Diaries at the ready, it’s time to get your culture fix in the capital. Alongside show-stopping performances at the West End, concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, and gigs, spoken word and dance shows spanning the breadth of the city, London’s galleries are also gearing up for a year to remember. As Somerset House celebrates its 25^th anniversary and the V&A delves into the evolution of Cartier and Marie Antoinette’s timeless style, here are the best London exhibitions to book in 2025. 

Soil: The World at Our Feet at Somerset House

Coinciding with Somerset House’s 25^th birthday, Soil is a landmark exhibition unearthing (ahem) the power of soil and the integral role it plays in our ecosystem. Featured across three thematic sections – Life Below Ground, Life Above Ground, and Hope – expect a range of stories from international artists, writers and scientists to form sensory artworks, scientific artefacts and documentary evidence ultimately highlighting the fragility of soil and its potential to heal our planet during climate change. 

When: 23 January – 13 April 2025
Where: Embankment Galleries, Strand, WC2R 1LA
Visit somersethouse.org.uk

Brasil! Brasil! The Birth of Modernism at the Royal Academy

Designed to showcase Brazilian artists’ contribution to the international scene, the Royal Academy has curated an exhibition of 130 works from 10 different 20^th-century artists. From 1910-1970, a new type of modern art emerged from Brazil, informed by the vibrant cultures, identities and landscapes of its native land. Expect to see lesser-known works from the likes of Anita Malfatti, who spearheaded Brazilian Modernism, and Tarsila do Amaral, now celebrated as a leading female figure of the artistic movement, as well as self-taught artists Alfredo Volpi and Djanira da Motta e Silva. 

When: 28 January – 21 April 2025
Where: Burlington House, Piccadilly, W1J 0BD
Visit royalacademy.org.uk

Flowers – Flora In Contemporary Art & Culture at Saatchi Gallery

Occupying two floors and spanning nine spaces, this exhibition focuses on the ongoing relationship between flowers and human creativity and expression. Recognised for their natural beauty and symbolism, and their ability to convey an array of messages, Flowers features more than 500 artworks ranging from large-scale installations to photography that have been divided into different creative themes, such as Roots and New Shoots. Highlights include a room housing a bespoke installation by Rebecca Louise Law, made up of more than 100,000 dried flowers, while another is transformed into a digital projection space featuring interactive work of the pioneering French artist Miguel Chevalier.

When: 12 February – 5 May 2025
Where: Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Road, SW3 4RY
Visit saatchigallery.com

The Face Magazine: Culture Shift at National Portrait Gallery

Celebrating iconic fashion images from The Face – the trailblazing youth magazine that ran from 1980 to 2004, before it was relaunched in 2019 – this exhibition showcases the covers, models and stylists that helped it achieve global success. Bringing together the work of more than 80 photographers, including Sheila Rock, Stéphane Sednaoui and Corinne Day, as well as 200 photographs, expect to see portraits of a young Kate Moss and Liam Gallagher you’ve likely never seen before. 

When: 20 February – 18 May 2025
Where: St Martin’s Place, WC2H 0HE
Visit npg.org.uk

Edvard Munch Portraits at the National Portrait Gallery

Renowned as one of the greatest artists of the 19^th and 20^th centuries, Edvard Munch consistently produced intimate paintings of family, friends, and lovers, as well as a unique array of self-portraits across his 50-year career. The Norwegian artist may be best known for his 1893 work The Scream, which has become one of the most widely-recognised images in Western culture but with vivid brushstrokes and bold colour, Edvard Munch Portraits will be the first exhibition in the UK to focus on how he redefined the portrait genre. 

When: 13 March – 15 June 2025
Where: St Martin's Place, WC2H 0HE
Visit npg.org.uk

Arpita Singh: Remembering at Serpentine North Gallery

Opening in March 2025, Serpentine will present the first solo exhibition of Arpita Singh outside India, featuring key works selected in close collaboration with the artist from her prolific career spanning more than six decades. Having emerged onto the international art scene in the 1960s, expect to see Singh’s signature style exploring themes of gender, motherhood, feminine sensuality and vulnerability, alongside metaphors of violence and political unrest in India and internationally. 

When: 20 March – 27 July 2025
Where: North Gallery, W Carriage Drive, W2 2AR
Visit serpentinegalleries.org

Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style at The Design Museum

Divided into three sections – the pool, the lido and nature – Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style will dive into design’s role in shaping our relationship with swimming. It harks back to the 1920s, when swimwear was marketed for sport rather than the Victorian’s preference for bathing, and then was kickstarted by the rise of UK beach holidays. The exhibition will then follow swimming’s role in life up until modern day via 200 objects, ranging from Pamela Anderson's Baywatch swimsuit, the first Olympic solo swimming gold medal won by a British woman, and the banned ‘technical doping’ and high-tech LZR Racer swimsuit. 

When: 28 March – 17 August 2025
Where: 224-238 Kensington High Street, W8 6AG
Visit designmuseum.org

Giuseppe Penone: Thoughts in the Roots at Serpentine South Gallery

Dubbed the most comprehensive institutional exhibition of Giuseppe Penone presented in the UK, Thoughts in the Roots is a showcase of the Italian artist and sculptor's fascination with the relationship between humans and the natural world, featuring works that range from 1969 to present day. A leading figure in the Arte Povera movement, born in Italy in the 1960s, Penone experiments with a wide range of materials, with the exhibition extending beyond the gallery to feature sculptures in the Royal Parks. Highlights include Respirare l’ombra (To Breathe the Shadow) – a sensory installation made of laurel leaves that envelops the walls of the gallery – and A occhi chiusi (With Eyes Closed): a work exploring the relationship between sight and the act of closing one’s eyes. 

