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The Student's South Kensington Bucket List

If you're looking for a low-budget, quick-plan day (or night) out, look no further! There's plenty for anyone on a budget, with mind-opening galleries, exhibitions and events to help you with your subject, broaden your perspective or just relax and enjoy a nice break from studying!

Ciné Lumière for under 25's

Institut français
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If you love cinema, and you’re 25 years old or under, Ciné Lumière For A Fiver is for you! Whether you want to see the latest releases or discover French classics, attend special Q&As or explore world cinema, enjoy discounted tickets with no booking fees.

IMAX 70MM Season

Various dates and times
Science Museum
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From Christopher Nolan’s genre-defining Batman trilogy to his Oscar-winning epic Oppenheimer, experience a season of stunning IMAX 70mm film classics at the Science Museum this autumn.

Work Experience Week in the Language Department

23rd - 27th March 2026
10am-4pm
Goethe-Institut
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Would you like to gain hands-on experience in an international cultural institution? Join this one-week work experience programme at the Goethe-Institut London and explore the work of our language and educational services departments. Apply now!

Footways - exploring London on foot

Online Map
Footways
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Why not plan your visit to South Ken using the Footways walking map available at railway stations and online? You can plan your route away from the busy roads and discover a quiet and alternative side to London.

Women in Science Tour: Fashion

Various dates
Various times
Natural History Museum
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Join the Museum to explore the relationship between fashion and the natural world and discover the female scientists and activists whose work has shaped our understanding.

Volcanoes & Earthquakes

Daily
Natural History Museum
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Through dramatic film footage, exhibits, interactive games and our famous earthquake simulator, explore how the powers within shape the world in which we live.

American Photographs

Until 16th May 2027
10 am - 6 pm
V&A South Kensington
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Their collection of photography from the United States – one of the largest outside North America – reveals the breadth of the country's photographic traditions and the central role of image-making in American life.

Kensington Gardens

Daily
Open from 6am
Kensington Gardens
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Formal avenues, magnificent trees, ornamental flower beds, and wildflower meadows outside Kensington Palace make this a stunning end to our trail as well as home to the Princess Diana Playground, the Italian Water Gardens and the Albert Memorial.

Image credit: © Jamie Smart

Wildlife Photographer of the Year

17th Oct - 12th July 2026
10am-6pm
Natural History Museum
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Pause, reflect and reconnect with the natural world through images that celebrate nature’s awe-inspiring beauty and urge us to protect it. Now in its sixth decade, the exhibition sees photographers from across the globe set out to document nature’s most incredible moments.

Future of Food

24th July-4th Jan 2026
10am-6pm
Science Museum
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A free exhibition examining how science can help us find more sustainable ways to grow and produce, purchase and cook, eat and enjoy food to help protect the planet.

Image credit: Getty images

Tailor-Made German Courses at the Goethe-Institut

Various
Online & Onsite
Goethe-Institut
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Study German at the Goethe-Institut London with their tailor-made courses. Whether online in their virtual classrooms at your own pace or onsite in South Ken, choose your level from beginner to intermediate to advanced.

Boating on the Serpentine

Daily except Nov- March (Wed - Sun)
From 10 am (closing times vary)
Hyde Park
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Hire a boat over the summer. Recognised as one of the most famous boating spots in London, Hyde Park is the perfect place to take in the scenery, enjoy an ice cream and float down the Serpentine in the middle of the park.

Medicine: The Wellcome Galleries

Daily
10-6pm (last entry 5:15pm)
Science Museum
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Showcasing extraordinary medical artefacts including the world’s first MRI scanner, Fleming’s penicillin mould, a professional pianist’s prosthetic arm and even robotic surgery equipment.

Blitz: the club that shaped the 80s

20th Sept 2025 - 29th Mar 2026
10 am - 6 pm
Design Museum
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Delve into the music, fashion, and design stories that shaped Blitz – the club, the people, and the movement that transformed 1980s London style.

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.

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.

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.

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
10am - 6pm
Science Museum
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Discover how the world can generate and use energy more sustainably to limit climate change in the Science Museum’s new, free gallery. Energy Revolution looks at the past, present and future of sustainable energy and how we can achieve a low carbon world.

The Natural History Museum Gardens

Daily
10am - 5.50pm
Natural History Museum
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Say hello to a full-size Diplodocus grazing in a Jurassic garden, come face-to-face with the earliest mammals and walk in the footsteps of our earliest ancestors. As you explore the grassland, wetland and woodland habitats, experience how nature can thrive in urban spaces. Booking not necessary.

Space

Open daily
10am-6pm
Science Museum
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See iconic spacecraft and out-of-this-world objects in the Museum's exciting free gallery.

Image credit: TM CBS Studios Inc. © 2026 Par. Pics.

Star Trek at 60

26th Mar - 8th Sept
Dates vary
Science Museum
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Celebrate 60 years of Star Trek and experience the complete cinematic legacy from the original voyages to the modern reboot on one of the biggest screens in the UK, in a world-first presentation exclusively at the Science Museum.

Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone™ In Concert (PG)

25th-27th Sept 2026
Various times
Royal Albert Hall
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Tickets now on sale! Watch the film on a giant HD screen and experience every unforgettable moment - from the wand choosing the wizard to the chaos of a troll in the dungeon, as you reunite once more with Harry, Ron and Hermione in their first adventure.

La La Land in Concert (12A) 2026

31st Dec 2026
1:00pm & 5:30pm
Royal Albert Hall
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Just announced! Revisit the 2016 Academy Award® winning Lionsgate film, La La Land, starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, written and directed by Damien Chazelle, in a swoon-worthy live concert experience.