Top Picks
Good local plans needn't cost the earth. This page keeps an eye on the stronger free events nearby, so you can skip the faff and get straight to the promising stuff.
We don't just scoop up anything with a £0 next to it. These picks still need to be nearby, useful, and properly explained, because 'free' is lovely but 'free and baffling' is less of a selling point.
1Free! (worth double-checking)The Goodwood Festival of Speed is one of the world’s most exhilarating motorsport events, bringing together legendary cars, iconic drivers, cutting‑edge machines and thousands of passionate fans in the beautiful parkland surrounding Goodwood House. Known as the ultimate summer garden party of motorsport, this four‑day festival delivers non‑stop action, innovation and atmosphere for enthusiasts of all ages.
2Free! (worth double-checking)at Bunker
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3Free! (worth double-checking)To celebrate Portsmouth100, create a doll of the person who has made Portsmouth special to you.
4Free! (worth double-checking)Step back into a world of living heritage at Butser Ancient Farm’s Wood Fayre, held in partnership with the Hampshire Coppice Group. This lively weekend celebrates traditional woodland crafts and skills, bringing together talented craftspeople, hands-on demonstrations, and engaging talks to inspire visitors of all ages.
5Free! (worth double-checking)Bodywork therapist Lucinda Morriss is bringing her magical brand, NOMO, to Meadow for a pop-up.
6Free! (worth double-checking)Join our Ebru for Beginners Workshop (Turkish Marbling) class at Cornerstone Arts Didcot! Credit to Melek Ali Oglou for the images. Minimum age: suitable for children, but all children must be accompanied by an adult at all times Free to attend, but booking encouraged as spaces are limited Ebru, or Marbling Art, is a traditional Turkish art form that involves creating colourful patterns on water, which are then transferred onto paper. These patterns often include flowers, lattice designs, and symbolic motifs such as crescents and moons. Join this interactive workshop to create your own beautiful, marbled patterns using this traditional technique. Once dry, you can take your artwork home.
7Free! (worth double-checking)Join our African Drumming Workshop class at Cornerstone Arts Didcot! Join Kato from Oxford Drum School for a fun, hands-on African drumming workshop. Learn traditional rhythms, develop your musical skills and experience the joy of making music together. Suitable for a range of ages and abilities, these energetic sessions are free to attend, but advance booking is essential. The workshops are free, but reservations are necessary as spaces are limited. Parents/carers must stay with children throughout. Session 1: 10.10am–10.55am (School Years 1–3) Session 2: 11.15am–12pm (School Years 1–3) Session 3: 12.45pm–1.45pm (School Years 4–6) Session 4: 2pm–3pm (School Years 7+)
8Free! (worth double-checking)Rhythms of London explores the city through contrast, movement, and close observation. The exhibition brings together two interconnected bodies of work that reflect different layers of urban experience. The first focuses on trees, abstract foliage, and museum interiors. These works capture quieter moments within the city, where natural forms and architectural spaces create a sense of pause. Branches, leaves, and structural elements are observed and reinterpreted through line, colour, and composition, revealing underlying rhythms that often go unnoticed. In contrast, the second body of work turns towards people and movement. Figures appear fragmented and fluid, dissolving into colour and gesture. These works respond to the pace and density of city life — the constant flow of bodies, overlapping trajectories, and fleeting interactions. Rather than depicting individuals, they evoke the collective energy of London as a shared, ever-changing environment. Together, the two series present London as a space shaped by opposing forces: stillness and motion, clarity and ambiguity, solitude and collective presence. The shift between quiet observation and dynamic movement reflects the way the city is experienced — not as a fixed image, but as a sequence of changing impressions.
9Free! (worth double-checking)Come and hear the extremely talented students from WMA perform in the end of term Summer Concert. Featuring Sound Start recorders, WMA Junior Academy Choir, Djembe ensemble, Training Orchestra strings, wind and brass. Percussion ensemble. Pop Bands, and Jazz Train, Jazz Explorers and The Roehampton Street Band! In the afternoon we will have live music,
10Free! (worth double-checking)Come and hear the extremely talented students from WMA perform in the end of term Summer Concert. Featuring Sound Start recorders, WMA Junior Academy Choir, Djembe ensemble, Training Orchestra strings, wind and brass. Percussion ensemble. Pop Bands, and Jazz Train, Jazz Explorers and The Roehampton Street Band! In the afternoon we will have live music,
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