From hidden gardens to free exhibitions, pop-up festivals and unusual sightseeing attractions, South Bank has a wealth of different attractions that won't cost you a penny to enjoy.
From free events, workshops, parties and exhibitions to libraries, galleries and street performances, here's a look at the many great things to see and do in South Bank for free.
Free South Bank events: Winter / Spring 2025
Throughout the year South Bank's cultural institutions and venues present a variety of free events, ranging from free talks and concerts, to exhibitions, film screenings and hands-on activities for kids. Here's a look at what's on for free this season.
WHEN & WHERE: Monthly at the Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall
Join Creative Encounters for a social evening of conversation, music and making. Each month a different artist leads an evening of playful creativity. Aiming to be a place where you can meet and socialise with new people while trying something different, there’s an emphasis on getting to know others through interacting with hands-on creative activities. All events are free and each month there's a different theme and artist. The Creative Encounters sessions start from 5:30pm and last 3 hours.
WED 29 JAN | Performances and workshops from the UK’s first queer pan-Asian cabaret company, The Bitten Peach. WED 5 FEB | Writer Rhianna Illube presents A Wednesday Kind of Love, with an evening of writing, exchanging and debunking love stories. WED 26 FEB | Listen to relaxing and meditative South Asian classical music and explore poems from the National Poetry Library with Rangoli and Rhythms by the Sonia Sabri Company. WED 12 MAR | Artists from the Black Women Artist Network present Art and Poetry in Harmony, a relaxing evening of meditation, poetry and painting. WED 26 MAR | Brought up in two indigenous cultures (Hawaiian and Ryukyuan), Stacy Makishi invites you to encounter rowdy rituals and soothing provocations to welcome spring.
WHEN & WHERE: Thursdays at the Queen Elizabeth Hall foyer, Southbank Centre
In collaboration with BBC Introducing, the Southbank Centre's futuretense series is all about showcasing the best new British and international music, allowing you to discover artists on the up, and find your next musical obsession – for free! Gigs kick off from 6pm and the music is an eclectic mix of new pop, rap, soul, alternative, jazz, folk, electronica and more with two different acts playing at each edition. Acts scheduled to perform at futuretense this season include:
THU 23 JAN| Expect something altogether new with experimental electronic music from BODUR and Su, I Think. THU 6 FEB | Step into soulful music at this edition featuring two rising neo-soul stars in the UK music scene, Izzy Withers and Kemi Ade THU 13 FEB | Catch cheeky tunes and cautionary tales at a free double bill of R&B, hip-hop and neo-soul from up-and-coming artists Jeffrey the KiDDD and The Black Esper THU 6 MAR | Multimedia artist and performer Anman infuses her native Georgian polyphonic song with alt hip-hop and avant-pop elements Meanwhile, Rosa Cecilia blends Latin, soul, dance and pop influence with energetic choreography and a full Latin band. THU 20 MAR | Hear a double bill of free music from producer/songwriter duo KEEP YA NOSE OUT and singer-songwriter Arinola, with R&B influences and a London-flavoured sound.
A free exhibition of paintings by contemporary artist Ruth Murray exploring the psychological impact of gardens and how green spaces affect our lives today. Living in a concrete yard in a bustling city, Ruth draws inspiration from the small patches of greenery in her area — her neighbour Ingrid’s vibrant collection of potted plants, community planters in shared alleys, and a serene corner by a brook in the nearby park.
WHEN & WHERE: Sat 1 Feb at 4.30pm at Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer
The award-winning playwright, poet and writer of The Barbershop Chronicles presents live literature and moving music inspired by Nina Simone’s life, lyrics and activism, with special guests Claire Berliner, Jumoke Fashola, Gayathiri Kamalakanthan, DJ Sid Mercutio, Pẹ̀lúmi Obasaju, Nii Parkes, Leone Ross, Colin Salmon and Richard Scott. This special free event takes place as part of the Southbank Centre x Montreux Jazz Festival Residency. Find out more here.
Southbank Centre's Imagine Festival is the UK’s leading arts festival for children aged 0–11 years and their grown-ups, presenting music, storytelling, dance, crafts, comedy and more. The huge week-long programme, timed to coincide with half-term, includes a variety of free and pay-what-you-can events, including:
TUE 18 FEB at 10:30am & 1:30pm Afro Dance with HomeBros Learn new moves and routines, and watch incredible short performances from the exciting Afro-dance duo HomeBros. For ages 5+.Free.
18–22 FEB at 3:30pm Meditation Station Journey through sound, movement and story to land softly after a busy day. Ideal for calming down and rounding up an exciting day out. For ages 5+. Free.
19–23 FEB at 10:30amA Message for the Future A meditative installation of pop-up gig-theatre featuring original storytelling and live music by acclaimed Margate gig theatre-makers Brigitte Aphrodite and Quiet Boy. For ages 0 – 3.
19–23 FEB Imagine Artist Studio x WOM Collective Immerse yourself in a street art masterclass with WOM Collective. Focusing on a different specialism every day, the workshops introduce techniques like stencil making and graffiti lettering. or ages 7 – 11.
WED 19 FEB at 10:30am & 1:30pm Singing All Over The World Enjoy a day of performances from different choirs and learn songs in different languages to celebrate all voices across the world. For ages 5+
THU 20 FEB at 10:30am & 1:30pm When Stories Come Alive Hear from incredible storytellers and settle in for gripping live performances at this drop-in event. For ages 5+
FRI 21 FEB at 10:30am & 1:30pmBig Laughs for Little Bellies Comedian Jay Foreman, comedian and writer Leila Navabi and internationally renowned poet, performer and educator Joshua Seigal bring devilishly cheeky songs, poems and comedy to the Clore Ballroom floor. For ages 5+.
