Complete list of Exhibitions in London this month (June 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 (June 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 May 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.

June is a blockbuster month for art enthusiasts: there’s a new Frida Kahlo exhibition at the Tate Modern, the opening of the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, and a major Barbara Hepworth show at the Courtauld Gallery.

Beyond that, the big news is the opening of the new Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration in Clerkenwell, from 5 June, with three state of the art galleries exploring all aspects of illustration.

David Hockney’s show at the Serpentine remains open until August – arguably the best free art exhibition in the city, bringing his celebrated 90-metre-long frieze A Year in Normandie to London for the first time, alongside new iPad paintings and the Moon Room.

The biggest story in London’s museum scene remains the brand new V&A East Museum which opened in mid April. Its first temporary exhibition ‘The Music is Black: A British Story’ is not one to miss.

For history lovers, my top pick is the Imperial War Museum London’s 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

June is an excellent month to be a fan of modern art in London. My top pick is Frida: The Making of an Icon, exploring the career and legacy of Frida Kahlo at the Tate Modern, open until January 2027.

There are also exhibitions covering both of northern England’s modern sculpture superstars: Henry Moore at Kew Gardens, where you’ll be able to explore some of his monumental works immersed in nature, and Barbara Hepworth at the Courtauld Gallery.

Other exciting new openings this month include a new exhibition opening at the Barbican Art Gallery – Project a Black Planet, exploring Pan-Africanism’s influence on 20th century art – and Anoosh Kapoor at the Hayward Gallery.

Beyond the new opens, several excellent shows remain open throughout the month. One of my top picks is Rising Voices: Contemporary Art from Asia, Australia and the Pacific at the V&A, a collaboration between the V&A and two art galleries in Queensland, Australia.

The Whitechapel Gallery’s Spring Season opened in 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, and David Hockney’s A Year in Normandie at the Serpentine Gallery.

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

The big news in the art world this month is the opening of the Summer Exhibition, at the Royal Academy of Arts – well worth a visit for anyone with even a passing interest in art.

There’s also an interesting-looking exhibition opening at the Courtauld Gallery, diving into a little-known printmaking workshop in London owned by Dorothea Wight and Marc Balakjian, featuring prints by artists including Paula Rego, Frank Auerbach and Lucian Freud.

Beyond that, the blockbuster option is Zurbarán at the National Gallery, open until August. For something a bit different, the Wallace Collection is hosting an exhibition of Winston Churchill’s paintings until May.

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Photography exhibitions on in London this month

The excellent Photographers’ Gallery set of spring exhibitions are open until the 7 June – 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.

The gallery will then go through a changeover period throughout June, with a major new show opening on 24 June – Japanese Women Photographers: From 1950s to Now. Not one to miss.

Elsewhere, the National Portrait Gallery’s new exhibition will explore portraits of Marilyn Monroe.

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History exhibitions in London this month

My top pick this month is ‘Beauty and Destruction: Wartime London in Art‘ at the Imperial War Museum London, a typically powerful exhibition. HThe Wallace Collection is also hosting 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

My top science pick this month is the Wellcome Collection’s free exhibition – Tenderness and Rage: Stories of HIV and AIDS, which explores HIV and AIDS, from the epidemic in the 1980s and ’90s, through to today – including photography and personal stories.

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. The Natural History Museum also has a new exhibition ‘Jurassic Oceans’.

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 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’.

Elsewhere, the Design Museum‘s NIGO: From Japan with Love is worth a visit – and at Somerset House there’s a new pay-what-you-wish show Holy Pop!, looking at the way we idolise pop stars.

Beyond this, the always excellent Fashion & Textile Museum is hosting ‘Paint! Pattern! Print!’. In April, the King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace opened 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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