Culture vultures of the capital gather around, as London's art scene is alive and well with a kaleidoscope of exhibitions, each offering a glimpse into the city's creative spirit. From centuries-old masterpieces in museums to immersive works, these showcases feature something for everyone.
Whether you're a sucker for the avant-garde or a traditionalist at heart, there's a feast of gorgeous art waiting to entice your senses and you can dive into a realm of inspiration with our guide to the best exhibitions London has to offer for 2025.
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The Best London Exhibitions For 2025
1. Frameless
- Address: 6 Marble Arch, W1H 7EJ
- When: ongoing
- Tickets: from £20 per person
- Website: DesignMyNight.com
Frameless is the UK’s largest permanent immersive art experience, located in the heart of Marble Arch. With 42 masterpieces spanning across four distinct galleries, this multi-sensory journey redefines how we experience art.
Featuring iconic works from legends like Van Gogh, Monet, Dalí, and Rembrandt, each piece is digitally remastered and set to a captivating surround sound soundscape, blending classical and contemporary music. You can explore the galleries at your own pace, immersing yourself in art from different genres. After soaking in the masterpieces, unwind at the café bar or visit the shop for a unique memento.
Take around two hours to explore all four galleries at Frameless.
2. In Pursuit Of Repetitive Beats
- Address: The Barbican, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS
- When: until 3rd August 2025
- Tickets: from £25 per person
- Website: Barbican.uk
Bask in the summer of ’89, where the only thing that matters is finding the party. In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats is the UK’s biggest VR experience - a high-energy, immersive journey into the heart of the Acid House scene. Designed for groups of up to four, this cutting-edge experience drops you into a shared virtual world where you're living history. From pirate radio stations and police surveillance to the euphoric dancefloor moments that defined a generation, this is rave culture as you’ve never experienced it before.
Created by immersive artist Darren Emerson and produced by East City Films, the experience celebrates the spirit of connection, rebellion, and rhythm that fuelled one of the UK’s most influential youth movements. After the VR trip, explore a small exhibition of archive footage and audio-visual material that digs deeper into the story of Acid House.
Embrace your inner raver.
3. David Bowie Centre
- Address: The V&A East Storehouse, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, East Storehouse, V&A, Parkes Street, E20 3AX
- When: from 13th September 2025
- How much: TBC
- Website: V&AEast.uk
The new V&A East Storehouse museum in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is playing host to an exhibition of epic proportions in 2025: the David Bowie Centre. For the first time ever, this archive of 90,000+ items will be accessible to all and totally free to enter.
Highlights of the event include iconic stage costumes for the likes of Ziggy Stardust, lyrics for songs including Fame and Heroes, and even audio-visual installations to create an all-encompassing and immersive feel.
Experience the music icon through these archives.
4. Spencer House
- Address: 27 St James’s Place, SW1A 1NR
- When: ongoing
- Tickets: from free
- Website: DesignMyNight.com
Step inside Spencer House, a hidden gem of Georgian elegance, where centuries of history and stunning art come to life. Originally built for Lord and Lady Spencer, this exquisite palace once served as both a family residence and a private gallery.
Today, its remarkable collection of paintings, furniture, and decorative objects gives a fascinating glimpse into 18th-century aristocratic life. Marvel at pieces original to the house, alongside those generously loaned from renowned institutions like the V&A and Tate. Book your tour now to experience this unique piece of London’s heritage.
Check out the likes of paintings, furniture and bronze lanterns.
5. Yoshitomo Nara At The Hayward Gallery
- Address: The Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX
- When: until 31st August 2025
- Tickets: £20 per person
- Website: southbankcentre.co.uk
Featuring over 150 pieces spanning drawing, painting, sculpture, installation, and ceramics, this exhibition invites you to explore Yoshitomo Nara’s deeply personal and wildly creative universe. Famous worldwide for his iconic portraits with eyes that seem to stare right back at you, Nara also dazzles with his quirky sculptures crafted from wood, fibreglass, and ceramics, plus whimsical installations of tiny houses that spark curiosity and wonder.
Dive into themes of resistance, isolation, freedom, and spirituality as you discover how nature, mythology, the peace movement, and punk rock culture have shaped Nara’s art. Born in Japan’s Aomori prefecture and trained across Japan and Germany, Nara’s work is a vibrant fusion of cultural influences and heartfelt storytelling.
This
exhibition promises a journey through an artist’s mind that’s as
playful as it is profound.
