Complete list of Exhibitions in London this month (March 2026)

There’s so much going on in London, it can be hard to keep up. On this page, part of my London Museum Guide, you’ll find a comprehensive directory of exhibitions on in London this month (March 2026). They’re split by theme, and listed in order of the exhibition’s end date.

I keep this page current with exhibitions taking place in London right now. The list updates automatically as new exhibitions open (and when exhibitions close!). So it’s always up to date with this month’s exhibitions, and I regularly add recommendations. If I’m missing anything, let me know.

My top picks for April 2026

Further down the page you’ll find comprehensive lists of exhibitions in London by category. But first, some of the shows I’m most excited for this month.

Without a doubt, the blockbuster this month (and this year?) in London is the brand new V&A East Museum – the latest branch of the Victoria and Albert Museum. It opens on 18 April, with a permanent exhibition ‘Why We Make’. Its first temporary exhibition ‘The Music is Black: A British Story’ is not one to miss.

Beyond that, April is the month of the smaller galleries: new shows at the excellent Autograph Gallery, Chisenhale Gallery and Camden Arts Centre. There’s also a handful of new shows at the Whitechapel Gallery, which are always worth checking out.

For me, the standout opening this month is David Hockney at the Serpentine (from 12 March), his first ever exhibition at the gallery, and totally free. It brings his celebrated 90-metre-long frieze A Year in Normandie to London for the first time, alongside new iPad paintings and the Moon Room.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Schiaparelli exhibition at the V&A (opening 28 March) is set to be one of 2026’s biggest fashion shows: over 200 objects charting the Italian house’s history from Elsa Schiaparelli’s surrealist collaborations with Salvador Dalí through to today.

For history lovers, I’d recommend the British Museum’s two major ongoing exhibitions: the Samurai and Hawai’i: A Kingdom Crossing Oceans. Both are only on until May, so don’t miss your opportunity. The Imperial War Museum London is also hosting a typically excellent show on wartime art in London, one of the best free exhibitions in the city.

And finally, for families, you’re spoilt for choice this month. Pick of the bunch is the Young V&A’s ‘Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends’ exhibition – honestly, what could be better? The British Library is also hosting an interactive Fairy Tales exhibition.

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Modern art exhibitions on in London this month

The Whitechapel Gallery’s Spring Season opens at the start of April 2026, with three new exhibitions – including a career spanning look at Turner-prize winning Veronica Ryan’s career, and a new commission from Argentinian Lisbon-based artist Gabriel Chaile.

Several other big modern art shows are open throughout the month, too: Tracey Emin: A Second Life at the Tate Modern, a career-spanning retrospective featuring over 100 works, including the iconic My Bed. Nigerian Modernism, also at the Tate Modern, is open until May – a varied, thought provoking and magnificent show that remains one of the best in the city.

For something smaller and free, New Contemporaries 2026 at the South London Gallery is a great showcase of emerging talent – or at the other end of the spectrum, you can see work by David Hockney at the Serpentine for free.

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Old masters, fine art and historic art exhibitions on in London this month

My top pick for fine art this month is Seurat and the Sea at the Courtauld Gallery: the first UK exhibition dedicated to Seurat in almost three decades, and a rare chance to see his gorgeous pointillist seascapes up close.

He’s one of my favourite artists, so I’m thrilled to see the Courtauld putting the spotlight on him. The Courtauld is also showing ‘A View of One’s Own‘, spotlighting landscapes by British women artists from 1760 to 1860, making it a real double bill worth the trip.

Beyond that, the two big blockbusters continue: Turner & Constable Rivals & Originals at Tate Britain, and Lucian Freud: Drawing into Painting at the National Portrait Gallery.

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Photography exhibitions on in London this month

The excellent Photographers’ Gallery in London opened a new set of exhibitions in March – a ticket to the gallery gets you entry to all four. Pick of the bunch is the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2026, always one of the highlights of London’s photography calendar. This year’s shortlist tackles everything from the politics of encyclopedias and AI to a decade-long project documenting women in prisons.

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History exhibitions in London this month

History exhibitions in London this month are dominated by the British Museum, which has three strong shows running. Samurai (until 4 May) is a must-see: 280 objects charting the samurai’s transformation across centuries. Hawai’i: A Kingdom Crossing Oceans tells the little-known story of King Kamehameha II’s visit to London in 1824, and last but not least, Sufi Life and Art is a free exhibition exploring centuries of Sufi culture through the museum’s collection.

Elsewhere are several less headline-grabbing but still excellent history exhibitions: my top pick is ‘Beauty and Destruction: Wartime London in Art‘ at the Imperial War Museum London, a typically powerful exhibition. Later in April, the Wallace Collection is opening a small, free exhibition about the Wallace Collection in Wartime.

Finally, the Charles Dickens Museum’s ‘Extra/Ordinary Women’, celebrating and exploreing the real life women who influenced, supported and inspired the great writer, is open until 6 September.

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Science and technology exhibitions in London this month

If you haven’t been yet, make sure you visit the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025, running at the Natural History Museum until July – it’s always one of the highlights of London’s cultural calendar, and not one to miss. Also excellent is the Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition across town at the National Maritime Museum.

If you’re looking for a science exhibition to go to with kids, the Voyage to the Deep at the Horniman Museum is your best bet. And for something a bit more niche, the Garden Museum’s new ‘Seeds of Exchange’ exhibition, exploring the history of plant trading between Canton and London in the 1700s, is an interesting option.

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Fashion, design and culture exhibitions in London this month

The headline opening this month is the new V&A East Museum, with its permanent gallery ‘Why We Make’ and its first temporary exhibition ‘The Music is Black: A British Story’. The other headline exhibition in this category is Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art at the V&A (from 28 March), the first UK exhibition dedicated to the Italian fashion house – and featuring the famous Shoe hat, designed with Dalí.

Beyond this, the always excellent Fashion & Textile Museum is hosting ‘Paint! Pattern! Print!’. Later in April, the King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace will be opening a blockbuster exhibition exploring the life of Queen Elizabeth II through her style.

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Exhibitions for children and families in London this month

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Read more London guides

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