The essential guide to Frieze Week 2024
The capital's biggest art event is back. Here's what to see and where to be seen
With Frieze London and Frieze Masters set to whip the capital’s art scene into a frenzy from 9-13 October 2024, it’s hard to know where to start if you want to make sure you’re seeing all the highlights – especially if you’re venturing to the multitude of satellite events that accompany Frieze Week. With must-dos including official foodie pop-ups, exclusive hotel packages for those visiting from out of town, and a range of immersive cultural, musical, and digital events around London, start planning your diary with our curation of highlights. Here’s to the art of seeing it all…
Frieze London
Image: Linda Nylind
The cool, younger sibling to Frieze Masters, Frieze London is your go-to for the freshest, most exciting contemporary pieces on the global art scene. Expect established names, including Hauser & Wirth, David Zwirner and Sadie Coles HQ, alongside emerging galleries representing up-and-coming talent.
Not to be missed this year is Artist-to-Artist. After debuting to critical acclaim in 2023, this special section of the fair will see eight renowned artists, including Lubaina Himid, Rashid Johnson, and Glenn Ligon, invited to nominate a counterpart worthy of a solo exhibition at Frieze. Designed to celebrate 21 years of Frieze London’s work promoting the world’s brightest new artistic talent, stop by to see works by Rob Davis, Peter Uku and Nengi Omuku.
Elsewhere, Frieze London 2024 will welcome the return of Focus, showcasing emerging talent from the UK capital and around the world. The longstanding section features 34 solo and dual presentations from artists and galleries spanning five continents, including new spaces defining London’s cultural scene. Expect works by Jo Messer, Keti Kapanadze and Nat Faulkner.
Frieze Masters
Does your taste run more toward Botticelli than Banksy? Frieze Masters is the fair for you. Here, you’ll find art and antiquities dating back more than 6,000 years rubbing shoulders with works by Old Masters and prominent artists of the early 20th century. Some of the world’s most famed galleries, including Aicon, Art Ancient and Charles Beddington, will be in attendance – making this your opportunity to pick up a piece of real artistic significance.
Even if you're not in the market for a new purchase, Frieze Masters is well worth a visit for its celebrated Spotlight section, which this year is curated by Valerie Cassel Oliver, curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. For 2024, Cassel Oliver is dedicating the space to underappreciated works from the 1950s to the 1970s while Studio, curated by Sheena Wagstaff, highlights Frieze Masters’ commitment to art blended with history.
Where to eat and drink at Frieze
Sure, Frieze is all about the art, but surely it can be a little about the food (and drink), too? One brand well-versed in blending the two is Ruinart, whose Art Bar has been a highlight of Frieze for many years. For 2024 it has collaborated with artists Marcus Coates and Henrique Oliveira to create Conversations with Nature, a collection of mixed media works spanning painting, photography, sculpture and sound installation highlighting the champagne-making process. This immersive exhibition is, of course, best accompanied by a glass of R de Ruinart, Ruinart Blanc de Blancs or Ruinart Rosé.
For sustenance, beloved Soho restaurant Rita’s will once again bring its signature playful and seasonal menu with considered American flair to Regent’s Park. A longstanding Frieze mainstay – now in its seventh year – new for this year is Rita’s Cubano Bar, where ticket holders can expect freshly made Cubano sandwiches – think fillings of slow-roasted pork with Swiss cheese and spiced shredded mushrooms with dill pickle – seasonal salads, fresh juices and vibrant mezcal cocktails. The menu showcases head chef Gabriel Pryce’s distinctive culinary style, influenced by the US while celebrating the best of European seasonal produce and local suppliers, via plates of carnitas tacos with onions and cilantro, a selection of kale, corn and black bean salads, and red and green salsa.
