The 8 best free things to do in London this August bank holiday weekend

The August bank holiday is without a doubt one of the liveliest weekends of the year in London. Not only do around two million people take to the streets to celebrate Notting Hill Carnival, there’s also a plethora of late-summer music festivals – All Points East, Rally and Body Movements to name a few – plus plenty of outdoor cinema and open-air theatre.

But if you’re anything like us, after a summer spent holidaying, day-tripping, festival-going, beer garden session-ing and generally acting like you have unlimited disposable income, all the late summer antics might just be one expense too far. So to save your overdraft from taking another rinsing, we’ve rounded up eight great things to do over the long weekend without shelling out a single penny.

📍 Our guide to the bank holiday in London

The best free things to do in London this bank holiday weekend, August 22-25

1. Watch the opening performance at the Greenwich + Docklands International Festival

The 30th edition of London’s leading outdoor performance festival kicks off this weekend, and its opening show is one you won’t want to miss. After dazzling audiences with last year’s performance, Life Lines, French movement company Lézards Bleus are back with Above And Beyond, a breathtaking acrobatic feat that will see eight parkour performers traversing landmark buildings around Woolwich, accompanied by music from the Greenwich-based Citizens of the World Choir. You don’t need to book, just head to Beresford Square for 6.45pm and prepare to be wowed. 

Beresford Square, SE18 6AY. Fri Aug 22. Free.

2. Catch the first round of games in the Women’s Rugby World Cup

The biggest competition in women’s rugby kicks off this weekend, and it’s a home tournament for England’s Red Roses. The current Six Nations champions are among the favourites for this year’s championship, and will be hoping to go one better than the 2022 World Cup when they were runners-up to New Zealand. Their campaign gets underway on Friday night against the USA, with further first-round fixtures across the weekend. Check out our roundup of watch parties, many of which are free, and some of which are even offering a free pint to those who book in advance. 

Various London venues. Fri Aug 22-Sun Aug 24. Free.

3. Dance to some top DJs at a mini music festival on the canal

Don’t fancy shelling out for one of the big festivals over the bank holiday? Head down to canal-side venue Hackney Bridge instead, for a mini-festival celebrating London’s vibrant community radio scene, staged by King’s Cross brewery Two Tribes. The two-day shindig will have a stacked line-up curated by some of the capital’s finest party starters. Saturday sees NTS Radio regular and host of RA’s Narrated Shorts, Moxie, headlining, with long-serving NTS breakfast show host and Do!! You!! Radio founder Charlie Bones taking top billing on Sunday. Both selectors will be supported by guests from King’s Cross-based community station Voices Radio. Grab your free tickets here. 

Hackney Bridge, E15 2SJ. Sat Aug 23-Sun Aug 24. Free.

4. See some last-chance art exhibitions

This bank holiday is the perfect excuse to see some of London’s best free art exhibitions right now before they close for good. For playful sculptures inspired by the dark undertones of English nursery rhymes, run to Freudian Typo at the Hayward Gallery; for paintings irreverently depicting the hold that of luxury consumer culture has on women, go to Milly Thompson at Goldsmiths CCA and for brutally beautiful installations questioning the Western ideas of art, race to akâmi at Camden Arts Centre. This weekend is also your very last chance to see Christelle Oyiri’s Infinities Commission at Tate Modern and the first solo exhibition of the late Sophie Podolski’s work at Goldsmiths CCA. 

Various London art galleries. Dates vary. Free.

5. Claim one of 1,200 free Aperol Spritzes

As August reaches its end, so does our beloved Aperol Spritz season. And what better way to round it off than getting your final Spritz for free? From Saturday to Monday, free Aperols are being handed out at Market Place Food Halls in St Paul’s, Vauxhall, Harrow, and Peckham. There’ll be 100 complimentary cocktails up for grabs at each site on each day, and it’s first-come, first-served. Simply head up to the bar and say ‘I’m here to celebrate at Market Place’ to secure yours. 

Market Hall venues. Sat Aug 23-Mon Aug 25. Free.

6. Head to Walthamstow-on-Sea for a Bank Holiday shindig

Whenever we all have a collective day off, you can always count on Walthamstow beer hall Big Penny Social to mark the occasion with a sud-filled party. The UK’s largest beer hall is kicking off the Bank Holiday with a marathon party filled with beats and eats. The venue’s very own sandy beach, Walthamstow-on-Sea, will also be open for deck chair lounging, ice cream eating, and Aperol sipping throughout the day, with DJs in the garden from 7pm, and live music from north London-based soul singer Laville in the beer hall from 9pm, before DJs carrying on the party ’till late. 

Big Penny Social, E17 6AL. Sat Aug 23. Free.

7. Check out circus performances, street theatre and games at the return of Greenwich Fair

After a hiatus of several years, Greenwich’s colourful family festival is finally back, taking over Greenwich Park with two days of dazzling live acts. Modelled after a wildly popular event held twice a year from the early 1700s until 1857, the modern Greenwich Fair features all sorts of free entertainment, which this year runs the gamut from a lip-syncing tribute to wartime songstress Connee Boswell and a heartwarming inter-generational dance performance to juggling ballerinas and full-on aerial highwire work from French company Cie des Chaussons Rouges. You don’t need to book, just download the performance schedule online here, and show up.

Greenwich Park, SE10 8QY, Sat Aug 23-Sun Aug 24. Free.

8. Show off your best moves at the closing weekend of Dance Your Way Home

The Southbank Centre’s dance-themed summer series wraps up this week, but not before loads of free installations, performances and parties. Head down to check out an exhibition from ooet and artist Iris Colomb in the National Poetry Library, explore public art installations dotted around the venue, take part in a Caribbean-tinged ceilidh to kick off Carnival, attend a family-friendly bloc party staged by kids entertainment troupe Fun DMC, and let loose as a host of DJs spin tunes on the Riverside Terrace. Check out the full programme here.

Southbank Centre, SE1 8XX. Fri Aug 22-Mon Aug 25. Free.

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