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Image credit: © LANZA atelier. Photo: Iwan Baan. Courtesy Serpentine. |
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New Exhibitions & Climate Action Week in South Ken
South Kensington is buzzing with new openings, exhibitions and events, making the final weeks of June the perfect time to explore.
In Kensington Gardens, the newly opened Serpentine Pavilion 2026 by LANZA atelier introduces a striking architectural landmark shaped by the studio’s distinctive approach to form and material. A short walk away, V&A South Kensington's Lost Music Venues celebrates around 50 performance spaces that helped define Britain’s music scene, reflecting on their cultural legacy and the challenges facing grassroots venues today.
From 20-28 June, London Climate Action Week turns attention to climate and the built environment. As part of the programme, the Design Museum's Building Resilience: Demonstrators for a Changing Climate gathers together architects, policymakers and urban innovators to discuss practical responses to a changing climate. Nearby, the Natural History Museum's Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition enters its final weeks, offering a timely way to mark Climate Action Week through extraordinary images that celebrate the beauty and fragility of our planet.
Planning a visit? Browse our What’s On page for more to discover across South Kensington.
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| WIN tickets to see Lewis Capaldi at BST Hyde Park |
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| 11th July 2026 |
We’ve teamed up with The Royal Parks to give one lucky winner a pair of general admission tickets to Lewis Capaldi’s sold out show on Saturday 11th July 2026 in Hyde Park. Known for his powerful vocals and emotional anthems, Capaldi will take to the Great Oak Stage for what promises to be one of the standout nights of the summer. |
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| Lost Music Venues |
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V&A South Kensington
Until 30th Oct 2027 10 am - 6 pm |
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| Featuring around 50 ‘lost’ performance spaces from the 1980s to 2010s, this display celebrates music venues as centres of creativity, shining a light on both their cultural contribution and the challenges they face as a sector. |
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Image credit: Jaron James
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| Leighton House Miniature: Tour and Exclusive Viewing |
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Leighton House and Sambourne House
15th - 20th July 2026 11 am - 2 pm |
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| In July 2026, Leighton House marks 100 years since it opened as a public museum in Kensington. As part of the anniversary programme, the museum will host a spectacular one-twelfth scale miniature of the house and its richly decorated interiors, created by specialists Mulvany & Rogers. |
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Image credit: Images courtesy of SUGi
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| Building Resilience: Demonstrators for a Changing Climate |
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the Design Museum
25th June 2026 10.30 am - 4.30 pm |
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| Join leading architects, policymakers and urban innovators for a day of conversations on demonstrating change during London Climate Action Week. |
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| Constantinople to Istanbul: One City, Two Empires |
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V&A South Kensington
7th Nov 2026 - 9th May 2027 Mon-Sun: 10 am - 5.45 pm; Fri: 10 am - 10 pm |
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| A major UK-first exhibition exploring 1,600 years of extraordinary art and design, offering a compelling new perspective on a city defined by artistic excellence across more than a millennium. |
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Image credit: © LANZA atelier. Photo Iwan Baan. Courtesy Serpentine.
