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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!

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!

Space: Could Life Exist Beyond Earth?

16th May-22nd Feb 2026
10am-6pm
Natural History Museum
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Touch a piece of Mars, wrap your hands around a fragment of the Moon and snap a selfie with the Allende meteorite, which – at 4.567 billion years old – is even older than Earth!

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.

Image credit: 2B Or Not 2B Collective at the National Gallery. Photo: Hydar Dewachi

Fashion Life Drawing: Blitz Club

6th Feb
6pm-7:30pm
Design Museum
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Join us for a Friday night life drawing session celebrating the fashion of the Blitz Club in the 80s.

American Photographs

Until 16th May 2027
10am-6pm
V&A South Kensington
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The V&A's 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. This event is free.

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.

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.

Blitz: the club that shaped the 80s

20 Sept 2025 — 29 March 2026
10am-6pm
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.

The Royal College of Music Museum & Guided Tours

10:15am–5:45pm
Royal College of Music
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The Royal College of Music's Museum offers a unique opportunity to interact with over 500 years of musical history. Items include the world’s oldest guitar and earliest keyboard instrument with strings. Enjoy a tour of the Museum, led by their knowledgeable team on Wednesdays at 12:30pm.

Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley: THE DELUSION

30th Sept 2025 - 18th Jan 2026
10am-6pm
Serpentine
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Artist and game designer Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley invites visitors into a post-apocalyptic world shaped by a catastrophic event—the Day of Division. Visitors will be welcomed into an immersive installation that blends history, religious and spiritual symbols and elements of horror. This event is free!

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.

Films in Concert

Various dates and times
Royal Albert Hall
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The biggest movies with the best soundtracks - experience classic films with live orchestral accompaniment in the spectacular surroundings of the Royal Albert Hall.

Power Up

10am - 5.30pm
Science Museum
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Immerse yourself in this hands-on gaming zone, featuring the very best video games and consoles from the past 50 years. From Pong to Pacman and Minecraft to Mario, there’s something for everyone, whether you’re a retro games fan, a serious gamer or just want to beat your family at Mario Kart.

Film Music Gala

30th May 2026
3pm & 7:30pm
Royal Albert Hall
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Join an epic journey through sensational soundtracks, depicting the action-packed thrills of Mission: Impossible, Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park; the fantasy and magic of Star Wars, Harry Potter and E.T and more!

Cirque du Soleil's OVO

9th Jan - 1st March
Various times
Royal Albert Hall
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The bugs are back in town. The critically acclaimed OVO by Cirque du Soleil returns to the Royal Albert Hall in January 2026. An exhilarating experience for the whole family, the classic is back and better than ever.

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.