The capital’s best free events from July 15th-21st

Dear {{ first name | Cheapskater }},

We wanted to start off this week’s newsletter with some exciting news. We’ve been nominated for a Press Gazette Future of Media Award, which recognises the best digital products in news media. We couldn’t be more excited to see our wee newsy shortlisted alongside giants like The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, The Economist and the FT! 🤯

In other news, we have an amazing free-to-enter competition running this week: the chance to win a YEAR-LONG membership of the iconic Vagina Museum in Bethnal Green! Scroll down for more details…

Have a fabulous week,
Kate and Georgia x

PS. Check out our latest blog post - it’s an interview with fashion expert and writer Alexandra Stedman (AKA The Frugality). North Londoner Alex shares her fave spots for a cheap bite to eat, her perfect no-spend day, what she’d change about the city and more.

MONDAY

FESTIVAL 🎉 Bethnal G, Mon-Sun

Community celebration

Discover Festival kicks off today at St Margaret’s House. Expect heaps of free events, including art exhibits, drawing workshops, gardening (& even drop-in ear acupuncture sessions!).

SINGING 🎼 Hackney, from 7.30pm

Musical Mondays

Start your week off on a high note at Moth Club with a performance by F*Choir, an all-genders, queer-led choir that “reimagines choral singing as a radical declaration of love & resistance”.

TUESDAY

FILM 🍿 Vauxhall, 7-9pm

Sublime!

Don your best pink outfit & dance the night away at an open-air screening of the Barbie movie at Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. Register for a free ticket, as tickets are scanned on entry.

FILM 🍿 London Bridge, 7-8.30pm

Back to the Future

Barbie not really your thing? London Bridge City is hosting a free screening of the cult classic Back to the Future on the banks of the River Thames, as part of the Summer by the River festival.

WEDNESDAY

EXHIBIT 🎨 Peckham, Weds-Sun

Emerging artists

Weds is the launch of Hot Border - a Copeland Park exhibit featuring work by emerging artists working across sculpture, installation, printmaking, painting, film, ceramics & textiles.

POP-UP 🧵 Camden, 6-9pm

Fashion… & freebies

Enjoy free drinks & nibbles, live music, a mini-documentary screening & a chance to browse art pieces at the opening night celebrations for a new pop-up by fashion brand The Dyás.

Competition time! 🏛️

We’ve teamed up with our pals at the Vagina Museum in Bethnal Green to give away a year’s membership (worth £50)… for free! The lucky winner will also receive a small goody bag of stickers & postcards.

Members get invites to private viewings & special events, a 10% discount in the shop & for events, & access to the Cliterati newsletter.

To enter the draw, simply refer a friend to Cheapskate by sending them this link (it contains your personalised referral code): {{rp_refer_url}}.

Once they’ve signed up, you’ll be entered, and we’ll pick the winner’s name at random. Good luck! 🤞

THURSDAY

ART 🖼️ Charing Cross, until July 11

Archaeology late event

The Bank of England Museum is staying open late this Thurs for a special event celebrating archaeology. The programme includes a 1.5 hour Roman walking tour (booking necessary).

FOOD 🍫 Liverpool St, 6-9pm

Blind chocolate tasting

Head to the Birkenstock Studio to take part in a blind chocolate tasting session. You’ll learn the art of pairing flavours, to create unique & delectable desserts at home. Book ASAP.

FRIDAY

DANCE 💃 Waterloo, Fri-Sun

Time to move your feet

The brilliant Rambert dance company is returning to National Theatre’s River Stage this weekend. Expect exciting dance performances, family workshops & live music - suitable for all ages.

FILM 🍿 Hammersmith, from 6pm

Wonka under the stars

Head to Lyric Square to grab a deckchair & enjoy an open-air screening of Wonka on a big screen. It’s part of the Hammersmith BID Summer Festival (see the full line-up here).

WEEKEND

FESTIVAL 🥳 Greenwich, Bexley & Tendring, now until October

Summer in the Park

Don’t miss Summer in the Park - a series of free festivals in the parks & squares of Greenwich, Bexley & Tendring. This Sat, there’s a Silent Disco SkateJam designed for all ages & abilities at Cygnet Square, & next month there’s a big family festival at Greenwich Park.

MUSIC 🎶 Oxford Circus, 4-8pm Sat

Sounds of Summer

Sounds of Summer, a free-to-attend music event at Kingly Court, kicks off this Sat with live performances & DJ sets curated by Soho Radio (culminating in a “surprise headline act”…).

HISTORY 🐴 Bank, 10am-3pm Sat

Hold your horses

Love old modes of transport? See vintage handcarts, horse-drawn carriages, steam engines, military vehicles & more roll into Guildhall Yard for the city’s annual Cart Marking ceremony.

MUSIC 🎶 Waterloo, from 12pm Sat

All that jazz

It’s the 11th edition of JAZZ RE:FEST, a one-day event at the Southbank Centre celebrating all things jazz & spotlighting up-&-coming artists, alongside international stars.

FUN 🇰🇷 Hyde Park, 11am-3pm Sun

Korean kulture & K-Pop

Take part in a K-Pop dance class. or try your hand at Korean calligraphy at this free, family-friendly event in collaboration with the Korean Cultural Centre, held on the Serpentine Lawn.

And for dessert...

🧡 Want to keep Cheapskate in your inbox each week? Please buy us a digital iced latte. Or, you can support us by clicking on our links (like this one) - which won’t cost you a thing.

📸 Planning a wedding or going on holiday/to a festival? Check out our new obsession: Catch - a very cool camera brand which makes retro, easy-to-use 35mm film cameras (perfect for those vibrant, nostalgic film photos). We are definitely embracing the analogue this summer!

🛒 We’ve been loving the (free-to-use) cashback app JamDoughnut, which gives you up to 20% instant cashback at thousands of shops, restaurants & supermarkets. Use our referral code EAMT to get a £3 bonus when you use the app for the first time.

🌲 Looking to explore a new green space? The Natural History Museum’s transformed gardens open to the public this Thurs. The museum has reimagined its five-acre outdoor site into an accessible, free-to-visit green space (& it sounds like it’s going to be amazing).

💌 We’ve been loving the Techpresso newsletter (which provides a daily summary of all the most important AI & tech news). Sign up for free here! Finchley Now is also a great read for N12ers & beyond.

🪩 We were invited to Kaleidoscope Festival at Ally Pally on Saturday… and had the best time! Highlights were dancing to banger after banger at Artful Dodger’s set in the sunshine & cackling away at a stand-up show with Simon Amstell. Thanks so much to the team for the invite!

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We try to only include accurate information, but sometimes things can change. Everything included in the newsletter is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time the newsletter is sent out. Sometimes we make money from the links we include (like this one or this one!) but we only recommend things we genuinely like. You can also support Cheapskate by buying us a coffee or making a monthly donation.

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