Budget-friendly things to do in London this week for £5 or less.
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.
Glug a glass of organic wine for a fiver
Any glass of wine for a fiver in London these days is a rarity, but at Humble Grape — which has branches at Battersea, Crouch End, Canary Wharf, and Islington — you can score yourself a glass of 100% organic wine, sourced from small, family-run vineyards for just five quid, between 5pm and 6pm every week day. There are three wines to choose from, and they change each month.
£5, Mon-Fri weekly.
Catch the final day of the Canalway Cavalcade
Bank holiday Monday is the last hurrah of this year's Canalway Cavalcade, a free festival in Little Venice. Dozens of colourfully decorated canalboats moor up for the occasion, and there's live entertainment on land. It's open to everyone, whether you've links to the canal or not. If the weather's on your side, it's one of the finest ways to spend a bank holiday in London.
Free, 6 May.
Watch Beating the Bounds
We love London's many unusual traditions and customs, including Beating the Bounds, an ancient ritual still observed at the church of All Hallows by the Tower. Watch as members of the Clergy and Livery Companies visit each parish boundary to pray for protection and blessings — including boarding a boat to reach a boundary marker in the middle of the Thames.
Free, 9 May.
Stay late at the Science Museum
Creativity is the theme of this month's Science Museum Lates, with a particular focus on the use of AI tools in creative industries. Attend talks and panel discussions by experts on this topic, or take part in other activities, including craft workshops, a silent disco, or simply exploring the museum's galleries without the daytime crowds. Age 18+.
Free, 9 May.
Browse Wimbledon Art Fair
Wimbledon Art Fair is free entry, with 150+ artists and creators exhibiting their works. There's a rare opportunity to go inside artists' studios, plus a children's art trail, and a launch on Thursday night with live music and complimentary drinks.
Free entry, 9-12 May.
Dance along to vinyl floor-fillers
Sutton's Sound Lounge hosts Shake & Fingerpop on Saturday — a night of vinyl-spinning, foot-tapping, floor fillers — as played by the likes of Elly P and Rusty Vinyl. It's pay what you can afford.
Pay what you can afford, 11 May.
Visit Palace gardens for free
It's another Open Gardens Weekend at Hampton Court Palace, meaning you can visit selected parts of the grounds for free, whereas normally they'd require an entry ticket. Note that you'll still need a paid ticket to visit the palace itself, as well as the Maze and Magic Garden playground.
Free, 11-12 May
Catch the final week of Injecting Hope
You've only got until Sunday to see Injecting Hope, a free exhibition at the Science Museum looking at how scientists worked quickly to produce vaccines as the Covid-19 pandemic took hold. Find out about the science behind the vaccine, and what went on behind the scenes to get them developed, transported and distributed around the world so quickly.
Free, until 12 May.
Go fly a kite in Streatham
Make like Mary Poppins at the annual Streatham Common Kite Festival. The free-entry event is open to everyone, whether you've got your own kite or not. Watch demonstrations by experts, including the Brighton Kite Flyers, and Flying Fish — a husband and wife double act who were former UK National Champions — and look out for kites including a 30m-long blue whale. Everyone's welcome to join in — take your own kite along (instructions to make one at home here) or buy one there on the day.
Free, 12 May.
Follow the Brockwell Music Trail
Nine groups of musicians from the Brixton Chamber Orchestra will be scattered throughout Brockwell Park on Sunday afternoon, forming the Brockwell Music Trail. Begin at the Herne Hill Gate, where you'll be provided with a map to help you hunt them down — if you find all nine groups, you might win a prize. The whole event culminates in an orchestral concert at sunset in a secret location.
Free, 12 May.
Pop along to the Puppet Festival
One of those unique London events we love, the Covent Garden May Fayre & Puppet Festival is back. It celebrates the first recorded production of a Mr Punch show, as seen by Samuel Pepys in Covent Garden in 1662, and draws puppeteers from all over the country for a procession, church service, shows, stalls and workshops.
Free, 12 May.