SAT 22 FEB at 10:30am & 1:30pm ZooNation's Hip-Hop Half Term A fun-filled day for all the family, with workshops and performances from ZooNation Youth Company, plus a lunchtime DJ. For ages 5+.
SUN 23 FEB at 10:30am & 1.30pmPrancer the Dancer's DanceDanceDiscoPartyFunShow Power the disco with collective electric dance energy at a fun-filled party featuring special guests, dance routines to learn together and gymnastics ribbons aplenty. For all ages.
WHEN & WHERE: Fri 28 Mar at 7pm, Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre
Part of this year's Contemporary EditClassical Season, hear works and arrangements by the brilliant young artists mentored by members of Resident Artist Manchester Collective. This is the third year of an innovative creative partnership between the Southbank Centre and the Royal Academy of Music, with students performing material they have composed, curated and refined under the guidance of Rakhi Singh, Co-Artistic Director of Manchester Collective. This is a free ticketed event. Reserve your free tickets here.
Quirky attractions
In addition to world-famous attractions like the London Eye, South Bank has several smaller attractions that are free to visit including some fascinating cultural spaces where you can often catch pop-up exhibitions, talks, free workshops and other interesting events.
Go behind the scenes at Sherling High-Level Walkway
Described as central London's biggest factory, every aspect of the National Theatre's theatre production works - from metalwork, carpentry and painting to prop manufacture and rehearsals - takes place inside the theatre complex itself. You can view the theatre's workshops from the Sherling High-Level Walkway where informative exhibition boards outline the different production preparations taking place. Open 12pm-6pm on Wed and Sat, entrance via Dorfman Theatre.
Photo by Peter Li courtesy BFI
Watch archive films at the BFI Mediatheque
Explore highlights from the world’s greatest film and TV archive in BFI Southbank’s free digital viewing space, the Mediatheque. Visitors can view over 95,000 titles from the BFI National Archive. The available film footage covers more than a century of film and TV material including news reels, feature films, TV shows and commercials. Simply choose a booth and touch the screen to start your viewing. Headphones are provided, but you are also welcome to bring your own. Find out more here.
The National Poetry Library(located on the 5th floor of the Royal Festival Hall) is the largest public collection of modern poetry in the world. In addition to a massive selection of anthologies, magazines and journals, the library hosts free temporary exhibitions themed around poetry and poets. Every Friday from 10.30am–11am the children's Little Library area hosts Rug Rhymes, a free poetry reading session aimed at children aged 5 and under.
One of the largest libraries of its kind in the world, the state-of-the-art Lambeth Palace Library is home to The National Library & Archive of the Church of England. The collection contains tens of thousands of books, maps, manuscripts, letters and other written materials, some of which are 1,000 years old! The library is free to visit and hosts free temporary exhibitions that highlight treasures from the library’s collection, as well as free evening lectures (space is limited so make sure to book). See what's on here.
Iconic sights
They say the best things in life are free and when it comes to iconic sightseeing opportunities that won't cost you a penny, you are spoiled for choice in South Bank! Take a stroll along the river and stop and sit for a while to soak up the views.
Possibly London’s most famous riverside promenade, the Queen’s Walk is stacked with iconic views. Favourite photo opportunity stops include the world-famous views of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, the grandeur of the London Eye and the views of St Paul’s Cathedral as seen from Observation Point in front of Gabriel’s Wharf. Read our guide to what to see on your Queen's Walk stroll here.
This 300-metre-long tunnel runs all the way beneath Waterloo Station connecting South Bank with the Lower Marsh High Street in Waterloo. Leake Street is London’s longest graffiti wall and every inch of space is covered with an ever-changing collection of street art murals. Anybody is free to leave their mark and the graffiti changes daily. A great place to take some fun photos and to watch local graffiti artists at work!
Watch the street performers
While strolling the Queen’s Walk take time out to watch the street performers. Every day brings a different collection of talented buskers, acrobats and other performers to the banks of the river. Performers can be found at the dedicated busking spots near the Southbank Centre in front of Jubilee Gardens, next to Hungerford Bridge and on the pedestrian crossings of the Golden Jubilee Bridges.
A picnic in the park
Next to the London Eye, take time out from the crowds with a picnic on the lawns atJubilee Gardens. Behind the iconic Oxo Tower is the pretty Bernie Spain Gardenand its lush herbaceous borders. A little more off the beaten track, is Archbishop's Park (once part of the expansive Lambeth Palace Gardens), where you’ll find an excellent kid's playground and some ping pong tables. The small St Thomas Gardens next to the hospital have a handful of picnic tables and benches offering some of the best views of Big Ben.
More ways to save in South Bank
While the following activities aren't all free entry, here are some more top tips on how to make the most of South Bank on a budget.
NATIONAL THEATRE FRIDAY RUSH Looking for bargain-priced tickets for the National Theatre's shows? A limited number of £20 tickets are available to purchase directly at the box office in South Bank on the day of a show from 10am. Even better yet, every Friday at 1pm £10 Friday Rush tickets are released online for each of the following week’s performances. An incredible offer worth setting an alarm for!
LAMBETH AND SOUTHWARK RESIDENTS DISCOUNTS If you are a resident of the Lambeth or Southwark boroughs you can become an OV Local member at the Old Vic, which entitles you to 20% off tickets, food and drinks at the Old Vic. Find out more here. Lambeth residents can also get £8 tickets to exhibitions at the Hayward Gallery Wed–Fri and after 5pm on Saturday, as can visitors aged under 30. Find out more and book online here.
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