Transporting from Soho to Regent’s Park, Ham Yard Hotel’s restaurant will also be returning to Frieze Masters for 2024, offering a selection of brasserie-style dishes, including beetroot and pomegranate salad with smoked almonds, roast chicken coq au vin with girolles mushrooms, pancetta and creamed potatoes and poached blackberries with clementine sorbet served on the latest designs from hotel founder and creative director, Kit Kemp’s latest fine bone china collection, Tall Trees. Guests can also enjoy an array of decadent cakes and puddings from the Dessert Trolley, cocktails at the bar, and roasts with all the trimmings on 13 October, the final day of the fair.
For a full list of restaurant partners, visit frieze.com
Where to stay during Frieze Week
The ultimate bolthole for art enthusiasts, and home to a stellar curation of collected and commissioned works by a variety of British and international artists, Rosewood London is offering a design-led stay in the capital. Allowing guests to immerse themselves in the Frieze spirit, the Artistic Getaway Package includes an overnight stay with breakfast, VIP tickets to Frieze London, plus chauffeur-driven transfers and bubbles on arrival. Other official hotel partners, who are all offering a range of packages and perks if you mention ‘Frieze’ upon booking, include The Mayfair Townhouse, The BoTree, The Hari and The Mandrake, as well as The Connaught, Claridge’s and The Berkeley.
For a full list of hotel partners, visit frieze.com
Satellite exhibitions
Alex Mayhew Metro Bowie at Start Art Fair
Shadow, 2023, at Start Art Fair
While, of course, the majority of the official action happens in the Regent's Park tents (and surrounding parkland, home to Frieze Sculpture), there’s plenty going on across the capital to get involved in. The renowned StArt fair has relocated from Chelsea to King’s Cross for its highly-anticipated eleventh edition spanning Frieze week and showcasing some of the world's most exciting contemporary art. Don’t miss the world-exclusive Holy Relics exhibition by photographer Rick Guest, featuring high-resolution prints of objects that have profoundly shaped our cultural history, from Lord Byron’s dip pen to Ernest Hemingway’s first typewriter. Elsewhere, StArt will once again present the annual Ciclitira Prize, in partnership with The King’s Foundation, to artists featured in the School of Traditional Arts annual degree show.
Following the tremendous success of last year's inaugural event, Mall Galleries – home of the Federation of British Artists (FBA) – will welcome the return of its Art For All auction, an online fundraising auction offering outstanding, small-scale figurative art at affordable prices. The works are listed anonymously, meaning buyers have the rare chance to bid on leading, established figurative artists, securing work at a fraction of its normal cost. Taking place from 7-13 October, coinciding with Frieze Week, all profits will go towards the work of the FBA. This year, there will be 180 small artworks to bid on, alongside a selection of sculptures from a collective of the FBA’s nine member societies, which include the Royal Society of Portrait Painters and the Royal Institute of Oil Painters. Don’t miss the chance to get your hands on pieces by participating artists Adebanji Alade, Linda Alexander, Teresa Lawler and Ian Rawling. Happy bidding!
Image Michael Fung
She's Pure Light (2015). Image: Chris Levine
Over in Mayfair, Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane has partnered with artist Chris Levine to exhibit six new portraits alongside a curated series of bespoke Frieze tours and experiences. Launching on 9 October, Levine’s works will be exhibited throughout the five-star hotel until the end of the month, with each capturing an iconic British artist, including Cornelia Parker, David Shrigley, Daniel Lismore, Yinka Shonibare, all photographed in Levine’s signature style. The in-hotel exhibition is complemented by a range of exclusive Frieze tours for guests, guided by Four Seasons Park Lane’s knowledgeable art experts, ranging from the Frieze Contemporary – a two-hour private tour of artworks from established and emerging contemporary artists – and Frieze Master: a tour that showcases works of art by the Old Masters and luminaries of the 20th century.
