Things to do for a fiver or less.
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Free And Cheap Things To Do This Week In London: 30 June-6 July 2025

Things to do for a fiver or less.

Londonist: Things To Do
Jun 30
 
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Budget-friendly things to do in London this week for £5 or less.

Pride in London is on Saturday. Photo: Wayee Tan via Unsplash

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.

Stay up-to-date with Wimbledon

Wimbledon starts serving up tennis on Monday, but you don't need a Centre Court ticket to keep up with the 2025 championship action. Lots of places and areas around London erect special screens for the duration of the tournament, broadcasting the TV coverage live. Many (though not all) of the screenings are free entry, with some providing deck chairs or other seating. Swing by for a few minutes on your lunch break or after work, or settle in for the afternoon and watch a whole match. Here's where to watch Wimbledon 2025.

Some screenings free, 30 June-13 July.

Ogle Shakespeare's signature/a map of his London

An old map of London

One of only six signatures in the world known to have genuinely been scrawled by the hand of William Shakespeare can be seen at the London Archives for the next few months, as part of their free Shakespeare in London exhibition. The signature appears on a parchment property deed for a house in Blackfriars bought by Shakespeare in 1613. It's displayed alongside the Civitas Londinum maps, which shows the city as it looked between 1561 and 1570 — not long before the Bard himself would've known London.

Free, 30 June-25 September.

See powerful images of Earth

A person holding a spear stood at the foot of a big tree
Mateo Borrero, Waterline, 2024. Forest Ecosystem Award.

There were over 1,500 entries for this year's Earth Photo, and from now until mid-August you can admire the creme de la creme at the Royal Geographical Society in South Kensington. 2025's winning photos and films explore our planet, its inhabitants, its beauty, fragility and resilience.

Free, until 20 August.

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Attend a free festival in Hyde Park

With music festival BST Hyde Park now underway, Open House takes place in Hyde Park on the weekdays between the big gigs. It's free entry, and open to everyone whether you have a BST ticket or not, with free entertainment including live music performances, film and Wimbledon screenings, sports workshops, and kids' theatre performances. Check the website for the day-by-day programme. Highlights this week include a performance by South London Samba on Monday, and a Wicked singalong screening on Thursday.

Free entry, 30 June-3 July and 7-10 July.

Celebrate summer in the City's streets

On Tuesday, Aldermanbury near Guildhall closes to traffic for Culture Mile on the Street, a free, one-day festival reimagining how we use City streets. Enjoy live music and a Pride celebration, take part in planting workshops, walking tours, and early morning yoga. Note that some activities require booking.

Free, 1 July.

Catch a performance of Lana Del Rey's music

As part of Wembley Park's summer events programme, the City String Ensemble gives a free performance of Lana Del Rey's music. Hear instrumental covers of tracks including Video Games, West Coast, Born to Die and new single Henry, Come On — performed on an al fresco stage in the shadow of the Wembley Stadium arch.

Free, 1 July.

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Visit the Hampton Court Palace gardens for free

Garden open days at Hampton Court Palace — when you can visit parts of the grounds without paying the usual admission fee — take place a few times a year, but normally at weekends. This week, however, open days run from Tuesday-Sunday, allowing you to see areas including the Great Fountain Garden, the Privy Garden and the Pond Garden in their summer glory, without paying a penny.

You'll still need a paid admission ticket if you want to visit the palace itself, the Maze, or the Magic Garden Playground, or attend the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival (ticketed separately), which also runs this week.

Free, 1-6 July.

Gen up on the latest scientific advances

The Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition
Image: Royal Society

The Royal Society's annual Summer Science Exhibition is a free interactive experience for anyone curious about the latest advances in science and technology. It begins with an adults-only Lates evening on Tuesday night, promising science, comedy, storytelling and discovery. That's followed by five days of drop-in workshops, with chances to meet scientists and researchers, and find out about topics such as the fight against plastic waste, and the next big telescope.

Free, 1-6 July.

Get revved up at a McLaren Racing takeover of Trafalgar Square

Ahead of the British Grand Prix on Sunday, McLaren Racing park up in Trafalgar Square for a free, two-day takeover where F1 fans can see cars up close, test their skills on simulators and hear from some of the team. It's free and un-ticketed. More details should be posted on McLaren's website closer to the time.

Free, 2-3 July.

Inject some bling into your lunch break

A tiara
Image: V&A

Thursday's V&A Academy lunchtime lecture takes a deep dive into the current Cartier exhibition at the V&A South Kensington. Hear from the exhibition's lead curator as she spotlights some of the key objects on display to showcase some of the inventive techniques used by the world-renowned jewellery brand, and the inspiration behind them.

Free, 3 July. Note that there is a charge to visit the Cartier exhibition.

Do Pride in London

The absolutely huuuge Pride in London festival takes place on Saturday, bringing crowds to central London to enjoy an afternoon of free entertainment in support of the LGBTQ+ community. The centrepiece is the Pride in London parade, winding from Hyde Park Corner to Whitehall, with festival stages set up around Soho providing extra entertainment. Expect to see many Pride after-parties and other LGBTQ+ events taking place around this time too.

Free, 5 July.

Celebrate the Welsh Women's football team

Wales make their historic debut in the Women's Euros this year, and Clwb Creative Cymru is marking the occasion with a day featuring free football training, a panel talk, networking, DJs — and, most importantly, a screening of the Wales Vs Netherlands match. It's on at sevente in Hackney, and is free to attend, but do reserve a space.

Free, 5 July.

Visit a private island in the Thames

Eel Pie Island open day: A blue hut with a massive ice cream stuck on the roof
Image: Londonist

The second of this summer's open weekends at Eel Pie Island is a chance to set foot on the mysterious and private island in the Thames and visit the artists who live and work there in their studios — and of course, buy artworks straight from the source, if anything takes your fancy.

Free (though you do need to book), 5-6 July.

Head to a north London local festival

Two local festivals take place in north London on Saturday, both of which are free entry:

THE CALLY FESTIVAL: Islington's Caledonian Road — affectionately known as 'The Cally' — closes to traffic and puts on its party gear for The Cally Festival. The free-entry celebration of local culture includes live music, a storytelling stage, flower crown workshops, a science discovery zone, dance workshops and a street market.

HAMPSTEAD BIG FAIR: Meanwhile, Heath Street in Hampstead goes traffic-free for the Hampstead Big Fair, with 110 stalls selling crafts, food and drink, alongside a funfair, circus school, live music and other entertainment.

Both free entry, 6 July.

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Catch the final week of Soldier

You've only got until Sunday to see The Story of Soldier, a free exhibition at the National Army Museum in Chelsea delving into the history of official British Army magazine Soldier. The display celebrates the publication's 80th birthday, from being launched by Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery in 1945, and how it has covered big news stories and conflicts since.

Free, until 6 July.

 
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