Free (or almost) Entertainment

No money, no problem. Here’s our guide to the best cheap dates in town.

TV and radio recordings

Willing victims are wanted to join audiences for TV and radio shows. Popular ones can be booked months ahead, but if you’re not too fussy you can usually order free tickets for a recording a few weeks in advance.

First port of call are the BBC and ITV. Also try The Applause Store for a cross-channel range of treats, including Top Gear, Big Brother and the Brit Awards.

Talent spotting

Some of London’s hottest student talent performs for free, so it’s your chance to see a star in the making.

Guildhall School of Music & Drama is close to Liverpool Street Station and offers a mix of music recitals, ensembles and full-scale productions. They’re free or offer generous concessions to students.

The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in Gower Street, WC1, has a programme of student events in its foyer bar, including poetry, comedy and music. All you have to do is buy a glass of lemonade.

The Royal Academy of Music in Marylebone Road has a rolling schedule of student shows at theatres and concert halls around London. Some are free, the rest are great value (especially the musicals).

Watch This Space Festival

Street theatre

The South Bank’s National Theatre lays on the most sensational free show in town. Running from July to the end of September, Watch this Space features outdoor drama, circus and comedy, plus international theatre, DJs and outdoor film screenings projected on the National’s Flytower.

Covent Garden entertainment

Covent Garden is tourist central, but it’s worth joining the crowds around the Piazzas because all performers are carefully vetted and are invariably class acts.
There’s a strict division - with the South courtyard of the market given over to classical musicians and the North Hall pitch to circus and variety.

Trafalgar Square puts up a stage for regular summer events, including the Liberty and Pride festivals and – of course – there’s the ever changing spectacle happening on the Fourth Plinth.

Open mic comedy

Laugh or relish the toe-curling moment when the joke falls flat. If you can bear suspense, open mic comedy – where unknowns try out their routines on you - offers a great evening out.

For a regular fixture on the would-be comedians’ circuit, check out the The Lion’s Den in King’s Cross. Its Comedy Car Crash evenings charge a nominal entry fee and feature acts drawn from a hat on the night – it doesn’t get much scarier than that.

Amused Moose charges a little more for entry, but offers Soho and Covent Garden locations and a more established kind of unknown. The Soho venue also stays open late for DJ and dancing.

Film and Theatre

From Leicester Square premieres to fabulous fringe theatre in Stratford, it’s showtime.

Cinema experiences

Vue Cinema is UEL’s closest mega cinema and the giant multiplex at the O2 does take some beating for choice (11 screens) and convenience. Check out the Mystery Movie Monthly, a preview screening ahead of official release.

BFI IMAX opposite Waterloo Station claims the UK’s biggest screen, along with state-of-the-art projection and a formidable 11,600-watt surround sound system. It’s perfect for blockbusters, but the British Film Institute venue also screens classics by Alfred Hitchcock, Sergio Leone and the like.

The Empire Leicester Square has a whiff of red-carpet glamour as many of the big premieres happen here. Three screens in all - screen one is the biggest and best.

And something different

Electric Cinema - Leather Armchairs

For a very different Leicester Square experience, try the Prince Charles, home of the infamous ‘Sing-a-Long-a’ theme nights where the crowds dress up and act out (The Sound of Music and Hairspray are favourites). It’s also home to classic seasons and has cheap ticket prices – super cheap if you become a member.

London’s oldest cinema (it’s claimed) and once a legendary fleapit, The Electric Cinema in Notting Hill was reborn as a smart cinema-cum-dining experiences. Comfy leather armchairs (sofas if you’re taking a date), a bar serving cocktails and a brasserie-style menu make this worth the journey across town.

Theatre - West End

Prices of the West End shows can be prohibitive, but you can also hunt out great deals. Key rules are to book direct with the theatre; buy well in advance or go in a group.

You can also bag tickets for all the major shows at up to half price on the day at Tkts. The booth is in Leicester Square and you have to buy in person. Avoid ticket touts around the square – best scenario is that you are overcharged, worst is that they sell you a forged ticket.

Shakespeare’s Globe
image © Pawel Libera

Unmissable drama

There are other great theatre experiences at cheaper than West End prices.

The National Theatre on the South Bank has a world-class reputation. Best bargains are its Travelex tickets, which cost £10.

Shakespeare’s Globe on Bankside is an authentic recreation of theatre in the round and, like Elizabethan audiences, you can stand in the pit to watch the show - it will cost you just £5.

Theatre Royal Stratford East

Local heroes

Theatre Royal Stratford East, within easy reach of both campuses, is a legendary venue because of its associations with the director Joan Littlewood and original productions such as Oh, What a Lovely War and A Taste of Honey. It offers a lively mix of original work and community-focused shows and you can soak up the atmosphere at its bar, which has regular free music, spoken word and comedy performances.