6. Wes Anderson: The Archives
- Address: Design Museum, 224-238 Kensington High Street, W8 6AG
- When: 21st November 2025 - 26th July 2026
- Tickets: from £19.69 per person
- Website: designmuseum.org
Step inside the whimsical world of Wes Anderson: The Archives as The Design Museum unveils a spectacular retrospective celebrating the filmmaker’s signature style and storytelling magic. You'll be able to explore over 600 rare and never-before-seen objects from Anderson’s personal archive, on display in Britain for the very first time.
Curated in collaboration with La Cinémathèque française, this landmark exhibition traces the journey from his early 1990s experiments to his most iconic creations like The Grand Budapest Hotel, Moonrise Kingdom, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Expect to be immersed in Anderson’s cinematic universe through original sketches, puppets, storyboards, costumes (yes, Margot Tenenbaum’s fur coat is here), and even a candy-pink model of the Grand Budapest Hotel.
Fan of Wes Anderson? You'll love this exhibition, running until the 26th of July 2026.
7. Leigh Bowery!
- Address: Tate Modern, Bankside, E1 9TG
- When: until 31st August 2025
- Tickets: £18 per person
- Website: tate.org.uk
Leigh Bowery! celebrates the life and career of one of the most boundary-pushing figures in contemporary art and culture. A true visionary, Bowery was an artist, performer, model, club promoter, fashion designer, and musician, defying convention at every turn.
This exhibition offers a rare chance to experience Bowery's most iconic 'Looks' alongside collaborations with artists like Lucian Freud, Nick Knight, and Michael Clark. Celebrating the radical intersections of performance, club culture, and fashion design, Bowery’s work continues to influence artists and icons such as Alexander McQueen, Anohni, and Lady Gaga.
This eclectic spectacular is one of the best exhibitions in London this weekend.
8. Cartier
- Address: V&A, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, SW7 2RL
- When: until 16th November 2025
- Tickets: from £27 per person
- Website: vam.ac.uk
- Read DesignMyNight's review of Cartier
Prepare to be dazzled as Cartier at the V&A offers an extraordinary journey through the iconic brand's legacy of art, design, and craftsmanship, featuring over 350 dazzling objects that chart its rise as a jewellery powerhouse. Spanning precious jewels, historic gemstones, iconic watches, and clocks, it's the first major UK show on Cartier in almost 30 years.
The exhibition will showcase stunning pieces, including the Williamson Diamond brooch commissioned by Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 and the iconic Scroll Tiara, worn by both Queen Elizabeth II at her coronation and by Rihanna for W Magazine in 2016. Alongside these regal treasures, you'll find pieces worn by royalty and Hollywood stars, including Princess Margaret’s rose clip brooch and Grace Kelly's engagement ring.
There will be over 350 objects on display and contributions from the Royal Collection.
9. Kurt Cobain: Unplugged
- Address: The Royal College of Music, Prince Consort Road, SW7 2BS
- When: until the 18th November 2025
- Tickets: £5 per person
- Website: rcm.ac.uk
For the first time in Europe, see the legendary Martin guitar Kurt Cobain played during Nirvana’s unforgettable MTV Unplugged performance - reunited with his iconic green mohair cardigan in one historic display. Step into the raw, electrifying world of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana, the band that redefined rock for a generation. Kurt Cobain: Unplugged at the Royal College of Music Museum offers a rare chance to get up close with rock 'n' roll relics that have become symbols of a cultural revolution.
Discover the story behind Cobain’s uniquely modified Martin D-18E, the left-handed guitar that helped shape Nirvana’s unmistakable sound, and which became the world’s most expensive guitar when it sold for over $6 million. Stand in the presence of the cardigan that became an emblem of vulnerability, rebellion, and Cobain’s final performance.
Kurt Cobain's guitar (pictured) is in the exhibition.
10. Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs
- Address: Lightroom, 12 Lewis Cubitt Square, King's Cross, N1C 4DY
- When: from 9th July 2025
- Tickets: from £27.50 per person
- Website: lightroom.uk
Head on a Jurassic journey with Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs at Lightroom, a fully immersive experience that brings Earth’s most legendary creatures to life like never before. Developed in partnership with Apple TV+, this extraordinary show combines cinematic storytelling, state-of-the-art CGI, and breathtaking 360° visuals to transport you back to the age of dinosaurs.
