Free And Cheap Things To Do This Week In London: 27 January-2 February 2025

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.

Celebrate Lunar New Year (or Chinese New Year) on a budget

There are plenty of ways to mark the arrival of the Year of the Snake this week, though not all are budget-friendly. If you do want a free way to see in the Lunar New Year, these are our picks (note that while entry is free, there may be a small charge for some activities within the event — check websites for details):

MUSEUM OF THE HOME: The Hoxton museum hosts Housewarming: A British Vietnamese Home, a late night opening where you can view the British Vietnamese Home setup specially decked out for Tết, the Vietnamese New Year. The evening's programme includes screenings of films about Vietnamese life, and a chance to learn how to play mahjong. Free, 30 January

LONDON MUSEUM DOCKLANDS: Across two days, London Museum Docklands holds a Lunar New Year Festival. It's family-friendly, with dragon dancing, Chinese folktales and crafting sessions. Free, 1-2 February

GREENWICH PENINSULA: Greenwich Peninsula gets in on the Lunar New Year action with an afternoon of events including dragon and lion dancing, a pan-Asian food and crafts market, and another chance to learn how to play the tile game mahjong. Free, 1 February

DUKE OF YORK SQUARE: On Sunday, the Chinese New Year celebrations come to Duke of York Square in Chelsea, which is decorated with red lanterns for the occasion, with entertainment in the form of traditional dragon dancers and lion performances, and Chinese drummers. Free, 2 February

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See some of Bob Dylan's art

To coincide with new Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, Halcyon gallery in Mayfair exhibits a small retrospective of Mr Zimmerman's own paintings in sculptures. In particular Busy Being Born explores Dylan's relationship with New York City. In the spirit of things, maybe rock up to this free show on a Lime bike.

Free, until 2 March.

Attend a relaxed opening of the Hew Locke exhibition

The British Museum holds one of its regular relaxed evening events, this time focusing on the soon-to-close Hew Locke: what have we here? exhibition. It's aimed at anyone with sensory needs who would benefit from viewing the display in a calmer environment, including people with disabilities and neurodivergent individuals.

£5, 27 January.

Get the lowdown on a huge fashion exhibition

Seen the V&A's current exhibition, NAOMI in Fashion, about model Naomi Campbell yet? Thursday's V&A Academy lunchtime lecture is a chance to learn more about it, from Sonnet Stanfill, Senior Curator of Fashion at the V&A, who oversaw putting the exhibition together. Hear about some of its main themes, focusing on Campbell's 40-year career, and hear about some of the most important items on display.

Free, 30 January. Note that there's a charge to visit the exhibition itself — it runs until April.

Stay late at the British Academy

'The Age of Mistrust?' is the theme of this month's British Academy Late, an event spanning short talks, panel discussions, performances and workshops. Watch a debate about politics in the age of fake news, hear a talk about who teenagers trust on social media, and see a 'deepfake drag' show which highlights the biases of AI.

Age 18+. The first 50 people to arrive receive a free drink.

Free, 30 January.

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View an exhibition of Indonesian art

Indonesian artist Citra Sasmita opens her first UK solo show, Into Eternal Land, at Barbican's Curve Gallery. The Indonesian Kamasan painting technique, traditionally a masculine practice, features heavily in Sasmita's work, used to challenge gender hierarchies, and depict powerful women who populate a post-patriarchal world. Sculptural installation, embroidery and scent also feature, in works with themes of ancestral memory, ritual and migration.

Free, 30 January-21 April.

Wander around these free light trails

Three free light trails are ongoing this week. You've got until Saturday to see the 11 glowing installations of Canary Wharf Winter Lights (5pm-10pm daily). Meanwhile Battersea Power Station Light Festival has eight large glowing artworks dotted inside and outside the building, including a horse on a spring which can be ridden (until 23 February), and Here We Glow at Westfield London offers colourful bubbles, a luminous canopy and twinkling tree lights (until 2 March).

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