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Our pick of the best exhibitions to see in London's galleries and museums opening in October 2025, plus one cheeky addition from outside the M25.
Powerful photography: Lee Miller at Tate Britain
In over 230 works we follow Lee Miller's journey from New York model to Paris avant-gardist, Cairo explorer and fearless frontline correspondent. We see her surrealist experiments with Man Ray, and some strikingly powerful Second World War images — as well as the astonishing photograph of Miller, taken by her lover David Scherman, soaking in Hitler's bath. Through her vintage prints, unseen photographs and personal ephemera we witness both Miller's amazing breadth of work, and glimpse the woman behind the lens.
Lee Miller at Tate Britain. 2 October 2025-15 February 2026, £20.
Double trouble: Gilbert & George at Hayward Gallery
Irreverent art duo and self-proclaimed "living sculptures", Gilbert & George confront their own mortality in over 60 floor-to-ceiling installations that transform the Hayward Gallery. In one series they are surrounded by nuts, bolts and twigs from their local east London streets. They've embraced digital technology to make societal reflections bigger and bolder, blending newspaper headlines, road signs and overheard conversations into provocative commentaries on sex, religion, class and death. Not one for the easily offended.
Gilbert & George: 21st Century Pictures at Hayward Gallery. 7 October 2025-11 January, 2026. £20.
Spooky actions: Quantum Untangled at Science Gallery
It's time to bring the mind-bending world of quantum science to life, through art and science. This exhibition invites visitors to explore how quantum technologies could shape our future, from climate solutions to next-gen computing. Featuring interactive installations; large-scale sculptures and a double office installation by Conrad Shawcross; poetic reflections; and experimental films, the show makes the quantum realm visible. We may never fully understand quantum physics, but here is one show everyone can get their heads around.
Quantum Untangled at Science Gallery. 8 October 2025-28 February 2026, free.
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Dive into Illuminated River's autumn event programme
Did you know that London is home to the world's longest public art commission? llluminated River stretches from London Bridge to Lambeth Bridge, bringing a magical glow to 3.2 miles of the River Thames come sunset, every single day of the year. But it really comes into its own in the autumn — thanks to a range of special events designed to help you see the artwork in a whole new light.
Every fortnight between now and December, an official guide to the City of London leads an Illuminated River walking tour. Here, you'll find out what inspired the artist behind it all, Leo Villareal, and discover subtle details, such as the scarlet and mauve hues used to compliment the original pillar supports at Blackfriars, or the moving sequences of LED light that work to unify the various Thames bridges.You'll also learn all sorts of fascinating facts about the bridges themselves, so it's great for history lovers as well as art fans.
Fancy experiencing Illuminated River from the river itself? Opt for a boat tour! These relaxing Thames Clippers rides are a great way to see how the light shifts and blends with the water below, and include audio commentary covering architecture, history, and more from City of London and Westminster Guides. They run every Saturday until 30 May 2026.
You've even got the chance to get your own creative juices flowing, with the help of a hands-on photography course, running across multiple dates this autumn. Learn how to compose striking images and master the nuances of night shoots with the help of award-winning photographer Nigel Wilson, who provides practical guidance in an easy-to-understand way. Maybe the nights drawing in isn't so bad after all.
African art: Nigerian Modernism at Tate Modern
This is the UK's first major exhibition tracing the rise of modern art in Nigeria. Showcasing over 250 works by more than 50 artists, the exhibition takes us from the 1940s to the late 20th century, capturing a period of political change, cultural revival and artistic revolution. We see how artists blended Indigenous traditions with European techniques to forge a unique Nigerian modernism. It's a chance to witness works from this movement that influenced the West African art of today.
Nigerian Modernism at Tate Modern. 8 October 2025-10 May 2026, £18.
Celebrity and glamour: Cecil Beaton's Fashionable World at National Portrait Gallery
Cecil Beaton captured many iconic images, but this is the first exhibition dedicated solely to his fashion and portrait photography. It looks at how the society photographer extraordinaire captured the elegance, eccentricity and allure of an entire era. Featuring over 200 works, from intimate letters to portraits, the National Portrait Gallery spotlights Beaton's ability to merge high fashion with fine art; there are images of Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Queen Elizabeth II — in a show tracing Beaton's glamorous career as it romped through London, Paris, New York and Hollywood.
Cecil Beaton's Fashionable World at National Portrait Gallery. 9 October 2025-11 January 2026, £23.
Fleshy Sculpture: Damaris Athene at SLQS Gallery
We know we're not supposed to touch the artworks, but Damaris Athene always tempts us with her fleshy sculptures, which can be walked around and through — as well as admired up on the walls. Incorporating glass into these pieces imbues them with the quality of eyes gazing back at us. It fits neatly with the theme of Athene's works; how our perception of our own bodies and those around us are shaped by digital culture and technology.
Damaris Athene: Undercurrents at SLQS Gallery. 9 October-15 November 2025, free.
Play it again: Peter Doig at Serpentine
Peter Doig returns to Serpentine Galleries, where he exhibited in 1991, and this time he’s bringing the music. Serpentine South is transformed into part gallery, part tribute to analogue sound; Doig pairing his landscape paintings with sound for the first time — including restored speakers from 1920s cinemas and 1950s concert halls playing tracks from the artist's vinyl archive. It's a nod to his years spent in Trinidad and his fascination with the communal joy of listening to music and watching films.
Peter Doig: House of Music at Serpentine South. 10 October 2025-8 February 2026, free.
