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)From: Sunday 12 July 2026 At: Start/Finish Gail's Bakery, Carfax, Horsham
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3Free! (worth double-checking)at Bunker
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4Free! (worth double-checking)To celebrate Portsmouth100, create a doll of the person who has made Portsmouth special to you.
5Free! (worth double-checking)at Portsmouth Natural History Museum
To celebrate Portsmouth100, create a doll of the person who has made Portsmouth special to you.
6Free! (worth double-checking)
7Free! (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.
8Free! (worth double-checking)at St Peter and St John The Baptist (Wivelsfield Parish Church)
Hymns and Pimms Occurring for 2 hours Venue Wivelsfield Parish Church Address Wivelsfield Parish Church Church Lane Wivelsfield Haywards Heath, RH17 7RD, United Kingdom Music and refreshments for a summer afternoon, featuring Wivelsfield Church Choir and "Songbirds" from Wivelsfield Primary School. There will be an interval during which Pimms and other drinks and light refreshments will be served outside the church. There is no charge, but donations will be welcome. View attachment
9Free! (worth double-checking)Join us at our Summer Showcase for an immersive wedding experience with food, drinks and live music in the tranquil Sussex countryside.
10Free! (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.
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