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We look ahead and pick the best exhibitions to see in London’s galleries and museums opening in March.
Photo face-off: Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2026 at The Photographers’ Gallery
We always look forward to this exhibition of the quartet of photographers shortlisted for the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize. This year it includes Rene Matic’s snaps of everyday life that examine class and identity, and Jane Evelyn Atwood’s 10-year documentation of incarcerated women in 40 prisons across nine countries in the 1990s, and the challenges they face. Weronika Gęsicka looks back on the history of how fake entries in encyclopedias were used to catch out those who reproduced them without permission, and how this links to the AI slop world we find ourselves in, while Amak Mahmoodian’s work draws on the emotions of those forced to live in exile.
The Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2026 at The Photographers’ Gallery. 6 March-7 June 2026, £8.50 (free on Friday lates after 5 pm).
Horsing around: Stubbs at The National Gallery
Visitors to The National Gallery will be familiar with ‘Whistlejacket’, George Stubbs’ masterful portrait of a rearing horse, devoid of a background. This exhibition focuses on his life-size horse portrait, ‘Scrub’, a work that has been on public display only once. His two paintings were the first portraits of horses shown without riders by a British artist, and we can see how they came about, including preparatory sketches taken during the time Stubbs spent studying horses to create accurate portraits that capture their muscles and dynamic energy.
Stubbs: Portrait of a Horse at The National Gallery, Room 1. 12 March-31 May 2026, free.
No holding him back: David Hockney at Serpentine Galleries
Octogenarian David Hockney isn’t letting age get in the way of his prolific output. We’ve only just had a Hockney exhibition, and here comes another, which includes a new body of work comprising five still lifes and five portraits depicting members of the artist’s close circle, including his family and carers. The exhibition also features his monumental digital frieze, which captures his paintings of a year spent in Normandy and how a particular treehouse changed throughout the seasons. Read our full preview article.
David Hockney: A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts about Painting at Serpentine North. 12 March-23 August 2026, free.
Eat dirt: Museum of Edible Earth at Somerset House
Remember that kid at school who ate dirt? They may have been onto something. This exhibition explores the concept of consuming earth for health and customary or culinary benefit. With over 600 edible soils on display, visitors have the option to sample specially sourced earth from the museum’s collection. Each sample is accompanied by a tasting card detailing flavour profiles, mineral content and cultural histories, offering insight into diverse rituals, culinary traditions and healing practices from across the globe. Bon appetit!
Museum of Edible Earth at Somerset House. 18 March-26 April 2026, pay what you can.
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Friends of the RA get more of the picture
Most London art lovers have been to the Royal Academy at least once. Its Summer Exhibition is a highlight of London’s cultural calendar, and it hosts a wealth of other art-filled events and exhibitions throughout the year. But the only way to enjoy the RA to its full potential? Become a Friend of the RA.
There are several benefits to joining, but the newest (and tastiest) is exclusive access to The Keeper’s House by José Pizarro, a brand new dining venue that’s only open to Friends of the RA and their guests. Visit The Keeper’s House after an exhibition for a light lunch, swing by for after-work drinks or settle in for a catch-up over dinner.
Whenever you visit, you can expect a warm welcome, classic tapas dishes by renowned Spanish chef José Pizarro, wines by the glass and classic cocktails served across three relaxing spaces. The walls are filled with artworks — and it’s all in an intimate central London venue, where great cuisine and art take centre stage.
In addition to exclusive access to The Keeper’s House, Friends of the RA get unlimited access to exhibitions with a guest, including Rose Wylie: The Picture Comes First (open 28 February-19 April), as well as priority booking, discounts in the RA Shop, and special events such as life drawing classes. Sign up today to make the most of the RA.