A real old trouper, Hackney Empire promise something for everyone and, with variety, dance, family entertainment and drama on the bill, they’d probably be right. This is also one of the best comedy venues in London.

Best of the rest

King’s Head Theatre & Bar in Islington boasts that more of its shows transfer to the West End than any other fringe theatre – which is one good reason to go. It’s super cool and backs bold new writing with some very establishment credentials (patrons include Tom Stoppard). Sunday and Monday night shows are always… interesting. Or try the lunchtime and matinee shows for £5 (with student ID).

A massive refurbishment programme gave The Young Vic - one of London’s most illustrious fringe venues – a new lease of life. This South Bank theatre is definitely worth a visit for new writing and cutting-edge directing, and it offers discounts to students.

Music

Highbrow, lowbrow or just plain loud, London offers it all.

Free music

You’ll find open mic acts frequenting many pubs and small venues – with some popular regular slots at The Ghetto in Hoxton and Spice of Life in Soho. Check out the weekly listings at Spoonfed. Great free music moves outdoors during the summer. Check out our Festivals and events guide for major highlights.

Summer concert at Canary Wharf

Classical freebies

Canary Wharf hosts free events, including opera screenings, classical and jazz concerts. Most summer events take place in Canada Square Park.

Free lunchtime and early evening classical concerts take place in a range of historic locations around the Square Mile – designed to soothe stressed out City workers but equally useful for calming overworked students. You can get a listing from City Music Society. Also check out the free concerts offered by London’s music schools.

Major venues

The O2 arena on Greenwich Peninsula is becoming the place to see megastars – handy as it’s so local to UEL. It also offers some good sporting events. As you’d expect, tickets don’t come cheap. Hallowed Wembley also sees some huge music acts, when it’s not hosting football. Tickets can be as hard to come by as a seat on the Tube, but if you’re a fan you’ll put up with the hardship.

Tracking down tickets

London has great music every night taking place in a whole range of smaller venues – often new and up-and-coming acts so you can say you saw them first.
Check out Time Out London’s online gig guide for details of upcoming acts and book fast. You’ll also find a comprehensive listing via music promoter the Mean Fiddler.

Great concert houses

Foyer bar at the Barbican

As Europe’s largest multi-arts centre, the The Barbican offers a rich menu of world music, dance and jazz - plus concerts by resident orchestra the LSO. There’s also film, theatre and a lively atmosphere in the foyer bars. Under 26s can sign-up for bargain tickets via FreeB.

Part of the South Bank complex, Royal Festival Hall hosts world-class performances and is home to the London Philharmonic Orchestra. But it also has a relaxed atmosphere, in tune with the general buzz of its neighbourhood. Full-time students get half-price tickets, and some events (such as lunchtime foyer music) are free.

South Kensington’s Royal Albert Hall is famous the world over thanks to the televised summer season of classical Proms concerts – still one of the best deals around if you queue for an Arena (standing) ticket at the door an hour before the performance. The rest of its offer ranges from the spectacular to the downright cheesy.

Museums

From the dizzy heights of the V&A to the collections tucked away in specialist museums, this city is stuffed with treasures.

Get in for free!

Almost all London’s great museums are free to enter (although most also have prominently displayed donation boxes to inspire largesse). Once inside you may have to pay for special or touring exhibitions – but your student ID card means a hefty discount.

Also look out for the free events that take place on a daily basis – behind the scenes tours, talks and events such as performances and shows.

Discover East London

East London is a hotbed of cultural activities and the best way to ensure you experience them all is via First Thursdays, an Arts Council initiative. On the first Thursday of every month over 100 museums and galleries in the east stay open until 9pm and run tours, talks and other special events for adults. Sign up for e-bulletins via the website.

National museums

Of the ‘National’ status museums, the closest to UEL is the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, which also has the Royal Observatory within its grounds. It’s a fascinating place to while away the day. The history of travel, time and exploration is brought bang up to date with topical ecology issues such as the Your Ocean gallery.

The British Museum in Bloomsbury needs no introduction, but if you were last dragged through its doors on a boring school trip, then give it another go and enjoy the light-filled Foster and Partners Great Court (largest public covered square in Europe) before dipping into its treasures. Everyone loves the Egyptian mummies and Greek statues and daily gallery talks help to explain the significance of obscurer treasures.

Natural History Museum Diplodocus
image © NHM

The British Museum was originally set up to house the collection of the great Sir Hans Sloane – and the stuff left over founded the Natural History Museum in Kensington. Apart from the awesome dinosaurs gallery, there are impressive displays of huge mammals, scary insects and priceless gemstones. It also has a great wildlife garden, free talks and behind-the-scenes tours.

Late dates

The Science Museum’s whizz-bang wonders are great for kids of all ages, but it’s adults only at the museum’s South Kensington offshoot the Dana Centre. Focusing on the big issues (sexual attraction, social networking, genetic manipulation, climate change), evening events blend cutting-edge science with heated debate, comedy nights and even dinner parties and museum sleepovers. Tickets are usually free, but book ahead.

