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The home of science, arts and inspiration
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Image credit: Cecily Brown: Picture Making, Serpentine South, 2026. © Cecily Brown. Photo: © Jo Underhill |
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Spring Highlights from Across South Kensington and Beyond
As spring settles in and the days stretch a little longer, South Kensington offers plenty of ways to ease into the season. You might begin by soaking up the light in the Royal Parks before stepping into the Serpentine South Gallery, where Cecily Brown: Picture Making immerses you in her vivid, expressive world.
A short walk away, Leighton House, in partnership with Community Jameel, presents A Celebration of the Traditional Arts, highlighting contemporary artists whose ceramics, calligraphy and plasterwork draw on enduring craftsmanship and cultural heritage.
Further east, the V&A marks a major moment with the opening of V&A East Museum in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on 18th April. Powered by east London’s creativity, the new museum brings together art, design, fashion, music and performance, creating a cultural landmark well worth the journey.
Take your time this season, there's plenty here to return to, and more still uncover. For the full list of exhibitions, events and activities across South Kensington, explore our What’s On page.
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| Win Tickets to Power Up and a Meal for Two at Franco Manca |
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| Enter for a chance to win 2x tickets to Power Up at the Science Museum, plus a meal for two at Franco Manca, Old Brompton Road – including two pizzas, two drinks and two desserts. |
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| The Great Exhibition Road Festival |
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Great Exhibition Road Festival
6th - 7th June 2026 12 pm - 6 pm |
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| Join us on 6-7 June 2026 to celebrate science and the arts! Expect a weekend packed with free exciting events for all ages: from hands-on workshops and inspiring talks to immersive performances and art installations. |
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| A Celebration of the Traditional Arts in collaboration with Community Jameel |
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Leighton House and Sambourne House
30th April 2026 6 pm - 9 pm |
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| Meet an inspiring panel of contemporary artists as they discuss the lineage of the traditional arts including ceramics, calligraphy and plasterwork, techniques and materials, the creative process and how handcrafted art can resonate with others. |
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| Fixing Our Broken Planet: Generation Hope |
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Natural History Museum
23rd - 26th Apr Times vary |
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| Join the Natural History Museum to explore how you can help shape a better future for people and the planet. Connect with scientists, youth climate activists, creatives, and policy and business experts through talks, tours, and workshops. |
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| Open Samstag - Guided Library Tour |
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Goethe-Institut
Every second Sat of the month 2 pm - 5 pm |
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| Every second Saturday of the month, the library staff at the Goethe-Institut London offer an introduction to the collection and use of the library. The tour takes place from 2 pm on and lasts around 15 - 20 minutes. |
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| Rising Voices: Contemporary Art from Asia, Australia and the Pacific |
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V&A South Kensington
Opens 16th May 2026 Mon to Sun: 10 am - 5.45 pm; Fri: 10 am – 10 pm |
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| Rising Voices will offer an unparalleled view of the Asia Pacific region’s dynamic creative landscape. Foregrounding First Nations perspectives and diverse artistic approaches, the exhibition will feature rare works by over 40 pioneering creatives. |
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Image credit: © Cecily Brown, 2026. Photo: Genevieve Hanson
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| Cecily Brown: Picture Making |
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Serpentine
27th Mar - 6th Sept 2026 10 am - 6 pm |
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| Known for her vigorous brushwork, vivid colour and dynamic compositions, Cecily Brown presents paintings inspired by Serpentine’s unique location in Kensington Gardens, a site of personal significance to the artist. |
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Image credit: Stepping Stools, Somerset House, 2008. Courtesy Simone Brewster
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| Workshop: The Architecture of the Chair with Simone Brewster |
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Design Museum
16th May 2026 10 am - 4 pm |
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| Join artist and designer Simone Brewster for a workshop. Following a guided tour of Brewster's PLATFORM exhibition and a study of the museum's chair collection, create your own chair design inspired by identity and cultural narratives through conceptual exercises. |
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| Blyth Gallery Retrospective |
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Imperial College London
Until 31st July 2026 9 am - 5 pm |
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| Photographs looking back through the past 20 years of exhibitions installed in the Blyth Gallery. |
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| And Bardot Became BB |
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Institut français
Until 10th May Times vary |
