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The Best Free Movies, Music, Games And Culture To See You Through Self-Isolation
From weekly game drops to music livestreams, we'll keep you from climbing the walls
Hurray for the internet! It’s about time it had some good PR. One of the upsides to the collapse of civilisation has been to watch people going online for positive reasons. Be that streaming exercise classes, hosting cocktail parties or Zoom-ing colleagues to cling to the last vestiges of an idea of a normal working day. Just when you’d resigned yourself to the idea that social media was doing more harm than good, that nothing useful could come of scrolling through Instagram and that the internet was the devil’s window, we’re using it in ways that are, more often, helpful and hopeful. It’s like 1996 all over again.
Sure, for every at home gig streamed by Coldplay’s Chris Martin and ‘Learn Korean With BTS’ lesson (has there ever been a better time?) there’s been the car crash that was Gal Gadot (and friends!) giving us their best ‘Imagine’. But the positive is outweighing the negative. And Gal surely meant well.
Below is a round-up of some of the best arts and culture that’s been made available online, for free. More will surely follow. Meanwhile, don’t forget that Netflix, Amazon, AppleTV+ and Disney+ all offer free trials so you can stave off boredom for £0 – at least for the first few weeks.
Google Museum Tours
Google Arts & Culture has put together a list of over 500 museums and art galleries you can visit from the comfort of your own self-isolation. Many have virtual tours thrown in, so you can enter MoMa, The Louvre or the Tate Modern via their site and wander from gallery to gallery. With those institutions closed for the foreseeable, it’s a feasible plan B.
Bruce Springsteen 'London Calling: Live In Hyde Park'
Springsteen has put his ‘London Calling: Live In Hyde Park’ show from 2009 online for the first time in its entirety. At 27 songs and with a runtime of 2 hours and 52 minutes you’re not going to feel shortchanged by The Boss. Songs include ‘Badlands’, ‘Bobby Jean’, ‘Born To Run’ and ‘Dancing In The Dark’.
Audible Stories
For some parents still trying to adjust to jointly working from home, the added closure of schools was a bit of a shocker. Amazon’s audiobook service Audible may help to provide welcome distraction, having made hundreds of kids’ titles available for free. (Adult listeners can also also find a couple of classics in there – Frankenstein, Brave New World – too.)
Pace Viewing Rooms
International contemporary art institution Pace Gallery has shut its doors but opened Pace Viewing Rooms. There anyone can view existing and upcoming shows, including new work by James Turrell and Julian Schnabel.
Weekly drops from Epic Games
The Fortnite and Gears Of War developer is giving away a free game every week in 2020. No strings attached, you just need to create an account. At the time of writing the latest offerings are open-world hacking-fest Watch Dogs and the charmingly weird The Stanley Parable.
London Symphony Orchestra
“While we are unable to perform at the Barbican Centre and other favourite venues around the world, we are determined to keep playing,” announced the London Symphony Orchestra. Full-length concerts are being streamed twice a week, each Sunday and Thursday. They also provide digital programme notes.
Charlie XCX livestreams
The pop singer has committed to a daily ‘Self-Isolation IG Livestream’ on Instagram, with special guests including Diplo, Rita Ora and Christine and the Queens.
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