Free And Cheap Things To Do This Week In London: 16-22 June 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, and have a helpful guide to where to see art in London for free, and where you can catch cheap and free comedy.
Peruse Wallpaper of Our Culture
For one week only, Karen Page's eye-opening installation Wallpaper of Our Culture is on show at 309 Bethnal Green Road in east London. Compiled from collecting images from print for two years, the floor-to-ceiling collages show just how troubled and twisted some of the messages are that we're putting out to ourselves.
Free, 16-22 June.
Hear from two Caribbean authors
Ahead of Windrush Day on Sunday, Brixton Library hosts two authors of Caribbean heritage to talk about their experiences growing up in the tight-knit Caribbean communities of London in the 1970s and 1980s.
Award-winning playwright Mel Pennant (author of A Murder for Miss Hortense), and novelist Lisa Smith (Jamaica Road) talk about how their memories of this time shaped their books.
Free, 17 June.
Visit the well that gave Clerkenwell its name
During the 12th century, the 'Clerks' Well' got its name from the parish clerks of London who performed biblical plays around it — and thus the name Clerkenwell was born. Remarkably, the well still exists, and on Tuesday afternoon there's a chance to get up close (it can usually only be viewed awkwardly from behind glass). John Strype's 18th century description of the water being "excellently clear, sweet, and well tasted", alas, is no longer applicable: the well's been dry for a while. You can just show up to this one between 12pm-3pm.
Free, 17 June.
Gather the gang for a Pride Month quiz
The London Art Bar in Holborn holds a Pride Month quiz night on Wednesday, raising money for Stonewall. Turn up by yourself to be added to a team, or bring along a ready-made gang (maximum six people). The same venue also holds a free LGBTQ+ meetup on Saturday (21 June), aimed at anyone looking to meet more LGBTQ+ people, offering a relaxed, queer-friendly space to do so.
£5 per team (up to six), 18 June.
Share your memories of Meltdown
This year's Meltdown Festival at Southbank Centre is in full swing, and it's rather special as it's the 30th edition of the artist-curated music festival. To mark the anniversary, the Meltdown archive collection is opening to the public on Wednesday, for you to browse photos, posters, programmes and other material from previous years. Elvis Costello, Yoko Ono and David Bowie are some of the past curators.
Once you've delved into the archives, there's a chance to put together your own ideal Meltdown, pulling in themes, artists and performances from across the years, and share your own memories.
It's one of a few free events on the Little Simz' Meltdown programme.
Free, 18 June
Hear the history of a very special ceiling
Made in Spain in the late-15th century, the Torrijos Ceiling is one of six large-scale objects on show at the newly-opened V&A East Storehouse. Learn more about the painted and gilded carpentry ceiling, including the design traditions and construction methods it showcases, at a free lunchtime lecture at the V&A South Kensington on Thursday.
Mariam Rosser-Owen, Curator for the Arab World collections at the V&A, talks about how the ceiling came to be in the V&A collection, and what happened to the Torrijos Palace, for which it was created.
Free, 19 June.
Get stuck into some free happenings at Fulham Pier
West London's newest events space offering, Fulham Pier is enticing people to come and see what it's all about with a long weekend of free events, including comedy from the BAFTA award-winning Tom Davis, family friendly-activities, Yinka Ilori inspired creative workshops, and games of chess. There's also a multitude of food and drink offerings, although sadly these aren't on the house. Visit the Fulham Pier website for more details of what's happening when. Certain events should be booked, though at time of writing there aren't any booking links.
Free, 20-22 June.
Attend a free Festival of Musical Ideas
Shortly before it begins its summer break, Gresham College goes out in style with the Gresham Festival of Musical Ideas. Throughout Friday, drop in for a series of discussions, presentations, and performances that explore and celebrate the intersection of music with other disciplines. Find out how music can be a tool for understanding the wider world, with topics including the biology and co-evolution of human language and music, the Ancient Greek philosophies on music's place in society, and the mathematical principles that underpin the explanation and creation of music.
Free, 20 June.
Celebrate Windrush Day in Greenwich
The National Maritime Museum marks Windrush Day 2025, celebrating the anniversary of the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush, and the contributions made by Caribbean immigrants to British society.
The free, day-long event consists of creative workshops, talks and discussions, about the legacy and significance of the Windrush generation. The Caribbean Social Forum leads board games, the Migration Museum pops up to collect and share people's stories, and a model of the Almanzora — which travelled from Caribbean to Southampton in 1947, before the Empire Windrush — is on display.
Also on the programme: screenings of film Here I Stand, a personal account of a descendant from parents of the Windrush Generation, and live performances of folk, gospel, reggae and calypso songs from the Caribbean.
Free, 21 June.
See West End musical performances for free
Musical theatre fans: Dance over to Trafalgar Square for West End Live, a free, two-day festival starring the cast of all manner of West End shows. Exact details are due to be announced about a week before the event, but in the past, cast members from the likes of Jersey Boys, The Lion King, Mary Poppins and Tina The Musical have strutted their stuff. Best get there very early if you want to get in: long queues have formed in previous years, and note that there are new accessible viewing areas and procedures for using them this year.
Free, 21-22 June.
Take the whole family to Summer in the Park
Danson House in Bexleyheath hosts Summer in the Park, a free-entry fun family day out with live performances on a main stage, craft tents and stalls, games and a tombola. Keep an eye on the website for details of the performers to be announced throughout the week.
Free, 22 June.
Attend an historic Mitcham Carnival
For the first time in 12 years, a parade takes place as part of Mitcham Carnival. The mile-long route starts in the town centre, led by the Mayor of Merton, and finishes at Three Kings Piece, where you'll find live performances, wrestling demos, 100+ stalls, funfair rides and other entertainment.
Free entry, 22 June.
Catch the final days of this vintage transport poster exhibition
Time's running out to see London's Tramway Posters, a free exhibition of 40 vintage London tram posters on show at the London Archives, dating from 1922-1933. The designs encouraged Londoners of around a century ago to use the tram network for leisure purposes, including days out at Hampstead Heath and the British Museum.
Free, until 26 June.
See what's on the Wandsworth Arts Fringe programme
Now in full swing, the Wandsworth Arts Fringe programme offers a varied final week, with several free events to choose from (though note that not all events on the programme are free).
Highlights include a procession by the Roehampton Street Band featuring New Orleans style music infused with pop favourites, a talk about the history of the Clapham Grand, an exhibition exploring the heritage of St George's Hospital, a talk about forthcoming book Extraordinary Women of Wandsworth, a display of hundreds of origami butterflies, audio-visual installation The Clockwork Underpass and LGBT community cabaret performance CaBiRet.
Some events free, until 22 June.