Free things to do in London this weekend

Every winter the Southbank Centre turns the banks of the Thames into a frosty wonderland, full of little wooden Alpine-style cabins selling gifts, warming drinks, and snacks. You’ll find huts serving up truffle burgers, duck wraps, mulled wine, Dutch pancakes, churros and many more tasty morsels to nibble on while you look through gifts, jewellery and decorations made by independent craft traders. Or, once you’re done browsing, snuggle up at pop-up king Jimmy Garcia’s riverside venue Fire And Fromage, where you can snaffle all you can eat raclette, sip on seriously decadent hot chocolates, and even toast your own marshmallows round a cosy fire pit.  When is Southbank Christmas Market open? The market opens at the start of November, and will stay open until Boxing Day, Friday, December 26, with a few pop-ups staying open slightly longer until the New Year. Do you need to buy a ticket? No, it's free to enter and have a wander. 

House of Music, the latest solo exhibition by Peter Doig, marks new territory for the artist who is increasingly known for being Europe’s most expensive painter, thanks to his works repeatedly selling for record-breaking, eye-watering sums on the secondary market. The show is Doig’s first foray into integrating sound into his work, through the inclusion of two sets of restored, cinema-standard analogue speakers which take centre stage in the Serpentine South Gallery, surrounded by a series of new and old paintings which relate to the artist’s love of music. The aim appears to be to transform the gallery into a listening space, something akin to the many hi-fi listening bars which have been popping up in spades around the UK in recent years, or Devon Turnbull’s excellent and hugely popular Hi-Fi Listening Room at Lisson Gallery the year before last. A smattering of plush recliners and chic tables and chairs are dotted around the various rooms, inviting art lovers to sit and enjoy the sounds of Doig’s personal vinyl collection as you take in the sights of his mesmerising, large scale paintings inspired by his time spent living in Trinidad, observing the country’s sound system culture which seemingly had a profound effect on the Scottish painter.  The only problem is, despite going to great lengths to acquire these mammoth speakers - they were ‘harvested from derelict cinemas’ by Doig’s collaborator Laurence Passera - you can’t actually hear the music very well. A private...

Escape the Oxford Street crowds with a detour into pretty Carnaby Street, which puts on memorable Christmas light displays each year. Last year's sustainability-led installation ‘Into the Light’ was a bit controversial, with viewers reckoning that the eco glowing cuboid shapes didn't have the wow factor of previous efforts. It looks like the same display will be repeated this year, but there'll be a welcome splash of neon colour added to bring some jollity to Carnaby's skies. Find more Christmas lights in London Find more festive fun with our guide to Christmas in London

The world’s biggest celebration of drawing is celebrating its 25th anniversary with the theme ‘Drawn Together’ in 2025. Taking place across the UK, and the capital, the month-long extravaganza will have everything from family-friendly doodle sessions, to sketching workshops held at London landmarks. There are also spray painting workshops, ‘sketchwalks’ and kids’ colouring sessions taking place across the city. Check the Big Draw’s website for the full programme. 

The Tate Britain is going all Wicker Man for its next late, which is a deep dive into folklore. The East Anglian Folklore Centre will be in attendance, showing visitors how to participate in folkloric rituals and there’ll be live painting and storytelling inspired by African folklore. Enter a Hans Christian Andersen-inspired mermaid grotto escape room and make your own tarot cards before dancing to DJ sets programmed by Brixton-based Reprezent Radio. 

Lawrence Lek’s largest UK institutional exhibition is set to take over Goldsmiths CCA later this year, with the artist responding to the gallery’s architecture through both new and existing work. The London-based creative’s work is often dark and playful, and fuelled by his own brand of science-fiction that raises questions around the age of machine consciousness and social change.

Once again you can expect to see remarkable feats of astrophotography at the Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition. It’s a chance to see magical views of both our own night sky and of galaxies far, far away. The winning spacey visions come from dozens of professional and amateur snappers in various categories including ‘Planets, Comets and Asteroids’, ‘Stars and Nebulae’, ‘Galaxies’ and ‘Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year’ for under-16s. Soar down to Greenwich to see the winners from 2025's competition on display.