the home of science, arts and inspiration

Great exhibitions in South Kensington

South Kensington has some great exhibitions to enjoy. Marvel at stunning wildlife photography, be inspired by fashion and contemporary art, or visit the imaginative world of Tim Burton.

Image credit: Caiman Crunch © Ian Ford, Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Wildlife Photographer of the Year

11th Oct - 19th June 2025
10am - 5.50pm
Natural History Museum
Map
Visit Website

Experience the wonder of life on Earth through the world’s best wildlife photography. The exhibition is back for its sixtieth year to reveal more of nature’s stories.

Image credit: Surrounded, 1996 © Tim Burton

The World of Tim Burton

25th Oct- 26th May 2025
10am - 6:00pm
Design Museum
Map
Visit Website

Extended until the 26th May! Delve into the fantastical world of Tim Burton in this major exhibition exploring his remarkable creations and key collaborations with designers.

The Great Mughals: Art, Architecture and Opulence

on til 4 May 2025
10am - 5.45pm
V&A South Kensington
Map
Visit Website

This major exhibition celebrates the extraordinary creative output and internationalist culture of the Golden Age of the Mughal Court (about 1560 – 1660) during the reigns of its most famous emperors: Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan.

Power Up

10am - 5.30pm
Science Museum
Map
Visit Website

Immerse yourself in this hands-on gaming zone, featuring the very best video games and consoles from the past 50 years. From Pong to Pacman and Minecraft to Mario, there’s something for everyone, whether you’re a retro games fan, a serious gamer or just want to beat your family at Mario Kart.

Dress Codes

On until 30th Nov
10am-4pm
Kensington Palace
Map
Visit Website

Just announced! Discover never-before-seen royal and court fashion treasures in Dress Codes, a new exhibition at Kensington Palace.

Jameel Prize: Moving Images

Opens 30th Nov
10am - 5.45pm
V&A South Kensington
Map
Visit Website

In a series of intimate, immersive encounters spanning film, photography, animation, installation, sound, sculpture, and virtual reality, this exhibition will reflect the ways artists address questions of identity, community, and personal history.

Visions of Nature: A Mixed Reality Experience

From 24th Oct
10am-5pm
Natural History Museum
Map
Visit Website

Equipped with a mixed reality headset, be transported a century into the future to explore what could lie ahead for the planet.

Image credit: Antoinetta, 2005 by Manolo Blahnik

Marie Antoinette Style

20th Sept 2025 - 22nd March 2026
10am - 5:45pm
V&A South Kensington
Map
Visit Website

A complex fashion icon, Marie Antoinette's timeless appeal is defined by her style, youth and notoriety. Explore the lasting influence of the most fashionable (and ill-fated) queen in history.

Science City 1550-1800: the Linbury gallery

Daily
Science Museum
Map
Visit Website

Discover the world’s oldest collection of timepieces at the Science Museum. See over 600 watches and clocks charting the history of clock making in London.

Image credit: Blooms_B6 — Criss Cross collection by Bethan Laura Wood, Italy, 2013

PLATFORM: Bethan Laura Wood

14th Feb- Jan 2026
10am-6pm
Design Museum
Map
Visit Website

Wood is a multi-disciplinary designer whose work is characterised by material investigation, artisan collaboration and a passion for colour, detail and decoration.

Image credit: Blooms_B6 — Criss Cross collection by Bethan Laura Wood, Italy, 2013

More Than Human

6 June – 5 October 2025
10am-6pm
Design Museum
Map
Visit Website

A major exhibition bringing together art, science and radical thinking to ask how design can help our planet thrive by shifting its focus beyond human needs.

Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style

28 March – 17 August 2025
10am-6pm
Design Museum
Map
Visit Website

Tickets are now on sale! A major exhibition celebrating our enduring love of the water over the last 100 years. Explore the full spectrum of the design of swimming - from sports performance and fashion, to architecture.

Blitz: the club that shaped the 80s

19 Sept 2025 — 29 March 2026
10am-6pm
Design Museum
Map
Visit Website

Delve into the music, fashion, and design stories that shaped Blitz – the club, the people, and the movement that transformed 1980s London style.

Wes Anderson: The Archives

21 Nov 2025 – 4 May 2026
10am-6pm
Design Museum
Map
Visit Website

Tickets now on sale! This landmark retrospective is the first major museum exhibition devoted to Wes Anderson’s extensive and distinctive cinematic output.

Nature Study: Ecology and the Contemporary Photobook

Until 18th May 2025
10am-6pm
V&A South Kensington
Map
Visit Website

Landscape, flora and fauna have inspired photographers since the camera’s earliest days. Contemporary artists continue to experiment with the format of the book to adapt to the pressing challenges of our environment today.

Engineers

Daily
10am-6pm
Science Museum
Map
Visit Website

Engineers shape the world that we live in, creating bold, ground-breaking innovations that respond to global challenges and improve billions of lives. But how much do we know about the people behind these innovations?

Fables for our Time

Open now
10am-6pm
Design Museum
Map
Visit Website

Fables for our Time is a triptych of stories about environmental urgencies, that uses folktales and a new collection of emoji to examine humanity’s relationship with the natural environment.

Image credit: ‘Rebirth’ Garments. Sandra Oviedo (a.k.a.) Colectivo Multipolar

Design and Disability

7th June 2025- 15th Feb 2026
10am - 5:45pm
V&A South Kensington
Map
Visit Website

Both a celebration and a call to action, this exhibition showcases the radical contributors of disabled, Deaf, and neurodiverse people and communities to design history and contemporary culture. Tickets are now on sale.

Cartier

12th April- 16th Nov 2025
10am - 5:45pm
V&A South Kensington
Map
Visit Website

A major exhibition featuring more than 350 objects, charting the evolution of Cartier's legacy of art, design and craftsmanship since the turn of the 20th century.

Victoria: A Royal Childhood

Wed to Sun
10am-6pm
Kensington Palace
Map
Visit Website

Discover the story of Princess Victoria, the young girl destined to be queen, in the rooms where she was born and raised at Kensington Palace. Explore how an indulged young princess blossomed into the independent and iconic monarch we remember.

Energy: Sparks from the Collection

Until 18th May 2025
10am - 6pm
V&A South Kensington
Map
Visit Website

This display shines a light on the diverse kinds of energy in photography, from the hidden processes intrinsic to creating a picture, to the subjects in front of the camera.

Enthoven Unboxed: 100 Years of Collecting Performance

14th Sept 2024- 4th Jan 2026
10am - 5:45pm
V&A South Kensington
Map
Visit Website

Marking 100 years since Gabrielle Enthoven founded the theatre and performance collection, explore an A–Z of themes to show how performance continues to entertain, provoke and inspire

Technicians: The David Sainsbury Gallery

Daily
10am - 6pm
Science Museum
Map
Visit Website

Step into the fascinating world of technicians for a peek behind the scenes in the Science Museum's brand new interactive gallery. Experience what it’s like to create visual effects on a blockbuster film set or operate a robot in a manufacturer's workshop,

Energy Revolution: The Adani Green Energy Gallery

Daily
10am - 6pm
Science Museum
Map
Visit Website

Discover how the world can generate and use energy more sustainably to limit climate change in the Science Museum’s new, free gallery. Energy Revolution looks at the past, present and future of sustainable energy and how we can achieve a low carbon world.