Fancy free entry to Tate Modern exhibitions this weekend?

If you’re out and about in London this weekend, consider dropping by the Tate Modern, which is holding a 25th birthday celebration party, from May 9th to May 12th.

The biggest present given to the public as part of the birthday bash is free access to the temporary exhibitions, for this weekend only.

There’s one catch: you need to be aged 16-25. Sign up for the Tate Collective to get access. That is a free membership that usually snags you £5 off exhibitions and a 20% discount at the gallery’s restaurants and cafes — a way for Tate Modern to try to pull in a younger crowd.

The Tate Modern’s current exhibitions include Electric Dreams: Art and Technology Before the Internet, Anthony McCall: Solid Light and Leigh Bowery!.

Not young enough for that one? There’s plenty more going on for the Birthday Weekender.

There are DJ sets at the Corner bar up until 11:30pm on Friday May 9, or until 10:30pm on May 10. And there’s live music and DJ sets in the Tanks Studio area.

Art attack

Most of the events are drop-in affairs. There are also ticketed ones available, including talks and tours — all of the Birthday Weekender events are free, mind. And while a bunch of them are already fully booked, the Tate team says additional space may be available on the day.

There are “headliner” events across the weekend too. On Friday that’s a DJ set from Romy, perhaps best known as guitarist and singer for The xx. She is on from 10pm to midnight.

Saturday’s headliner is a Cultur FM DJ set in the Tanks, from 7:30 to 9:30pm. There’s no official headliner on Sunday, as the events clock off at a more sedate 6pm.

Check out the full timetable over at the Tate website.

If you want to become a Tate Member, which gets you access to the temporary exhibitions throughout the year — including those of other Tate venues — you'll pay £7.50 a month or £78 for a year.

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