Picture perfect: Sholto Blissett at Pilar Corrias
These spectacular views of mountains, forests, and water landscapes are all fictional. Sholto Blissett leans into the rich history of British landscape painting, but rather than play with the positioning of people and objects as John Constable did, he takes it one step further, propelling us into a fantastical world that doesn’t exist on our planet. Despite this, the large-scale paintings are meticulously painted and detailed to such a degree that you’d swear they must exist somewhere.
Sholto Blissett: Orders of Magnitude at Pilar Corrias, Savile Row. 18 March–25 April 2026, free.
Battle-hardened: Wartime London in Art at IWM London
There’s no question that the Second World War transformed London, from the horrific bombing it encountered to the ‘Keep calm and carry on’ resilience of those impacted, and forced to shelter in Underground stations and elsewhere. This exhibition takes visitors on a journey through the vast scale of damage inflicted during the conflict, while also revealing personal, intimate moments of Londoners’ resilience and humanity, from the iconic site of St. Paul’s after bombing, to the devastation of the Docklands.
Beauty and Destruction: Wartime London in Art at IWM London. 20 March-1 November 2026, free.
Jewel in the Crown: The Arab Hall at Leighton House
If you’ve ever been to Leighton House, you’ll have been wowed by the Arab Hall at its heart, with stunning blue tiles surrounding a central fountain. Now we’re invited to look back on how it was created, its vision, and the elaborate tiles and works by Frederic Leighton — all within a hall that blends Islamic, Mediterranean, and Victorian craft traditions. There’s also a short film and a series of contemporary art installations by three artists responding to the space, and what it means to them and their respective heritages.
The Arab Hall: Past and Present at Leighton House. 21 March-4 October 2026, £14 (includes access to the whole house).
An experimental Estonian: Konrad Mägi at Dulwich Picture Gallery
You may not have heard of Estonian painter Konrad Mägi, something Dulwich Picture Gallery is aiming to set right. It’s what the gallery does best: taking a relatively unknown figure to British audiences and giving them a platform, as they already have with Anna Ancher, MK Ciurlionis and Emily Carr. Now it’s the turn of Mägi and his short career, during which he moved from painting Norwegian landscapes to bold, colourful portraits. He drew on other painting styles to create his own unique blend, and the exhibition contains a response by contemporary Estonian artist Kristina Õllek, who incorporates sea salt, limestone, and cyanobacteria into her work.
Konrad Mägi at Dulwich Picture Gallery. 24 March–12 July 2026, £18.
Getting old: The Coming of Age at Wellcome Collection
As much as we may race towards it when we’re young — then shirk from it when we’re older — ageing is part of life. Featuring over 120 objects and artworks, The Coming of Age’s exhibits range from a 16th-century woodcut depicting a fountain of youth, to contemporary artists’ examinations of how societies perceive and experience different life stages. Japanese centenarian sake cups and 17th-century longevity potions illustrate that humans have always been fascinated with life’s limits. The exhibition also highlights inequalities in health, care and opportunity, from adolescence to older age, plus reflections on living with dementia.
The Coming of Age at Wellcome Collection. 26 March-29 November 2026, free.
Transatlantic painting: Hurvin Anderson at Tate Britain
Hurvin Anderson was born in the UK to a father who had emigrated from Jamaica. It means he has ties to both sides of the Atlantic, and we see this in his paintings, which include lush landscapes and domestic interiors. His works cover childhood days playing football, the importance of the barbershop to the Caribbean diasporic community, intimate portraits, and works that depict what it feels like to belong to two different places while often feeling like you don’t fit in with either. There are approximately 80 works, spanning more than 30 years of his career.
Hurvin Anderson at Tate Britain. 26 March–23 August 2026, £18.
Royal approval: The Last Princesses of Punjab at Kensington Palace
Princess Sophia Duleep Singh is best known as a suffragette, the daughter of the deposed Indian Maharajah Duleep Singh, and goddaughter of Queen Victoria. She used her wealth, her position in society and her strength of character to fight for women’s rights. This exhibition charts both her life and the lives of the powerful women around her, including what it would have been like to grow up in a foreign land. The show explores the press attention she gained and her continued campaigning on behalf of fellow Indians.
