On our radar: Central London exhibitions in September 2025 and beyond
London’s art season is full of energy this autumn, with new art shows, landmark museum exhibitions, and distinctive gallery displays across inner London. September 2025 brings blockbuster events in the West End, site-specific installations on the South Bank, and intimate cultural showcases in the Fitzrovia Quarter. This guide shares the exhibitions that matter most, why they are worth visiting, and how to plan your trip.
Must-visit exhibitions in Fitzrovia Quarter - Central London’s creative hub
Fitzrovia sits at the heart of London city centre, known for independent galleries and experimental visual art events. It offers an alternative to large-scale cultural events, giving visitors a chance to engage directly with artists and smaller spaces.
PM/AM Gallery: The Rest Was Yet To Get Me
- Address: 37 Eastcastle Street, London W1W 8DR
- Opening hours: Mon–Fri 10 AM–7 PM, Sun Closed
- Dates: 4th Sep, 2025 –24th Sep, 2025
- Price / tickets: Free entry
- Why visit: The Rest Was Yet To Get Me showcases a stunning collection of paintings by South African artist Lucy Robson, bringing her unique perspective to life. Robson’s work draws deeply from her South African roots, mixing abstraction with vivid emotional narratives.
- Highlights: Exploration of personal identity, bold colour contrasts, and thought-provoking visual storytelling.
- Best for: Art lovers, those interested in contemporary African art, and fans of abstract expressionism.
The Rest Was Yet To Get Meexhibition at PM/AM gallery matters because it gives a voice to personal narratives and struggles through the lens of modern art. Robson’s distinctive style and emotional depth make this a must-see, especially for those who appreciate meaningful, powerful art that explores complex identity themes.
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The Cartoon Museum
- Address: 63 Wells Street, London W1A 3AE
- Opening hours: Mon–Sat 10:30 AM –5:30 PM, Sun 12 PM – 4 PM
- Dates: 24th Jul, 2025 –29th Nov, 2025
- Price / tickets: £8, concessions £5
- Why visit: Samuel Ojo’s Ìrìn Àjò tackles the powerful themes of migration and identity through thought-provoking cartoons. His work is a vivid exploration of personal and collective struggles faced by migrants today.
- Highlights: Powerful visual commentary on migration, the use of satire to critique current policies, and Ojo’s unique artistic perspective.
- Best for: Cartoon fans, those interested in social issues, and people passionate about political art.
Ojo’s exhibition at The Cartoon Museum is significant as it uses the power of cartoons to engage with urgent political and social matters. His exploration of migration through art provides a fresh perspective on pressing issues, making it a timely and thought-provoking visit.
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Yield Gallery: Are You Next To An Angel?
- Address: 56–57 Eastcastle Street, London W1W 8EQ
- Opening hours: Mon – Thu 10 AM – 6:30 PM; Fri 10 AM – 4 PM
- Dates: 29 Nov, 2025 – 6 Dec, 2025
- Tickets: Free
- Why visit: Yield Gallery blends multimedia installations with striking photography, offering visitors an immersive experience that’s both visual and narrative-driven. William Fortescue’s wildlife imagery captures nature at its most powerful.
- Highlights: Narrative-driven multimedia; vivid fine-art photography.
- Best for: Photography enthusiasts and visitors who enjoy immersive contemporary art.
Are You Next To An Angel? The Yield Gallery shows how photography and installation can work together to create a layered story. The exhibitions matter because they spotlight new voices while connecting audiences with urgent themes of environment and spirituality.
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LUNGLEY Gallery: Stuart Brisley – Dead Life
- Address: 37 Foley St, London W1W 7TN, United Kingdom
- Opening hours: Wed – Sat 11 AM – 6 PM
- Dates: Thu 11 Sep, 2025 – Sat 25 Oct, 2025
- Price / tickets: Free
- Why visit: The first London solo exhibition in thirty years by British performance art pioneer Stuart Brisley. His canvas works question mortality and the act of painting itself.
- Highlights: Large acrylic and graphite compositions created 2021–2024
- Best for: Contemporary art followers, history of performance art fans
Brisley is best known for live art, yet here he turns to painting to explore death and materiality. The show is a milestone in his career and in Fitzrovia’s cultural calendar.
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Eclectic Gallery: Her Gaze
- Address: 16 Newman St, London W1T 1PB
- Opening hours: Mon – Sat 12 PM – 6 PM
- Dates: Until Wed 17 Sep 2025
- Price / tickets: Free
- Why visit: A lively pop-art show that reclaims the female gaze through bold colour and playful imagery.
- Highlights: Roberta Diazzi’s Lady in Red I & II
- Best for: Visitors who enjoy vibrant modern portraiture and accessible art shows
Her Gaze reframes how women are seen in contemporary portraiture. By combining a playful pop-art language with a sharp perspective, the show adds a fresh, witty edge to Fitzrovia’s autumn art calendar.
Besides great exhibitions, there are many things to do in Central London waiting for you to explore!
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Exhibitions and art shows in the West End and Trafalgar Square
National Gallery: Radical Harmony – The Neo-Impressionists
- Address: Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN
- Opening hours: Mon – Thu, Sat & Sun 10 AM – 6 PM; Fri 10 AM – 9 PM
- Dates: 13 Sep, 2025 – 8 Feb, 2026
- Tickets: From£25
- Why visit: The UK’s first exhibition dedicated to Neo-Impressionism, showing how Seurat, Signac and Van Gogh redefined light and colour through radical new techniques
- Highlights: Seurat’s pointillist studies; Van Gogh’s landscapes.
- Best for: Visitors who enjoy 19th-century art and museum blockbusters.
