From Churchill’s Secret Paintings to Kapoor’s Illusions: 15 Must-See Exhibitions of the Summer Season in London

1

“Winston Churchill: The Painter”

Where: Wallace Collection
When: May 23 – November 29, 2026

The first major retrospective of Churchill’s paintings in Britain: more than 50 works, half of which come from private collections and have almost never been shown to the public. Winston Churchill is known as a great statesman, but this major exhibition at the Wallace Collection reveals a completely different side of him. It turns out that the prime minister, orator, and Nobel Prize winner in literature was also an amateur painter—he called painting his salvation from anxiety. During Churchill’s lifetime, some of these works were exhibited at the Royal Academy or given as tokens of friendship or diplomatic gifts. But most were painted purely for his own enjoyment.

The exhibition is organized chronologically: from his earliest experiments during World War I through the 1960s. Gloomy war scenes, radiant Mediterranean views, Moroccan landscapes, and, in particular, intimate depictions of his home and garden. This is a rare opportunity to see the world through the eyes of a great political figure and to appreciate his genuine artistic talent.

2

“Frida: The Making of an Icon”

Where: Tate Modern
When: June 25, 2026 – January 3, 2027

This is the first major exhibition of Frida Kahlo’s work in Britain in more than twenty years, exploring the many facets of this woman—a devoted wife, an intellectual, a modern artist, and a political activist. It tells the story of how the Mexican artist became a global icon and cultural phenomenon—the exhibition will feature more than 30 of her works, including rare self-portraits, outfits, jewelry, and personal items. The exhibition is dedicated to Frida’s image in global popular culture and promises a deep dive into the artist’s personal history, filled with passion, pain, and love for her country. But the celebration of Latin American culture doesn’t end there: at the same time, all of SoHo is bursting with Mexican colors, and a vibrant themed installation, ¡Frida Icónica! featuring floral motifs and the spirit of Latin America. It’s the perfect weekend itinerary: from complex paintings to vibrant street art.

3

“Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait”

Where: National Portrait Gallery
When: through September 6, 2026

To mark the 100th anniversary of her birth, the National Portrait Gallery has opened an exhibition dedicated to the dazzling and tragic Marilyn Monroe (Monroe was born on June 1, 1926). The exhibition explores the phenomenon of her enduring popularity through the lenses of the era’s greatest photographers and tells the story of how Norma Jeane became the most photographed woman of the 20th century. On display are portraits created by both brush and camera: from Andy Warhol, Pauline Botti, and Richard Avedon to Cecil Beaton, Philippe Halsman, and Eve Arnold, as well as personal items—her scripts and clothing. From early pin-up photos of Norma Jeane to iconic portraits at the height of her fame, visitors will see how meticulously the image of the Hollywood diva was crafted. Among the exhibition’s highlights is a rarely published series by Allan Grant, taken shortly before her death in 1962. This exhibition is an attempt to look beyond the glossy facade and see not a sex symbol, but a real, vulnerable woman who has forever left her mark on pop culture history.

4

Anish Kapoor

Where: Hayward Gallery
When: June 16 – October 18, 2026

Anish Kapoor, the creator of Chicago’s famous Cloud Gate sculpture, has brought his monumental illusory works to London’s Hayward Gallery. It’s a major comeback—Kapoor is returning to the gallery where his first British exhibition took place nearly 30 years ago, and he’s filling the entire building. The artist is renowned for his rare ability to manipulate the viewer’s perception—his enormous mirrored objects distort space, absorb light, and make one question the laws of physics. The exhibition offers a profound psychological experience: here, you can lose yourself in space, become entangled in the reflections of illusory mirrored steel objects, explore the inner workings of monumental blood-red installations, and peer into the mesmerizing void and bottomlessness of the ultra-black pigment (“Vantablack” is a substance made of carbon nanotubes and is one of the blackest known materials; Kapoor acquired exclusive rights to it in 2016, a move that drew criticism from the art community). Feel like a tiny speck of sand in the boundless, cold vacuum of space—at this exhibition, part of the Southbank Centre’s 75th-anniversary program.

