Open House Festival Is Back: Explore London for Free
- 2 hours ago
- 6 min read
London isn't exactly known as a cheap place for a day out, but every September there is an opportunity to explore parts of the capital that are normally closed to visitors without paying an entrance fee.
Open House Festival opens buildings and spaces across all 33 London boroughs, alongside free guided walks, tours and cultural events. This year's festival runs from the 12th to the 20th of September, with free bookings for ticketed activities now open.
The important word here really is free. Open City confirms that every Open House Festival activity is free to attend, although some of the more popular tours have limited spaces and need to be booked in advance. Others operate as drop-ins, which means you can simply turn up, although you may have to queue when somewhere proves popular.
What is the Open House Festival and is it really free?
Open House Festival is an annual celebration of London's buildings, architecture and neighbourhoods, run by the charity Open City. It reaches all 33 London boroughs and gives the public opportunities to see buildings, workplaces and other spaces they might not normally get to explore. This year's event is the 35th edition of the festival.
Entry to festival activities is free. That doesn't necessarily mean the whole day will cost nothing once you include getting into London, public transport and food, so treating it like any other budget day out still makes sense. Packing food and concentrating several visits in one area can keep those extra costs under control.
The festival programme includes everything from libraries and community buildings to architectural practices, walking tours and behind-the-scenes visits. Current listings include guided visits around the new Olympia development, architecture studios, heritage buildings and neighbourhood walks. There are also workshops and exhibitions that can simply be visited as drop-ins.
Open House Festival also sits alongside other annual opportunities to see normally paid or restricted places for free. My guide to Heritage Open Days covers the similar nationwide event, which opens historic buildings and locations across England.
Do you need to book Open House Festival tickets?
Some Open House Festival events need advance tickets, while others don't need booking at all. Ticketed events have fixed capacities and can become fully booked, so it is worth checking any particular building you really want to visit rather than relying on turning up. Drop-in listings don't have advance ticket allocations, although busy sites can still have queues.
Bookings opened at midday on the 19th of August. You need to register for a free Open House Festival account before booking ticketed activities, so creating the account first saves time when you find something you want.
An account can also be used to add drop-in activities to your itinerary.
Adding a drop-in event to your itinerary doesn't reserve a guaranteed place. Open City recommends doing it because organisers can then contact you if something changes. This is worth doing before travelling across London for a particular opening.
How can you make Open House Festival a cheap London day out?
Start by planning geographically rather than choosing interesting buildings scattered all over the city. London transport costs can undermine a free day surprisingly quickly if you spend the whole day moving from one side of the capital to another. Use the programme's map and neighbourhood filters to build a cluster of activities within walking distance of one another.
Taking food and drinks also protects the free-day-out budget. There is nothing wrong with stopping for lunch somewhere if that is part of the plan, but paying London prices because everybody gets hungry halfway through a queue can turn a £0 activity into a much more expensive day. A packed lunch gives you the option rather than the obligation to spend.
I would also mix one or two ticketed places you particularly want to see with nearby drop-ins. That leaves some flexibility if a visit takes longer than expected or you discover somewhere interesting along the way. Trying to book every hour of a free day can make the experience harder rather than better.
Can you take children to Open House Festival?
Children can attend Open House Festival unless an individual listing states an age restriction. The programme has a family-friendly filter, which is useful because the suitability of a building tour for a 6-year-old can be very different from its suitability for an architecture student. Open City advises families to read each listing before attending.
This could make the festival a useful addition to a cheap family day out rather than something aimed purely at architecture enthusiasts. A behind-the-scenes building visit can give children something very different from the usual museum or attraction, while the £0 admission price means you can leave if it isn't holding their attention.That flexibility is harder when you have just spent £80 on attraction tickets.
The accessibility information is also worth checking before booking. Individual listings include access details, facilities and notes about what visitors should expect, and the programme can be filtered by facilities. Open City also provides a contact route for anyone who needs to discuss access requirements.
If you’re looking for more ways to keep family outings affordable, I’ve also put together 30 free and cheap summer holiday activities for kids, covering free museums, outdoor activities and other low-cost ideas.
What about 10 Downing Street?
The 10 Downing Street visit was handled differently from normal Open House Festival ticketing. Places were allocated through a public ballot, which closed at midday on the 17th of August, with successful entrants contacted afterwards. That means it isn't part of the normal ticket release now taking place.
Don't let missing that ballot put you off the wider festival. The programme covers all 33 boroughs and contains far more than one headline building. Looking beyond the best-known locations may also make it easier to find free visits without fighting for the most heavily requested tickets.
If somewhere you wanted is fully booked, check nearby drop-in options rather than writing the day off. One of the strengths of the festival is the number of different places involved, so there should still be ways to build a free itinerary even after some popular tickets disappear.
Is Open House Festival worth planning for?
For anyone looking for a cheap London day out, the numbers are hard to argue with because the admission cost is £0. The bigger question is whether you plan the rest of the day carefully enough to keep it cheap once travel and food are added. Using the programme by neighbourhood rather than chasing places all over London is probably the most useful money-saving move.
The festival also offers something that regular free museums don't always provide, namely access to spaces that aren't normally visitor attractions. That could be a workplace, a private building, a piece of new architecture or a guided walk explaining an area you have passed through dozens of times without knowing its story.
The current programme gives plenty of ways to build a day around your interests rather than following one standard route.
If you want a ticketed visit, create the free account and book the places that matter most first. Then add nearby drop-ins around them and work out the travel route before you go. That gives you the best chance of keeping a London day out interesting without letting the incidental costs become the main event.
Frequently asked questions
Is Open House Festival free?
Yes. Open City says everything in Open House Festival is free to attend. Some activities require a free advance ticket, while others are drop-in.
Do you need to book for Open House Festival?
Only some events need advance booking. Ticketed activities have limited capacity, while drop-in events can be visited without a ticket, although queues are possible at busy venues.
Do I need an account to book Open House Festival?
Yes. You need a free Open House Festival visitor account to reserve ticketed activities. The account can also be used to build an itinerary of drop-in events.
Can children go to Open House Festival?
Yes, unless an individual listing sets an age restriction. The festival website has a family-friendly filter to help parents find suitable activities.
Where does Open House Festival take place?
Open House Festival runs across all 33 London boroughs. The programme includes buildings, neighbourhood walks, tours and cultural spaces around the capital.
