Five of the best free things to do in London this weekend

Spring has officially sprung this week, but for many Londoners the first weekend of a brighter, warmer new season comes just before pay day. Counting down the days your bank balance is no longer in the red?  Resigned to a weekend spent indoors, eating leftovers with the heating off? Never fear! There’s loads of great fun to be had around the city this weekend, if you know where to look. From free club nights to late openings, an arty market and a last chance exhibition, here are five fabulous free events happening in London over the next few days.

BFI Flare DJ Nights

The UK’s largest queer film event is back this week, with over 130 films plus a whole bunch of talks, panels, creative workshops and after-hours events to check out over the next eight days. The BFI’s Southbank headquarters are a vibey place to hang out during the festival, regardless of whether you’ve nabbed tickets to some screenings. And this is particularly true on weekend evenings, when a host of exciting London queer collectives take over the BFI Bar, with DJs, dancing and drinks until late. This weekend features a Friday night party hosted by Dalston Superstore’s long-running night Fèmmme Fraîche, while Saturday evening sees DJs from queer Bollywood night Club Kali take to the decks. 

Find out what the UK’s most promising fine art graduates have been up to in this showcase of up-and-coming talent from across the UK. Now in its 75th year, the ICA exhibition features 33 exhibitors selected by renowned artists Liz Johnson Artur, Permindar Kaur and Amalia Pica., with loads of great stuff to check out – here’s a roundup of this year’s best bits from art critic Eddy Frankel – but you’ll need to be quick about it, because the exhibition closes this weekend.

Free club nights in London are about as rare as pints under £6 nowadays, but Ridley Road Market Bar is giving all the party starters in the capital a helping hand. Head to the tiki-themed dive bar for this night of disco, 90’s RnB, house and pop chosen by some of east London’s most in-demand selectors including Trudy.jpg and Aideen Ryan. Bring your mates, swig some ginger mojitos and you’ve got yourself a brilliantly egalitarian night out. Entry is free before 10pm, but be sure to get there early to avoid the queue and save your feet for dancing.