Free things to do in London this weekend

Summer In The Square is back in Marylebone’s Portman Square Garden for another family-friendly festival of food, culture and community. Join the locals to take part in everything from Grayson Perry-inspired art workshops and a hands-on community flag project to Alice in Wonderland-themed theatre and wellness sessions, including yoga by Fitness First and scent-making by anatomē. Foodies will be able to tuck into guest kitchen pop-ups from The Landmark London, Junsei, Zula Burger and more, as well as street food favourites like Nick & Greek, Nimtoh and Master of Grill. There’ll also be cocktail tastings with The Churchill Bar and summer spritzes from Home House. you can also get your Wimbledon fix with free screenings of the tennis. 

Deptford X, SE8’s beloved contemporary visual art festival, is back – but this time with a brand new format. For the first time, it’s going biennial, expanding the festival to 18 days packed with art, exhibitions, events, and a street parade. Plus, fringe art events will leave almost no part of Deptford untouched. An artist callout is currently underway, head to the event website if you fancy applying. Otherwise, watch the space for the final programme.  

Get to know the surprising queer histories behind some of the art and artefacts in the British Museum’s vast collection on this free tour of the iconic institution. Led by a knowledgeable volunteer, the 70-minute tour takes in a huge variety of objects ranging from the ancient world to the present day, illuminating the fascinating stories behind some of the musum’s most famous artefacts and lesser-known gems, including the Townley Diskobolos, the Gilgamesh Tablet and the Warren Cup. Can’t make it to one of these dates? There’s also a self-guided version of the tour with free audio commentary you can access through your preferred streaming platform. 

After getting her breakthrough as part of the renowned artist group BANK, Milly Thompson went on to carve out a place for herself in the art world as a painter, sculptor, video artist and writer in her own right. A selection of her work from 2010 onwards will be on display here, showing her trademark blend of irony and sincerity as the pieces tackle the hegemonic force of luxury consumer culture on women, the libidinal power of the middle-aged female body, and more.

Sophie Podolski’s work will be presented solo for the first time in the UK at this exhibition, with the display spanning the poet, writer and artist’s drawings, etchings, archival materials and texts. Although she died tragically at 21, Podolski made a huge impact on literature and culture and celebrated radical creativity and personal freedom through her work.