The V&A is London’s celebration of glamour – and so are its late night events on the last Friday of the month, when it stays open until 10pm. You’ll find everything from fashion shows to performance art, music and debate, plus bar and DJ.

Museum of London Docklands

East London museums

Museum of London Docklands is housed in an atmospheric Georgian sugar warehouse close to Canary Wharf. It tells the story of trade and migration. It also has talks and activities and a permanent exhibition about the history of transatlantic slavery.

Geffrye Museum image © Chris
Ridley

One of London’s quirkiest museums, the Geffrye in Bethnal Green tells the story of English domestic interiors, beginning in 1600. Painstakingly created living rooms down the ages – including gems from the 1930s and ‘60s – expose the nation’s decorating hits and misses. There’s a good range of arts workshops and the beautiful walled herb garden is a perfect spot for a picnic and the Sunday papers.

Also in Bethnal Green, the Museum of Childhood has extraordinary collections of dolls houses, games and historic toys, but it also explores the nature of childhood across cultures and through time. A great spot for adults on First Thursdays, at weekends it’s playtime for children with drama, storytelling and movies.

Galleries

Get in for free!

Almost all London’s galleries are free to enter. Once inside you may have to pay for special or touring exhibitions – but your student ID card means a hefty discount. Also look out for the free events that take place on a daily basis – behind the scenes tours, talks and events such as performances and shows.

Discover East London

East London is a hotbed of cultural activities and the best way to ensure you experience them all is via First Thursdays, an Arts Council initiative. On the first Thursday of every month over 100 galleries and museums in the east stay open until 9pm and run tours, talks and other special events for adults. Sign up for e-bulletins via the website.

The national galleries

Tate Modern's Turbine Hall
© Tate Photography

Tate Modern at Bankside has scored hugely with both the press and visitors since it opened in 2000, and the experience of visiting justifies the fuss. The building, a former power station, is super cool. The facilities – cafés and bars and WiFi access – make it a social as well as cultural hub, especially as it stays open until 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays. The dramatic temporary exhibitions in the giant Turbine Hall are must-see events and the permanent collection traces the timeline of contemporary art. The Learning Zone on Level 5 is a useful place to get an Abstract to Vorticism overview of what it all means.

Despite the fuss over its upstart sister gallery Tate Britain on Millbank shouldn’t be overlooked – especially as you can take the Tate-to-Tate catamaran direct to its door at a very reasonable student rate and check out the Damian Hirst-designed livery. At the original Tate gems include fabulous collections of Turner and Constable, plus Blake, Hogarth, Whistler and Moore. You get half-price entry to special exhibitions, plus free entertainment at the Late at Tate nights on the first Friday of every month.

The National Gallery
© National Gallery

Tours and events

A prime crowd-pulling location in Trafalgar Square and acres of art, including Renaissance, Impressionist and Baroque masterpieces, can make the National Gallery a daunting place to explore. But there are easy ways to get the measure of this great collection of European art. A good initiation is to join one of the free lunchtime talks, guided tours or talk-and-draw sessions. The 10-minute talk, every day at 4pm, is a bite-sized insight into just one painting.

The National Portrait Gallery just next door is one of the capital’s most approachable art collections – not least because there are recognisable faces (including rock stars and royalty) in the 20th Century galleries on the first floor. Look out for regular talks focusing on highlights of the collection, plus free films and music on a Friday night.

East London gems

True to its original mission of bringing contemporary art to the people, Whitechapel Gallery has expanded its premises so it can stay open all year and show off more contemporary work. It has a proud tradition of firsts – premiering Picasso’s Guernica to draw attention to the Spanish Civil War and heralding in the 1960s with its This is Tomorrow exhibition in 1956. It stays open until 9pm every Thursday and has regular music on Friday nights in the café/bar.

Dulwich Picture Gallery was England’s first art gallery and both the setting and the contents make it worth a trip over the river. It has a fabulous collection of Old Masters and exhibitions on topics as diverse as urban teenage art and flower paintings. Add to that a smart café and leafy gardens, plus free entry for students, and you’re on to a winner.

The next big thing

London’s commercial (selling) galleries are a great place to see new work by new and nearly new artists. Traditionally these were sited in the West End, but the drift east contributed to the ‘trendification’ of Hoxton and Shoreditch. You’ll still find plenty of galleries around these locations and details of their exhibitions are published in the major listings magazines, or check out the website New Exhibitions.

If you want to see up-and-coming talent without having to pretend to be a serious art buyer, visit the Saatchi Gallery, in King’s Road Chelsea. The focus of this non-selling exhibition space is on work by unseen artists and, given Charles Saatchi’s reputation for talent spotting, you’re guaranteed weird and wonderful highlights of the contemporary art scene.