The Last Princesses of Punjab at Kensington Palace. 26 March-8 November 2026, £20.60 (includes admission to the palace).
A female pioneer: Michaelina Wautier at Royal Academy of Arts
Michaelina Wautier was a highly accomplished Baroque painter active in 17th century Brussels, but her legacy was largely forgotten — until recently. This exhibition brings together 26 of her paintings, and while she painted the full range of painting styles of the time — still life, portraiture, religious imagery and large-scale history painting — this show focuses on her portraits and religious paintings, including her five senses paintings, depicting a young boy enacting the five different senses. A chance to appreciate the talent of a painter whom many of us will not be familiar with.
Michaelina Wautier at the Royal Academy of Arts. 27 March-21 June 2026, £15.
Magical worlds: Fairy Tales at The British Library
As the name suggests, the British Library celebrates classic tales such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and Hansel and Gretel, alongside stories from India, China, Africa, and North America. Families can explore iconic characters, magical creatures, mysterious forests and glittering palaces through historic manuscripts, contemporary illustrations, pop-up books, puppets and theatre costumes. Bedtime tales inspire interactive activities, and we see how stories have been reinterpreted over the centuries. Time to seek out your happily ever after, though you may have to overcome some tricksters along the way. Read our full preview article.
Fairy Tales at The British Library. 27 March-23 August 2026, £11.50-£13.50.
Fashion forward: Schiaparelli at V&A
Elsa Schiaparelli once said “In difficult times fashion is always outrageous”. With over 200 objects — including garments, accessories, jewellery, paintings, photographs, sculpture, furniture, perfumes and archive material — this exhibition charts the evolution of the fashion house from its founding to the present day — and is often outrageous with it. There’s an outfit conceived in collaboration with Salvador Dalí, plus artworks by Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau and Man Ray. V&A has a great track record with fashion exhibitions, including sold-out McQueen, Dior and Chanel exhibitions. Here’s another en-vogue exhibition to add to that list.
Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art at V&A. 28 March-8 November 2026, £28.
Short-run exhibitions and art fairs
Caroline de Peyrecave paints portraits of inspiring women, from Nazanin Zaghari‑Ratcliffe, who was imprisoned in Iran, to England rugby captain Zoe Stratford, offering positive role models for women and girls in this still unequal world, ranging from an activist to a senior military officer, at Gallery Green & Stone (2-14 March, free).
Katya Granova’s recent paintings at The Handbag Factory (6-10 March, free) are all based on old photographs sourced from family albums, state archives, and flea markets across various countries. These images capture the daily lives of ordinary people, recreated in vibrant colour.
What does freedom mean to different people? That’s what Our Freedom: Then and Now on the Riverside Terrace at the Southbank Centre explores (18 March-25 April, free). It features a diverse range of people aged 0–100, including schoolchildren, veterans, and artists, all photographed alongside their thoughts on the concept of freedom.
If art fairs and places to purchase art are what you’re looking for, you’re spoiled for choice this month. The Affordable Art Fair returns to Battersea (4-8 March, ticketed), with galleries from around the world selling works ideal for homes, priced for almost any budget. If you prefer to buy directly from the artist, head to The Other Art Fair at the Truman Brewery (5-8 March, ticketed), chat to over 175 artists and find the works that resonate with you. We’ve loved and bought work from both of these fairs.
Exhibitions outside London
The Great Wave by Hokusai is one of the world’s most recognisable artworks, but there is so much more to the art of two of Japan’s great printmakers, Hokusai and Hiroshige. Beneath the Great Wave: Hokusai and Hiroshige at The Whitworth in Manchester (14 March–15 November, free) examines this period of change in Edo (now Tokyo), which underwent industrial and cultural transformation similar to that experienced by Manchester during the Industrial Revolution. Prepare for a flood of images covering nature, travel and everyday life.