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| Serpentine Pavilion 2026 by LANZA atelier |
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Serpentine
Until 25th Oct 2026 |
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| This year's Serpentine Pavilion has been designed by the Mexican architecture studio LANZA atelier, founded by Isabel Abascal and Alessandro Arienzo. The crinkle-crankle wall derives its stability from its curving form, requiring fewer bricks than a straight wall. |
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Image credit: © Jamie Smart
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| Wildlife Photographer of the Year |
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Natural History Museum
Until 12th July 2026 10 am - 6 pm |
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| Don’t miss your final chance to pause and reconnect with nature through powerful images that celebrate its beauty and inspire protection. Now in its sixth decade, this exhibition showcases extraordinary moments captured by photographers from around the world. |
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Image credit: © Rob Fraser
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| Resonance: Film Screening and Panel Discussion |
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Royal Geographical Society
25th June 2026 6 pm - 7.15 pm |
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| A free evening exploring nature based solutions to urban climate challenges, featuring scientists, creatives and community voices. A thoughtful addition to the week. |
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| LGBTQ+ Highlights Tour |
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Science Museum
Dates & times vary |
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| Join one of the volunteer guides to explore the Science Museum Group Collection through the lens of gender and sexual identity. |
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| Library and Archives Open Day |
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Natural History Museum
26th June 2026 11 am - 3 pm |
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| This is a rare occasion to see treasures from one of the greatest collections of books, manuscripts and artworks about the natural world. You’ll have the chance to chat to NHM's staff and learn about our work as shown through the library collections we care for. |
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| V&A Illustration Awards 2026 |
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V&A South Kensington
2nd July - 4th Oct 2026 10 am - 5.30 pm |
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| The V&A Illustration Awards is a free, biennial competition celebrating excellence in illustration and contemporary practice, and judged by a panel of prominent illustrators and industry experts. |
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| Fantasy & Fairytales |
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Royal College of Music
3rd - 6th July 2026 7 pm |
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| Hear five world-premiere short operas by Royal College of Music composers, brought to life by RCM singers and instrumentalists working with pathfinding opera company Tête à Tête. |
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Image credit: Photo by Justine Trickett
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| Design Researchers in Residence: 2025/26 Mineral |
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the Design Museum
Until 20th Sept 2026 Mon to Thur: 10 am – 5 pm; Fri to Sun: 10 am – 6 pm |
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| This year's Design Researchers in Residence are responding to the theme of ‘mineral’. Visit the display to explore four of the UK’s geological landscapes (lithium, copper, silica, and chalk) and their relationships to the green transition. |
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| Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens Bandstand Concerts |
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The Royal Parks
9th Aug, 16th Aug & 6th Sept 2.30 pm - 4.30 pm |
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| Join the Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens for their free Bandstand Concert series from June - September! |
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| The Odyssey |
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Science Museum
From 17th July 2026 Dates & times vary |
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| Christopher Nolan's, The Odyssey, brings Homer's foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time and is the first feature to be shot entirely with IMAX cameras, making the Science Museum's 70mm IMAX cinema the best choice when booking tickets. |
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| Queer Folk |
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Royal College of Music
29th June 2026 6 pm |
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| Celebrate Pride month with this open, welcoming singaround session of tunes, songs and stories. |
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| Frederic Leighton’s Arab Hall |
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V&A South Kensington
15th July 2026 3.30 pm - 4.30 pm |
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| Join Dr Melanie Gibson for a discussion on one of London’s most extraordinary interiors ‒ Frederic Leighton's Arab Hall. |
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| Dino Snores for Grown Ups |
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Natural History Museum
Dates vary 6.30 pm - 10 am |
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| Enjoy a night of fun, food, science, movies and music at the Natural History Museum's sleepover, Dino Snores for Grown ups. |
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Image credit: Photo © Gautier Deblonde, courtesy the artist and Victoria Miro.
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| Artists in Conversation: Cecily Brown and Celia Paul |
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Serpentine
6th July 2026 7 pm |
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| Join artists Cecily Brown and Celia Paul for a live conversation exploring their individual approaches to painting, daily studio practices and the images that continue to inspire them.. |
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| Baby Broadway |
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Royal Albert Hall
1st July 2026 11 am |
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| Introduce your little ones to the magic of musical theatre. An interactive experience where the entire family can sing and dance along to tunes from classic musicals and films, performed by West End singers. |
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| Kensington + Chelsea Art Week |
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| 25th - 28th June 2026 |
Kensington + Chelsea Art Week is a journey of art, music and unexpected moments in public spaces. Expect daily street performances, road closures, talks, markets, artist studios, canalside parties, art tours and the famous Art Bus! |
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| Kensington Botanical Market |
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4th July 2026 |
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| Calling all plant lovers! Come to Phillimore Walk for a day of greenery, garden finds, rare plants, handmade planters, botanical art and outdoor living inspiration. |
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South Ken Culture Quarter is an initiative of the Exhibition Road Cultural Group, a partnership of the cultural and educational organisations in and around Exhibition Road, South Kensington.
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Our partners include:
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the Design Museum
Goethe-Institut
Imperial College London
Institut franҫais
The Ismaili Centre
Kensington Palace
Natural History Museum
Royal Albert Hall
South Kensington Estates
Royal College of Art
Westminster City Council
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Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Royal Brompton Hospital
Royal College of Music
Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851
Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)
The Royal Parks
Serpentine Galleries
Science Museum
V&A South Kensington
Royal Society of Sculptors
Japan House London
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| Copyright © 2026 South Ken Culture Quarter. All rights reserved. |
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