Top 9 UK exhibitions to attend in 2026

Across the UK, museums and galleries are preparing to transport visitors through centuries and continents. 

From sword-swinging samurai and Saxons, to the revolutionary artistic works of visionary Mexican artists like Frida Kahlo and iconic Japanese prints, the UK is set for a veritable feast of culture in 2026.

Here are some of the most exciting offerings in store for culture lovers – which ones catch your eye?

1066. A year etched in history. A year which changed England forever. 2026 marks the 960th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings between the Normans and the Saxons, and some key events have been scheduled to mark the occasion.  

In October, hundreds of actors and horses will clash at Battle Abbey in East Sussex, recreating the Norman victory on the exact spot where the original battle was fought, with living history camps and interactive activities. In September, the famous Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the battle, is set to be displayed for the first time in the UK at London’s British Museum, ahead of the 2027 Year of the Normans festivities across England and France.

Immerse yourself in the life of the 20th century’s most famous female artist: Frida Kahlo. This exhibition at the Tate Modern will explore how Kahlo became a cultural phenomenon. Examining her many roles as a dedicated wife, intellectual, modern artist and political activist, the gallery will display over 200 of her works, some of her most well-known paintings, as well as documents, photographs and memorabilia taken from Kahlo’s archives.

The exhibition will also feature works by her contemporaries and by the many artists she inspired in later generations. Take a journey through the life of this revolutionary artist, her transformative role in society and in art and discover why so many communities claim Kahlo as their own.

Treasures from Ancient Egypt will arrive at London’s Battersea Power Station in February 2026 for the Ramses and The Pharaohs’ Gold exhibition. Explore 180 priceless treasures with Pharaoh Ramses II’s original sarcophagus as the centrepiece. Also known as Ramses the Great, the Pharaoh was one of the most prolific builders of ancient Egypt. His most notable works include the extraordinary temples at Abu Simbel in the south, the Ramesseum in Luxor, and Pi-Ramesses in the Nile Delta to the North. Ramses carved his legacy on the architecture of Egypt and Nubia like no other Egyptian monarch.

Take a trip into antiquity and explore gold masks and silver coffins from the royal tombs of Tanis, beautifully preserved animal mummies, amulets, and jewellery alongside colossal sculptures, carvings and stone heads.

The brilliant new V&A East in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park only opened on April 18, 2026, but in its inaugural exhibition, The Music is Black: A British Story, it has started as it means to go on.

The landmark exhibition traces British culture through Black British music from 1900 to now – featuring personal objects from Little Simz, JME and Joan Armatrading, and powerful photography from Jennie Baptiste, Eddie Otchere, Dennis Morris and more.

It’s highly immersive too, with visitors able to listen to over 120 tracks from every era through headsets as they explore more than 200 items. The exhibition runs until 3 January, 2027.

For over 300 years, the Sikhs have been known for their strong sense of justice, bravery, and martial skills. This exhibition of exquisitely crafted historic arms and armour tells stories of faith and identity in the multicultural melting pot of the Sikh kingdoms.

Curated in close collaboration with Manchester’s Sikh community (and featuring many items provided by them), the exhibition illuminates the artistry and heritage of Sikh history through these ornamental objects. Until 28 February, 2027.

Almost 30 years since his original debut at the gallery, Kapoor’s works return to the Southbank Centre’s Hayward Gallery. Running from 16 June to 18 October 2026, this new exhibition seeks to blend the artist’s early seminal artworks with his recent creations.

From mirror sculptures to the seemingly depthless ‘void’ works, made with light-absorbing Vantablack nanotechnology, Kapoor’s visceral sculpture invites existential reflection. Three monumental sculptures make up the heart of the exhibition, engaging with architectural, phenomenological and mythological environments, challenging the viewer’s sense of scale and self. 

A double bill of Japanese art icons will take centre stage at the University of Manchester’s Whitworth Gallery. The exhibition will showcase rarely seen prints from Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) and Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858), the former best known for their world-famous print Under the Wave off Kanagawa (Kanagawa oki nami ura), also known as The Great Wave.

From 14 March to 15 November 2026, the exhibition will highlight the far-reaching cultural impact of this revolutionary work and its influence on shaping art, design, animation, and popular culture, from manga and anime to advertising and contemporary fashion. This now legendary style, ukiyo-e prints (Pictures of a Floating World), was popularised during the Edo period (1615–1868) and spotlighted modern-day Tokyo’s emergence as a cultural hub.

One of Wales’ most extraordinary artists, Gwen John, approached her art with a quiet depth and attention. Marking her 150th birthday, the National Museum Cardiff will put together the first major collection of John’s work in over 40 years: a once-in-a-generation exhibition. Opening on 7 February, the display invites newcomers and old admirers to rediscover her work, see the world through her eyes and discover the wonder in her work. Rarely seen drawings and watercolours will be on display, many for the first time, giving an insight into her artistic vision.

Featuring mostly anonymous female sitters, her paintings were unfortunately overshadowed by those of her brother and her lover, Rodin. John spent most of her career in France, where she found work modelling for the world-famous sculptor Auguste Rodin. What followed was a fraught and passionate affair lasting almost 10 years. Yet as an independent woman and artist working in the early 20th century, Gwen John was a trailblazer for generations of future female artists.

Kew Gardens will host Henry Moore: Monumental Nature from May 2026, the largest outdoor exhibition ever dedicated to the British sculptor. More than 30 of Moore’s monumental works will be displayed across Kew’s 320-acre site and inside the Temperate House, alongside a further 90 pieces in the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art. 

The exhibition celebrates Moore’s deep connection to nature and his belief that landscapes provide the ideal setting for sculpture, allowing form and environment to amplify one another. The show will include major loans such as Large Two Forms, Oval with Points and Three Piece Sculpture: Vertebrae, with additional works from the Tate and the Sainsbury Centre.