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The 6 best free things to do in London this weekend [July 3-5 2026]

London Pride, F1 fan zones, artsy gatherings and summer fêtes are all on the line-up this weekend

Amy Houghton
Roisin Teeling
Written by
Amy Houghton
Contributor:
Roisin Teeling
Pride in London
Photograph: Loredana Sangiuliano / Shutterstock.com | Pride in London
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July has arrived and, if you’re lucky, your wallet is looking particularly plump post-payday. The temptation would of course be to spend the weekend splashing all that cash eating at London’s finest al fresco restaurants, lounging at its outdoor cinemas, sinking ice-cold cocktails at its rooftop bars or securing last minute tickets to BST Hyde Park

But let’s rein that in a little. We’ve still got an entire month ahead of us, full of day festivals and other fantastic goings on that you’ll want to put money aside for. Luckily you don’t have to miss out on any fun in order to do that. In fact, one of the biggest things happening in London this weekend doesn’t require you spending a single penny. 

From London Pride to F1 fan zones to artsy gatherings, here’s our guide to all of the best free things going on in London over the weekend.  

RECOMMENDED:📍All the best things to do in London this weekend.

The best free things on in London this weekend, July 3 - 6 2026 

1. Party at Pride in London

Pride Month 2026 will culminate in London’s huge and kaleidoscopic Pride parade on Saturday. With a staggering 1.8 million people expected to march from Hyde Park Corner to Whitehall, it’s the UK’s biggest free-to-attend LGBTQ+ Pride and not to be missed.

Following the parade, dozens of artists, DJs and speakers from the queer community (including headliners MNEK, Beth Ditto and Meek) will take to six different stages across Soho to keep the vibes high. The Soho Square stage will be dedicated to trans and non-binary talent, the Golden Square stage will platform Black, Brown, Asian, dual-heritage and Indigenous voices and the Leicester Square stage will be all about LGBTQ+ women and non-binary artists. 

From Green Park to Whitehall. Sat Jul 4. From 12pm. Free. 

Atlassian Williams F1 Team Fan Zone
Image: Atlassian Williams F1 TeamAtlassian Williams F1 Team car

2. Race to a Formula 1 fan zone

Rev your engines! The British Grand Prix 2026 kicks off this Friday and to get London hyped, UK based F1 team Atlassian Williams has set up a fan zone in Piccadilly Circus in collaboration with Estrella Galicia. Throughout the race weekend, the pop-up will let you get up close to full-scale FW48 show car, compete for prizes in a trivia game, experience an immersive race simulator lap around the Silverstone Circuit, get behind the wheel on a haul truck simulator and pick up a copy of the Silverstone special edition Williams x Marvel comic.

In between all of that, fans can take a pit stop at the bar and refuel with a complimentary pint of Estrella Galicia 4.7 percent lager or Estrella Galicia 0.0. 

48 Regent Street, W1B 5RA. Until Jul 5.   

3. Flick through indie titles at the magCulture Fair

If you’ve ever rifled through the interesting titles in specialist indie magazine shop magCulture and wished you could meet the people behind the glossy pages you were flicking through, here’s your chance. The print mecca is hosting its inaugural magazine fair at design studio Pentagram’s Islington HQ, bringing together 40 independent titles to browse and buy directly from their publishers. Expect magazines covering design, wine, sex, food, sport, juggling and everything in between, with publishers travelling from Denmark, Hong Kong, Japan and the US to join the local lot. Entrance is free on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Pentagram Design, 162 Packington Street, N1 8RA. Sat Jul 4. Free. 

magCulture
Photograph: magCultureMagazines lining the shelves at magCulture

4. Get artsy at the Bell House Wayzgoose

A wayzgoose (for the uninitiated) was a traditional summer feast thrown by master printers for their apprentices, a centuries-old ritual marking the point in the year when workers began printing by candlelight. It might be the height of summer, but Bell House in Dulwich has revived the spirit of the occasion as a full-blown craft fair, with independent artists and makers setting up across the Georgian venue’s interiors and garden to show and sell work in print, textiles and ceramics. Alongside the stalls, there are live demonstrations and taster workshops, so you can get your hands properly inky.

Bell House, 27 College Road, SE21 7BG. Sat Jul 4. 11am–4pm. Free.

5. Have a wholesome time at Hampstead Summer Festival

For the past two weeks, Hampstead locals have been celebrating the joys of their quaint village in this annual fest. So far there’s been an art fair, an open-air theatre show and a garden party, and this Sunday is the grand finale. Heath Street will close off to all traffic to make way for the Big Fair, a carnival-style street party complete with art, food and craft stalls, live music, family activities and community group performances. You might even see a few famous Hampstead faces among the crowds. 

Heath Street, NW3. Sun Jul 5. 12pm-5pm Free. 

Render of German Kraft Beer screening area in Mercato Metropolitano
Photograph: German Kraft BreweryRender of German Kraft Beer screening area in Mercato Metropolitano

6. Keep up with the World Cup 

There may not be any England matches over the weekend (the Three Lions’ next fixture will take place in the early hours of Monday morning) but the World Cup is still very much worth pulling up a stool for. Friday night features the last of the Round of 32 fixtures, with Australia vs Egypt and holders Argentina vs plucky debutants Cape Verde, followed by the final R32 match Colombia vs Ghana in the early hours of Saturday morning. 

The Round of 16 kicks off on Saturday with a double header of Canada vs Morocco and Paraguay vs France, while before five-time winners Brazil face Erling Haaland’s Norway on Sunday evening.

The best thing about the non-England matches is that most venues won’t charge for tickets, as there’s obviously much lower demand. Just show up, order your pint and enjoy the show. From Mare Street Market to The Dial - Home of Meantime, see where in London is showing all World Cup fixtures here. And if you’re sizing up England’s potential route to the final, check out who the Three Lions could take on next

Various locations. Fri Jul 3-Sun Jul 5. Free.  

Fill up your diary for July with our guide to the best things to do in London this month.

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