Colonial botany: The Singh Twins and Flora Indica at Kew Gardens
It's not something often talked about, but plants were a major part of colonialism; think of the trade in cotton, plant dyes and spices. Artist duo, the Singh twins, highlight this link between botany, empire and trade in their powerful works, and take a wider look at the cultural significance of certain plants in global traditions. This exhibition is accompanied by Flora Indica, which brings together 52 rediscovered botanical illustrations by Indian artists commissioned by British botanists between 1790 and 1850.
The Singh Twins and Flora Indica at Kew Gardens. 11 October 2025-12 April 2026, £22 (includes entry to the gardens)
Gaining independence: Emergency Exits at IWM London
It's time to examine the surge of independence movements that erupted after the Second World War, as Britain's empire began to unravel. Focusing on three pivotal conflicts in Malaya (now Malaysia), Kenya and Cyprus, labelled "Emergencies" by the British government, this exhibition reveals how these struggles reshaped lives and nations. Through striking photographs, personal testimonies and rarely seen artefacts, Emergency Exits explores the motivations of those who resisted colonial rule, the responses of British authorities and the enduring legacy of these wars.
Emergency Exits: The Fight for Independence in Malaya, Kenya and Cyprus at IWM London. 17 October 2025-29 March 2026, free.
Let's dance: Wayne McGregor at Somerset House
Sir Wayne McGregor is known for pushing the boundaries of dance — and now his work's been plucked from the stage and dropped into Somerset House. There are immersive installations, AI-powered choreography and live activations by Company Wayne McGregor, blurring the lines between audience and performer. Wayne McGregor: Infinite Bodies also includes work created with Industrial Light & Magic, blending choreography with visual effects and responsive light installations in collaboration with Random International (the team behind the rain room).
Wayne McGregor: Infinite Bodies at Somerset House. 24 October 2025–22 February 2026, £19.50.
Asian sensations: Mrinalini Mukherjee and her circle at Royal Academy of Arts
You may not have heard of Mrinalini Mukherjee before now; this exhibition opens our eyes to this pioneering South Asian artist, inviting us to meet the people and places that informed her practice. A body of Mukherjee’s work is shown alongside that of some of her key mentors, friends and family. It features approximately 100 works spanning over 100 years, including sculpture, painting, drawing, textiles, ceramics and printmaking. Prepare to have your eyes opened up to a vibrant creative and intellectual network that influenced the trajectory of modern and contemporary art in South Asia.
A Story of South Asian Art: Mrinalini Mukherjee and Her Circle at Royal Academy of Arts. 31 October 2025-24 February 2026, £17.
Short run exhibitions and art fairs
Five artists combine to make works about the shifting terrain of memory, dreams and imagination in the exhibition Oneiric, which will be housed in the Miller's House on Three Mills Island (3-13 October, free). Trevor Burgess displays his paintings that capture everyday London life at Town House in Spitalfields (4-14 October, free).
What does it means to be human in contemporary society? That's the question the four artists are asking in Gallery M Platform's exhibition Oh Dear Human at J/M Gallery (8-14 October, free). The artists will also be in conversation with the author of this article on 10 October, 6.30pm-8.30pm. Maria Kreyn's dramatic stormy seascapes are a great contrast to the blinging interiors of Fitzrovia Chapel (12-19 October, free). If you prefer some modern art, head to 67 York Street where there will be abstract works by big names including David Hockney (21-27 October, free).
Want some prize-worthy art? The shortlisted artists and winners of the Visual Art Open are on show at the Minster Building (10-12 October, free), and those for the Cass Art Prize are on at Copeland Gallery (24 October-1 November, free). Some great artists have been selected for both prizes.
London becomes over-run with art fairs in October, the grandaddy of them being Frieze London in Regent's Park (15-19 October, £48+) for the latest in contemporary art, with over 160 galleries from more than 40 countries. At the other end of the park and almost as large is Frieze Masters (15-19 October, £48+, combined ticket £92+) which ranges from antiques to post-war artists, spanning 6,000 years of art history.
More bite-sized specialist fairs include 1:54's Contemporary African Art Fair at Somerset House (16-19 October, £32), specialising in African artists and those of the diaspora. Focus Art Fair at Saatchi Gallery specialises in Middle Eastern and Asian artists, returning for its fourth year (16-19 October, £20+). PAD London in Berkeley Square brings together art and design (14-19 October, £30). If you want an art fair, that doesn't particularly feel like one, make for Minor Attractions at the Mandrake Hotel (14-18 October, free) where galleries show their works in hotel rooms.
The Other Art Fair at Truman Brewery (9-12 October, £10+) invites you to deal directly with artists, and there are bargains to be found. Likewise at the Affordable Art Fair Battersea (15-19 October, £14+) where all works are priced below £8,000 (some are way under this); it's great for those looking to spruce up their home, plus there's a showcase of the best graduate works, curated by Jo McLaughlin.
Exhibitions Outside of London
Prepare to have your mind expanded through Suzanne Treister's practice that covers our relationships with new technologies, alternative belief systems, networks of power and the future of humanity. She attacks these weighty topics through diagrams, tarot cards and a CD-ROM. The works can be humorous and playful, but they also critically challenge our views on AI, the climate crisis and quantum physics. We've seen many of Treister's shows and always come away with new thoughts bubbling away in our heads.
Suzanne Treister: Prophetic Dreaming at Modern Art, Oxford. 4 October 2025–12 April 2026, free.
