The 6 best free things to do in London this weekend [September 25-27 2026]

Just when we’d all collectively agreed to kiss goodbye to summer and hunker down for the colder months, the nice weather is back for one final fling. Londoners are going to spend this weekend getting sozzled in beer gardens, leaping into lidos, and eating absurdly large olives on fancy restaurant terraces before it’s too cold for such fripperies. But there’s no need to burn through your budget just because the temperatures are hotting up. We’ve found some brilliant free things to do in London that’ll open up your world, while your wallet stays safely closed.

There’s a free wellness festival that’s packed with budget-friendly classes, a gallery late that’ll immerse you in the intriguing world of a brilliant Latin American artist, a festival of Basque culture... and lots more free events that’ll help you make the most of your weekend, without feeling guilty about it all Monday. Here are our tips for filling up your precious days off.

The best free things on in London this weekend, September 25-27 2026

1. Get healthy at Marylebone Wellness Weekender

The streets of Marylebone are full of bougie types who maintain their immaculate physiques with cryotherapy baths, snail serums and (envious onlookers might speculate) regular baths in the blood from other, less wealthy Londoners. But looking gorgeous doesn’t have to be wildly expensive. Browse the line-up for this fest and you’ll find free yoga from Third Space, specialist nutrition, fragrance and fertility consultations from local experts, and run clubs from Lululemon and Sealskinz, all designed to inspire you to take care of your body and discover Marylebone’s healthy community of wellness-based businesses.

Marylebone Village. Until Sun Sep 27. Prices vary, some free events.

2. Mark Mid-Autumn festival at Museum of the Home

It might not feel like it, but autumn is well underway, and with it come celebrations all across east and southeast Asia. Hoxton’s Museum of the Home has close links with the local community, and their creativity fills the line-up of this weekend. Join a tea circle discussing the diaspora’s future, make a colourful paper lantern (for kids aged five to 11), or drop in to a special day of performances, food and wellbeing events at Centre 151, a space that’s dedicated to bringing together people with roots in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

Museum of the Home, 136 Kingsland Road, E2 8EA. Fri Sep 25-Sun Sep 27. Free.

3. Discover the world of a Cuban-American artist at Tate Modern’s Ana Mendieta Late

This Friday, Tate Modern will fill up with sights and sounds inspired by artist Ana Mendieta, who’s currently the subject of a major retrospective in the gallery. There’ll be a vinyl-only DJ set of Latin music by La Chonga in Corner Bar, a set from Flo Dill on Terrace Bar, and two short documentaries by Ana’s niece Raquel Cecilia Mendieta available to watch in the Starr Cinema. Get hands-on by joining a collaborative collage workshop with Colombian artist Mónica Rivas Velásquez, who’ll help visitors transform two mirrored scenes in a creative ritual as the night darkens.

Tate Modern. Fri Sep 25. Free.

4. Watch the National Theatre’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ on a big outdoor screen

This summer’s outdoor film pop-ups have almost all ended for the year, but the visionaries in Lower Marsh clearly foresaw that the last weekend of September would be pretty gorgeous, as they programmed a big al fresco Shakespeare to finish off the season. NT Live’s Romeo and Juliet stars Jessie Buckley and Josh O’Connor in a classic tale of plighted love. Pull up a deckchair and enjoy the show on a picturesque street that’s stuffed full of independent bars and restaurants: squint and you could just be in fair Verona, where Shakespeare set his scene. 

Lower Marsh. Sat Sep 26, 5pm. Free.

5. Swig a free cider at Bar Kroketa’s Basque Festival

Don’t let your knowledge of Basque culture begin and end with a slice of burnt cheesecake (undeniably delicious though it might be). Broadgate’s Bar Kroketa is hosting a delicious one-night introduction to the region this weekend, and if you pre-book on Eventbrite, you can get a free cider on entry. The evening’s entertainments also include Basque tunes, authentic wines and brews from different pop-up bars, and a chance to vote for your favourite croquette of the night. 

Bar Kroketa, 36 Broadgate Circle, EC2M 2QS. Sat Sep 26. Prices vary, free cider with booking.

6. See some intriguing outdoor installations at Frieze Sculpture

A blue door that opens up into a mysterious void, a mesmerising tessellated monolith, and a giant, eerily blackened palm tree are among the surreal sculptural works that have popped up in Regent's Park for Frieze Sculpture. Tickets to this giant tented annual art fair will set you back at least £100, but you can see these outdoor installations for free. Plus, you’ll also get to see art world types in spectacularly weird outfits and very wealthy investors in dull suits heading in to the big marquee, making for a feast for the eyes.

Frieze Sculpture, Regent's Park, NW1 4NR. Until Nov 1. Free.

Fill up your autumn diary with our guide to the best things to do in London this month.

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