{"id":728160,"date":"2026-01-29T08:17:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T08:17:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/728160\/"},"modified":"2026-01-29T08:17:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T08:17:21","slug":"the-6-best-free-things-to-do-in-london-this-weekend-january-30-february-1-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/728160\/","title":{"rendered":"The 6 Best Free Things to Do in London This Weekend [January 30-February 1 2026]"},"content":{"rendered":"

We’ve made it, guys! January is basically over, and that means the greyest, grimmest bit of the year is receding from view. Gone are the bleak days where only the Traitors\u00a0was worth getting excited about. In a few short weeks, we\u2019ll be enjoying lighter evenings, the first spring flowers<\/a>, and al fresco pints when warmer weather rolls in. But first, it\u2019s time to give the year\u2019s darkest month a good send off. And fortunately, that doesn\u2019t have to mean putting pressure on your beleaguered bank balance.<\/p>\n

This weekend, there\u2019s a warming array of free things to do that\u2019ll provide the perfect way to dispel any lingering January gloom. Sip a free hot chocolate, marvel at open-air light installations, or see movies without shelling out for tickets\u00a0\u2013 and give February<\/a>\u2019s longer days the warm welcome they deserve.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The best free things on\u00a0in London this weekend,\u00a0January 30-February 1 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

There was a time when Canary Wharf was the exclusive preserve of the finance types beavering away in its glass-walled towerblocks. But it\u2019s made considerable efforts to broaden its appeal in recent years, and its annual Winter Lights festival must be one of the most successful. Every January, hordes of thrill-seekers and amateur photographers flock to Canary Wharf to see an eccentric array of light-based spectacles once the sun sets. This year\u2019s highlights include Sol, which is a collection of glowing planet-like orbs on Crossrail Place Roofgarden, and Amplitudes, which projects trippy colours onto water spray at Eden Dock. There\u2019ll be food stalls to pick up snacks en route: just make sure to head down the moment sun sets, to beat the considerable crowds.<\/p>\n

Various Canary Wharf locations. Until Sat Jan 31. Free.<\/p>\n

Long ago, the Thames used to freeze over every winter, so that Tudor Londoners could skate and party on its icy surface. Global warming has largely put paid to such frivolities. But that\u2019s changing this weekend, with Bankside\u2019s Frost Fair. It\u2019ll take place next to (rather than on) the river, offering a history-inspired line-up of free fun events. There\u2019ll be outdoor games, performances, family-friendly craft sessions, and stalls to browse. Hang around til 7pm and you\u2019ll find free folk music sessions at neighbouring pubs.<\/p>\n

Bankside, Pavilion A,\u00a0SE1 9FU. Sat Jan 31. Free.<\/p>\n

\"A
\nPhotograph: Mickey LF Lee <\/p>\n

Surreal, fleshy forms recalling shop dummies or androids are combined with graceful arrangements of\u00a0metal in US sculptor Julia Phillips’ work. She\u2019ll be taking up residence in Barbican Curve this weekend, as part of the venue\u2019s celebrations of 20 years of commissioning artists. Go to marvel at her intriguing minimalist installations, which are designed to embody intangible concepts from psychological states to biological processes.<\/p>\n

Barbican Centre,\u00a0EC2Y 8AE. Fri Jan 30-Apr 19. Free.<\/p>\n

This community-focused film festival is the polar opposite to the sanitised, pricy, predictable experience of seeing a blockbuster at your nearest multiplex. PictureEast takes over unexpected spaces across\u00a0Newham and Barking & Dagenham, for totally free pop-up screenings of underappreciated international films and new works from local talent. This year, the fest winds up with a\u00a0free screening of uplifting documentary\u00a0Palestine Comedy Club, alongside live spots from professional funny people.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Various east London locations. Until Sun Feb 1. Free.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Large
\nPhotograph: Karolina Wielocha <\/p>\n

5. Give your brain a workout at a pair of Friday lates<\/strong><\/p>\n

The final Friday of the month\u00a0spells after-hours fun at some of London\u2019s buzziest galleries.\u00a0Step into King\u2019s College London\u2019s Science Gallery after dark and you\u2019ll find a quantum-themed late<\/a>\u00a0featuring installations, talks and performances that\u2019ll introduce you to this mind-bending set of theories. These include a showcase of short sci-fi films, an interactive laser sculpture, and a found poetry workshop using quotes about quantum physics. And just down the road at Tate Modern, there\u2019s a late themed around the gallery\u2019s current exhibition, \u2018Theatre Picasso<\/a>,\u2019\u00a0where London-based musician kwes. will be premiering his new ambient album\u00a0in a multi-sensory performance created with\u00a0CGI artist Ryan Vautier, alongside movement and creative writing workshops hosted by Peckham-based yoga instructor\u00a0Letty Mitchell and Camden\u2019s Pigeon Publishing House.<\/p>\n

Science Gallery,\u00a0SE1 9GU; Tate Modern,\u00a0SE1 9TG.\u00a0Fri Jan 30. Free.<\/p>\n

Bid a delicious goodbye to January with a free cup of hot chocolate at Battersea Power Station. Ethical Caribbean cocoa-makers Islands Chocolate are marking National Hot Chocolate Day with a great big giveaway. They\u2019re setting up a tropical-themed stall outside Battersea Power Station Underground, which\u2019ll dispense 1,000 free chocolates made from single-origin Caribbean cocoa. Can\u2019t make it to Battersea?\u00a0There\u2019s more chocolatey goodness on offer across the capital, with bakeries including Crosstown Doughnuts, Caravan, Mission Coffee Works, and North Star Coffee all giving out 100 free hot chocolates on Saturday too.<\/p>\n

Battersea Power Station,\u00a0SW8 4NN. Sat Jan 31. Free.<\/p>\n

Get excited for February with our guide to the best things to do in London next month<\/a>.<\/strong>
\nAnd plan for the year ahead with\u00a0Time Out\u2019s roundup of the 26 best things to do in 2026<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke \u2013 from news and reviews to events and trends. Just\u00a0<\/strong>follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Stay in the loop: sign up for our\u00a0<\/strong>free Time Out London newsletter<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We’ve made it, guys! January is basically over, and that means the greyest, grimmest bit of the year…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":728161,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7757],"tags":[748,6419,393,4884,257,6420,6417,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-728160","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-london","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-categories-things-to-do","10":"tag-england","11":"tag-great-britain","12":"tag-london","13":"tag-news-city-life","14":"tag-things-to-do","15":"tag-uk","16":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115977404133215364","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/728160","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=728160"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/728160\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/728161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=728160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=728160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=728160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}