From swirling desert storms to mysterious ocean depths, you’ll find yourself side by side with iconic creatures like the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex, swirling ammonites, and the quirky Adalatherium during their most thrilling moments. Featuring exclusive new scenes, original artwork, and a powerful soundtrack by Hans Zimmer and the Bleeding Fingers Music team, this is prehistoric storytelling at its most epic.
On the hunt for exhibitions in London now? Strut over to this immersive spectacular.
11. Ed Atkins
- Address: Tate Britain, Millbank, SW1P 4RG
- When: until 25th August 2025
- Tickets: £18 per person
- Website: tate.org.uk
This spring and summer, catch the UK's largest exhibition to date on Ed Atkins, best known for his computer-generated videos and animations. He repurposes modern technology in unique ways, highlighting the link between the digital world and human emotion.
The display is made up of moving image works from the last 15 years, as well as writing, paintings, embroideries and drawings. Artworks are split across rooms, repeated and reimagined in different formats, using repetition as a structural device throughout the show.
Ed Atkins showcases his innovative work at this display at Tate Britain.
12. Grayson Perry: Delusions of Grandeur
- Address: The Wallace Collection, Hertford House, Manchester Square, W1U 3BN
- When: until 26th October 2025
- Tickets: £15 per person
- Website: wallacecollection.org
Grayson Perry: Delusions of Grandeur is a major exhibition celebrating over 40 new works by the renowned artist, marking his 65th birthday. This is the largest contemporary exhibition ever held at the museum, showcasing an impressive array of ceramics, tapestries, and works on paper. Alongside these new creations, you can find masterpieces from Perry’s personal collection, providing insight into the artistic influences that shaped this landmark show.
The exhibition delves into the complexities of craft-making and perfectionism, juxtaposing intricate handmade pieces with those created using modern digital technologies. It also explores outsider art, featuring artists like Aloïse Corbaz and Madge Gill, whose works resonate with Perry's own experiences and ideas.
This is an exhibition that challenges perceptions of art-making, gender, and collecting.
13. Arpita Singh: Remembering
- Address: Serpentine North Gallery, West Carriage Drive, W2 2AR
- When: until 27th July 2025
- Tickets: free
- Website: serpentinegalleries.org
London's Serpentine North Gallery is renowned for hosting free art exhibitions, and this spring, it presents an extraordinary display: Arpita Singh: Remembering. Running until July 27th, this marks the first solo exhibition of the Indian artist outside her homeland. The exhibition highlights over sixty years of Singh’s remarkable career, showcasing a mix of large-scale oil paintings, delicate watercolours, and detailed ink drawings that convey her unique artistic vision - one that is both deeply personal and politically charged.
Inspired by Bengali folk art, Indian storytelling traditions, and miniature painting, Singh’s work blends figuration, abstraction, and surrealism. She explores the complexities of emotional life, memory, and the female experience, touching on themes such as ageing, motherhood, sensuality, and violence. These dreamlike works are filled with symbolism and a subtle tension, capturing the turmoil of global conflicts alongside the quiet intimacy of daily life.
Arpita Singh's My Lollipop: Gemini Rising, 2005 (pictured).
14. Cecil Beaton's Garden Party
- Address: Garden Museum, 5 Lambeth Palace Road, SE1 7LB
- When: until 21st September 2025
- Tickets: £15 per person
- Website: gardenmuseum.org.uk
An iconic fashion photographer, costume and set designer and artist, Cecil Beaton is very accomplished in the arts world. A common theme through his work is gardens and flowers, which is explored in this new exhibition at London's Garden Museum: Cecil Beaton's Garden Party.
Enjoy displays of photographs, paintings, drawings and costumes, exploring the role that flowers have played in his work over the years. Beaton himself described his garden as the 'greatest joy of his life', which can be seen in his pieces.
Explore nature and gardens through Cecil Beaton's work.
15. Pirates
- Address: The National Maritime Museum, Romney Road, SE10 9NF
- When: until 4th January
2026
- Tickets: £15 per person
- Website: rmg.co.uk
Ahoy, matey. Ready to set sail on a thrilling adventure through the world of pirates? The National Maritime Museum's latest exhibition, Pirates, is your chance to uncover the truth behind the treasure-filled myths and swashbuckling legends. From the lovable, bumbling Captain Pugwash to the daring anti-heroes like Captain Jack Sparrow, pirates have captured our imaginations for centuries. But what’s the real story?
Pirates explores the global history of piracy, from the infamous South China Sea to the shores of North Africa, and even highlights the pressing issues of modern piracy that still affect sailors today. You’ll meet legendary figures like Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, and the fierce Anne Bonny and Mary Read, as well as dive into how the image of pirates, past and present, is shifting.
