Any tips for free things to do in London?
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See the Sights
There are certainly plenty of free things to see in London. After all, it costs nothing to merely walk around the city and see some of the most famous sights (Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace and the rest), right?

Definitely also recommended in this category are some of the Museums of London that do not charge admission - the quality and number of exhibits mean that you could spend hours, days even, at them...and you'll probably learn something as well! The same can be said for London's Galleries, particularly the two Tate galleries and the National Gallery.

Free London Events
There are some great events and festivals in London that you can watch for free. The University Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge takes place every April and can be watched from the banks of the River Thames. Also every April is the London Marathon which is run along a route from Greenwich to The Mall - if you're brave (and sporty!) you can take part.

One of the most famous London events is the annual three-day long Notting Hill Carnival which is held over the last weekend in August (with that Monday always being a Bank Holiday - a public holiday). There are street parties, live music and parades, as well as stalls selling food and drink and other items to help in your revelry. Chinese New Year celebrations every January centre around Chinatown in Soho, with parades and other festivities.

Free Entry? (back to top)
How about getting free entry to events that you might otherwise need to pay admission for? Music, film, clubs and similar?

For starters, we strongly recommend that you purchase a copy of the weekly entertainment listings magazine Time Out. (Okay, so this will require some spending of money, but it'll pay off in the long run!) In each of their sections - Art, Comedy, Film, Music, Nightlife and others - they specify which events are free.

Nightclubs (back to top)
In the Nightlife section of Time Out (as mentioned above), a weekly Night Pass is published which offers special reduced or free entry to a number of club nights upon presentation of the pass.

Some nightclubs do not charge entry before a certain time (for example, 11pm) so as long as you're prepared to start partying a little earlier, you won't have to pay entry! It is also worth checking out the website of the club you intend to go to (if they have one) to see if it has any promotional flyers or an email address to add yourself onto the guestlist (for free/reduced entry).

Film (back to top)
Some of London's museums and galleries have free art film screenings - it is best to check websites for full details.

It is also possible to obtain tickets for free screenings of major movies from the press - the Sunday Times Culture section, for one. You'll need to go pick up your tickets beforehand (there's limited availability) and it'll probably mean going to the cinema at an unusual time (say, 10.30am on a Sunday) but at least it's a completely free movie! Weekly gossip magazine Heat also have free ticket promotions on a first come, first served basis at specified cinemas.

Music (back to top)
Again, check Time Out for listings of free concerts (from various music genres) for that week. Alternatively, you may find pop or rock bands and singers playing free mini-concerts (tickets sometimes need to be obtained) at music megastores such as HMV in Oxford Street. And this isn't always limited to teenybopper bands either - Madonna famously held a performance at the HMV store in 2003.

TV (back to top)
You can get free tickets to be in the audience of a variety of BBC television and radio shows. Check the BBC Tickets website for what tickets are available, and how to obtain them.

Hat Trick, which produce comedy and drama shows (such as Whose Line Is It Anyway? in the past), also have free tickets. Take a look at the Hat Trick website for full details