The Time Out London blog team

Bank holidays can be a real drain on the wallet. A meal out on Friday night, hours basking in a beer garden on Saturday afternoon, a brunch on Sunday morning then a DJ set in the evening – before you know it, your bank account is down to £1.03 and you’re forced to spend your rare Monday off stuck at home, sensibly ticking off chores and scraping by with sad-looking leftovers.  But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are so many ways to fill this coming May bank holiday and still have plenty of cash left to spend over the rest of this glorious month (and, crucially, for the second bank hol in three weeks). Besides the fab stuff that’s free all year round, this bank holiday weekend brings us a bunch of fun events that won’t cost a penny. There’s art, music, photography and loads of free beverages to get your hands on. Read on for the best free events happening this weekend.  RECOMMENDED: 📍 All of the best things to do in London this weekend. The best free things on in London this bank holiday weekend, May 1-4 2026 1. Venture down the Blackhorse Beer Mile for its fourth birthday  Okay, we acknowledge that you do have to spend some money to truly make the most out of this one, but entry is free and that’s not to be scoffed at. The lagertastic Blackhorse Beer Mile birthday celebration is back for the fourth year in a row this May bank holiday, with all of E17’s best drinks makers taking part. We’re talking Penny Social, Signature Brew, Pretty Decent, Exale, Renegade Urban...

The first May Bank Holiday weekend is upon us – and there’s no shortage of stuff to be seeing and doing in London over the three days. Summer parties in Hackney, lamb-feeding at city farms and the birthday of a beer mile are among the excellent things to do in the capital on May 2-4. Whatever your plans for the long weekend, there’s a chance you’ll have to contend with planned disruption on London’s transport network. Closures will impact most of the DLR and parts of the Metropolitan line, while a series of knotty service changes will hit the Elizabeth line and Overground. Will you need to get around London this bank holiday weekend? Here are all the planned TfL train and tube closures to know about on May 2-4 2026. RECOMMENDED: The best things to do in London this weekend. London travel disruption and tube closures, May 2-4 2026 Metropolitan line On Saturday May 2, Sunday May 3 and Monday May 4, no trains between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Amersham, Chesham and Watford. DLR On Sat May 2, Sun May 3 and Mon May 4, no trains between Shadwell and Bank, and no service between Popular/Stratford and Beckton/Woolwich Arsenal. Lioness line On Sat May 2, Sun May 3 and Mon May 4, no trains between Euston and Kilburn High Road. Elizabeth line On Sun May 3: No trains between Paddington and Ealing Broadway until 7.40am. Not trains between Stratford and Shenfield until 10.30am. On Mon May 4 a reduced service will operate between Paddington and Heathrow Terminal 4/Maidenhead...

Has a new Banksy artwork just popped up in central London? A new statue has appeared on a plinth in St James’ – and it seems to bear the legendary artist’s signature.  The sculpture shows a suited person marching forward off of a plinth, their face smothered by a billowing flag. It sits on Waterloo Place, near statues of Edward VII and Florence Nightingale and the Crimean War Memorial.  The authorship of the piece hasn’t been confirmed by Banksy, who usually does so on his Instagram. While the piece is signed by the artist, he doesn’t always do so – in fact, none of his murals in London from the past few years were signed.  Here’s what we know about the potential new Banksy so far. Where is the new Banksy in London? You can find the new potential-Banksy on Waterloo Place, just up the stairs from the ICA on The Mall. It’s about here, on Google Maps.   What does the new sculpture mean? A suited person – a politician, let’s assume – blinded by a gigantic flag and stepping off a plinth and into danger? Sounds like pretty classic Banksy political messaging to us. Check out the piece below. Photograph: Louise Androlia for Time Out London Banksy in London Big Banksy fan? There are loads of places in London where you can find his older works. One of his works is now on show at the London Transport Museum, while you can find a map of Banksys you can spot around London here. Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends....