What Exhibitions and Events Are On Across the V&A?

Updated

The V&A's What's On listings currently show a mix of ticketed exhibitions, a free festival and a permanent display spread across its London sites and beyond. The homepage lists closing dates, venues, prices and, for two shows, a sold-out status. General admission to the V&A is free, but most of the headline exhibitions carry a separate charge, and Members visit free.

Exhibitions and displays listed on the V&A site

Exhibition or display Venue Closes Price shown Status
Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends Young V&A Sunday, 15 November 2026 £12.50 Sold out
Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art V&A South Kensington Sunday, 15 November 2026 Not stated on listing Sold out
The Music is Black: A British Story V&A East Museum Sunday, 10 January 2027 Weekday £22.50 / Weekend £24.50 On sale
Rising Voices: Contemporary Art from Asia, Australia and the Pacific V&A South Kensington Sunday, 10 January 2027 £17.00 On sale
David Bowie Centre V&A East Storehouse Now open £5.00 On sale
V&A x LDF: Awakenings (festival) V&A South Kensington Sunday, 18 October 2026 Free Free entry

The site also highlights Constantinople to Istanbul: One City, Two Empires at V&A South Kensington as a major UK-first exhibition covering 1,600 years of art and design. Its dates and price are not given in the listing text, so check the exhibition page before planning around it.

What the listings tell you before you book

  • Sold-out shows may still be worth checking. Both Aardman and Schiaparelli are marked sold out, but the site promotes V&A Membership with unlimited free entry to all exhibitions and members-only previews. If a show is the reason for your visit, compare the cost of a ticket (where available) with Membership before assuming it is out of reach.
  • Prices vary by day. The Music is Black charges £22.50 on weekdays and £24.50 at weekends, so a midweek visit is cheaper.
  • Free options exist. The V&A x LDF: Awakenings festival at South Kensington is free, and general museum admission is free across the family of museums.
  • Venues are spread out. The listings cover South Kensington, Young V&A in Bethnal Green, V&A East Museum and V&A East Storehouse in Queen Elizabeth Park, plus V&A Dundee in Scotland and the Wedgwood Collection in Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent. Check which site holds the show you want before travelling.

Where the V&A family of museums is

The site describes the V&A as a family of museums at five locations: South Kensington and Queen Elizabeth Park in London, Bethnal Green in London (Young V&A), Dundee in Scotland, and Barlaston in Stoke-on-Trent. Exhibitions are tied to specific sites, so the venue column above matters as much as the closing date.

Practical next steps

  1. Open the What's On page and filter by the venue you plan to visit.
  2. Confirm the closing date on the individual exhibition page; listings show end dates but not opening hours.
  3. For sold-out shows, check the Members page or ask on arrival about returns and previews.
  4. Sign up for V&A emails if you want updates on exhibitions, events and courses across the family of museums.

The main uncertainty is price for Constantinople to Istanbul and Schiaparelli, which the homepage listing does not state. Treat those as "check before booking" rather than free.