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Try something different

If you are looking for ideas for what to do in South Kensington, try something different today. Discover jewellery, earthquake simulators, journey to space, fashion. and so much more.

Coming Soon: David Hockney

12th March - 23rd August 2026
10am-6pm
Serpentine
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Serpentine is honoured to announce an exhibition of recent works by David Hockney. Presented at Serpentine North, the exhibition will showcase seminal works, shown in the UK for the first time. This event is free!

Image credit: 2B Or Not 2B Collective at the National Gallery. Photo: Hydar Dewachi

Fashion Life Drawing: Blitz Club

6th Feb
6pm-7:30pm
Design Museum
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Join us for a Friday night life drawing session celebrating the fashion of the Blitz Club in the 80s.

The Drawing Gym

8th & 9th Nov
10am-4pm
Design Museum
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In this immersive two-day class, drawing becomes a powerful tool for seeing, reflecting, and communicating ideas. Whether you're a student, designer, engineer or curious observer, learn new tools for thinking visually.

Halloween Lates

31st Oct
6:45pm-10pm
Science Museum
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Join the Museum for a night of spooky science at a very special Lates. Watch the galleries come alive after hours at our annual Halloween party that you’d be a ghoul to miss.

After:hours adult education

Various dates and times
Imperial College London
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Join adult education days and evening classes at Imperial. From humanities and science to art and creative writing. Open to everyone.

Courses for Children and Young Learners

Various dates and times
Goethe-Institut
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Vibrant, in-person German courses for children and teens aged 6-17. From beginner classes to creative options like Coding & German, young learners enjoy a hands-on, engaging approach to language learning – right here in South Kensington.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens in Concert (12A)

15th Nov
2:30pm or 7:30pm
Royal Albert Hall
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Experience Star Wars: The Force Awakens in concert with John Williams' score performed live by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, conducted by Ludwig Wicki.

Work Experience Week in the Language Department

23rd - 27th March 2026
10am-4pm
Goethe-Institut
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Would you like to gain hands-on experience in an international cultural institution? Join this one-week work experience programme at the Goethe-Institut London and explore the work of our language and educational services departments. Apply now!

Open House: The Institut français’ History – A Guided Tour

20th Sept
2pm - 5:45pm
Institut français
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Learn all about the Institut’s fascinating history and stunning Art Deco architecture including its Grade II listed library and recently renovated foyer with guided tours and an archives exhibition, as part of Open House London. This event is free!

London Design Festival

13th-21st Sept
Various times
V&A South Kensington
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Discover a series of contemporary installations, workshops, talks and more, exploring design’s response to crisis and urgent issues – from natural resource extraction, cultural heritage at risk, geo-political conflicts to AI.

Power Up Evening Session

16th Oct, 18th Nov & 12th Dec
From 7pm
Science Museum
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The museum's sell-out adults-only Power Up evening sessions return this autumn with an out-of-this-world twist.

Marina Willer x Pith: Sketching with Stickers

13th – 21st Sept
10am-5pm
Design Museum
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For this year's London Design Festival, Pith® and Marina Willer are collaborating to create an exhibition of expressive and playful sketchbooks, each containing an original artwork by Marina made of colourful stickers forming intricate compositions.

Family Fun: Minibeasts and the Garden

20th Sept
11am - 12:30pm & 2:30pm - 4pm
Leighton House and Sambourne House
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Explore the Leighton House garden to see what minibeasts are living there, their habitats and how we can help provide places for them to live back at our own homes. Free museum entry for accompanying adult.

Wish, Make, Celebrate!

27th Sept – 1st Nov
11am-4pm
V&A South Kensington
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Wish, Make and Celebrate is a new space for families to explore what brings you joy, through creating a wish, and celebrating the things that makes you happy! This event is free.

Experiments with Image / Exploring Food Culture

27th Sept
10.30am – 4:30pm
V&A South Kensington
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Join artist Chiizii for a free drop-in workshop to create a unique artwork to take home, inspired by your individual food culture. This event is free!

Pop-up Performance: Caribbean Storytelling

6th Sept - 6th Dec
11am- 3:.40pm
V&A South Kensington
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Celebrate Caribbean culture through fun family activities, games, and stories.

French Courses: Twice a Week

Starting 24th March
Institut français
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Don’t think twice! Learn French twice a week at the Institut français and achieve great results!

Brompton Design District

13th-21st Sept
Various times
South Kensington
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Brompton Design District is a design hub during the London Design Festival featuring a mix of global design brands & cultural institutions alongside a curated programme of exhibits with a reputation for nurturing inventive design by independent designers.

Young V&A opening in July

Opening 1st July 2023
V&A South Kensington
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Young V&A will showcase the transformative power of creativity, displaying remarkable and optimistic stories of children’s ingenuity alongside 2,000 works from the V&A’s collection of art, design, and performance.

National Art Library and Archive talks: each Monday from 15 January

V&A South Kensington
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The V&A will be holding free, open sessions every Monday (except bank holidays) in the National Art Library. A member of the Library or Archives staff will introduce the history and purpose of the Library and talk about an item from their collections.

Family Trails at the Science Museum

Science Museum
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Go on a journey of discovery and exploration around the Science Museum.

Young V&A

Opens 1st July
10am-5:30pm
V&A South Kensington
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Get ready to spark your creativity at Young V&A – the museum where children, young people and families can imagine, play and design. From 1 July 2023, be inspired by spaces, explore our collection and get creative. Right now, keep in touch on social.

The Great Exhibition Augmented Reality Experience

Online
Hyde Park
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Visit Hyde Park, where the 1851 Great Exhibition was held. Download the free app to see a true-to-size recreation of the Crystal Palace. Explore the site, admire the building's scale and details, and learn about its fascinating history.

Engineers

Daily
10am-6pm
Science Museum
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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?