
10 Free or Frugal Festivals in London This September
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London this September is a FESTIVAL CITY with a major outbreak of DIY, fringe & offbeat culture coming to you live & cheap!
We’ve picked 10 and given you up to 3 highlights for each festival. So get out there London, and make September one of the best month’s of your life…
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Bermondsey Street Festival | Bermondsey Street | Sat 19 Sept | FREE
A delightful doggy filled festival with some top live acts for free.
- Singology (12.30pm, The Community Stage): We fell in love with unstoppable gospel pop ensemble at BESTIVAL, why not check em out!
- Chainska Brassika (5pm, Tanner St Park): Likely Lewisham lads bring ska to the people of Bermondsey Street.
- The Dog Show: We can’t resist a pooch parade especially one with the madcap ‘Anything Goes’ category.
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Chrisp Street Festival | Chrisp Street, Poplar | Sun 6 Sept | FREE
This year’s festival is a BIG TOP bonanza in a little gem of East London.
- Live Circus (All day from 12.30pm, Market Sq): Local heroes Aircraft circus bring live aerial & ground based shows and workshops so you can give it a go.
- Pie & Mash Eating Contest (5.30pm, Market Sq): ‘My old man said follow the van’ and don’t forget to stuff your face full of COCKNEY PIE.
- Open Mic Stage (All day): Ditch the Spotify for an hour and see some new music talent live & presented by somewhereto_.
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Calm Down, Dear | Camden People’s Theatre | Weds 16 Sept-Sun 11 Oct | FREE-£12
A kick-ass festival of fresh feminist talent.
- A Girl & A Gun by Louise Orwin (16 Sept-3 Oct): According to Jean-Luc Goddard”All you need to make a movie is a girl and a gun” and gutsy artist Louise Orwin sets out to see what is so attractive about girls n guns. ‘Expect gun-twirlin’, play-actin’ and Nancy-Sinatra-dancin’.’
- Stud by Eilidh MacAskill (8-9 Oct): We can’t ignore a show which describes itself as ‘penis envy, masculinity, horses and DIY’.
- Try something you haven’t heard of: The CDD festival programme is massive and is full of striking new ideas around feminism. Whether it’s Dungeons and Dragons in Superfunadventuretimes or the glass ceiling in 2:1, take a chance and you’ll be rewarded.
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Clapham Fringe | Bread & Roses | Mon 7-Sat 26 Sept |£8
A chance to discover the lovely Bread & Roses theatre in Clapham.
- Russell Hicks (13 Sept, 9pm): Hilarity from an up & coming American Smart-Ass in London.
- Bloodletting (24-26 Sept, 7.30pm): A quest for eternal youth not suitable for the sqeamish.
- Rob Deb: Dork Knight Forever (26 Sept, 2.30pm): Ever wondered what Cosplay actually is? Then learn my friend, learn with class A dork Rob Deb.
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MERGE 2015 | Bankside | 18 Sept-18 Oct | FREE
Spectacular art & performance festival around Bankside.
- On Your Wave Length (All festival, Railway Arch): An interactive explosion of light & sound that reacts to your brain waves.
- Time To Be Late (23-26 Sept, Blackfriars Road): A cheeky smorgasbord of characters invade Blackfriars road including Scotty The Blue Bunny & Natural Theatre (pictured above).
- The Bioluminescent Wishing Well (All festival, 88 Borough High St): Join hip artists Bompas & Parr to investigate the mystery of bioluminescent sea water.
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Queer Show & Tell | Hackney Showroom | Tues 8-Sat 12 Sept | FREE-£8
The first ever QUEER fest at our new fave theatre Hackney Showroom.
- Frau Monde (Wed 9- Fri 11 Sept): A mesmerising work-in-progress by a legend-in-waiting by Peter Clements.
- Shannon (Wed 9 Sept): Discover the intruiging story of Miss Shannon Pat a 66 year old trans-woman in this rarely seen documentary.
- Call Me Kuchu (Thu 10 Sept): Journey to Uganda where David Kato, the country’s only openly gay man is trying to make a difference in the wake of the new ‘Anti-Homosexuality’ bill.
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Still I Rise – The Maya Angelou Film Festival | Various Venues | Sat 12-Sun 27 Sept | FREE-£10
Celebrates the life and work of world renowned and legendary author, poet, actress, professor, singer, dancer, playwright, director, and activist Dr. Maya Angelou.
- As Seen Through Those Eyes (Sun 27 Sept): Maya Angelou narrates a powerful documentary about a group who fought Hitler.
- Georgia, Georgia (Sun 13 Sept): Angelou wrote the screenplay & musical score for this 1970s drama surrounding inter-racial prejudice through the eyes of a popular entertainer.
- Sisters in Cinema (Sun 20 Sept): A documentary about the history of Black female film-makers + a workshop to help ensure future filmmakers get the start they need.
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Tootopia | Tooting (of course!) | Fri 25-Sun 27 Sept | FREE
Part pub prowl, part foodie paradise, enter the world of Tooting for a great day out south of the river.
- Lahore Karahi: Mmm Karahi so goodie! Check out their Tootopia specials for under £10.
- Try Wolfie Smith at By The Horns: Local brewer By The Horns invites you to try their signature nectar.
- Catch a sneak peek of what’s at Anxieteehee Comedy Festival (Sun 27 Sept, 7pm): The Imperial Dunbar welcomes Nessie Ward and Edward Tetbur ahead of the interesting sounding Anxieteehee fest.
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Totally Thames | All around the eponymous river | 1-30 Sept | FREE
The BIG one! BOJO’s fiesta merges loads of great events around the murky, magnificent thames. Plus there’s 2 for one on river travel all month.
- The Riverside Festival (Sat 5-Sun 6 Sept): Science, a spurting Man (pictured) & super family events combine in the gorgeous little gem, Potters Field Park.
- The Empathy Museum (Until 27 Sept, 12-6pm, Riverside Gardens): This seems eerily relevant at the height of the refugee crisis, take a chance and walk a mile in someone else’s shoes (literally!).
- Riverside art: You’ve probably seen the horses who are submerged by the tide in the news but have you heard about the raindrops condom work, hehe.
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Walthamstow Garden Party | Walthamstow Village | Sat 19 Sept | FREE
Two days of music, theatre, arts & crafts, food and family activity in Lloyd Park.
- Japanese Fighting Fish (4.30pm, Festival Stage): The best named band this side of E17.
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I am Joint Editor at To Do List. I like free, cheap & offbeat London, especially: cabaret, art, theatre, pop-ups, eating out, quirky films, museums, day trips, social enterprise & much more.