Top Free Things to do in South Bank

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.

Free South Bank events: Summer 2025

Throughout the year South Bank's cultural institutions and venues present a variety of free events, ranging from free talks and concerts, film screenings and hands-on activities for kids.

Summer is a particularly bountiful time for free events in the South Bank with temporary stages and DJ decks popping up in front of iconic venues like National Theatre and the Southbank Centre.

For most free events you can just pitch up, although some events (particularly those aimed at families) tend to have more limited space and you may be required to register for your free tickets online beforehand.

Free concerts & parties

Futuretense at Southbank Centre

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 11 SEP Raw and radical music from British-Kurdish producer, pianist, and songwriter Pelin Pelin, and raw, rough-edge alternative music from Darlington's Pollyfromthedirt.

THU 18 SEP Unapologeically original MC performance from Dublin-born Sierra Leonean rapper Ahmed, With Love and a mix of grime, guitar, R&B and rave from Third Kulture, a hybrid rock-rap band formed in Manchester.

Dance Your Way Home

WHEN & WHERE: 25 July–25 Aug at Southbank Centre

The month-long Dance Your Way Home series at Southbank Centre features a wide range of events, including talks and discussions led by prominent writers, poets, producers and promoters, unique durational performances, film screenings, and, of course, at the centre of it all is a packed lineup of free weekend dance parties on the Riverside Terrace.

Get your dancing shoes and head down for these summer parties:

FRI 25 JUL | Trans Pride Riverside Party with Transvision
SUN 27 JUL | Dub the Floor – An afternoon London sound system celebration

FRI 1 AUG | A Dance Floor Journey Through live music, dance workshops and social dancing, hosts Temujin Gill and Sunanda lead a foot-stomping journey through popular dance styles from the Charleston and the Lindy Hop to the 1960s, funk dances, hip-hop and beyond.
SAT 2 AUG | Urban Ritual: From Havana to Bahia – a day of inclusive classes for all levels, from novice to advanced, featuring song, music, dance, and capoeira, concluding with a lively Latino sunset party.
SUN 3 AUG | Grief Rave – Led by artists Annie Frost Nicholson, Carly Attridge and Linett Kamala, Grief Rave creates a “non-traditional way of accessing the complex, universal subject of grief” and presents an opportunity to find catharsis through dance.

FRI 8 AUG | Deptford Northern Soul Club & Friends
SAT 9 AUG | Skate Up Space – a day of workshops, live music and DJs guiding us to move together to the beat on wheels. Bring your own skates!
SUN 10 AUG | Femi Koleoso (from Ezra Collective) presents Situation Dance

FRI 15 AUG | Steps of Resistance – traditional Middle Eastern Dabke
SAT 16 AUG | Hooley in the Kitchen – Bringing together traditional musicians from Northern Ireland and sound system-influenced south Londoners with Irish heritage.
SUN 17 AUG | Move Like Me with Rain Crew Expect dance workshops open to all and DJ sets to lose yourself on the dance floor led by the youth-focused dance and DJ crew.

FRI 22 AUG | Make Yourself! Be Yourself! – pre-Notting Hill Carnival party
SAT 23 AUG & SUN 25 AUG | Bring the Dance You Have
MON 25 AUG | History of Hip-Hop

Jazz at St John's Church Garden Waterloo

WHEN & WHERE: Sun 17 Aug, 1:30pm-4:30pm

An afternoon of jazz, blues and grooves presented by the Unity Music Arts Team, featuring some of London’s finest up-and-coming musicians, hosted in the gorgeous churchyard gardens at St John's Waterloo (opposite Waterloo Station). Entrance is free and there's no need to book in advance.

Arundel Choirbook in Concert at Lambeth Palace

WHEN & WHERE: Thu 25 Sep from 7:30pm

To celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Arundel Choirbook - one of only two surviving choirbooks from the reign of King Henry VIII - Lambeth Palace’s Great Hall plays host to a special concert of medieval music from the Arundel Choirbook and its contemporaries. Performed by the Iken Scholars, under the baton of director Matthew Dunn, the concert will place music from the Arundel Choirbook in conversation with the wider environment of 16th-century church music, presented in suitably ancient surroundings. This event is on a pay-as-you-wish basis, with tickets reserved via Eventbrite with a £1 donation.

Free exhibitions

Many of South Bank's cultural venues, independent galleries and museums host free exhibitions throughout the year that are free to attend. Here's a look at the latest free exhibitions to explore in South Bank this season.

Surfacing

WHEN & WHERE: 12 Aug–7 Sep at County Hall Pottery. Open Tue–Sun.

Surfacing is a solo exhibition by ceramic artist Heather Gibson, developed during her year-long residency as the inaugural Potter in Residence at County Hall Pottery. The exhibition showcases a body of hand-built, gas and wood reduction-fired ceramic stoneware and porcelain created during her residency. Ranging from sculptural forms to vessels and wall works, this collection navigates the threshold between function and abstraction, bringing to the surface the expressive and transformative potential of ceramic material and objects. Launch party Mon 11 Aug from 6pm–9pm.

Bunny Mellon: A Life in Bloom

WHEN & WHERE: 23 Aug–7 Sep at Garden Museum

A special pop-up exhibition celebrating the remarkable life and legacy of Rachel ‘Bunny’ Lambert Mellon – renowned garden designer, philanthropist and patron of the arts. At the heart of the exhibition are works of art, rare manuscripts and botanical illustrations from Mrs. Mellon’s personal collection, including detailed studies of plants and flowers by renowned botanical artists and her own garden designs.

1001 Days of London

WHEN & WHERE: 21–31 Aug, Oxo Gallery at Oxo Tower Wharf

London street photographer Steve Hollingshead presents a newly updated edition of his 1001 Days in London project, capturing lively everyday scenes from the streets of London snapped over the past 25+ years. In this exhibition, Hollingshead celebrates this vibrant metropolis with a gallery-filling installation of 1001 individual photographs, each image marking an event or a moment from a different date covering the first 25 years of the 21st Century.

Sing Joyfully: Exploring music in the Lambeth Palace Library

WHEN & WHERE: Until 6 Nov. Open Mon-Fri and on first Sat of the month

2025 marks the 500th birthday of the beautifully illustrated ‘Arundel’ or ‘Lambeth’ Choirbook (Arundel, Sussex, c. 1525), one of only two surviving choirbooks from the reign of King Henry VIII. The Lambeth Palace Library marks the book’s quincentenary with this special exhibition that sees the historic Choirbook going on display alongside other interesting and unusual musical holdings from the library's incredible collection.

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.

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. The Mediatheque is very popular, so we recommend arriving early to grab a space (they open from 11am Tue-Sun). Find out more here.

Poetry at The National Poetry Library

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.

Free exhibitions at Lambeth Palace Library

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.

Relax in the Queen Elizabeth Hall roof garden

This peaceful space on top of the iconic Queen Elizabeth Hall has become a much-loved feature of the Southbank Centre. Home to over 200 wild native plants, a luscious lawn and gorgeous views across the river, the garden is open Tuesday to Sunday throughout the spring and summer. Entrance is free and there’s a café-bar on-site. The garden reopens for 2025 on 1 April.

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.

Sightseeing on the Queen’s Walk

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.

Watch graffiti artists at work on Leake Street

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!

A street acrobat performs in front of Jubilee Gardens

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 view of the London Eye from Jubilee Gardens on a sunny day

A picnic in the park

Next to the London Eye, take time out from the crowds with a picnic on the lawns at Jubilee Gardens. Behind the iconic Oxo Tower is the pretty Bernie Spain Garden and 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.

Pagination