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Saving money is always a good idea. When you’re holidaying on the Italian coast or finally investing in that big purchase you’ve had your eye on for months, you’ll be thankful for all those weeks of sticking to a tight budget.
But saving up doesn’t mean resigning yourself to weekends full of nothing. Especially in London. Sure, there are countless things in the city that can very easily tempt you to part with your cash, but there are also plenty of art exhibitions, cultural festivals and annual gatherings happening this weekend that are completely free of charge. Even if you’re not trying to be money conscious right now, they’re worth your time.
From Lunar New Year celebrations to LGBTQ+ History Month events, these are all the best free things going on in London over the weekend.
The best free things on in London this weekend, February 20-22 2026
1. Usher in the Year of the Fire Horse
London hosts the world’s largest Lunar New Year celebration outside of Asia, with dancing dragons, martial art masters and traditional music taking over Chinatown and the surrounding plazas. But those aren’t the only revelries to see in the city. You’ll also find big colourful Chinese New Year celebrations, with performances, workshops, food stalls and more at Camden Market, Greenwich Peninsula, the National Maritime Museum, London Museum Docklands, Duke of York Square and Old Spitalfields Market. Every single one of them is free to enjoy – simply turn up and get stuck in.
Various locations. Feb 21-22. Free.
2. Feed your kids’ imagination at the Southbank Centre
This half-term, the Southbank Centre has blessed parents with a sprawling kid-focussed festival that’ll have your little ones happily occupied for hours. The free stuff happening there on Friday and Saturday include an all-day hip-hop workshop, an architecture trail and an enormous chalk board floor that kids are invited to absolutely let loose on.
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX. Until Feb 21. Free.
3. Delve into LGBTQI+ stories at Dulwich Picture Gallery
Do you know how Saint Sebastian became the unofficial patron saint of homosexuality? Or about King James I’s intimate relationships with his male ‘favourites’? Queer historian Sacha Coward does. And he’ll be talking all about it on his LBGTQI+ tour of Dulwich Picture Gallery as part of its after-hours Out of Frame Late. That’s not all you’ll be able to get involved in. Queer art collective Bold Mellon will also be there performing poetry, live music and dance, outdoor community Touch Grass will be leading a collage workshop inspired by home, light and chosen family, and 2B Or Not 2B Collective is holding a life drawing session with models from queer Asian cabaret The Bitten Peach.
Dulwich Picture Gallery, College Road, SE21 7AD. Feb 21. Free.
4. Watch the Six Nations on a big screen
Even if you’re not into rugby the rest of the year, there’s something about the Six Nations that suddenly turns us all into fervent fans. Saturday will see the return of one of the tournament’s most fierce rivalries, Ireland v England, and a showdown between Scotland and Wales. Then, France will take on Italy the following day. Some of our favourite places to watch the matches with a crowd for free are the Faltering Fullback in Finsbury Park, Pillars Brewery in Walthamstow and the Bat & Ball in Stratford.
Various venues. Feb 21-22. Free.
5. Flick through queer zines at Brixton Library
Brixton Library will be shining a spotlight on LGBTQ+ zines, comics and small press on Saturday. More than 20 artists, writers and indie publishers will have stalls set up across two rooms, including Aggh! Zine from Brighton, Sweet Apple Zines from Norwich, London-based Sticky Fingers Publishing and Margate-based Paper Moon Zines. The little magazines on offer will explore everything from nineties TV to astrology to queer joy. And if you’re something of a zine creator yourself, there’ll be a spare table for anyone who didn’t book a stall to share and sell their booklets.
Brixton Library, Brixton Oval, SW2 1JQ. Feb 21. Free.
6. Make the most of the city’s latest free art exhibitions
The capital city is bursting at the seams with art, plenty of which you can see completely free of charge. Besides all the permanent stuff at the likes of the Tate Modern, National Gallery and V&A, there are several temporary exhibits well worth a visit. Stop by Somerset House to feast your eyes on Dana-Fiona Armour’s huge serpentine structures, get down to Raven Row in Spitalfields to explore the new Conceptual Art and Christine Kozlov exhibition and drop into the Hayward Gallery’s HENI Project Space for Blue Road, a show by Irish analogue photographer Samuel Laurence Cunnane.
Various locations. All weekend. Free.
Get planning with our guide to the best things to do in London this March.
Look forward to the summer with our roundup of the best music festivals in London in 2026.
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