5

The Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition (Summer Exhibition 2026)

Where: Royal Academy of Arts
When: through August 23, 2026

The Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts is the main art event of the London summer and an iconic annual “melting pot” where works by world-renowned artists hang side by side with those by first-time exhibitors. This tradition has continued uninterrupted since 1769, and the exhibition itself is to the art world what Wimbledon is to tennis or Glastonbury is to music. The vast halls are traditionally lined with art from floor to ceiling: paintings, prints, photography, sculpture, models, architecture, and video. The main appeal of the exhibition lies in its accessibility: any work that catches your eye can be purchased, thereby supporting contemporary artists and adding to your own collection. This year’s 258th edition is curated by artist Ryan Gander, and the theme is “Interconnectedness”: the exhibits are deliberately mixed together and “converse” with one another. In the courtyard, guests are greeted by Hugo Rondinone’s ten-meter-long rainbow-colored LED installation, *The Song is You*.

6

“Henry Moore: Monumental Nature”

Where: Kew Gardens
When: May 9, 2026 – January 31, 2027

If you’ve had enough of traditional museum galleries, head to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. Giant sculptures by the famous British modernist Henry Moore are displayed right out in the open air, and this is the largest exhibition of his sculptures in history, spanning 70 years of his career: 30 monumental bronze sculptures are scattered across the 320 acres of the Royal Botanic Gardens. His distinctive abstract sculptures, inspired by bones, stones, and the curves of the human body, blend perfectly into the park’s landscape and have been deliberately arranged to interact with the trees and historic views—whether in the sun, in the shade, and in the rain—the bronze “comes to life” in different ways. The Shirley Sherwood Gallery also features about 90 smaller works: drawings, models, and sketchbooks, many of which are rarely shown. Admission is included with a regular ticket to the gardens. What could be better than a leisurely stroll in the fresh air and the chance to discover masterpieces of 20th-century monumental art?

7

“Julio Le Parc: Light, Color, Action” (Julio Le Parc: Light. Color. Action)

Where: Tate Modern
When: June 11, 2026 – May 3, 2027

A retrospective of the work of Argentine pioneer of kinetic and Op Art (the art of optical illusions) Julio Le Park has opened at Tate Modern—and at the same time serves as a tribute to his memory: the Argentine artist passed away in May 2026 at the age of 97, having had the opportunity to work on the exhibition. Forget boring, static paintings: here, art literally comes to life—with shimmering light sculptures, optical geometric canvases, and interactive installations that respond to the viewer’s movements, glowing, moving, and constantly changing. Le Parc masterfully plays with illusion, light, and shadow, transforming the viewer from a passive observer into an active participant in a joyful creative process. This vibrant, hypnotic, and incredibly Instagram-worthy exhibition is sure to captivate both adults and children alike. The labyrinth-like exhibition is built around his core idea: art is not meant to be merely observed, but to be experienced.

8

M. C. Escher. The Exhibition

Where: Somerset House
When: through September 6, 2026

For the first time in London—a major retrospective of the Dutch graphic artist and master of paradoxes, infinite patterns, and optical illusions, M. C. Escher (1898–1972). His works—complex puzzles, bizarrely shaped figures, endless staircases, birds and fish that flow seamlessly into one another, and water flowing upward—all push the brain to its limits. The exhibition traces the Dutch graphic artist’s journey and reveals the mathematical precision behind his surreal worlds. It is a mesmerizing journey into the realm of logic and the absurd, one that transforms our perception of space. At the exhibition, you can see not only the works themselves—lithographs, woodcuts, copper engravings, mezzotints, and drawings—but also the painstaking manual techniques behind them. It’s a family-friendly event, featuring many interactive zones where visitors can “step inside” the illusions and experiment with the principles the artist employed.

9

Konrad Mägi

Where: Dulwich Picture Gallery
When: through July 12, 2026

The Dulwich Picture Gallery invites you to discover the work of Konrad Mägi—one of the leading Estonian modernists of the early 20th century. His name is not widely known in Britain, which makes the exhibition particularly intriguing for discerning art lovers.

More than 60 works, many of which have never left Estonia: from the radiant Norwegian landscapes that brought him fame to expressive portraits and his later Estonian scenes featuring shimmering lakes and dramatic skies. Mägi’s landscapes are striking for their incredible energy and expressiveness: the northern nature in his paintings seems to pulsate with unnaturally bright, deep colors. His style blends Pointillism, Fauvism, Neo-Impressionism, and German Expressionism, yet remains instantly recognizable—intense, experimental, unsettling, and mystical. This is a rare opportunity to see the works of a master often referred to as the “Estonian Van Gogh.”

