the home of science, arts and inspiration

Free Events in South Kensington

Discover an unforgettable day in South Kensington with our guide to free events. Delve into guided tours through galleries, embark on self-led walks, immerse yourself in our new series of Lates events, explore captivating free displays, and journey through miles of galleries showcasing art, science, design, natural history, and beyond. 

The Natural History Museum Gardens

Daily
10 am - 5.50 pm
Natural History Museum
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Meet a full-size Diplodocus, encounter early mammals, and follow our ancestors’ footsteps. Explore grassland, wetland, and woodland habitats, and see how nature thrives in cities. No booking needed.

Designer Maker User

Open daily
10am– 5pm Mon to Thurs, 10am – 6pm Friday to Sun
Design Museum
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Designer Maker User, the Design Museum's only permanent exhibition, features almost 1000 items of twentieth and twenty-first century design viewed through the angles of the designer, manufacturer and user, including a crowdsourced wall.

Fashion

Daily
V&A South Kensington
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Spanning five centuries, the Fashion collection is the largest and most comprehensive collection of dresses in the world.

Hyde Park

Daily
Hyde Park
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One of the greatest city parks in the world covering 142 hectares with over 4,000 trees, a large lake, a meadow and further ornamental flower gardens, all here in the home of London’s arts and science district.

Quiet and Scenic Walking Routes Around South Ken

South Ken
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If you’re planning your trip to South Kensington, why not take a look at our brand new walking map, created in collaboration with Footways. Get off the tube a stop early and explore London’s home of arts, science and inspiration by foot.

Outdoor Activities for Kids

Online
Natural History Museum
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Fun, free things to do in a park, on the street, or anywhere outdoors.

Seeing Things Queerly

10am-6pm
Science Museum
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Follow this self-led trail to discover some of the objects on display at the Science Museum that tell stories of queer communities, experiences, and identities.

BBC World Service: The Engineers

Royal Commission for the Exhibition 1851
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Each summer, the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 holds an Albertopolis event in partnership with the BBC World Service bringing together three ground-breaking engineers and a public audience.

National Art Library and Archive talks: each Monday from 15 January

V&A South Kensington
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The V&A will be holding free, open sessions every Monday (except bank holidays) in the National Art Library. A member of the Library or Archives staff will introduce the history and purpose of the Library and talk about an item from their collections.

Energy Revolution: The Adani Green Energy Gallery

Daily
10 am - 6 pm
Science Museum
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Discover how the world can use energy sustainably to fight climate change in the Science Museum’s Energy Revolution gallery, exploring the past, present, and future of a low-carbon world.

Science City 1550-1800: the Linbury gallery

Daily
Science Museum
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Discover the world’s oldest collection of timepieces at the Science Museum. See over 600 watches and clocks charting the history of clock making in London.

The Clockmakers’ Museum

Daily
10am - 6pm
Science Museum
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Discover the world’s oldest collection of timepieces at the Science Museum. See over 600 watches and clocks charting the history of clock making in London.

Theatre & Performance

Daily
Mon to Sun: 10 am - 5.45 pm; Fri: 10 am – 10 pm
V&A South Kensington
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The collection explores the history and current practice of UK performing arts, including drama, dance, opera, circus, puppetry, comedy, musical theatre, costume, set design, and more.

Who Am I?

Open Daily
Science Museum
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Explore the science of who you are through intriguing objects, provocative artworks and hands-on exhibits. Discover what your voice sounds like as a member of the opposite sex, morph your face to see what you’ll look like as you age, or collect DNA to catch a criminal.

Mathematics: The Winton Gallery

Daily
10 am - 6 pm
Science Museum
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Mathematics is too often perceived as dry and complex, but this new gallery will tell stories that place the subject at the heart of our lives, exploring how mathematicians, their tools and ideas have helped to shape the modern world.

NHM's Urban Nature Gardens

Natural History Museum
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The Natural History Museum is set to transform five-acres of London gardens into the country’s urban nature ‘epicentre’ as national biodiversity programme is announced. Sir David Attenborough says the Urban Nature Project will allow young people to “fall in love with the nature on their doorsteps.”

Highlights of the V&A

Daily
10.30 am, 1 pm, 2 pm
V&A South Kensington
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Join one of our volunteer guides on this tour and discover the origins of the museum while learning about the fascinating treasures held in the V&A’s extensive collections.

Tour: Theatre and Performance

Until 31st Dec 2026
2.30 - 3.15 pm
V&A South Kensington
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Discover highlights from the museum's renowned Theatre and Performance collections in this guided tour

Tour: Fashion - Dress and Style

Until 31st Dec 2026
12.30 - 1.15 pm
V&A South Kensington
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Join volunteer guides and discover the fascinating garments and fashion-related objects that help shape the V&A’s rich collection.

Designing the V&A - The Story of our Museum

Until 31st Dec 2026
11.30 am - 12.15 pm
V&A South Kensington
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Join V&A volunteer guides for an architectural tour of their South Kensington building, which will take you through the history and setting of their collections.

Friday Late: Lost Queer Venues

24th Apr 2026
6.30 pm - 10 pm
V&A South Kensington
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This Friday Late will celebrate the grassroots collectives and communities creating transient queer utopias in the capital

Performance Festival 2026

24th Apr - 3rd May 2026
Times vary
V&A South Kensington
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Experience the storytelling, placemaking and memory-forming power of music and sound. Explore reverberation, repetition and mythmaking through live performances, screenings, talks, tours and workshops, all inspired by the theme 'echoes’.

Royal Photographic Society International Photography Exhibition 166

23rd Mar - 28th Apr
10 am - 5 pm
Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)
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The International Photography Exhibition 166 (IPE) is the world’s longest-running photography exhibition, renowned for showcasing the diversity of contemporary photography from around the world.

The Great Exhibition Road Festival

6th - 7th June 2026
12 pm - 6 pm
Great Exhibition Road Festival
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Join us on 6-7 June 2026 to celebrate science and the arts! Expect a weekend packed with free exciting events for all ages: from hands-on workshops and inspiring talks to immersive performances and art installations.