Art After Dark returns with week-long celebration of London’s nightlife

Art After Dark, Art of London’s free art and culture programme, is set to return from 3–10 February 2026 with a vibrant week-long celebration of London’s nightlife through art and music, including a special after-hours DJ event at the National Gallery.

Inspired by the city’s rich club culture, the 2026 programme brings together large-scale public artworks, late-night gallery openings and exclusive music experiences across the West End, transforming the area into a festival-style celebration of creativity after dark.

Internationally acclaimed, London-based artist Lakwena Maciver (Tate Britain, Southbank Centre, Somerset House) will headline and launch the programme with Rise and Shine, a landmark public artwork installed in Piccadilly Circus. The 7-metre-tall tower of stacked disco lightboxes will channel the energy and spectacle of a live music festival at one of the capital’s most recognisable locations.

Speaking about the installation, Lakwena Maciver said: “This installation is a celebration of joy, community, and the vibrant energy that pulses through London’s music scene. By unveiling it in Piccadilly Circus, we’re inviting everyone to gather, dance, and experience London’s music culture in a space transformed by colour, light, and sound.”

Reimagining Piccadilly Circus’s analogue heritage through kaleidoscopic colour and sound, the installation draws inspiration from community music culture. Its acid-bright visuals and illuminated forms reference the nightlife of the 1980s and 1990s, a formative era for genres including hip-hop and drum and bass.

The West End will also be animated by a packed programme of late-night events. Highlights include a one-off after-hours DJ experience at the National Gallery on 5 February, offering guests a rare opportunity to enjoy a live DJ set inside the Gallery after closing time and dance among one of London’s most iconic art collections.

Throughout the week, new digital artworks will be unveiled daily on the giant Piccadilly Lights and across screens in the West End, creating a vivid backdrop for visitors exploring the district after dark.

Additional events include late-night gallery openings, bookable art tours via Art of London’s Gallery HOP!, special offers and live performances at venues such as the Hard Rock Café, The London Reign Showclub, BOX Piccadilly and Haymarket Hotel, alongside an exclusive Q&A with Lakwena Maciver in partnership with Apple.

Kirsty Tullett-Jones, Director of Marketing and Communications at Art of London: “Art After Dark 2026 returns as a week-long celebration where music and art collide. From late-night gallery hops and themed performances to a very special DJ-led after-party at the National Gallery, this year’s programme truly has it all.”

Paul Gray, Deputy Director and COO of the National Gallery, said the institution was “delighted” to host the after-party, noting that the event supports the Gallery’s mission to bring people and paintings together in innovative ways.

Art After Dark runs from 3–10 February 2026 across the West End. Further details are available via Art of London.