For Independence Day we bring you an updated list of free stuff to do in Mumbai. Flag this!

Free food and drinks. Gluttons.

Bonobo: Free entry to Bonobo’s monthly Wobble and Saturday Smash Up nights featuring cool music acts from around the world. Bonobo Kenilworth, 2nd Floor, off Linking Road, behind KFC, Bandra (W), free entry.

Cafe Goa: Sing for your supper at Cafe Goa, where you can participate in fun events like Monday Night Slam (a contest for amateur poets) or Krack You Up (stand up comedy) for free. Lazy-assed attendees pay Rs 100.  Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; entry free for performers.

Free Drinks: We heart Firangi Paani’s bi-weekly Ladies Nights, with complimentary drinks from 6 to 10 pm. Freetinies! Monday and Wednesday, Linking Road, above KFC, Bandra (W), call 67105105; Fun Republic, Level 3, opposite Laxmi Industrial Estate, Andheri West, call 022 26744144; free drinks from 6 pm – 10 pm.

Free wine & cheese: Art exhibits, book launches, new designer collections: something new is always up in Mumbai. And a heartening amount of these are accompanied by complimentary wine, cheese, and in one happy instance, macaroons. Try your beginners luck at Bungalow 8, Bombay Electric, Volte, and Gallery BMB.

Chenab Impex: Satisfy your basic greeds at the monthly cooking demos conducted by this gourmet brand where you can learn to make (and eat) mean Mexican or take a workshop in dip-making. To know more about Chenab Impex’s upcoming event, join the Facebook group here, venue changes with every event, participation is free.

Karaoke Nights: Go from bathroom singer to barroom star in no dime! Free entry for Karaoke Nights at Soul Fry Casa (Saturday, call 22671421), Cafe Goa (Thursday, call 26404115) and Firangi Paani (Thursday, call 67105105), free participation.

Mocha Trip (Board Game Night): Bring your A- game to this monthly night of Scrabble, Taboo, Scotland Yard and more. You can even bring your own game ( BYOG). Join the Facebook group for schedule; free entry.

Nature’s Basket: Buying your groceries here might be frightfully expensive, but this gourmet store is surprisingly good for free-loaders. Make a beeline for complimentary samples of debuting products, including slivers of cheese, crackers and cake. Also check out interesting cooking demos showcasing everything from Australian food to culinary authors. To know more join the Facebook group.

Underground Coffee Society: Coffee aficionado Sahil Jatana conducts tastings and workshops with artisan brews at his Andheri home. To score an invite to his Underground Coffee Society send invite request to the @thecoffeenazi on Twitter or visit www.thecoffeecoach.in, free.

Become a Size Zero, on Zero.

Bandra Cycle Club: Passionate about cycling and fitness, this peddler’s group organises bicycle rides from early morning rides to all-night long trips. To be a part of the club and stay updated join the Facebook group here.

Buddhist Chanting: Daily sessions at the Nipponzan Myohoji – Mumbai’s only Japanese Buddhist temple  - help take your budget off the chants. Opposite Poddar Hospital, Worli Naka; 6 am and 5.30 pm daily, participation free.

Creative Dance and Movement Therapy: Dilshad Patel doesn’t believe in traditional dance instruction, encouraging students to follow unstructured movements in order to create a mind-body connection. Attend one of her unpaid tester classes, and you too could discover your inner free-flower. Visit www.dilsahdpatel.com, or join the Facebook group to stay updated.

Dhamma Pattana Vipassana Centre: 10 days of accommodation, meals and meditation. It’s enough to silence the biggest critics. Global Pagoda Campus, next to Esselworld; Gorai Village, Borivali (West), call 3374 7519 or visit http://www.vridhamma.org/

Laughter Club: Because the best things in life are really free. Find chapters here, free membership.

Lindy Hop: Sign up for Tim and Malou’s newsletter and you could be invited to free dance workshops which include lessons in Argentine Tango, Swing and Lindy Hop.  The best part is you get to BYOP (Bring Your Own Partner). Visit www.lindyhopindia.com for more details, venues change with every workshop. 

Mane-tenance: Prune your budget with complimentary cuts from trainees at some of the city’s best salon schools. This service is available at the all branches of b:blunt and Juice. 
 
Makeover Mondays at the Palladium: Sugar coat the start of your week with free foot massages at Aroma Thai, vouchers from Lifestyle and cosmetic makeovers at Clinique, Body Shop and M.A.C during Makeover Mondays (first Monday of every month) at High Street Phoenix. Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, call 24964307.

Sahaja Yoga Centre: Skip the expensive brunch next Sunday for a morning of relaxing, meditating, chanting and chakra-healing at Sahaja Yoga Centre, which conducts free classes once in a week. Shah House, 7 Janki Kutir,  opposite Juhu Tara Road, Juhu, visit www.sahajayoga.org.

Salsa India: Salsa, Bachata, Jive and more. Dance on this at the free dance workshops organised by Salsa India. Join the Facebook group to know about their upcoming free workshops.

