By Lauren Harmes
As much as you might be told otherwise, a great day out in London really doesn’t have to cost the earth. This amazing and diverse city is full of cheap, thrilling things to do for date nights, family outings and weekend trips. So here we have for you our 2020 list of cheap and very cheerful activities to kick off the New Year in style.
Tate Modern
With 5.7 million visitors, the Tate is one of the most visited museums and galleries in the world, hosting a vast collection of international and British modern art. This year the famous art gallery is presenting the most comprehensive retrospective of Dora Maar ever held. The photographer and artist known for her surrealism (and her relationship with Picasso) will run at the Tate from 20 November 2019 – 15 March 2020.
The Globe Theatre
The home of William Shakespeare is a perfect culture thrill, showing various plays and productions throughout the year. If you're looking to save money, the daytime shows are much lower in price. Also not to be missed are the guided tours, that will take you on a captivating excursion through the iconic theatre, bringing the space to life with fascinating facts and stories.
God's Own Junkyard
Chris Bracey is the neon light artist responsible for this luminous Instagram hotspot, located in the heart of Walthamstow. It is free entry and only open at weekends, with a striking neon café where you can grab a bite to eat.
The London Eye Turns Pink
This year a new sponsor is taking over the icon, complete with an official new name - most likely to be ‘The Lastminute.com London Eye’. This definitely doesn’t sound like a name people will be using much but the structure will now be pink and that makes it worth a visit in our book. We should make it clear it’s free to visit (not to ride), but the sight will be a marvel in itself.
St James’s Park
A walk in the park is always lovely free thing to do and St James's Park is one of London's eight Royal Parks, covering an area of nearly 57 acres. If you are a keen wildlife photographer, the royal pelicans are a special one to look out for.
Sky Garden
There are plenty of places to view London from above, but this one is free and utterly extraordinary. Sky Garden is located inside the unique Walkie Talkie building, which caused a few problems back when it was first constructed due to its concave glass reflecting the sun's rays and melting a few cars below! However, you needn’t worry now because a shield has been put into place to stop this happening again… You may just find there are some people who still lovingly refer to it as a 'fryscraper.' It's free, just make sure you book in advance.