The best London exhibitions to visit in 2025
From fashion-led exhibitions focusing on the evolution of swimwear, to highlighting Brazil’s contribution to the international art scene, here are the exhibitions to book in 2025
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 25th 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 25th 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 20th-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 the 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 piece 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 – a trail-blazing youth magazine 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 19th and 20th centuries, Edvard Munch consistently produced intimate paintings of family, friends, and lovers, as well as a unique array of self-portraits in his 50-year career. The Norwegian artist is best known for his 1893 work Scream, which has become one of the most widely-recognised images in Western culture. 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
Image: John Capstack
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
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 20th century.
When: Opens 12 April 2025
Where: Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, SW7 2RL
Visit vam.ac.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: Opens 7 June 2025
Where: Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, SW7 2RL
Visit vam.ac.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
Gilbert & George: 21st 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
