Exhibitions in London
May 2026
May 2026 at a glance: 14 exhibitions opened, 9 closed, and 37 more were on view across the city.
Opened in May
NIGO: From Japan with Love1 MayDesign Museum · Past
The first UK retrospective of Japanese creative director NIGO, with over 700 objects spanning fashion, ceramics and vintage Americana from his 30-year career.
Zurbarán2 MayNational Gallery · Past
The first major UK monographic exhibition devoted to Francisco de Zurbarán, master of the Spanish Golden Age, with visions from Baroque Seville.
Tate Britain Commission 2026: Zineb Sedira13 MayTate Britain · Free
British-French-Algerian artist Zineb Sedira creates a major site-specific installation for the Duveen Galleries, exploring memory, migration and displacement through photography, performance, video and installation.
- Delcy Morelos in Conversation with Curator Diego Chocano15 May
Barbican Centre · Past
Public conversation event featuring artist Delcy Morelos with curator Diego Chocano
Delcy Morelos: origo15 MayBarbican Centre · Free · Past
Colombian artist Delcy Morelos's monumental 24m site-specific installation of soil, clay and fragrant spices, with tunnels to walk through, exploring our bond with the earth.
Rising Voices: Contemporary Art from Asia, Australia and the Pacific16 MayVictoria and Albert Museum
A landmark V&A collaboration with Brisbane's QAGOMA, showcasing over 40 contemporary artists and First Nations perspectives from across Asia, Australia and the Pacific.
Curtain Up!19 MayDulwich Picture Gallery · Free
A display exploring theatre portraits in the Gallery's Collection — costume, performance, and queerness and gender identity on and off stage — pairing historic works with contemporary artists.
- Inflorescence21 May
Saatchi Gallery · Past
New works by contemporary artists previously shown in the 2025 Flowers exhibition, celebrating the beauty and significance of flowers.
James McNeill Whistler21 MayTate Britain · Past
The first major European retrospective in 30 years of the rule-breaking American painter, with celebrated and rarely seen works from his teens to his late self-portraits.
In Other Worlds21 MayBarbican Centre · Past
Speculative architect Liam Young's immersive exhibition of films, soundscapes, costumes and installations imagining hopeful future worlds shaped by technology and climate.
Jurassic Oceans: Monsters of the Deep22 MayNatural History Museum
Dive back in time to meet the fiercest marine reptiles ever to swim the oceans, from giant ichthyosaurs to plesiosaurs, in this immersive deep-sea exhibition.
Winston Churchill: The Painter23 MayWallace Collection
A major retrospective of over 50 of Sir Winston Churchill's paintings, from wartime scenes and Mediterranean landscapes to intimate views of his home at Chartwell.
Tenderness and Rage29 MayWellcome Collection · Free
A display exploring HIV and AIDS through stories of protest and care, from the UK's 1980s-90s epidemic to global activism today, via photography, film and archives.
The Echoes and Shadows of Identity – Art Installation31 MayRAF Museum · Free · Past
Veteran artist David Tovey and LGBT+ military communities create a steel prison-cell installation and soundscape confronting the Armed Forces 'gay ban'.
Closed in May
Chiharu Shiota: Threads of Life3 MayHayward Gallery · Past
Large-scale intricate web-like installations woven floor-to-ceiling, alongside drawings, videos, and photographs.
Lucian Freud: Drawing into Painting3 MayNational Portrait Gallery · Past
The first major UK exhibition of the celebrated portrait artist's works on paper, with rarely shown preparatory studies.
Yin Xiuzhen: Heart to Heart3 MayHayward Gallery · Past
The first major UK survey of the Chinese artist's immersive installations and sculptures.
Samurai4 MayBritish Museum · Past
The reality of Japan's armour-clad warriors over 1,000 years, with around 280 items many shown for the first time.
Beatriz González10 MayBarbican Centre · Past
A retrospective charting the Colombian artist's prolific six-decade practice exploring the politics of everyday images.
Seurat and the Sea17 MayCourtauld Gallery · Past
The first exhibition dedicated to Georges Seurat's seascapes, and the first UK Seurat show in almost 30 years.
Catherine Opie: To Be Seen31 MayNational Portrait Gallery · Past
Over 80 photographs spanning studio portraiture, LGBTQ+ portraiture, and documentary photography.
