The capital’s best free events from May 27th-June 1st
Good morning {{ first name | Cheapskater }},
For this week’s edition, we’ve partnered with the Great Exhibition Road Festival 2025 - a free celebration of science and the arts in South Kensington over the weekend of June 7-8. There are tonnes of amazing events taking place, from insect yoga(!) to a butterfly wing workshop. Find out more and book your free ticket here.
We’re taking a little Cheapskate spring break next week, but don’t worry - we’re not leaving you in the lurch! We’ve added a few bonus picks for the week of June 2-8 at the bottom of this newsletter.
See you back in your inbox on Monday June 9!
Kate and Georgia x
P.S. Congrats to competition winner Lauren N, who won a pair of tickets to see Brixton Calling, a new play at the Southwark Playhouse. Scroll down for your chance to win tickets to a special late event at the British Library!
TUESDAY
IMAGINE ✨ Waterloo, until Sun June 1
Moomin magic
Celebrate 80 years of the Moomins at the Southbank Centre, which today is launching a new Moominhouse installation featuring “the famous sights of Moominvalley”. Most tickets can be booked on the day.
ART 🏡 Barbican, 9am-11pm
Rooms of our own
Today’s the last day to check out Home Community - an artwork exploring themes of family, identity & home, set within a recreated living room, kitchen & adjoining bedroom in the Barbican’s vast foyer space.
WEDNESDAY
MAKE 🎶 Waterloo, from 5.30pm
Creative Encounters: Found Sounds
Immerse yourself in Japanese music & use recycled materials to make your own “bin-struments” at this creative event at the Southbank Centre, led by singer-musician Yuko Tsubame. No music skills needed - just curiosity.
ART 🏳️🌈 Charing Cross, until June 7
Portraits with pride
Join a free LGBTQ+ highlights tour at the National Portrait Gallery, where you’ll discover key LGBTQ+ figures from the collection (including Virginia Woolf & Ncuti Gatwa). Spaces are very limited, so arrive early.
CREATIVITY 🎤 Wembley, 6-11pm
Mic check
Boxpark Wembley’s giving the stage to emerging talent with a free-entry open mic night this Weds. Expect a mix of music, poetry & spoken word, open to all experience levels. Perform or just soak up the atmos.
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THURSDAY
LATE 🛋️ Hoxton, 6-9pm
Flat of the future
Fast forward to 2049 at the Museum of the Home this Thurs, which is hosting a one-off late event themed around the museum’s installation which imagines life in a converted Hackney flat 25 years from now.
FESTIVAL 🎶 London Bridge, 6-10pm
Summer starts here
London Bridge City’s fantastic Summer by the River series returns this Thurs evening with live music, roaming performers & “surprise acts”. Also expect delicious street food & riverside views.
📣 Competition time
We’ve teamed up with the British Library to offer a pair of tickets to Late at the Library: The Night Garden Party on Friday June 6!
Headlined by Beth Orton with an acoustic sundown performance, the Library’s piazza will come alive with lights, plants, live music, DJs & stalls from an array of inspirational garden collectives, with the Unearthed exhibition included in your ticket.
Would you like to win a pair of tickets to Late at the Library?
Competition terms & conditions can be found at the bottom of the email
FRIDAY
PRIVATE VIEW 🖼️ Ele & Castle, 6-9pm
Next-gen creatives
Be the first to see tomorrow’s creative stars at the London College of Communication’s private view. Expect bold ideas, boundary-breaking projects & future-shaping innovation, from graphic design to UX.
PARTY 🎉 Brixton, 6-11.30pm
Good vibes only
Pop Brixton’s throwing a day-to-night party this Fri to mark the space’s 10th anniversary. Brixton Calling will be a one-off celebration of the area’s legendary music scene, featuring everything from reggae to soul music.
WEEKEND
FAIR 🐷 Vauxhall, Sat from 10am
Fun at the farm
Vauxhall City Farm’s annual spring fair is back! Visitors will get the chance to watch sheep shearing & a wool-spinning demo, as well as take part in a guided sensory “spring herb” walk. Plus, there’s a “cuddle corner”…
CULTURE 🏛️ Stratford, Sat then ongoing
Behind the scenes
V&A East Storehouse opens this Sat - it’s a vast, free-to-visit space where you can explore half a million works from the museum’s collection & peek behind the scenes of a working museum.
MARKET 🍉 West Norwood, Sun 10-4pm
A feast for all senses
West Norwood Feast returns this Sun with its monthly mix of street food, vintage finds, crafts, community stalls & live music. We love this proper local hangout for its feel-good energy (& great nibble opportunities!).
MUSIC/SHOP 🎺 Dalston, Sun 12-4pm
Charity shop tunes
Head to Traid’s Dalston store for Off-Grid, a new event series which brings emerging artists & DJs to unexpected spaces. Along with live music & second-hand shopping, there’ll also be a clothes repair workshop.
And for dessert...
🫶 Want to support Cheapskate without spending any money? Please click on our links like this one - it won’t cost you a thing, but you’ll massively help with our running costs.
🧡 Are you living in London, aged 20-40 & someone who experiences loneliness? Cheapskate reader Cat, at Queen Mary University of London, is looking to speak to people for a research project aiming to address the growing issue of loneliness among young adults. Find out more about this paid opportunity here.
💌 As we mentioned above, we’re not sending out a newsletter next week. However, there’s still a lot going on for free - here are our top picks:
🪴 The Great Garden Fete - a bloomin’ wonderful celebration at the British Library to accompany the Unearthed: The Power of Gardening exhibit - is taking place on Fri June 6 & Sat June 7. Entry is free & there’ll be talks, a live band, a plant/terrarium sale & more.
🍿 Screenings of Mufasa: The Lion King under the stars in London Bridge, Ready Player One & The Wild Robot in Canary Wharf, & the acclaimed new drama Lollipop, which is getting free previews ahead of its UK release.
🎨 There’s a fab sounding open studio event in Hoxton running from June 6-8. It will showcase the work of 22 artists including painters, furniture designers, jewellers, graphic artists & more.
⚠️ The wonderful Great Exhibition Road Festival, as mentioned in our intro, is taking place in South Kensington over the weekend of June 7-8.
🍩 Donutelier is throwing a party to mark National Doughnut Day on Fri June 6, where the first 100 people through the Carnaby Street store will get free doughnuts.
👞 If money was no object, I’d buy these shoes in every colour (this pair is my #1). If you’re like me & love high fashion but not the high price tags, check out Dupe.com. - Georgia
Late at the Library T&Cs: Open to UK residents only. Entrants must be aged 18 or over. Closes 23:59 (GMT) on Friday 30 May. Winner will be contacted via email and must acknowledge their win within 3 days or be redrawn. We will never ask you to click a link or pay a fee to claim your prize. Do let us know if you see any suspicious activity related to this competition, so we can report it. No cash alternative or other prizes will be offered. Travel to the event is not included. The Night Garden Party takes place on Friday 6 June, 18:30-22:30. The winner is responsible for any additional expenses that are not stated as part of the prize.
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