Spinning Class: An hour-long spinning class at Gold’s Gym for free. Fool’s gold! Make an appointment two days in advance, visit www.goldsgymindia.com for locations.

Studio Balance: You can take one trial run of every class - Bollywood dancing, Zumba, taekwondo, kick-boxing – at this newly opened fitness studio before you pick your favourite. Free loaded! 29/30 Krishna Kunj, opposite Anokhi, Chowpatty, call 32227931/8131, visit www.studiobalance.in or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to confirm your appointment for free trial class.

Be a Culture Vulture.

Banyan Tree Book Lover’s Club: This one’s almost free. All you have to do is donate a book to become part of the Banyan Tree Book Lover’s Club which besides meeting other bookworms, also entitles you to a 15% discount card at The Banyan Tree Bakery and Cafe.  Queen’s Mansion, GT Road, near Cathedral School, Fort, to register call Jaimishi on 9820238196, donate any one book to register.

Celebrate Bandra: A confluence of literature, music, dance and theatre performances, this annual festival celebrates the queen of suburbs –Bandra.  2011 schedule not announced yet. Join the Facebook group for updates.

Microgroove Vinyl Club: You don’t have to pay – not even a song-  for membership to NH7 and Zenzi’s uber-cool monthly vinyl club. See more details on meet-up dates and themes here. At Zenzi, Waterfield Road, Bandra (W), free membership.

Pop-Up Art Library at Matthieu Foss Gallery: Contribute, browse and barter art books at this fun pop-up library. See details here. Hansraj Damodar Trust Building, Ballard Estate, call 67477261 or visit the Facebook page here, free event.

Shamiana Short Film Club: Shamiana’s monthly line-up at Blue Frog includes movies about aspiring filmmakers, car-driving animals and Italian lovers. Bravo! Next event on January 20 at 8 pm, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or join their Facebook group; free entry.


Wait, There’s More….

Edwise: After all you’re going to be spending on that international degree, Edwise’s free counselling – picking colleges, travel assistance, pre-departure guidance – is like a breath of fresh air. Visit www.edwiseinternational.com for more details.

French Bibliothèque: Set up a secret rendezvous at this free, home-run library that specialises in French literature – fiction, graphic novels and fashion magazines. B-24 /1-6, Adarsh Society, Sector 8, Sanpada, Navi Mumbai, call 9867369397 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ;  membership free.

HUB Taster Day: Weep for joy, all ye freelancers! Now you can forsake college-kid infested coffee shops and your bodacious bedrooms for the revered Bombay HUB, which invites you to use their workspace, complete with wireless internet and lots of chai, free of charge for one glorious day. To book call 32220475 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Jar Head Free logos: Graphic designer Jared Creado is clearly big arted, designing logos and posters at zero cost through his company, Jar Head Creatives. If you insist on paying though, he won’t refuse. Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , view his work at www.jaredcreado.deviantart.com, free service.

Juhu Book Club: A cool group of writers and book lovers meet once in a month to discuss books, literature, and play word games. Visit http://juhubookclub.blogspot.com/; this is a restricted group so send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to join; membership free.

Mani Bhavan: Stop by Mahatma’s former residence for a history lesson or a quick reminder on the virtues of austerity. Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangralaya, Laburnum Road, Gamdevi, call 23805864 or visit www.gandhi-manibhavan.org, entrance free.

Mumbai Community Card: Say no to plastic in 2011, except this once - use this community card at any partner vendor – Bread Talk, Ferns n Petals, Seventy mm – and part of the transaction goes to CRY, at no extra cost to you. Sign up for the card at www.mumbaicommunitycard.org, membership free.

Naval Dockyard Heritage Walk: A walking tour of pretty buildings, museums and docks, held on the first Sunday of every month. Sweet and salty! Call 22655750 to register, for Indians only; free participlation.

New Acropolis India: This philosophy club provides super interesting free lectures on everything from ancient Egyptian jewellery and its symbolism to Greek traditions and Buddhist philosophy. If you’re lucky, you’ll also get free cookies at the end of the class. Score!  101, 7 Mulraj Dungarsey Building, Kashibai Navrang Marg, near to Colombia School and Grant Road Station, Gamdevi, call 23840110 or visit www.acropolis.org.in.

Oxford Bookstore: Oxford, with its little nooks and corners, is more conducive to loafing (or a bout of serious – but free – reading), than most other bookstores in the city. Apeejay House, 3 Dinsha Vachha Road, Churchgate, call 6636 4477.

RamaKrishna Mission Reading Room: Possibly one of the most peaceful places in the suburb, this old-school library run by Swami Vivekananda followers provides a reading room where you can spend many hours studying (or leafing through a good novel) in pin-drop silence. Ramakrishna Mission Marg, 12th Road, Khar (W), 26494760, closed on Mondays, free entry to the study room.

Brown Paper Bag: Spanking the bottom of the list is Brown Paper Bag, providing subscribers free Breakfast, a Weekend Guide and super weekly freebie.

All because we love you.