The 6 best free things to do in London this weekend [April 17-19 2026]

Sometimes, genuinely good free events going on in London are few and far between. Of course, when that happens, you can always just do one of the many, many great things that are free all year round. But there are other times when the events that don’t cost any money are simply the best things going on in the city full stop. This weekend is one of those times. 

The next three days are going to be an absolute belter for free stuff. There’ll be a load of free gigs celebrating Record Store Day, a packed after-hours programme at the British Museum and, most exciting of all, the grand opening of the V&A East Museum, one of Time Out’s best new things to do this year. Without further ado, here are all the key details.

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???? All of the best things to do in London this weekend.

The best free things on in London this weekend, April 17-19 2026 

1. Be the first through the doors of the all-new V&A East Museum

The wait is over! This weekend, a decade after it was first put forward, the V&A East Museum finally opens its doors to the public on Saturday. And just like the museum’s grand outpost in Kensington, the permanent collection is completely free to see. Here, the free galleries (titled Why We Make) are filled with more than 500 items from the V&A’s collection. They include fashion pieces by Alexander McQueen, Molly Goddard and Vivienne Westwood, artworks by the likes of Rene Matić, Carrie Mae Weems and Tania Bruguera, photographs by Jamie Hawkesworth, ceramics by Bisila Noha and much, much more. 

107 Carpenters Road, Stratford Cross, E20 2AR. Opens Sat April 18. Free.  

2. Take your pick from dozens of Record Store Day gigs

Record Store Day isn’t just about spending your dosh on limited edition LPs (though exclusive records from the likes of Elton John, Madonna, Charli XCX and Primal Scream will make that hard to resist). There’ll be an abundance of special gigs, surprise guests, and dance floor-filling sounds at stores and bars across London celebrating the dark miracle of vinyl. Rough Trade will host the likes of Daytime TV, Cardinals and Matt Maltese at its two branches; Hidden Groves will have a DJ sets from former Klaxons frontman Jamie Reynolds and Next Door Records 2 has invited singer-songwriters Yaz and Lucy McWilliams, and DJs Haseeb Iqbal, Dirt Bike Dub and Marie Guyot to soundtrack its Record Day celebrations. 

Various venues. Sat April 18. Free. 

3. Celebrate African stories at a British Museum late 

African stories, told by those from the continent and across the diaspora, will take centre stage at the British Museum on Friday evening. Curated by cultural organisation My Runway Group, tonnes of fantastic events have been stuffed into the three hour ‘Running in the Halls’ programme. There’s a Ghanaian fashion showcase, DJ sets from DJ A1 and Dankie Sounds, live painting, open jam sessions, film screenings, spoken word performances and panel discussions. It’s worth registering in advance for this one. You can do that here. 

British Museum, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG. Fri April 17. Free.  

4. Eat dirt at the Somerset House Earth Day Weekender

Yes, really. Ahead of Earth Day on April 22, Somerset House has curated a packed programme of free talks, workshops and exhibitions that highlight the urgent need for climate action. The three-day event includes free entry to the Museum of Edible Earth, a multi-sensory project by artist masharu. It displays hundreds of globally-sourced earths, inviting visitors to touch, smell and taste them in an exploration of rituals, culinary traditions and healing practices from across the world. Among the other goings-on, you’ll find paint and pigment making workshops, herbal tea workshops and lovely free food from Syrian deli Aram or vegan restaurant Café Petiole.

Somerset House, Strand, WC2R 1LA. April 16-18. Free. 

5. Help out at your nearest community garden for Good to Grow week

Saturday marks the start of Good to Grow week, a festival of urban food growing across the city. Get down to Wild Cat Wilderness in Catford on Saturday for soil-inspired storytelling, rock painting, seed bombs and creepy crawly activities or pop by Cecil Sharp House in Camden to help out at its a permablitz setting up hoverfly lagoons, earwig hotels and bee hotels. On Sunday, Finsbury Park’s Edible Landscapes is hosting an open day and will be imparting all sorts of plant-cultivating wisdom, while Wandsworth’s Paradise Co-operative has organised seasonal crafting, pond dipping, guided flower-identification walks accompanied by free refreshments. See all the Good to Grow Week events going on near you here. 

Various venues. From April 18. Free.  

6. Sip on some bizarre coffee creations in Covent Garden 

Boring bog standard americanos are out, wacky caffeinated brews are in. That’s what Nespresso is saying, anyway. The brand has pitched up in Covent Garden to give passersby a taste of some seriously quirky concoctions. Swap your regular iced latte for a pickled coffee cola, your flat white for an avocado toast and Marmite latte, your double espresso for a pineapple and tajin ‘coffarita’ and your cappuccino for a rhubarb and custard ‘crumbleccino’. Best of all? Every drink is on the house which, of course, will make them taste even better. 

Covent Garden Piazza, WC2E 8RF. Until Sun April 19. Free. 

Curate your calendar with our guide to all of London’s best things to do in April and May. 

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