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Our pick of the best exhibitions to see in London's galleries and museums this winter. We've split the list into geographical areas to make your planning easier.
Exhibitions in central London
TOO GOOD NOT TO GOGH: This exhibition is filled with Vincent Van Gogh's Masterpieces: Starry Night, two versions of his Sunflowers, his chair, and his bedroom in the sanatorium at St. Remy where he spent his final years. However, the real revelations are lesser-known works such as stevedores silhouetted against a blazing sunset, lovers walking through a park where you can almost reach out and touch the flowers, and a portrait of a local man whose blue-green beard and yellow face look surreal. All these works were painted in just over two years, and it's a chance to (re)appreciate how talented Van Gogh was. There's a good reason this is the hottest exhibition ticket in town.
Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers at The National Gallery. Until 19 January, £24. ★★★★★ (Open daily)
MMM, BACON: Francis Bacon is best known for his anguished portraits, but here we see some more tender ones of the people he knew and loved — though they are still trademark Bacon and would never be considered flattering. It’s a great show that demonstrates the diversity of his portrait style, though the pieces filled with rage and intensity are still his most compelling works.
Francis Bacon: Human Presence at The National Portrait Gallery. Until 19 January, £23. ★★★★☆ (Open daily)
SHOW ME THE MONETS: Who would have thought a smoggy London over a hundred years ago could look this good? Claude Monet captured blazing skies and misty views over Parliament in all the different lights you can imagine. He originally planned to show these works together and never pulled it off, and now over a century later, The Courtauld has made it happen. Yes it's a show of painting about one topic by one painter, and yet it's spectacular.
Monet and London. Views of the Thames at The Courtauld. Until 19 January, £16. ★★★★☆ (Open daily — tickets have sold out and access is now only possible by signing up to a Friend Membership).
RENAISSANCE GREATS: The Royal Academy of Arts has brought together three of art history's heaviest hitters. The exhibition includes works by Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael, accompanied by smaller sketches that are stunning, if not quite possessing the star appeal of Michelangelo’s marble circular 'Taddei Tondo', Leonardo’s massive drawing and Raphael’s painting, featuring the Virgin and infant Christ. The three big artworks are the highlight pieces, but it's also important to be enthralled by the 'support cast' of delicate drawings.
Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael at Royal Academy of Arts. Until 16 February, £19-21. ★★★★☆ (Tuesday-Sunday)
MORE RENAISSANCE PLEASE: If that hasn't filled the Renaissance-shaped hole in your heart, then head to The King's Gallery where they have so much more — including the big three once again: The Three Graces by Raphael, a grotesque head by Michelangelo, and some casual sketches by a certain Leonardo da Vinci. On top of these works, there are dozens more spectacular Renaissance drawings in a sublime showing of the gallery's impressive collection of drawings.
Drawing the Italian Renaissance at The King’s Gallery. Until 9 March, £19. ★★★★☆ (Thursday-Monday)
COLONIALISM INTERROGATED: Contemporary artist Hew Locke has been set loose at The British Museum. Using objects from the museum's collection, mixed with his own art, he interrogates and shines a light on Britain’s colonial past. showing the horrors that were conducted in the name of empire. It’s exactly what museums should be doing and what should be taught in schools, and it's one of the strongest and most important exhibitions on in London.
Hew Locke: what have we here? at The British Museum. Until 9 February, £16. ★★★★★ (Open daily)
Exhibitions in west London
FOOD, GLORIOUS ART?: Celebrate the Japanese art of creating replica dishes to entice customers in, from traditional Japanese dishes to a monstrous burger, and a crab drinking a beer. It's remarkably detailed, it's playful, and you even get to make a bento box with the ‘food’ items. Japan House has a knack for putting on some bold exhibitions and this is another success, and one of the most enjoyable exhibitions in London right now.
Looks Delicious! Exploring Japan’s food replica culture at Japan House London. Until 16 February, free. ★★★★★ (Open daily)
UNDERWATER SOUNDS: Sit down or lie back and soak in the sounds of the River Thames, whether that's the creatures in it or the boats passing by. Artist Jana Winderen has created a darkened room where we can close our eyes and take it all in, based on the recordings she's made with underwater microphones. It’s a simple idea that's remarkably effective, and a lovely way to spend some downtime in a museum, especially on a busy day.
The River at Natural History Museum. Until 26 January, free. ★★★★☆ (Open daily)
ANIMALS COME ALIVE: Don some goggles and walk among and interact with animals that appear in the space around you in a mixed reality experience at Natural History Museum. The latest tech lets creatures swim right up to you, a frog jump into your hand and allows us to see extinct species. It's an impressive use of the technology and it also carries a hopeful message on how we can address the climate crisis, rather than the purely negative stories we’re often faced with in the news.
Visions of Nature: A mixed reality experience at Natural History Museum. Until 23 October, £9.95. ★★★★☆ (Open daily)
MUGHAL MAGIC: Prepare to be dazzled by this exhibition on the golden age of the Mughal empire, during the reign of three of its emperors. It’s filled with stunning illustrations, jewelled armaments, beautiful calligraphy — and even the cup used for daily ablutions looks spectacular. Western audiences will be most familiar with Shah Jahan’s Taj Mahal but here’s a reminder of when the Mughals of India were the envy of the world, and this must-see exhibition has the proof to back that up in this extravagant collection of items.
The Great Mughals: Art, Architecture and Opulence at V&A. Until 5 May, £22. ★★★★★ (Open daily)
ART, SCIENCE & A RHINO: The Palace of Versailles wasn't just a place of stunning architecture and hall of mirrors. In the 17th and 18th centuries it was a hotbed of science and creativity. We see evidence of this in some of the spectacular objects in this show include a stunning watch that was thought to have been commissioned for Marie Antoinette and a giant clock of the creation of the world, plus a taxidermy rhino that was pampered at Versailles, and plenty of impressive paintings. The palace was a place of artistic and scientific splendour, and here’s the bling and beauty to back it up.
Versailles: Science and Splendour at Science Museum. Until 21 April, £12. ★★★★☆ (Open daily)
LOOKING BACK ON THE 80s: Tate Britain is taking us back to the 1980s and hitting us with an extensive and powerful photography exhibition that looks at racism, anti-Thatcher and nuclear missile protests and the class divides within Britain. It's a snapshot that shows both the positive and negative elements of life in Britain in the 1980s. Every single image may not have a lasting impact but there's so much to see in this dense hang that it will give every visitor plenty to chew on and see some of the society changing issues that were covered by photographers in that decade.
The 80s: Photographing Britain at Tate Britain. Until 5 May, £20. ★★★★☆ (Open daily)
Exhibitions in north London
WORKING HARD: How does work impact our health? You just need to look at commuters in morning rush hour to know that 'negatively' is the answer for most people. Wellcome Collection does a deeper dive looking at working conditions throughout history including the horrific working conditions many people have endured, from slaves working on plantations in the colonial era through to sex workers fighting for greater rights today. It's that blend of art, science and history that the Wellcome Collection does so well and this is yet another fascinating exhibition.
Hard Graft: Work, Health and Rights at Wellcome Collection. Until 27 April, free. ★★★★☆ (Tuesday-Sunday).
MEDIEVAL WOMEN: Medieval times were extremely patriarchal and the rights of most women were limited, but some still managed to make space for themselves where they could. Through objects, illustrations, books and letters this exhibition charts the women who had property rights, led armies, practised early medicine and in one instance wrote some rather racy love letters. It's an eye-opening research-led exhibition that turns a lot of historical assumptions on their heads.
Medieval Women at The British Library. Until 2 March, £17. ★★★★☆ (Open daily).
Exhibitions in south London
A BLOODY MACHINE: An industrial mechanism spins while pink liquid drops down and gathers in a pool below, the machine being the culprit for the hanging sheets tinged a pinky-red, as if they've been used to wrap up a bloody corpse. This Tate Modern Turbine Hall installation by Mire Lee acts as a critique of fast fashion, a reference to childbirth and a nod to Turbine Hall’s industrial past all rolled into one. It's like we've walked into the gory aftermath of a horror movie, and we reckon it will divide people but we are so here for it.
Hyundai Commission: Mire Lee: Open Wound at Tate Modern, Turbine Hall. Until 16 March, free. ★★★★★ (Open daily)
ART THAT MOVES: As technology has evolved, artists have always been there ready to experiment with it. Electric Dreams is an exhibition on how artists used technology from the 1960s to the 1990s, so we get a mix of lo-fi tech including mirrors, prisms and simple motors through to an immersive stripy room filled with balloons by Carlos Cruz-Diez. Every time technology has evolved, artists have used it to create important artworks and you can find that history in this engaging exhibition.
Electric Dreams: Art and Technology Before the Internet at Tate Modern. Until 1 June, £22. ★★★★☆ (Open daily)
PRE-MIGRATION: One of our favourite London museums, The Migration Museum, is getting a permanent home in 2026. But before it leaves its current home in Lewisham shopping centre it's putting on a 'best of' exhibition, bringing back some of its past highlights including Jiro Osuga’s massive set of paintings depicting a fantastical departure lounge, a snack machine that shows where ‘British’ foods come from, and a graphic of how empty the England football team would be without migration. Throw in some newer works and it's a fitting send-off before it moves North of the river and into the City of London.
All Our Stories: Migration and the Making of Britain at Migration Museum. Until 29 March, free. ★★★★★ (Thursday-Saturday)
FUN FASHION: Centred around a display of mannequins wearing eye-catching outfits and striking big poses, you know this exhibition will be fun. It's focused on the legendary nightclub Taboo, opened by designer and performance artist Leigh Bowery in 1985. It’s colourful and bold, it's loud and it's proud, and captures the spirit of that time.
Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s London at Fashion and Textile Museum. Until 9 March, £12.65. ★★★★☆ (Tuesday-Saturday)
A HEALTHY PLANET: Vital Signs is an exhibition about how the health of the natural world is linked to our health, and a healthier planet will lead to healthier happier humans — a message we can all get behind. In this mixture of research and art, I particularly liked Gayle Chong Kwan’s river guardians made using the artist's own urine reflecting how clothes were made in the past — you can read all about her work in an interview in our newsletter. There are also chairs covered in heat reactive paint and the chance to sit inside a bark cloth tent by Birungi Kawooya that deadens outside sounds and has a soothing smell.
Vital Signs: Another World is Possible at Science Gallery. Until 17 May, free. ★★★★☆ (Wednesday-Saturday)
ART & MENTAL HEALTH: These impactful paintings chart Charlotte Johnson-Wahl's eight-month stay at Maudsley Hospital (part of the same trust as Bethlem) in the 1970s, her phobias relating to food and hygiene and the ineffective treatments she received. There are canteens without food, insects crawling all over her body and arms in self-portraits, critiques of her treatments, and paintings of her husband and children — one of whom is former prime minister Boris Johnson.
Charlotte Johnson-Wahl: What It Felt Like at Bethlem Museum of the Mind. Until 29 March, free. ★★★★☆ (Tuesday-Saturday)
Exhibitions in east London
THE BRITISH HOME: The Museum of the Home has re-done its permanent Rooms Through Time that look at British homes from different periods, to make it more diverse and reflective of the UK’s diversity, and it’s a triumph. The home from 1878 now focuses on an Indian Ayah, there’s a Jewish tenement house and a contemporary Vietnamese family complete with traditional food in the kitchen. It's been created by engaging with the local communities reflecting the wonderful multi-cultural times we live in.
Rooms Through Time at the Museum of the Home. Free. ★★★★★ (Tuesday-Sunday)
INDIAN HISTORY: Through painting, photography, textiles and video, this Barbican exhibition covers the important years of 1975–1998 in India’s history including political upheaval, religious persecution, the horrific Bhopal chemical spill and so much more which is less known in the Western World. It’s a dense, informative, and welcome exhibition filled with fantastic art and important historical moments. A real eye-opener and while it may initially feel like a niche topic it covers so much within a single exhibition.
The Imaginary Institution of India: Art 1975–1998 at Barbican Art Gallery. Until 5 January, £20. ★★★★★ (Tuesday-Sunday)
