Free events are held all the time, I said enough when I spoke about the Totally Thames Festival in my last blog, multiple events which run the entire month of September with a long list of free engaging activities. But many are also the attractions which are totally free and open and available year-round.
Some amazing collections and worldwide famous museums such as the Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum are completely free of charge and the British Museum’s entrance is based on a free offer donation.
The British Museum
London is full of parks and, amongst the most famous ones like Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, my personal favourite ones are Richmond Park and Greenwich Park because in the first you can easily encounter deer and get lost in a forest-like setting and in the second one you can visit the spot of the famous Greenwich meridian.
Another must-see place is the Diana’s Memorial created in 2004 in honour of the unfortunate Princess Diana, the Memorial wishes to reflect her life and it’s a fountain.
The water flowing and whirling, like a waterfall, in two directions, coming quietly in the lower part wishes to represent her serenity, her life, her personality and her love for children.
Princess Diana
It was inaugurated by Her Majesty the Queen in person and it is now possible to walk freely around the fountain. It was designed to be accessible because Diana herself was seen as a very outgoing princess.
Another favourite hangout of mine is the Southbank Area.
The Southbank Centre is a world-renowned arts centre located on the south bank of the river Thames, offering a wide range of cultural events, including music, dance, art performances and lectures other than a large selection of restaurants, cafés, shops and markets.
During the year, various festivals are also organized there.
Created in the 50s for the Festival of Britain, the Southbank Centre has later expanded as a convention centre hosting artistic events and activities both indoors and outdoors.
Free museums in London
If you are a fan of the Beatles (or of good music in general), you can’t miss the Abbey Road crosswalk, popular around the world because it was depicted on the Beatles Abbey Road album cover of the band.
In 1969, the group came to the Abbey Road Studios to record their latest album and chose this pedestrian crosswalk for their cover making this patch of road an icon for British music.
If you like culture then another favourite place of mine is the Sherling High-Level walkway and Viewing Gallery which offers free daily behind-the-scenes access to the London National Theatre.
The elevated path runs above the theatre and stage workshops, allowing visitors to see how the shows are created before being staged and, since London always hosts some great Broadway-level shows, admiring what goes on behind the stage is very exciting for theatre-lovers like myself.
If you are into dance music like reggae, hip hop and world music the place to be is Hootananny in Brixton.
The live music venue also offers Mexican and Jamaican dishes and all music performances are always free of charge.
If instead you prefer to hang out with animals the Vauxhall city farm is home to pigs, sheep, rabbits, ducks and many other farm animals.
There are also three alpacas here and it’s one of the best places to get disconnected from the city routine.
Vauxhall city farm
