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Visitors to London won't have to worry about paying expensive ticket prices to see some of the best live performances in the city this summer, thanks to the National

Theatre's innovative Watch This Space Festival, bringing theatre, dance, circus, acrobatics, storytelling and more to the bustling streets of the capital. Founded in 1997, Watch This Space stages a diverse schedule of events in front of the National

Theatre building in London's South Bank area. Audiences are invited to watch some of the world's finest acts perform their acclaimed shows for free in the riverside location, according to the project's mission “to entertain, divert and enliven over the summer. “In addition to the stage area in

Theatre Square, public participation is encouraged with an artificial grass area to relax and enjoy the sun, or for kids to play on in-between shows. Audiences can also learn circus acts and other techniques in dedicated workshops. Among the sensational circus acts taking to the stage at this year's festival are Mike Wood, a Canadian comedian who specialises in catching catapulted cabbages on his head, while Circus Space graduates will accomplish dazzling aerial feats.

The second week of the festival is aimed more squarely at families with kids, who can enjoy constructing their own world made up of thousands of cardboard boxes, before the third week sees the Big Dance Festival descending on the event with unique fusions of football and contemporary dance, performed by Bollywood and Spanish artists. Film lovers also won't want to miss Friday evenings, when classics from the BFI archive will be screened for free to attendees. Taking place throughout August and into September, the event offers a cultural alternative to the higher-profile Edinburgh International Festival for those not visiting the Scottish capital, and can also help cure the Fringe 'withdrawal' of those heading down to London after life in Edinburgh has returned to normal. Visiting over the August bank holiday weekend will offer even more opportunities to catch high quality shows for free, including a recreation village fete at the National

Theatre grounds. Those visiting London from now until the festival wraps up at the end of September can look forward to a huge variety of entertainment suitable for all the family, busting the myth that London has to be an expensive destination for city breaks. With free entertainment and a cheap hotel in London close to the South Bank, you can treat the family to a recession-beating cultural break this summer.

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