Encounters: Giacometti x Lynda Benglis31 MayBarbican Centre · Free · Past
Never-before-shown sculptures by Lynda Benglis paired with historic works by Alberto Giacometti.
Pantanal31 MayScience Museum · Free · Past
Photography revealing the fragile beauty of the world's largest wetland and the threats to its wildlife.
Was on view in May
Deutsche Börse Photography Prize 2026to 7 JunThe Photographers' Gallery · Past
Four shortlisted artists — Jane Evelyn Atwood, Weronika Gesicka, Amak Mahmoodian, Rene Matic — explore memory, identity, and displacement.
Michaelina Wautierto 21 JunRoyal Academy of Arts · Past
The first UK exhibition of the Flemish painter's wide-ranging oeuvre, including grand history paintings and portraiture.
Nicholas Hughes: Uncertain Silenceto 28 JunThe Photographers' Gallery · Free · Past
Layered landscape photographs by Nicholas Hughes, made via a hybrid analogue-digital process, exploring the beauty and quiet fragility of the natural world.
Screen Portraits: Whitechapel Gallery Artists – Part 1to 28 JunWhitechapel Gallery · Free · Past
A film programme for the gallery's 125th anniversary, screening rarely seen films on artists who exhibited here, from Barbara Hepworth and David Hockney to Frida Kahlo.
Vanbrugh: The Drama of Architectureto 28 JunSir John Soane's Museum · Free · Past
Marking 300 years since the death of English Baroque architect Sir John Vanbrugh, designer of Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard, with rarely seen drawings in his own hand.
Legacies: London Transport's Caribbean Workforceto 5 JulLondon Transport Museum · Past
Celebrates the contribution Caribbean people have made to London's transport and British culture since the 1950s, through personal stories, photography, posters and film.
Konrad Mägito 12 JulDulwich Picture Gallery · Past
First major UK exhibition of Estonian modernist Konrad Mägi (1878-1925): over 60 luminous landscapes and portraits, plus a new Kristina Ollek commission.
Sufi: life and artto 26 JulBritish Museum · Free · Past
Explore this mystical Islamic movement through objects ranging from alms bowls to calligraphic works, miniature paintings and wall tiles.
ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Yearto 3 AugNational Maritime Museum · Past
Over 100 of the world's best space photographs - galaxies, auroras, the Moon and more - shown on glowing lightboxes, from the 17th annual competition.
Wes Anderson: The Archivesto 16 AugDesign Museum · Past
The first retrospective of filmmaker Wes Anderson, with over 700 storyboards, sketches, puppets, costumes and props spanning three decades of his films.
Hurvin Andersonto 23 AugTate Britain · Past
British-Jamaican painter Hurvin Anderson's first major solo show: over 80 colour-drenched landscapes and interiors exploring memory, place and belonging.
David Hockney: A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts about Paintingto 23 AugSerpentine Gallery · Free · Past
In his first Serpentine exhibition, David Hockney invites viewers to slow down and notice the extraordinary in the everyday, including the 90-metre frieze A Year in Normandy.
Tracey Emin: A Second Lifeto 31 AugTate Modern · Past
A major survey of four decades of Tracey Emin's work across painting, video, textiles, neons, sculpture and installation, with works never shown before.
The Barber in London: Highlights from a Remarkable Collectionto 31 AugCourtauld Gallery · Past
Masterpieces from Birmingham's Barber Institute, including works by Hals, Rubens, Turner, Rossetti and Degas, on extended loan during its refurbishment.
Future of Foodto 1 SeptScience Museum · Free · Past
Explore how science could transform the way we grow, cook and eat, from a 3,500-year-old loaf to lab-grown meat, across 100+ objects in this family-friendly exhibition.
To the Stars: Illuminating the Art Collection in 50 Worksto 1 SeptRAF Museum · Free · Past
Fifty key works by 20th-century British and European artists, marking the museum's 50th anniversary and exploring flight, conflict and RAF operations through art.
Cecily Brown: Picture Makingto 6 SeptSerpentine Gallery · Free · Past
Cecily Brown presents new paintings inspired by Serpentine's location in Kensington Gardens, a site of personal significance to the artist.
Gabriel Chaile: Archaeology of Memoryto 6 SeptWhitechapel Gallery · Free · Past
Argentinian artist Gabriel Chaile's site-specific installation of adobe sculptures holds objects sourced from the East End, evoking an archaeological dig into local memory and identity.
