Free And Cheap Things To Do This Week In London: 2-8 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.
Explore an entire new V&A museum
That's right, there's a whole new V&A museum to explore in London now — and explore is the right word. V&A East Storehouse is a gargantuan warehouse in Hackney Wick filled with collection treasures — think medieval Spanish ceilings, West End costumes, Roman frescoes, an entire Frank Lloyd Wright office — and these ever-fluctuating displays are there for you to browse, day in, day out. Otherwise you can order an object for close-up study. And it won't cost you a penny.
Free, open daily.
Climb aboard a scooter full of wild animals
What do you get when you cross half a zoo-full of animals, the world's longest scooter and an iconic dome? Go Wildlife Go, the latest offering from Gillie and Marc. Visit Paternoster Square, situated by St Paul's Cathedral, any time between now and February 2026, and you'll be met by the quirky vision of an elephant, a giraffe, a lion, a koala and numerous other wild animals cast in bronze, scooting their way through the city. You can even climb aboard for a fun selfie.
Free, until late February 2026.
Dive into London Rivers Week
Spend the week celebrating the capital's waterways at London Rivers Week. The panel includes guided walks, talks, panel debate, litter picking events and more — and many of the events are free. Our pick for doing it on the cheap? A guided walk through Beckenham Place Park, a plasticblitz litter-picking event in Lewisham, and a panel debate about river restoration at London Zoo. Some events on the programme have already sold out, so don't hang about.
Some events free, until 8 June.
Stay late at the Horniman Museum
The Horniman Museum's regular late-night opening focuses on coral this time round, with activities including a virtual reality experience celebrating the birth of coral, a weaving workshop on coral bleaching, and immersive sound installations that engage with marine ecosystems. It's also a chance to visit the usual galleries and exhibitions after hours.
Free, 5 June.
Get a first look at this year's Serpentine Pavilion
The 2025 Serpentine Pavilion is unveiled in Kensington Gardens on Friday, remaining in situ all summer, and free for anyone to visit. This year's building, A Capsule of Time, was designed by Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum and takes the form of a curving, lozenge-like structure, designed to align neatly with the main gallery's bell tower.
Free, from 6 June.
Feast on a free 'Fish 'N' Chips' butty
They say there's no such thing as a free lunch but so long as you're not overly concerned how nutritious said free lunch is, then it certainly exists this Friday. Legendary footy pundit Chris Kamara is plugging the biscuity Fish 'N' Chips snack, by serving them from a van on Camden High Street (just near Camden Lock Bridge) between 11am-3.30pm. Get the snacks in a cone, or opt to eat them in a butty. And if you're looking for a free dessert, check below... (after which, seriously, eat some fruit and veg).
Free, 6 June.
Celebrate National Doughnut Day with a free doughnut
Whether it's a 'doughnut' or a 'donut' to you, there aren't many people who'd turn down a free one. Luxury patisserie Donutelier gives away free donuts on Friday at its Carnaby Street store, to celebrate National Doughnut Day.
From 11.30am, the first 100 people to arrive will receive the free treat. Then, from 1pm, various activities are happening at the store including a spin the wheel where you can win further prizes and freebies.
Free, 6 June.
Celebrate World Ocean Day
After a lengthy refurb, the National Maritime Museum reopens its Ocean Court on World Ocean Day. As well as getting a first look inside the reconfigured space — including a new floor map designed to show Earth from the point of view of a fish — the World Ocean Day events include science shows, a chance to meet ocean experts, live music and performances and games, all free.
Free, 7 June.
Get a taste of the rural at Lambeth Country Show
The annual two-day Lambeth Country Show pitches up in its usual spot in Brockwell Park this weekend for all manner of entertainment, including live music on a massive stage, as well as sheep shearing, beekeeping and birds of prey shows, the legendary vegetable sculpture contest, and... a wall of death, featuring daring motorbike stunts. It's a mahoosive event, with around 120,000 people expected to attend across the weekend.
Free entry, 7-8 June.
Visit local art studios
Two chances to see inside local art studios in different parts of London this weekend.
The E8 Art and Craft Trail is a self-guided route around the homes and studios of various artists in Hackney, meeting the people who make create fine art, illustration, ceramics, jewellery and more.
Similarly, Crouch End Open Studios holds the 20th anniversary edition of its own art trail, beginning at a group show at Hornsey Library, with more than 30 other locations to visit, spanning private homes and studios, and public venues.
Crouch End Open Studios and E8 Art and Craft Trail. Both free, 7-8 June.
Get your gob around a scoop of free Nutella ice cream
If you're nuts for Nutella, we think you should know that it's now available in ice cream form, and what's more, free scoops are being handed out at Potters Fields Park near Tower Bridge this weekend. The freebies are being dished out on Saturday from 12.30pm-6pm, and Sunday from 11am-6pm.
Free, 7-8 June.
Mark Eid Al Adha at these free celebrations
Eid Al Adha is the second of the two main festivals in Islam (alongside Eid al-Fitr) and is expected to fall between 6 and 10 June this year. As always, Eid on the Square takes place in Trafalgar Square (12pm-6pm), centred around a main stage showcasing traditional and contemporary performances from across the Muslim world, along with Eid-themed walkabouts, lantern making workshops, henna tattoos, and global food and market stalls.
Meanwhile, The London Bridge Islamic Centre presents Eid by the River (12.30pm-7.30pm), alongside the river near Tower Bridge. People from all backgrounds are welcome (Muslim or otherwise) to enjoy a range of performances including poetry, nasheed songs and comedy as well as children's and family activities.
Both free entry, 8 June
Ride a heritage bus for free
London Bus Museum's semi-regular heritage day takes place on Sunday, with buses dating from the 1950s-70s plying the modern-day 418 route between Epsom and Kingston. It's free to ride: just turn up along the route and wait for a RT-Type or original Routemaster to come along. You might even get a facsimile ticket to keep if there's a conductor on board.
Free, 8 June.