10

Paint! Patterns! Prints! Textiles by Susan Collier and Sarah Campbell (Paint! Pattern! Print! Textiles of Susan Collier and Sarah Campbell)

Where: Fashion and Textile Museum
When: through September 13, 2026

A true feast for the eyes and for lovers of color and pattern: an exhibition about the designer sisters who, under the Collier Campbell brand, created vivid prints for more than fifty years and transformed the world of textiles and interior design. The exhibition traces the evolution of textile design and explores how the artists translated their painterly experiments onto fabric. You’ll see rare print samples, original sketches, and vintage outfits that showcase a celebration of color and British ornamentation—a true exploration of how fashion and art intertwine. This is a must-see for anyone interested in design, fashion history, and women’s empowerment. For Britain in the 1960s and 1970s, the fact that the sisters had complete control over production—from sketching and creating their own dyes to the final print, negotiated the terms themselves, and retained the rights to their designs—was a true breakthrough.

11

“Astronomy Photographer of the Year” (ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year)

Where: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
When: through August 2026

The National Maritime Museum traditionally hosts an exhibition of the best entries from the Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition—an annual showcase dedicated to the finest space photography. Photographers from around the world compete to win this prestigious title. These are not just photographs, but breathtaking portals into outer space—the images capture dancing auroras, twinkling stars, distant nebulae, a fiery sun, craters on the Moon, and spiraling, shimmering galaxies millions of light-years away. It’s remarkable that many of these masterpieces were created by amateur astronomers using ordinary telescopes. The exhibition gives visitors a sense of the true scale of our universe and inspires a sense of wonder at the pristine beauty of the night sky.

12

“Emilio Isgrò: Erasing to Create”

Where: Estorick Collection
When: through September 6, 2026

This exhibition traces the creative journey of Italian artist Emilio Izgro (born in 1937), from his verbal-visual experiments of the early 1960s to his most recent works. The Italian conceptual artist became famous for his distinctive technique known as Cancellatura, which means “crossing out” or “erasing.” He takes books, maps, or historical documents and methodically covers entire passages of text with black lines, leaving only individual words. In this radical way, Izgro destroys familiar meanings to create new visual messages. As Izgro himself says, erasure “does not destroy but creates; it does not censor but reveals.” Since the late 1960s, Izgro has applied this method of erasure to maps and globes. By concealing geographical names, borders, and routes—tools of control over the world—he invites us to rethink the connection between geography, identity, and power. This is a profound and highly relevant exhibition about the power of words, censorship, and how the absence of information sometimes speaks to the viewer far more than its presence.

13

“Coming of Age”

Where: Wellcome Collection
When: through November 29, 2026

A large-scale exhibition exploring the human journey from youth to old age, created at the intersection of art, science, and pop culture. The exhibition opens with a silver sake cup, the kind given in Japan to people celebrating their 100th birthday. In total, the exhibition features more than 120 items: from a medieval engraving depicting the fountain of eternal youth and Charles Darwin’s walking stick to Paula Regu’s pastel self-portraits and the witty photographs of Kimiko Nishimoto, who took up photography at age 72. It is an honest and touching conversation about how our bodies and minds change over time. The project teaches us to embrace aging and see new possibilities in it, while at the same time openly raising issues of inequality and ageism. Admission is free.

For Children

14

“Fairy Tales”

Where: British Library
When: through August 23, 2026

If you’re looking for the perfect cultural outing for the whole family, the British Library has put together an exhibition called “Fairy Tales.” It’s a fascinating interactive journey through the magical worlds of fairy tales for children ages 3–10, where the line between fantasy and reality blurs. From a dark forest to a palace and a “far-off kingdom,” past a bridge with a troll and a table set for three bears: you can make a wish to a genie, sniff the potions of an evil witch, and dress up as your favorite character. Nearly 170 items from the 16th through the 21st centuries—books, manuscripts, illustrations, theater puppets, and costumes—bring to life more than 50 fairy tales from around the world. If you think you know these stories by heart, get ready to be surprised. From Little Red Riding Hood and Cinderella to Aladdin—you’ll discover these stories from a whole new perspective. Just don’t wake the troll!

15

“Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends”

Where: Young V&A
When: through November 15, 2026

The Victoria and Albert Museum is presenting a hugely popular exhibition about the magic of stop-motion animation for children and adults—*Inside Aardman*. The exhibition is dedicated to the legendary British animation studio that gave the world Wallace and Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, and the characters from *Chicken Run*. Here, you can learn how iconic characters are born from a shapeless lump of clay and scribbles, and examine original clay figures, stunningly detailed miniature sets, and storyboards up close. Take a peek behind the scenes of your favorite cartoons, explore the various stages of production—from storyboarding and modeling to filming and post-production, find out how much painstaking work, patience, and signature humor the creators pour into every second of screen time, and try your hand at making your own mini-cartoon. Pure delight for both children and adults.