- David Hockney: A Year in Normandie (Detail)to 20 Sept
Serpentine Gallery · Past
A public art mural by David Hockney presented in Serpentine North Garden, shown alongside his Serpentine North exhibition. Free.
Future Observatory: Tools for Transitionto 20 SeptDesign Museum · Free · Past
Free display of four UK research projects showing how design-led innovation tackles housing, healthcare and resources for a sustainable green transition.
Early Netherlandish drawingsto 20 SeptBritish Museum · Free · Past
Around 120 rare drawings from the 15th and 16th century Low Countries, including Bruegel and van der Weyden, tracing how drawing became an art in its own right.
Lasting Impressions: Women Printmakers 1900 – Nowto 27 SeptVictoria and Albert Museum · Free · Past
A free display celebrating the innovative techniques and bold visions of 25 women printmakers working from 1900 to the present day.
On the Sly, Justinien Tribillonto 18 OctV&A East Museum · Free · Past
A new commission for V&A East's New Work programme by Justinien Tribillon, exploring the theme Making East London.
New Work: Making East Londonto 18 OctV&A East Museum · Free · Past
The first edition of V&A East's twice-yearly New Work programme, inviting artists to make site-specific works responding to the making of east London.
The Wallace Collection at Warto 25 OctWallace Collection · Free
A free display on how Hertford House became a stage for Anglo-Soviet cultural diplomacy in wartime Britain, hosting major 1942 exhibitions to aid Russia.
Beauty and Destruction: Wartime London in Artto 1 NovImperial War Museum · Free
As bombs fell on 1940s London, artists responded. Over 45 paintings and drawings, with photographs, film and oral histories, capture a city both familiar and strange.
Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friendsto 15 NovVictoria and Albert Museum
A behind-the-scenes look at Aardman's stop-motion animation, revisiting Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and Morph. At Young V&A.
Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Artto 15 NovVictoria and Albert Museum
The UK's first exhibition on Elsa Schiaparelli, tracing the surrealist designer's influence from the 1920s to today and the house's revival under Daniel Roseberry.
The Coming of Ageto 29 NovWellcome Collection · Free
Over 150 artworks and objects explore how experiences of ageing across all life stages are shaped by environment, culture and society, and what greater longevity means.
The Music is Black: A British Storyto 10 Jan 2027V&A East Museum
125 years of Black music-making in Britain. An immersive audio experience spanning four continents, telling a story of excellence, struggle, resilience and joy.
The Music is Black: A British Storyto 10 Jan 2027Victoria and Albert Museum
An immersive sound exhibition spanning 125 years of Black music-making in Britain, with over 120 tracks tracing excellence, struggle, resilience and joy.
The RA Collectionto 29 Jan 2027Royal Academy of Arts · Free
Diploma Works and treasures from the RA Collection spanning over 300 years, shown free in the historic John Madejski Fine Rooms while the main Collections Gallery is expanded. Closed on select dates (21 Jul, 11 Aug, 4 Sep, 2 Oct, 6 Nov, 4 Dec 2026).
By Appointment Only: Romani Art, Culture & Heritageto 31 Jan 2027London Museum · Free
A rotating display in the Reflections Room featuring British Romani artists Corrina Eastwood, Delaine Le Bas and Dan Turner, celebrating the livelihoods, creativity and craft of Romani communities alongside a historical timeline from 500 CE to 2022.
Gathering Groundto 7 Mar 2027Tate Modern · Free
A collection display bringing together works by artists including Abbas Akhavan, Abel Rodríguez and Zheng Bo, exploring the connection between environmental and social justice.
Dame Vera Lynn Collectionto 2 Apr 2027Imperial War Museum
A selection of Dame Vera Lynn's personal objects, including letters, correspondence and uniform items from her recently acquired Second World War archive, on display for 12 months near the entrance to the Second World War Galleries.
Art deco: the golden age of poster designto 30 Apr 2027London Transport Museum
Over 100 original London Transport posters mark the centenary of art deco, with work by design greats like McKnight Kauffer and Jean Dupas, plus Charles Holden's Tube architecture.
American Photographsto 16 May 2027Victoria and Albert Museum · Free
A free display drawn from the V&A's US photography collection, revealing the breadth of the country's photographic traditions from early prints to contemporary work.
