extraordinary women mountaineers from the 18th century until present day, either in person at the Royal Geographical Society, or online. 9 November
WOMEN IN THE ARCHIVES: Cultural historian Dr Debbie Challis and historian of archaeology Dr Amara Thornton present case studies of tracing women in archaeological records at UCL and the Petrie Museum, focusing on how understanding names and naming are key to unlocking women's involvement in archaeology. 9 November
MATHS AND AI: Will artificial intelligence end mathematics as we know it? Professor Alain Goriely gives a Gresham College lecture about the outcome of AI being able to solve problems once thought to be impossible. 10 November
THIS LITTLE WORLD: Historian Nandini Das discusses her latest book This Little World, in an online talk for the National Archives. Hear about a new vision of England's global past, including the multicultural people who lived in England in the 16th and 17th centuries, but are often left out of the history books. 11 November
THE SUN: Gresham Professor of Astronomy Chris Lintott tackles what our Sun can teach us about other stars in the Milky Way, and how it can help us in our search for extra-terrestrial life. 11 November
DICKENSIAN TIME TRAVEL: Author Elly Griffiths discusses her new novella, The Case of the Christmas Card, in which Charles Dickens finds himself in 2024 — and even visits the museum in his former home, where this talk takes place. See Griffiths in conversation with Dickens' own great-great-great granddaughter, fellow author Lucinda Hawksley. 11 November
HATTON GARDEN HISTORY: Another offering from Gresham College, this time looking at how the Hatton Garden area went from actual garden to glittering jewellery district. 12 November
GILDED AGE FASHION: And finally... Dr Elizabeth L. Block from MoMA in New York takes part in a discussion about her latest book, Gilded Age Fashion, at the V&A South Kensington. Get an insight into the social etiquette and customs that guided the sartorial choices of the fabulously wealthy of elite American society in the 1870s-90s. 12 November
Coming-of-age in style
One of our art critic's picks of must-see November exhibitions, Japan House opens Tradition/Rebellion: Coming-of-Age Style in Kitakyushu. It's a celebration of the eclectic fashion worn by 20-year-olds in the Japanese city of Kitakyushu as they mark their entry into adulthood. In the rest of the country, this is normally a formal affair, but in Kitakyushu they combine tradition with deeply personal fashions — in the name of demonstrating individuality.
11 November-18 April.
London's Lost & Found
Free exhibition Lost & Found is an ongoing exploration of London through its waste, by artist Ryan Blackwell. View photos of the objects, images and ideas that sit at the edges of our attention, from discarded litter to abandoned mattresses.
12-17 November 2026.
Wander through the Firefly Festive Forest
New for Christmas 2026, the Firefly Festive Forest is unveiled in Chelsea on Thursday, and is free to visit.
The outdoor Christmas art trail comes to Sloane Street, featuring more than 30 artist-designed Christmas tree sculptures. Wander among them while they're in situ — they'll be removed in early December and auctioned off, raising money for Quintessentially Foundation's Firefly Project, which supports disadvantaged children and young people across London.
The Firefly Festive Forest is one of our picks of free things to do in London this Christmas.
12 November-1 December 2026.
See inside a working fire station
Fulham Fire Station on Fulham Road holds a free open day on Saturday, inviting the public inside to get a closer look at its vehicles and equipment, while also celebrating the station's 130th birthday.
14 November.
Watch the Lord Mayor's Show...
Things get lively in the Square Mile on Saturday, when the annual Lord Mayor's Show takes place, celebrating the new Lord Mayor taking up the role. The whole event is free to watch, and this year begins with a flotilla on the river — for the first time since 2017 — followed by a lengthy procession through the City.
All manner of performers and community groups are part of the epic three-mile long procession (the procession being longer than the actual route) from Mansion House via Cheapside and St Paul's Cathedral to the Royal Courts of Justice, then back to Mansion House.
14 November.
... and visit St Paul's for free
As is tradition on the day of the Lord Mayor's Show, St Paul's Cathedral offers free entry to visitors to the Square Mile. Access to the cathedral floor is free until 4pm on Saturday, or you can climb to the dome for the reduced price of £13.50 — though note that free entry cannot be booked in advance and it's very popular every year, so be prepared to queue, or possibly even be turned away if it gets too busy.
Another perk of the Lord Mayor's Show is free guided walks led by City of London Guides, with four different routes, and tours leaving approximately every five minutes between 3pm and 4pm.
14 November.
Light + Flight Festival
Taking place this weekend and next, Light + Flight Festival is a free borough-wide festival in Barnet.
This first weekend unfolds at Finchley Lakeside, with large-scale art installations, live music, film, performance and hands-on workshops for families.
Next weekend, the fun moves to the RAF Museum and Artsdepot.
14-15 and 21-22 November.
London's Christmas light displays
Some of London's Christmas lights have already been switched on for the season, with more joining them this week.
Oxford Street's Harry Potter illuminations can be seen from Monday, with Knightsbridge, Spitalfields, Marylebone, Bond Street and Covent Garden among the other areas holding their own free switch-on events this week. Particularly worth knowing about are:
☕ FREE HOT CHOCOLATE: XO Chocolate (35 Riding House Street) gives away 100 free hot chocolates between 5.30pm-6.30pm on Thursday 12 November, as part of Fitzrovia Quarter's lights switch-on event. To claim yours, follow XO Chocolate on Instagram and visit the shop during the promotional hour. 100 freebies available on a first come first served basis.
🎄 REINDEER RACE: What is apparently London's first-ever Great Reindeer River Race forms part of the Fulham Pier Christmas lights festivities. Head here on Thursday 12 November to watch six illuminated rowing boats transformed into racing reindeer for an after-dark showdown along the same stretch of the Thames where the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Races take place.
