How To Visit BT Tower, Lloyds of London, BBC Broadcasting House For Free

Now sold out but you can visit hundreds of other settings for FREE under the Open House Festival.

Open House Festival offers the public a chance to explore government buildings, museums & historic houses within London. Many of these settings are not normally open to the public where entrance is FREE of charge. Within the programme are some hidden gems that includes the BT Tower, BBC Broadcasting House, Lloyds of London and even 10 Downing Street.

Open House Festival; BT Tower, (now sold out)

Synonymous with the London skyline, the BT Tower stands out as an unusual structure within an ever-changing horizon. Previously a daunting task to gain entry, your best bet was to be invited to visit via a BT official. Now sold to MCR Hotels, the new owners have submitted plans to transform this Grade II listed building into a luxury hotel with elements of public access. In the meantime, they have teamed up with Open House Festival to offer the public a chance to explore for free via a guided tour.  Find out more information below in how you can be in with a chance to visit the BT Tower.

LOOK OUT FOR OUR FREE & Low Cost Guide To Enjoy Views Over London.

BT Tower

Open House Festival; BT Tower

Running each September, Open House Festival gives you access to a range of building that are not normally open to the public including the BT Tower. In previous years, access to this iconic building was allocated via a ticket ballot, but this year you can pre-book in advance. Guided tours will be taking place throughout the day(s) on 19 & 20 September 2026 but will require pre-booking.

These events are likely to book up quickly so best to pre-register for a free account/log into your account prior to tickets being released. Booking opens at at midday on 19 August 2026 so be ready to go the moment tickets go live.

Open House Festival; Lloyds of London

Self-guided tours of Lloyds of London will be running throughout the day on 19 September for those that book in advance. Hosting the global market for specialist insurance, this iconic building is located within the heart of the city. Opened back in 1986, Lloyds of London is a radical addition to the skyline and here’s a rare chance for the public to gain access. With bookings opening on 19 August at midday, ensure you have already logged into your account/created a new account prior to this booking release date.

10 Downing Street

Open House Festival; BBC Broadcasting House

Within the offer of Open House Festival is the chance to join a guided tour of BBC Broadcasting House. This too had previously only been available via a randomly generated ticket ballot, but this year you can gain access by booking in advance. Demand is likely to be high for this Art Deco masterpiece housing the largest live newsroom in Europe. Guided tours will be running on 19 September, (11am to 4.30pm) where booking opens at midday on 19 August.

Open House Festival

Open House Festival will be running from 12 – 20 September 2026 with a wealth of structures, buildings & settings included within the mix. Many of these settings operate on a first-come-first-served basis where entry is free of charge. With hundreds of settings to explore, worth looking through the full calendar of events, taking account of dates, opening times & any pre-book requirements.

You can find some of our favourites highlighted within our Open House Festival Guide.

Open House Festival; 10 Downing Street, (ballot now closed)

Whilst we’ve previously seen ticket ballots in place BBC Broadcasting House, BT Tower & Canada House, this year there are available via advanced booking. Open House Festival has confirmed that 10 Downing Street will be participating again this year where tickets will be allocated via a ballot. Simply log in, create an account & apply to the randomly selected ticket ballot. This year there is just the one guided tour taking place on 13 September 2026, (11.30am-1pm). The ballots remain open until 12pm on Monday 17 August where successful applicants will be notified via email.