When: 3 April – 7 September 2025
Where: Kensington Gardens, W2 3XA
Visit serpentinegalleries.org

Cartier at the V&A

One of the most highly-anticipated exhibitions of the year comes from Cartier, with its 2025 showcase marking the brand’s first in 30 years. Featuring more than 350 objects – ranging from precious jewels to historic gemstones, and iconic watches to classic clocks – the new exhibition charts the evolution of Cartier's legacy, which spans art, design and craftsmanship since the turn of the 20^th century. 

When: Opens 12 April 2025
Where: Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, SW7 2RL
Visit vam.ac.uk

The Edwardians: Age of Elegance at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace

This spring, a major exhibition at The King’s Gallery will immerse visitors in the glamour and opulence of the Edwardian era. Explore the lives of two of Britain’s most fashionable royal couples – King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, and King George V and Queen Mary – from their family lives and personal collecting to their glittering social circles, global travels and spectacular royal events. Bringing together more than 300 items, almost half on display for the first time, highlights include examples of Alexandra and Mary’s dazzling jewellery – including Alexandra’s Dagmar necklace, a wedding gift from the King of Denmark – and paintings of magnificent court events by Laurits Tuxen and portraits by the most fashionable society painters of the day, including Philip de László and John Singer Sargent. 

When: 11 April – 23 November 2025
Where: Buckingham Palace, SW1A 1AA
Visit rct.uk

Design and Disability at the V&A

Both a celebration and a call to action, Design and Disability will highlight the extraordinary contributions of disabled, deaf, and neurodiverse people and communities to design history, contemporary culture and art. Spanning the 1940s until 2024, the exhibition has been curated by the V&A’s head of digital design Natalie Kane, and will feature a variety of mediums, from film to paintings. 

When: 7 June 2025 - 15 February 2026
Where: Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, SW7 2RL
Visit vam.ac.uk

Gianni Versace Retrospective at Arches London Bridge

Honouring the legacy of the Italian designer, Gianni Versace Retrospective will feature the largest collection of vintage Gianni Versace designs ever to be displayed in the UK, with more than 450 original garments, accessories, personal sketches and photographs showcasing the designer’s craftsmanship. Boldly reinvented every season, Versace’s designs are showcased in this exhibition through a vibrant chronology of looks from 21 collections and reflects how the nostalgic appeal of the Nineties Versace aesthetic underpins its current identity. Expect to see shirts designed for Elton John, and outfits worn by Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss on the catwalk. 

When: Opens 16 July 2025
Where: 8 Bermondsey Street, SE1 2ER
Visit gianniversacelondon.co.uk

Future of Food at the Science Museum

Examining how science can help us find more sustainable ways to grow, produce and eat food, Future of Food features more than 100 historic and contemporary objects that highlight major food milestones – think 3,500-year-old fermented sourdough bread, the first Quorn burger and the first beef steak grown outside a cow. Inviting foodies to think about what they consume in ways they may never have before, Future of Food will explore how our everyday routines – from what we eat to how we shop and cook – can lead to more sustainable food production. The exhibition also includes insightful human stories from farmers, scientists and community leaders connected to sustainable food production while revealing how our current food practices impact the climate, nature, and society. 

When: 24 July 2025 – 4 January 2026
Where: Exhibition Road, South Kensington, SW7 2DD
Visit sciencemuseum.org.uk

Marie Antoinette Style at the V&A

Marie Antoinette's timeless appeal has been subject to artistic conversation for decades – and it's her signature style that will form a wide-ranging fashion exhibition in partnership with Manolo Blahnik next autumn. The ill-fated but fashionable French queen has often been defined by her style, youth and notoriety, and the V&A promises to explore her lasting influence across 250 years of design, film and art.

When: Opens 20 September 2025
Where: Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, SW7 2RL
Visit vam.ac.uk

Lee Miller at Tate Britain

A major exhibition of works by the trailblazing surrealist photographer Lee Miller will arrive at Tate Britain this autumn. One of the most extensive retrospective collections of her photography to date, the exhibition will follow her evolution from one of the most sought-after models of the late 1920s – which saw her make a name for herself as a leading figure in the avant-garde scenes in New York, Paris, London and Cairo – to her work behind the camera. From her participation in French surrealism to her fashion and war photography, enjoy 250 vintage and modern prints that culminate in a celebration of Miller's poetic vision and fearless spirit.

When: 2 October 2025 – 15 February 2026
Where: Millbank, SW1P 4RG
Visit tate.org.uk

Gilbert & George: 21^st Century Pictures at Southbank Centre

Housed in the Hayward Gallery, this landmark exhibition from pioneering London-based artists Gilbert Prousch and George Passmore will focus on their latest pictures since the start of the millennium, exploring themes of hope, fear, religion, corruption and death. Known for their graphic-style art, the exhibition will feature pictures that have never been seen in the UK – so expect plenty of bold pieces delving into societal norms and taboos. 

When: Opens 7 October 2025
Where: Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX
Visit southbankcentre.co.uk

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