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The home of science, arts and inspiration
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Soak Up the Season in South Ken!
Whether you're soaking up the sunshine in a secret garden, diving into world-class exhibitions, or exploring hands-on activities with the kids, South Kensington is brimming with things to do, see and savour. Plus, don’t miss your chance to win a luxury overnight stay at the Royal Garden Hotel - the ultimate summer treat!
And that’s just the start... From pop-up chef takeovers in Hyde Park to the brand new Future of Food exhibition at the Science Museum, mindful nature walks, and free creative drop-ins, there’s so much happening across South Kensington to keep your calendar full through July and beyond. Scroll down for your next adventure.
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| WIN the ultimate Summer Staycation in Kensington |
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| We’ve teamed up with High Street Kensington to offer you the chance to win a luxurious overnight stay for two at the iconic Royal Garden Hotel, complete with breakfast. To top it off, you’ll also receive two tickets to Kensington Palace’s dazzling Dress Codes exhibition. |
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| Summer special offer at The Orangery at Number Sixteen |
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| Savour summer evenings in the private garden and Orangery at Number Sixteen with an exclusive offer for the season. Enjoy a complimentary bar snack when buying a cocktail from their new ‘Aperitivo Hour’ menu. |
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| Green Spaces and Quiet Places |
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| Whether you’ve got a whole afternoon or just ten minutes between plans, here are some of the best shady places and green escapes to enjoy while keeping cool this summer. |
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Image credit: Courtesy of Shimabuku, Barbara Wien, Berlin, Amanda Wilkinson, London and Air de Paris, Romainville
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| More Than Human |
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Design Museum
11th July – 5th October 2025 10am-6pm |
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| 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. |
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| Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art |
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V&A South Kensington
21st March – 1 November 2026 10am-6pm |
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| Just announced! The UK’s first exhibition on Elsa Schiaparelli spans the 1920s to today, celebrating the innovative designer's influence. It traces the fashion house’s groundbreaking origins and its evolution under current creative director Daniel Roseberry. |
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| Future of Food |
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Science Museum
24th July-4th Jan 2026 9am-6pm |
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| A new, free exhibition about how food must change to protect the planet. Be the first to see it this summer—opens 24 July 2025. |
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| Arpita Singh: Remembering |
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Serpentine
20th March - 27th July 10am- 6pm |
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| Last chance to see! Her first solo exhibition of Arpita Singh outside India, Singh’s paintings centre on her emotional and psychological state, drawing from Bengali folk art and Indian stories, interwoven with experiences of social upheaval and global conflict. |
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| South Asia Heritage Month: Family Drop-In |
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V&A South Kensington
30th & 31st July 11am-4pm |
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| Across two days, get creative with hands-on block printing inspired by the V&A's South Asia Collection. This event is free! |
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| Pictograms: Iconic Japanese Designs |
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Japan House London
30th July-9th Nov 10am-8pm |
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| This brand new exhibition celebrates the beauty and precision inherent in Japanese design through the exploration of pictograms – both past and present – and their future potential for international communication. |
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| Make your own screen-printed poster |
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V&A South Kensington
2nd Aug 10:30am-4:30pm |
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| Work with visual artist Usva Inei to design and create posters inspired by the Design and Disability exhibition. |
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| Free Summer Space Trail |
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Science Museum
3rd June – 31st Aug 10am-6pm |
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| Embark on our exciting space trail over summer, inspired by Disney & Pixar’s new film Elio. |
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| Discovery Days: Meadow Madness |
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The Royal Parks
5th-7th Aug 11am-23pm |
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| Smash plants with a mallet to create a print from their natural dyes with hapa zome and make your own seedballs to take home at this free educational Discovery Day with the Royal Parks, This event is free! |
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| Chef Takeovers at the Lido Garden |
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The Royal Parks
28th June - 25th Aug 2pm - 8pm |
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| After a successful launch last year, Guest Chef Takeovers are returning – and tastier than ever. Each weekend, the Lido Garden will come alive with a feast of flavours from around the world. |
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| Back to the Future in Concert |
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Royal Albert Hall
26th Oct 2:30pm & 7:30pm |
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| Experience the thrill of Back to the Future like never before, as part of the Hall's Films in Concert series. |
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| The story of Sendai tansu: samurai chests from Miyagi |
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Japan House London
17th July 6:30pm-7:45pm |
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| Discover the enduring story of Sendai tansu – ornate chests of drawers crafted in Miyagi Prefecture in northeastern Japan in this free talk. |
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| Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse |
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Institut français
11th-22nd July Various times |
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| In 1976, Francis Ford Coppola and his crew ventured into the Filipino jungle to make a masterpiece. But the production of Apocalypse Now proved to be almost as much of a nightmare as the Captain Willard’s own journey into the heart of darkness. |
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| Digital Kids: Sound Explorers |
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V&A South Kensington
13th-29th Aug 11am-4pm |
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| Experiment with sound and see how adaptive design makes music more inclusive. This event is free! |
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| Friday Late: Taste |
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V&A South Kensington
25th July 8:30pm-10pm |
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| From dream core, Y2K to low-fi aesthetics, this Friday Late looks at how the world is being transformed by alternative expressions and tastes in visual art and pop culture. This event is free! |
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| Leighton Leighton House's Public Call Out |
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Leighton House and Sambourne House
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| Leighton House is on a mission to collate material and personal memories dating from 1926 to 2025. They're looking for your memories and recollections, stories and anecdotes! |
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| Design Camp: Drawing and Storytelling for 8 to 11 year olds |
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Design Museum
27th Aug 10am-4pn fo |
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| Combining observational drawing with zine-making, children will learn how to capture details through live sketching to then build a visual narrative on a zine or concertina book. |
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| Noticing Nature: Mindfulness and Science Tour and Talk |
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Natural History Museum
26th July, 30th Aug & 4th Oct 1.45pm–3.00pm & 3.15pm–4.30pm |
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| Join the Museum for this relaxed session in the gardens with Camille Lesforis, founder of The Black Wellbeing Collective. Discover the nature around you, take time to reflect and explore tools and techniques to look after yourself. |
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| Careers Live—Environment Agency |
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Science Museum
4th-29th Aug 11am-4pm |
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| Meet experts from the Environment Agency and take part in the Science Museum's free, interactive, family-friendly activities this summer. |
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| The Pleasure of Misuse |
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The Royal Society of Sculptors
30th May - 3rd Aug |
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| This free exhibition considers the comedy of mundane objects, cases of accidental or deliberate ‘misuse’ that can afford particularly liberating moments of laughter and joy. |
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| Space Night at the Museum |
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Natural History Museum
25th July 6.45 - 9.30 pm |
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| Make the jump to hyperspace and touch down on planet natural history for an evening of intergalactic fun as you explore the galleries after hours. Speak with their scientists, see stellar specimens and visit Space: Could Life Exist Beyond Earth? their newest exhibition. More activities to be announced! |
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Discover South Kensington is an initiative of the Exhibition Road Cultural Group, a partnership of the cultural and educational organisations in and around Exhibition Road, South Kensington.
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Our partners include:
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The Design Museum
Goethe-Institut
Imperial College London
Institut franҫais
The Ismaili Centre
Kensington Palace
Natural History Museum
Royal Albert Hall
South Kensington Estates
Royal College of Art
Westminster City Council
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Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Royal Brompton Hospital
Royal College of Music
Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851
Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)
The Royal Parks
Serpentine Galleries
The Science Museum
V&A South Kensington
The Royal Society of Sculptors
Japan House London
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