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.
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.
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 10 JUL Hear a fusion of sounds that range from R&B to indie rock from Leicester-born, London-based singer-songwriter and DJ Shivani Day, and the genre-defying nikhil.
THU 24 JUL futurettense takes over the open-air Riverside Terrace stage for the evening. Performers include London-based Greek-Nigerian pop fusion artist Love Itoya, and REIGNS who will be serving classic soul and blues with a jagged pop edge.
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.
WHEN & WHERE: Sat 12 July from 11am at The Sidings
Taking place in the ‘Orchestra Pit’ area below platforms 20-24 in The Sidings at Waterloo Station, this coffee celebration brings together a variety of popular coffee brands with latte artists and expert baristas to showcase the best brews. There’s also plenty of free samples and giveaways up for grabs, including free affogatos from Hackney Gelato and GRIND.
WHEN & WHERE: Thu 10 July to Sun 13 July at St John's Waterloo Church
The annual Waterloo Festival is back, taking over the St John’s Waterloo church opposite Waterloo Station for a busy weekend of live music, performances, exhibitions, installations, storytelling, talks, poetry readings and workshops. The Programme presents a mix of free and ticketed events. Free events include: Secret Garden: Storytelling for adults (Sat 12 July from 5:30pm) an evening of myth, legend and folklore in the gardens with storyteller and the Jazz in the Churchyard concert (Sun 13 July, 1pm–4pm), plus a variety of free art exhibitions including works created by the the Drummond Street Artists collective and Morley College London.
WHEN & WHERE: Sat 19 July at Southbank Centre Riverside Terrace and Clore Ballroom
As part of the year ESEA Encounters series celebrating arts and culture from East and Southeast Asia, Southbank Centre presents the 2025 edition of the Ura Matsuri evening. Hosted by Japanny-A-Granny, the evening serves up pop music headlined by Franks Chickens, live film storytelling by Benshi, classical music on traditional instruments, Chindon Street performance and more. Ura Matsuri will also present Daylight Ninjas from 1pm on the Riverside Terrace in the afternoon - a family celebration of East and Southeast Asian culture.
WHEN & WHERE: Sat 19 Jul and Sun 20 Jul at Royal Festival Hall
Taking place as part of Southbank Centre ESEA Encounters weekend, a pop-up Japanese Market takes over the Royal Festival Hall foyers. Expect traditional and contemporary Japanese food, culture, arts and crafts stalls with everything from vintage kimonos, to illustrations and books, on sale, as well as a variety of delicious Japanese treats, including onigiri rice balls, wagashi, mochi and matcha. Entrance is free.
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 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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
You don't need to spend a fortune to enjoy a great day out sightseeing in South Bank.
