London has a reputation as an expensive city for a night out, and entry fees, rounds of drinks and a late taxi home add up quickly. With a bit of planning, you can have a good evening in central London for around £30 a head. This guide starts with a sample budget and then covers low-cost ideas, from cheap comedy in London to free walks along the river.
A sample budget for a cheap night out
Here is what a simple evening of dinner, a comedy show and one drink might cost one person. The ticket and bus fares are checked prices; the food and drink figures are our own rough estimates, so adjust them to suit how you spend.
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Comedy ticket | £8 + £1 booking fee | A Monday show at JK Comedy Club Covent Garden, our cheapest night |
| Bus there and back | £3.70 | Two pay as you go bus fares at £1.85 each, the TfL price from 1 November 2026 (£1.75 before then) |
| One drink | about £6 to £8 | Our estimate for a pint or soft drink at a central London bar |
| A cheap dinner | about £10 to £15 | Our estimate for noodles, a burger or street food |
| Total | about £29 to £36 |
If you skip dinner out or drink soft drinks, the total falls. If you travel by Tube rather than bus, check the fare for your journey on the TfL website, as Tube fares depend on the zones and the time of day.
Budget-friendly things to do at night
Comedy shows, pub quizzes, standing theatre tickets and walks along the river can all make an evening in London feel like a proper night out without a big bill. The sections below go through each one.
Start with comedy
A comedy show gives you around 90 minutes of live entertainment for less than many other ticketed nights out in central London.
JK Comedy Club
JK Comedy Club has rooms in Covent Garden, Soho and Leicester Square, and there is a show somewhere every night of the week. Our Covent Garden comedy club at Arboretum, two minutes from Leicester Square station, runs shows seven nights a week, and Monday night comedy there is our lowest-priced show. Our Soho comedy club is downstairs at The Spice of Life on Moor Street, with shows on Tuesday nights and Saturday afternoons.
Every show has a host and a line-up of professional comedians. Both rooms are a short walk from Chinatown, which has plenty of inexpensive places to eat before the show. For current dates and prices, see what’s on.
Why comedy works for a budget night out
A comedy show has a fixed ticket price, so you know what the evening will cost before you set off. Most shows finish well before the last Tube, which saves you the cost of a late taxi. It is also a sociable night: you can talk between acts and have something to discuss on the way home.
Pubs and quizzes
Pubs are the easiest low-cost night out in London, and many run quiz nights that cost little or nothing to enter.
Chain pubs
Large pub chains such as Wetherspoons have branches across London and are known for low drink and food prices compared with many central bars. Starting the evening in one can keep your costs down while you meet friends.
Pub quizzes and board-game cafés
Pub quizzes are a cheap way to spend an evening with friends. Teams answer questions on music, film, history and sport, and some pubs offer prizes for the winners. Entry is usually free or a small charge, but it varies by pub, so check before you go.
If you prefer board games, Draughts is a board-game bar and restaurant with branches in Waterloo and Stratford and a library of over 1,000 games. Check its website for current table and games charges.
Outdoor evenings
On a warm evening, a park or a riverside walk costs nothing at all.
Parks after work
Hyde Park, Primrose Hill and Clapham Common are popular spots for an evening picnic, and bringing your own food and drink keeps the cost low. Primrose Hill is known for its view over the London skyline. Opening hours differ from park to park: Hyde Park’s pedestrian gates are open from 5am to midnight, Primrose Hill closes from 10pm to 6am on summer weekend nights, and Clapham Common is open 24 hours a day. Check the park’s own page before you go.
South Bank walks
A walk along the South Bank of the Thames is free and takes in some of London’s best-known views, with landmarks lit up after dark. You will often find street performers and musicians along the way. The National Theatre and the BFI are both on the South Bank, and the area around them is busy in the evening even if you are not buying tickets.
Affordable theatre and open mic nights
West End theatre does not have to be expensive if you are flexible about where you sit or when you book.
Shakespeare’s Globe standing tickets
At Shakespeare’s Globe on Bankside, you can see a play as a “groundling”, standing in the yard in front of the stage. The Globe is an open-air theatre, so dress for the weather. Check the Globe’s website for current standing ticket prices and performance dates.
Discount theatre tickets
TodayTix sells West End tickets, including rush and lottery tickets and a collection of shows under £20. The Official London Theatre Ticket Booth on the south side of Leicester Square, run by the Society of London Theatre, sells tickets for same-day and upcoming shows. Weekday performances often cost less than weekend ones.
Open mic nights
Many pubs and small venues host open mic nights for comedians, poets and musicians. Entry is often free or very low cost, and the atmosphere is informal and supportive. Performers range from first-timers to experienced acts trying something new, so every night is different.
Late-night fun without clubbing
If clubbing is not your thing, there are plenty of other ways to spend an evening out.
Arcade bars
Four Quarters is an arcade bar with branches in Peckham, Elephant & Castle and Hackney Wick, where you can play retro arcade games over a drink. Check its website for current prices and opening times.
Bowling and karaoke
All Star Lanes offers bowling, karaoke booths and arcade games at its Holborn, Brick Lane, Stratford and White City venues, with offers listed on its website. Splitting a lane or a karaoke booth between a group keeps the cost per person down.
Live music in pubs and bars
Many London pubs and small bars host live music in the evening, especially in Camden, Soho and Shoreditch. Some are free to enter and others charge a small cover fee, so check the venue’s listings before you go.
Tips to save money on nights out
Travel by bus. A pay as you go bus fare is £1.75, rising to £1.85 on 1 November 2026, and the Hopper fare lets you make unlimited bus journeys within an hour of touching in for the same price (TfL bus fares).
Use the Night Tube at weekends. The Night Tube runs on Friday and Saturday nights on the Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria and Windrush lines, at off-peak fares.
Pay with contactless or Oyster. Daily caps limit what you spend on travel in a day.
Book ahead. Booking shows in advance means you know the cost before you leave, and midweek tickets are often cheaper than weekend ones.
Plan a whole day. For a day out built around an afternoon show, food and a walk, see our Saturday date day in Soho itinerary.
Conclusion
A cheap night out in London is easy to plan once you know what things cost. Pick one paid activity, add a walk or a pub quiz, travel by bus, and you can have a full evening for around £30.
If you want comedy to be the paid part of your evening, JK Comedy Club has shows in Covent Garden every night of the week and in Soho on Tuesday nights. Our Tuesday night comedy page covers both Tuesday shows, and our guide to the best comedy clubs in London lists other clubs across the city, including some with free shows.