Image credits
57
- NIGO: From Japan with LovePhoto Luke Hayes
- ZurbaránCourtesy of National Gallery
- Tate Britain Commission 2026: Zineb SediraPhoto © Tate (Joe Humphrys)
- Delcy Morelos: origoCourtesy of Barbican Centre
- Rising Voices: Contemporary Art from Asia, Australia and the PacificCourtesy of Victoria and Albert Museum
- Curtain Up!Courtesy of Dulwich Picture Gallery
- James McNeill WhistlerCourtesy of Tate Britain
- In Other WorldsCourtesy of Barbican Centre
- Jurassic Oceans: Monsters of the DeepCourtesy of Natural History Museum
- Winston Churchill: The Painter© Churchill Heritage Ltd. Photo: ©Royal Academy of Arts, London; photographer: John Hammond.
- Tenderness and RageGallery Photo: Benjamin Gilbert. © Wellcome Collection
- The Echoes and Shadows of Identity – Art InstallationCourtesy of RAF Museum
- Chiharu Shiota: Threads of LifeChris Olszewski, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lucian Freud: Drawing into PaintingGualdimG, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Yin Xiuzhen: Heart to HeartRobin Stott, CC BY-SA 2.0
- SamuraiT. Enami, Public domain
- Beatriz GonzálezGaleria Nouvelle, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Seurat and the SeaGeorges Seurat, Public domain
- Catherine Opie: To Be SeenUS Embassy Madrid, CC BY 2.0
- Encounters: Giacometti x Lynda BenglisAnnette Giacometti, CC BY-SA 4.0
- PantanalBernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Deutsche Börse Photography Prize 2026The wub / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Michaelina WautierMichaelina Wautier, Public domain
- Nicholas Hughes: Uncertain SilenceCourtesy of The Photographers' Gallery
- Screen Portraits: Whitechapel Gallery Artists – Part 1Courtesy BFI
- Vanbrugh: The Drama of ArchitectureCourtesy of Sir John Soane's Museum
- Legacies: London Transport's Caribbean WorkforceCourtesy of London Transport Museum
- Konrad MägiCourtesy of Dulwich Picture Gallery
- Sufi: life and artCourtesy of British Museum
- ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the YearCourtesy of National Maritime Museum
- Wes Anderson: The Archives© Luke Hayes for the Design Museum
- Hurvin Anderson© Hurvin Anderson. Courtesy the artist, Thomas Dane Gallery and VeneKlasen
- David Hockney: A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts about Painting© David Hockney. Photo: George Darrell
- Tracey Emin: A Second Life© Tracey Emin. Photo credit: Courtesy The Saatchi Gallery, London / Photograph by Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd. Lent by The Duerckheim Collection
- The Barber in London: Highlights from a Remarkable CollectionCourtesy of Courtauld Gallery
- Future of FoodCourtesy of Science Museum
- To the Stars: Illuminating the Art Collection in 50 WorksCourtesy of RAF Museum
- Cecily Brown: Picture Making© Cecily Brown. Photo: © Jo Underhill
- Gabriel Chaile: Archaeology of MemoryCourtesy of Whitechapel Gallery
- Future Observatory: Tools for TransitionPhotos Luke Hayes
- Early Netherlandish drawingsCourtesy of British Museum
- Lasting Impressions: Women Printmakers 1900 – NowCourtesy of Victoria and Albert Museum
- On the Sly, Justinien Tribillon© David Parry for the V&A
- New Work: Making East LondonCourtesy of V&A East Museum
- The Wallace Collection at WarCourtesy of Wallace Collection
- Beauty and Destruction: Wartime London in ArtCourtesy of Imperial War Museum
- Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and FriendsCourtesy of Victoria and Albert Museum
- Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes ArtCourtesy of Victoria and Albert Museum
- The Coming of AgePhoto: Steven Pocock. Source: Wellcome Collection
- The Music is Black: A British StoryCourtesy of V&A East Museum
- The Music is Black: A British StoryCourtesy of Victoria and Albert Museum
- The RA CollectionCourtesy of Royal Academy of Arts
- By Appointment Only: Romani Art, Culture & Heritage© London Museum
- Gathering Ground© Abel Rodriguez, courtesy of the artist and Instituto de Vision
- Dame Vera Lynn CollectionCourtesy of Imperial War Museum
- Art deco: the golden age of poster designCourtesy of London Transport Museum
- American PhotographsCourtesy of Victoria and Albert Museum
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