Discover what it truly means to be a pirate at this cool exhibition.
16. Vivienne Schadinsky: Into The Seeds of Time
- Address: OmVed Gardens, Townsend Yard, N6 5JF
- When: 31st May - 3rd August 2025
- Tickets: £6 per person
- Website: omvedgardens.com
Into the Seeds of Time, a solo exhibition by award-winning artist Vivienne Schadinsky, will run from the 31st of May to the 3rd of August at OmVed Gardens in London. This immersive show marks the culmination of Schadinsky’s year-long residency, where she explored the potential of beans to enhance both human and planetary health. The exhibition blends films, sculptures, and Japanese sumi-e ink paintings, documenting the life cycle of beans - specifically the Puy Lentil, Gaia Soy Bean, and Essex Pea Bean - from seed to harvest.
Spread across four newly designed spaces at OmVed Gardens, the show highlights the interconnectedness of food, creativity, and ecology, inviting visitors to experience the holistic relationship between nature and art. Drawing inspiration from the traditional Japanese 72 micro-seasons and the minimalist style of sumi-e, Schadinsky’s work reflects on the elements of soil, air, water, and fire, while also paying homage to the importance of soil health through a series of mud spheres.
Vivienne Schadinsky: Into the Seeds of Time by Will Hearle.
17. The Legend Of Titanic - The Immersive Exhibition
- Address: Dock X, Surrey Quays Road, SE16 2XU
- When: from 25th July 2025
- Tickets: £32 per adult, £22 per child
- Website: legend.of.titanic.com
Prepare to embark on a journey through time and immerse yourself in the unforgettable story of the Titanic like never before. The Legend of the Titanic - The Immersive Exhibition launches at Dock X in Surrey Quays on the 25th of July, offering an unforgettable mix of 360-degree projections, VR simulations, authentic artefacts, and stunning replicas. Walk through 13 interactive rooms where you’ll experience life as a fictional passenger from 1912, discovering the ship's majestic beauty, its fateful end, and the emotional stories of the people onboard.
Take a step onto the grand staircase, venture into the engine room, and sip tea in the elegant Café Parisien as you fully immerse yourself in this piece of history. Thanks to cutting-edge VR technology, you’ll even have the chance to dive deep into the ocean to uncover the Titanic’s final resting place. Tickets are available now, so don’t miss your chance to be part of this extraordinary journey.
Expect breathtaking imagery as part of this exhibition.
18. Radical Honesty
- Address: Moco Museum, 1-4 Marble Arch, W2 2UH
- When: until 31st August
- Tickets: £16.90 per person
- Website: london.mocomuseum.com
Robbie Williams, a pop icon with 15 number one albums and a career spanning from Take That to his solo success, is now making waves in the art world with his Radical Honesty exhibition at London’s Moco Museum. After nearly two decades of creating art, Williams brings a bold, unfiltered perspective on human nature, inviting viewers to confront anxiety, self-love, introversion, and the messy truths of life without the usual filters.
His latest collection features never-before-seen sculptures and visual works, including a marble representation of anxiety and a playful piece featuring an elderly lady named Blanche, symbolising his approach to facing fears with humour. Radical Honesty challenges society’s obsession with curated images, offering a refreshing, raw exploration of self-acceptance and vulnerability, all infused with Williams’ signature wit and irreverence.
After the success of exhibitions in Amsterdam and Barcelona, Radical Honesty comes to London.
19. A View Of Mexico
- Address: The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, WC2N 5DN
- When: until 17th August
- Tickets: from £12 per person
- Website: nationalgallery.org.uk
The first ever UK exhibition of Mexican artist José María Velasco, A View of Mexico is an exploration of the country during the 19th century. His pieces often feature sweeping landscapes of the countryside, particularly the Valley of Mexico, where Mexico City is found today.
Velasco was especially focused on the country's industrialisation, with train lines and factories popping up among the nature. You can also see his love of geology throughout his work, thanks to the detailed depictions of rocks and volcanoes.
Explore Mexico through art at A View Of Mexico.
20. The Genesis Exhibition
- Address: Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 9TG
- When: until 19th October
- Tickets: £20 per person, free for members
- Website: tate.org.uk
Do Ho Suh is a leading contemporary artist, born in Korea but based in London. His newest project, The Genesis Exhibition, can be found at the Tate Modern until October 2025, inviting you to explore his large-scale installations, sculptures, videos and drawings. The themes running through these pieces are home, identity and the world around us.