Also in celebration of Frieze, 1 Hotel Mayfair has partnered with renowned London-based artist Robi Walters, together with West Contemporary, for an exclusive exhibit that celebrates art, sustainability and mindfulness. London’s first sustainability-driven luxury hotel, the Berkeley Street address provides a fitting setting for Walters' captivating work, which transforms discarded materials into remarkable, thought-provoking art pieces. The installation, running from 9-13 October and titled Love Supreme, will be complemented by custom-designed Bang & Olufsen speakers providing a thoughtful soundtrack to create a multi-sensory experience. On 11 October, Walters and Hannah Jones, CEO of the Earthshot Prize, will come together at the hotel’s Dover Yard for a compelling panel discussion on how art has the power to drive societal change.
Maison à travers les roses, Monet, Gallery V from Schwyz
Can't get enough of arts and interiors? Lucky for you, Lapada art and antiques fair is moving into Mayfair's Berkeley Square just a couple of weeks after Frieze, hosting the world's finest galleries, dealers and specialists. From 23-27 October, exhibitors range from McKenzie Art & Design, who will be offering a series of black and white photographs by famed Scottish photographer Joseph McKenzie, and Gallery V, who will display a rare Monet painted in the last year of the artist’s life.
New for 2024 is Lapada Fringe, spotlighting Mayfair’s history and creativity with a series of exclusive events and collaborations. Don’t miss a tour of Handel Hendrix House on 24 October, offering an exclusive glimpse inside the home of G.F. Handel and Jimi Hendrix, and special art tours at Brown’s Hotel. Elsewhere, interior enthusiasts shouldn’t miss Lapada’s partnership with luxury wallpaper brand Fromental, who will be showcasing its latest designs with interior designer, Stephanie Barba Mendoza, while wrapping the entire venue in one of its signature prints.
Frieze parties and events
As with any major creative event in the capital – London Fashion Week, London Design Festival etc – great after parties are a given. Enter The Arts Club, which will be bringing its fabled Patrons Party concept from Dubai to London on 9 October. Co-hosted with Maison Ruinart, the party’s committee reads like a who’s who of global tastemakers including Nathan Clements-Gillespie, director of Frieze Masters, and renowned fashion photographer Tyler Mitchell. Previous Frieze attendees include fashion designer Ozwald Boateng, artists Conrad Shawcross, Philip Colbert and Shezad Dawood, band Mumford & Sons, and Princess Alia Al-Senussi, to name a few. The club’s major group exhibition, Daffodils Baptized on Butter – which features works by more than 25 artists exploring the countless symbolic, mystical and historical meanings of flowers – will pose as the perfect backdrop for the party.
Elsewhere, TheirStories, a series of cultural discussions and performances, is back in The Library Lounge at The Standard with a Frieze Special on 8 October. American-born Chadd Curry – a figurehead in London’s nightlife scene and a performance artist, DJ, and educator – will be in conversation with close friends and collaborators Parma Ham and Josh Woolford, while the evening will also feature a live art performance followed by music and drinks to welcome the launch of Frieze.
Frieze pop-ups
Pario London, a new foodie pop-up, is set to open at Damien Hirst’s Newport Street Gallery in Vauxhall from 9-12 October. Helmed by acclaimed chefs Charles Bryant and George Browne, Pario celebrates the very best produce with a fresh, seasonal approach to modern British cuisine. Occupying the former space of restaurateur Mark Hix’s Pharmacy 2 bar, Pario marks the start of a new culinary chapter at the gallery, perfectly timed to coincide with Frieze London. Signature dishes include ex-dairy dry-aged ribeye and barbecued Cornish lobster tail paired with sides of house crispy potatoes with confit garlic. Delicious.
Celebrating all things Italian and British craftsmanship from 8-12 October, the Italian master of yacht design, Sanlorenzo, is partnering with British interiors connoisseur, David Linley, to reimagine the exterior and interior of the flagship Linley Belgravia studio. This showroom takeover invites guests to step off the street and into the life of luxury yachting in a studio that evokes the ‘on-board’ experience, inspiring them to envision their very own floating masterpiece.
