5 London exhibitions I’m most excited for opening February 2026

Winter is dragging on and the weather might be drab and grey – but February has one positive for London: it’s a top-tier month for exhibitions.

By my calculations, there are more than 20 exhibitions opening in February, from huge blockbuster shows to small, niche explorations. Here are five I’m most excited for (plus a few extra).

As always, you can view my comprehensive list of exhibitions on in London this month here.

---

Samurai – British Museum

If you’ve read much of my blog before, you’ll know that for me, history always comes first. I’ve had this one marked in my calendar for a long time – the British Museum’s headline exhibitions are always worth looking out for, and this one is especially exciting.

A major exploration of the Samurai, expect plenty of armour and historic artefacts, both from the British Museum and lent by partners across the world. But this isn’t just a history exhibition – it explores the ‘afterlife’ of the Samurai. Our modern perceptions and myths of who they were, and how they’ve come to permeate modern pop culture.

British Museum exhibitions are always popular, and so is pretty much anything related to Japanese culture. So expect this one to be busy – book ahead.

3 Feb-4 May 2026. Paid. Visit website

---

Beatriz González – Barbican Art Gallery

The Barbican’s art exhibitions always seem to go under the radar – but they’re always excellent, bold and showcase artists you might not have heard of before, or know much about.

The next one looks excellent. The largest-ever exhibition of Beatriz González’s work in Europe and first solo show in the UK, it’s a major retrospective looking back at her 60-year career.

In case you’re not familiar, Beatriz González was a Colombian painter – one of the country’s most important artists. She’s most associated with the pop-art style, so expect big, bold, colourful works. And as is typical of the Barbican, there’s a major political aspect here too: throughout her career she depicted Colombian life, especially during the period of conflict known as ‘La Violencia’.

25 Feb-10 May 2026. Paid. Visit website.

---

Extra/Ordinary Women – the Charles Dickens Museum

Many people don’t even realise this lovely little museum exists, in Charles Dickens’ former home. It’s next exhibition is well worth shouting about, though.

Drawing from the museum’s collection (the world’s most comprehensive Dickens collection!), Extra/Ordinary Women celebrates and explores the real life women who influenced, supported and inspired the great writer. Tantalisingly, it also promises to reveal clues to help match them to the fictional characters they inspired.

One of the criticisms levelled at Dickens is that his female characters reinforced stereotypes of weak, powerless women – reflecting Victorian attitudes, rather than the real women he knew. This exhibition aims to change that and bring the stories of the women who inspired Dickens to light.

11 Feb-6 September 2026. Included in museum ticket. Visit website.

---

Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends – Young V&A

I practically grew up watching Wallace and Gromit – and even now, barely a Christmas goes by where I don’t give them a rewatch. So I’m already counting down the days until my niece visits London to give me an excuse to visit this one.

Celebrating Aardman’s 50th birthday, the new exhibition at the Young V&A will include sets, storyboards and original models from Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run, and Shaun the Sheep.

The exhibition is aimed at children and families, so expect lots of hands-on and interactive elements. There will be opportunities to have a go at stop-motion animation, sketching and more.

I suspect plenty of adults will be visiting without children in tow, rather than the other way around…

Opens 12 February 2026. Paid. Visit website.

---

Life of a Lifer – Lily Selavie Gallery

The Lily Selavie Gallery, a new family-run contemporary gallery in Peckham, is presenting work by Charles Salvador (formerly Charles Bronson), whose art has won awards for its raw depiction of life inside Britain’s prison system. Salvador has spent over 50 years in prison and psychiatric hospitals, initially for petty crimes and robbery, and later for violence during his incarceration – he’s previously been called ‘Britain’s most violent prisoner’.

His work is revealing, reflecting on daily life in prison, the brutality of the prison system, and his experiences of living behind bars. It can be dark and disturbing, but also full of life, emotion and even love. It’s also often rather surreal – he chose the name Salvador in 2014, in honour of his favourite artist Salvador Dalí – which gives you an idea of the type of art to expect. Salvador has also been outspoken about prisons, the treatment of prisoners and prison reform.

Exhibitions like this demonstrate exactly why small galleries matter, and I’m excited to see where the Lily Selavie Gallery goes next.

13 February – 12 March. Visit website.

---

These are just a handful of the exibitions opening in London this month that I’m most excited for. As always, make sure to check out my comprehensive list of exhibitions.

And also don’t miss my complete London Museum Guide – where you can explore all 240+ museums in London.

Thanks for visiting my blog! This post may contain affiliate links - which means if you make a purchase, I'll receive a small commission, at no extra cost to yourself. This helps me keep this site running for free.