The immersive artworks explore the relationships between the body, space, architecture and belonging, as you journey through Seoul, New York and London with his life-sized replicas of his past and present homes. This spans three decades, telling the story of his life.
Explore time, space and the sense of belonging at this Tate Modern exhibition.
21. House Of Kong: Gorillaz
- Address: House of Kong (enter via the rear of Copper Box Arena, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, E20 3HB)
- When: 8th August - 3rd September 2025
- Tickets: from £25 per person
- Website: houseofkong.gorillaz.com
To celebrate 25 years of chaos, creativity, and cartoon rebellion, Gorillaz are throwing open the doors to their universe with House of Kong, an immersive exhibition landing at London’s Copper Box Arena from the 8th of August to the 3rd of September 2025. Journey through the virtual band’s madcap legacy - from the lo-fi brilliance of Tomorrow Comes Today to their latest sonic experiments - alongside singer 2D, bassist Murdoc Niccals, drummer Russel Hobbs and guitarist Noodle.
Created by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, Gorillaz have spent a quarter-century rewriting the rules of music, art, and digital identity. Now’s your chance to explore the misadventures, music, and mayhem up close. Expect a multisensory deep dive into the band’s groundbreaking visuals, genre-bending sound, and behind-the-scenes secrets.
Alongside the exhibition, the band will be performing some exclusive, sold-out shows.
22. Our Story With David Attenborough
- Address: The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, SW7 5BD
- When: from 19th June 2025
- Tickets: from £20 per person (£12.50 for members)
- Website: nhm.ac.uk
If you've ever wanted to step inside a David Attenborough documentary, now's your chance. Our Story with David Attenborough is a bold, immersive 360° cinematic journey that surrounds you with the sights, sounds, and staggering beauty of our planet and its story.
Set in the Jerwood Gallery, this 50-minute adventure invites you to walk through the history of life on Earth - from bubbling primordial seas to forest-dwelling gorilla families and the deep-ocean ballet of humpback whales. But it’s not just about what we see - it’s about who we are. This is the story of us, told through the lens of evolution, impact, and ultimately, hope. Crafted with Sir David Attenborough’s unmistakable voice and insight, the experience draws on a lifetime of exploration and storytelling. His narration guides you through awe and wonder to a quiet, powerful call to action: we all have a role in shaping the next chapter.
Expect jaw-dropping visuals from the award-winning minds behind many of Attenborough’s iconic documentaries.
23. Once Upon A Time In London
- Address: Saatchi Yates, 14 Bury Street, St. James’s, SW1Y 6AL
- When: until 17th August 2025
- Tickets: free
- Website: saatchiyates.com
Head to Saatchi Yates for its major summer exhibition, Once Upon a Time in London, which features over 40 works on display, including pieces by Tracey Emin, David Hockney, Paula Rego, and Yinka Shonibare, and is a brilliant cross-generational tribute to the city’s creative soul.
Collaborators for the exhibition programme range from architect Norman Foster, who contributed to the catalogue, to designer Nicky Haslam and cult restaurant St. JOHN, further cementing the gallery’s role as a dynamic hub in London’s cultural ecosystem.
Explore some stunning artworks at this Soho gallery.
24. Emily Kam Kngwarray
- Address: Tae Modern, Bankside, SE1 9TG
- When: 10th July - 11th January 2026
- Tickets: £20 per person
- Website: tate.org.uk
Emily Kam Kngwarray stands as one of the most significant Australian artists of the late 20th century, celebrated for her monumental paintings that vividly express her deep connection to her Anmatyerr Country in the Northern Territory. This landmark exhibition at Tate Modern marks the first large-scale presentation of her work in Europe and offers an unparalleled exploration of her life and culture through over 60 batiks, paintings, and drawings.
Rooted in her profound knowledge of the desert landscapes, plants, animals, and spiritual meanings of Country, Kngwarray’s art embodies the ancestral ties and traditions of Aboriginal peoples, transforming her lived experience into powerful visual narratives. Organised in collaboration with the National Gallery of Australia and curated by Indigenous curators, including Kelli Cole, this comprehensive showcase coincides with NAIDOC Week, amplifying Indigenous voices through talks and cultural programming supported by Bird in Hand winery and the Australian High Commission.
This exhibition is a vital celebration of Emily Kam Kngwarray's extraordinary career.
If you're looking for more culture, check out our guide to the best art galleries in London.
