Weekend to showcase London’s galleries and gardens

More than 200 of London’s gardens and galleries are free to attend this weekend as part of events to highlight the city’s attractions.

London Open Gardens (LOG) 2025 is returning for its 26th year with visitors able to see up close the lesser-seen private spaces around the capital including an RHS Chelsea Flower Show winner and Tudor courtyards.

Run by the charity London Parks and Gardens, this year’s event will see more than 100 gardens open including five that are new to the scheme while Marlborough House is returning for the first time since 2017.

Moving indoors, London Gallery Weekend (LGW) is back for its fifth year with 125 open for art lovers to discover London’s creative communities.

London Parks and Gardens interim director Tim Webb said: “Protecting these green areas from harmful development will protect us from the worst impacts of climate change, adding greater value to our lives.”

He added that last year 93% of visitors said the event “reinforced their enjoyment of nature and appreciation of London’s horticultural heritage”.

Some of the gardens open this year include:

• Battersea Roof Gardens: One of London’s largest residential roof gardens next to Battersea Power Station
• The Sanctuary Garden at Freedom from Torture: A silver-medal winner at the Chelsea Flower Show 2024
• Moat Community Garden, Millbank: Part of the Grade II-listed Millbank Estate near Tate Britain
• The Charterhouse Square Garden: Six courtyard gardens within the Tudor walls of the Charterhouse site
• 25 Cannon Street: A mini jewel of a city rooftop space, overlooking St Paul’s Cathedral

Of LGW, organisers say the event is the world’s largest of its kind and “unique among global gallery events”.

Open from Friday to Sunday, it aims to showcase London’s diverse communities.

Founder and director Jeremy Epstein and co-director Sarah Rustin said: “London Gallery Weekend reframes the city’s dynamic and continuously evolving gallery community, serving the public, gallery and institutional sectors alike through our expanded programme and partnerships.

“LGW’s broadening scope of cross-sector initiatives address the challenging climate the sector is faced with, underscoring London’s endurance as a locus for contemporary art – for ambitious exhibition making, global contemporary art discourse, and where artists’ markets are established and consolidated.”