Free And Cheap Things To Do This Week In London: 19-25 August 2024

Things to do for a fiver or less.

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.

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Go on an AR bug hunt

The Royal Entomological Society Garden debuted at the Chelsea Flower Show, but now has a permanent home at Stratford Cross. Designed to show how remarkable and valuable insects are, the garden features an AR bug hunt, created by Aardman, in which you and the kids help a character called Lloyd of the Flies find his friends and bring them all back to the Luxury Bug Hotel. A good little summer holiday excursion, we reckon.

Free, ongoing.

Enjoy In The Neighbourhood at All Points East

In The Neighbourhood is a free-entry four-day event in Victoria Park, making use of the All Points East festival site between the weekend gigs. The family-friendly programme includes live music and entertainment, theatre dance, sports, wellbeing workshops, panel talks, takeovers from BBC 1Xtra and BBC Asian Network, and a free outdoor cinema. Check the website for the full schedule.

Free, 19-22 August.

Take part in free, outdoor art workshops

As part of Westminster's Inside Out Festival, the National Portrait Gallery hosts Opening Doors, a series of free outdoor art workshops. They're inspired by the building's four-metre high entrance doors, which were designed by Tracey Emin, and feature 45 faces representing and celebrating 'every woman'. The workshops, open to all ages and abilities, invite you to drop in and create your own portrait of an inspirational woman in your life.

All art materials are provided, and there are four workshops every day, each limited to 25 people, on a first come, first served basis.

Free, 19-23 August.

If you love all things artistic, you might also like our other publication: Londonist: Urban Palette, exploring London’s art world from unusual angles.

See this photography exhibition before it closes

You've got until Wednesday to see the Earth Photo 2024 exhibition at the Royal Geographical Society in Kensington. The free display showcases photos and videos across the categories of people, place, nature, changing forests and a climate of change.

Free, until 21 August.

Get your chops around a free kebab burger

If you happen to be feeling carnivorously peckish in central London this Thursday, know that you can get your chops around a free Atomic Burger from Kebhouze at 159 Oxford Street. Simply show up between 11am and 2pm, say "Bring on the heat!" to the serving staff, and they'll hand you a burger stuffed with chicken kebab, fried chicken, jalapeños, cheddar cheese and caramelised onions. There's also a pipette of extra hot sauce, so you can decide how brave you want to be.

Free, 22 August.

Find out about Shakespeare on the Front Line

Tying in with the current Shakespeare and War exhibition (also free), the National Army Museum hosts Dr Amy Lidster, who discusses the use of Shakespeare's work to boost morale for those directly involved in front line combat. Examples of bringing the Bard's words into warfare include the American War of Independence, in the trenches during first world war, and Ukrainians currently resisting Russia's ongoing invasion.

You can watch in person at the museum, or online.

Free, 23 August.

Spend your evening skating around Greenwich Park

Head to Greenwich Park on Friday for an evening skate jam. Explore the park on wheels, with professional skate instructors on hand to offer you tips and tricks for staying upright. There's also a silent disco, and free skate hire is available on a first come, first served basis.

Free, 23 August.

Celebrate Caribbean culture

Ahead of Notting Hill Carnival this weekend, the London Museum Docklands hosts a family festival of Caribbean culture. Take part in soca and bamboula dance workshops, craft sessions led by Indo-Caribbean artists, and food-making sessions where you can whip up dishes such as vegan patties.

Free, 23-24 August. Note that some workshops require booking.

Dance in the streets at Notting Hill Carnival 2024

One of the biggest annual events in London, Notting Hill Carnival takes over the streets of west London for two days of bangin' beats, lashings of street food, razzle-dazzle costumes and utterly fabulous parade processions. Read our guide to Notting Hill Carnival 2024 for schedules, routes, maps, public transport info and a wealth of other tips to keep your Carnival experience safe and enjoyable.

Free, 25-26 August. Note that Carnival officially begins on Saturday 24 August with a paid, ticketed event, but the Sunday and Monday events are free.

See what's on at Summer by the River

A reminder that the free programme on entertainment at Summer by the River is ongoing, spanning film and sports screenings, live music performances, dance workshops and more. This week, that includes an open-air screening of Pixar film Elemental, an 'anarchic' quiz night with prizes to be won, and live music by London-based Somali artist Faisal Salah, known as FACESOUL.

Free, until 1 September.

Do the summer holidays on the cheap

With a couple of weeks of the summer holidays still to come for most schools, take a look at our guide to free things to do in London in the summer holidays for ways to entertain children of all ages without parting with your cash. We've picked out the best free museums for kids, attractions which you may not realise offer free entry, cultural events, and places where they can let off steam.

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