Free things to do in London this week

Pioneering American artist Theaster Gates returns to London for the first time since his Serpentine Pavilion in 2022 with a show taking over the whole of White Cube Bermondsey. Following a recent show at Tokyo’s Mori Art Museum, this exhibition of architectural interventions, large-scale installations, film works and archival presentations will honour the legacy of Malcolm X, as well as referencing the archive of the late Japanese journalist Ei Nagata and his partner, Haruhi Ishitani, who dedicated their lives to preserving the activist’s legacy after witnessing his assassination. Gates’s community-focused approach and his very modern take on abstraction and ceramics – filled with tar, clay, music and history – makes him an artist worth getting excited about, no matter what he’s working on

This much-delayed exhibition of new work by dissident art superstar Ai Weiwei promises ‘a provocative exploration of contemporary issues through the lens of historical and artistic references’, and lots of Lego and swearing. One work is called ‘F.U.C.K.’ and another is called ‘Go Fuck Yourself’, so you can be pretty sure that Ai isn’t here to fuck around. 

Find out what the UK's most promising fine art graduates have been up to in this annual showcase of up-and-coming talent from across the UK, which is now in its 75th year. Featuring 33 exhibitors selected by renowned artists Liz Johnson Artur, Permindar Kaur and Amalia Pica, the exhibition launched in Plymouth in autumn 2024, before arriving at the Institute of Contemporary Art in January 2025.

Covent Garden’s Royal Opera House is one of London’s most iconic performance venues, pulling in crowds of more than 600,000 each year. But while tickets for its world-leading programme of operas and ballets tend to cost a pretty penny – top-price tickets for its biggest shows can set you back upwards of £250 – that’s not the case for its Live at Lunch performances. Taking place on select Friday lunchtimes throughout the year in the Opera House’s magnificent glass conservatory, the free performances feature a surprise line-up of performers from the Royal Ballet and Royal Opera, alongside a range of guest artists. There’s no need to book; simply turn up nice and promptly on the scheduled date and pick up an entry token on arrival. At around 45 minutes long, you can squeeze one in during your lunch hour if you work nearby, which sounds way more interesting than mindlessly scrolling through Facebook while you wolf down a meal deal at your desk. The Time Out office is just around the corner, so you might even spot an editor or two in the wild. See you there!

The Irish are experts when it comes to partying. They’re so good, in fact, they even have a special untranslatable term – the craic – to describe their unique brand of conviviality. With Trafalgar Square as the setting for London’s official bash in celebration of their patron saint, a blast is pretty much guaranteed. When is the London St Patrick’s Day parade? This year, the extravaganza is taking place the day before the official St Patrick’s Day celebrations, on Sunday March 16. It’s set to see more than 50,000 turning out for Irish food, dancing and a huge parade featuring pageantry, floats and music that will wend its way from Hyde Park Corner along Piccadilly, St James’s Street, Pall Mall, Cockspur Street and Whitehall. Once it ends up in Trafalgar Square, there’ll be plenty more entertainment, with a main stage featuring Irish acts, as programmed by the London Irish Centre, plus a film festival (this year will have a sustainability theme). Elsewhere, expect stalls, food and a whole heap of fun as attendees paint the town green. Read our guide to St Patrick’s Day in London.