Free Exhibitions, Late Openings and Sheep Driving in London This Week

London offers a range of free events, exhibitions, and late-night openings between 21 and 27 September 2026. Highlights include outdoor art installations, historical displays, harvest celebrations, and discounted drinks.

Exhibitions and Art Installations

• Gift to the Future: A large-scale poetry installation at the Southbank Centre running until 27 September, featuring 90 lines created with children from London, Birmingham, and Manchester to mark the 75th anniversary of the building.

• The Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon: Opening on Monday at V&A South Kensington, this free exhibition explores the history of the trench coat from military attire to high fashion, displaying vintage catalogues and Hardy Amies' personal coat.

• Drawn into your Presence: Hosted at St James' Church in Clapham until 18 October, pairing 30 engravings from the Imperial Family Bible with contemporary south London church life photos.

• Amar Kanwar at Serpentine North: A free solo exhibition opening Wednesday featuring multi-video installations and lyrical films about decolonisation and the 1947 Partition, running until 31 January 2027.

Lectures and Late Openings

• Carbon Lecture: Professor Helen Czerski discusses the carbon cycle and everyday impacts at Gresham College's Barnard's Inn Hall in Holborn and via livestream on Thursday evening.

• Wellcome Collection Lates: A free-entry event on Thursday night in Euston exploring friendship through live music, friendship bracelet making, talks, and BLINK Dance Theatre performances.

• V&A East Museum DJ Sets: The final free-entry upperground DJ evening takes place on Thursday night.

Festivals and Special Events

• London Bridge Sheep Drive and Livery Fair: Taking place this Sunday, 27 September, featuring a celebrity herding sheep over Southwark Bridge alongside a livery fair at the north end of the bridge.

• Brixton Windmill Harvest Festival: A free-entry family event on Sunday, 27 September, featuring milling demonstrations, craft workshops, children's baking, morris dancing by Brixton Tatterjacks, and live music from SELFolk, Funkoda, and the Brit Pop Folk Orchestra.

Food and Drink

• Negroni Week Deals: Coppa Club locations at London Bridge and Tower Bridge serve classic, cold brew, and pineapple and coconut negronis for £5 each throughout the week of 21-27 September.