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| Ciné Lumière revisits some of Brigitte Bardot’s most iconic films and questions the multiple facets of the myth itself with a series of talks and documentaries. |
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| Performance Festival 2026 |
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V&A South Kensington
24th Apr - 3rd May 2026 Times vary |
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| Experience the storytelling, placemaking and memory-forming power of music and sound. Explore reverberation, repetition and mythmaking through live performances, screenings, talks, tours and workshops, all inspired by the theme 'echoes’. |
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| Star Trek Warp Trail |
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Science Museum
Until 8th Sept 2026 10 am - 6 pm |
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| Calling all Starfleet recruits! Discover iconic Star Trek objects and outfits across the Science Museum in this free trail. |
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| Friday Late: Lost Queer Venues |
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V&A South Kensington
24th Apr 2026 6.30 pm - 10 pm |
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| This Friday Late will celebrate the grassroots collectives and communities creating transient queer utopias in the capital |
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Image credit: © Goethe-Institut London | Anne Tetzlaff
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| Creating the World of Wuschel |
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Goethe-Institut
17th Mar - 31st Jul 2026 Mon - Fri: 10 am - 8.30 pm; Sat: 1 pm - 5 pm |
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| In this exhibition, visitors are invited into the imaginative world of Axel Scheffler through a series of original illustrations. Known for iconic works such as The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom, Axel reveals his work created for Wuschel auf der Erde. |
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| An Evening with Sofar Sounds |
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Natural History Museum
10th July 2026 7 pm - 10 pm |
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| Join the Natural History Museum for an exclusive evening of unforgettable music with Sofar Sounds in their iconic Hintze Hall. |
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Image credit: Portrait copyright NIGO®
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| NIGO: From Japan with Love |
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Design Museum
1st May – 4th Oct 2026 Mon to Thur: 10 am – 5 pm; Fri to Sun: 10 am – 6 pm |
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| Explore the vision and legacy of Japanese designer and creative director NIGO – from street style to music and beyond, in the first UK exhibition showcasing his multifaceted creative work, alongside vintage objects and traditional crafts from his personal collection. |
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| Crafts on Peel presents: Creative Cross-Pollination: The Future of Crafts |
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The Royal Society of Sculptors
11th - 17th May 2026 Times vary |
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| Crafts on Peel brings to you three events that celebrate Hong Kong crafts: an exhibition, a panel discussion and a material discovery and craft demonstration, all taking place at the Royal Society of Sculptors. |
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| Wes Anderson: The Archives |
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Design Museum
21st Nov 2025 – 26th July 2026 Mon to Thur: 10 am – 5 pm; Fri to Sun: 10 am – 6 pm |
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| This landmark retrospective is the first major museum exhibition devoted to Wes Anderson’s extensive and distinctive cinematic output. |
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| Relaxed Tours |
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Royal Albert Hall
12th May & 26th May 2026 10 am |
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| Together with a friendly guide, you’ll take a peek at the royal areas of the Royal Albert Hall, see the breath-taking auditorium, and the stage that’s hosted some of the world’s biggest change-makers, history-shapers and stars. |
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| The Jewel Room |
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Kensington Palace
Wed - Sun Mar to Oct: 10 am - 6 pm; Nov to Feb: 10 am - 4 pm |
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| The Jewel Room displays commissioned gems for Queen Victoria by her beloved husband, Prince Albert. |
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Image credit: © Nankei Pottery
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| Yokkaichi Banko Ware |
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Japan House London
26th Mar - 16th June Mon - Sat: 10 am - 8 pm; Sun: 12 pm - 6 pm |
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| A display of Yokkaichi Banko ware, a traditional Japanese pottery known for durable teapots and cooking ware, developed in Yokkaichi since the 18th century. |
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Image credit: E. Mikesch. I Often Think of Hawaii © Deutsche Kinemathek. Image: E. Mikesch
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| Film Series: Elfi Mikesch |
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Goethe-Institut
5th - 27th May 2026 Times vary |
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| Save the date for a film series dedicated to Elfi Mikesch’s work as a director. In collaboration with Club des Femmes, Goethe-Institut will present a selection of her genre-defying, poetic films that have had a profound influence on feminist and queer cinema. |
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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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