Radical Harmony at the National Gallery reframes Neo-Impressionism as a bold artistic experiment that still resonates today. By spotlighting Seurat, Signac and Van Gogh, it connects past innovation in light and colour with the way audiences experience painting now.
Royal Academy of Arts: Kerry James Marshall
- Opening hours: Tue – Sun 10 AM – 6 PM; Fri 10 AM – 9 PM
- Dates: 20 Sep, 2025 – 18 Jan 2026
- Tickets: £23.50 – £25.50 (including donation)
- Why visit: A sweeping survey of more than 70 works by one of today’s most influential painters. Marshall’s art foregrounds Black life and history in ways rarely seen in major European museums.
- Highlights: Monumental figurative canvases; new commissions made for London.
- Best for: Visitors seeking socially powerful exhibitions and fresh perspectives on history.
Kerry James Marshall: The Histories at the Royal Academy brings urgent new perspectives into central London’s autumn art season. With more than 70 works, it challenges how history is told in museums and gives overdue recognition to Black narratives.
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Frieze Sculpture
- Address: The Regent’s Park, London
- Dates: 17 Sep, 2025 – 2 Nov, 2025
- Why visit: The most high-profile art fair in the UK, attracting more than 160 international galleries. Outdoors, Frieze Sculpture offers a free chance to see large-scale works across Regent’s Park.
- Highlights: Contemporary masters alongside emerging artists.
- Best for: Collectors, professionals, and anyone curious about a major London art event.
Frieze London in Regent’s Park makes the city a global art hub each September. The combination of commercial energy and public engagement ensures it remains one of the most influential cultural happenings in London.
To make the most of Central London exhibitions, add a stop at one of the museums in Central London.
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Exhibitions and cultural events on the South Bank
Tate Modern: Theatre Picasso
- Address: Bankside, London SE1 9TG
- Opening hours: Daily 10 AM – 6 PM
- Dates: 17 Sep 2025 – 12 Apr, 2026
- Tickets: £14/ Free for members
- Why visit: A centenary show marking 100 years since The Three Dancers, exploring Picasso’s passion for theatre and performance. Paintings, stage designs and rare textiles reveal a playful side of the artist.
- Highlights: Set designs; large-scale tapestries.
- Best for: Fans of modern art and performance-inspired creativity.
Theatre Picasso at Tate Modern highlights the artist’s fascination with performance and dance. Marking a centenary of The Three Dancers, the exhibition matters because it reveals how theatrical ideas shaped modern art in unexpected ways.
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London Design Festival 2025
- Address: Various Central London venues, with major displays along the South Bank.
- Opening hours: times vary by venue
- Dates: 13 Sep, 2025 – 21 Sep, 2025
- Tickets: Mostly free
- Why visit: A city-wide celebration of design that transforms public spaces with installations, talks and special commissions. The South Bank is one of its key hubs.
- Highlights: Landmark installations; interactive design experiences.
- Best for: Design lovers, families, and visitors wanting to see London in a creative light.
London Design Festival 2025 reshapes the city through creativity, with the South Bank as a major focal point. The festival matters because it shows how design connects art, public life and innovation, but only for a short September run.
Alongside the Central London exhibitions, you’ll also find plenty of gems at art galleries in Central London.
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Collections and galleries in Bloomsbury
British Museum: Raphael to Cozens drawings
- Opening hours: Daily 10 AM – 5 PM (Fri until 8:30 PM)
- Dates: Until 14 Sep, 2025
- Tickets: Free
- Why visit: A chance to see rarely displayed drawings from Renaissance and 18th-century masters, including Raphael and Cozens. The works reveal how drawing shaped artistic practice.
- Highlights: Raphael’s classical studies; Cozens’ landscape sketches.
- Best for: Lovers of Old Masters and historic art.
Raphael to Cozens at the British Museum offers a rare opportunity to view fragile drawings that shaped European art history. The display matters because these works on paper are seldom shown, making it a short-lived highlight of the autumn calendar.
Wellcome Collection: Finger Talk & Thrist
- Address: 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE
- Website:
- Opening hours: Tue – Sun 10 AM – 6 PM (Thu until 8 PM)
- Dates:
- Finger Talk: 8 Jul, 2025 – 17 Oct, 2025
- Thrist: 26 Jun, 2025 – 1 Feb, 2026
- Tickets: Free
- Why visit: The Wellcome mixes art, science and society. Thirst considers the global politics of water, while Finger Talk explores the history and culture of sign language.
- Highlights: Immersive installations; interactive displays.
- Best for: Visitors curious about cross-disciplinary exhibitions.
Thirst and Finger Talk at the Wellcome Collection demonstrate how art and science combine to address urgent issues. From climate change to communication, the shows matter because they engage audiences with questions shaping today’s world.
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Barbican: Encounters – Giacometti × Mona Hatoum
- Address: Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS
- Opening hours:Tue–Sun 12-7pm (last entry at 6.30pm)
- Dates: Wed 3 Sep, 2025 – Sun 11 Jan, 2026
- Price / tickets: £8
- Why visit: This exhibition pairs Giacometti’s sculptural icons with Hatoum’s politically charged installations, creating unexpected dialogues.
- Highlights: Giacometti’s bronzes; Hatoum’s immersive environments.
- Best for: Audiences drawn to cross-generational and political art.
Encounters at the Barbican brings Giacometti into conversation with Mona Hatoum. The pairing matters because it links 20th-century modernism with today’s political urgency, bridging memory and contemporary conflict.
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Where to explore the best art in Central London?
If you’re searching for more artistic inspiration, Fitzrovia Quarter is the perfect next step. Alongside new exhibitions and intimate gallery experiences, you’ll find historic landmarks, creative spaces, and plenty of cosy cafés to pause and reflect.