Welcome to the IanVisits alternative guide to London.
Lectures, talks, heritage events, organised walks and other random geeky miscellany.
Displayed in date order by how soon they close.
From Hokusai to Pokémon, Studio Ghibli, robots and beyond, the exhibition takes young visitors on an atmospheric and playful journey revealing the influence of folklore on Japan’s art and design. (Ends on Sun, 11th Aug)
Young V&A
Carey's monumental installations, including works from the series 'Stand' and 'Found', have been reimagined to resonate with the architectural features of 100 Bishopsgate. (Ends on Tue, 20th Aug)
100 Bishopsgate
This exhibition follows the lives of British soldiers in Germany over the past 75 years. (Ends on Wed, 21st Aug)
National Army Museum
For centuries, Black communities have created music in the UK, melding global influences into a Black British sound that has echoed through generations. (Ends on Mon, 26th Aug)
British Library
An exhibition of photos and artwork inspired by the brutalist appearance of the National Theatre. (Ends on Sat, 31st Aug)
The National Theatre
Degas’s 'Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando' takes centre stage in this exhibition that sheds light on this work with newly discovered information about the painting and its sitter. (Ends on Sun, 1st Sep)
National Gallery
The first solo presentation in a London institution for the trailblazing artist, author, educator, and feminist icon Judy Chicago (Ends on Sun, 1st Sep)
Serpentine North Gallery
Free
Shakespeare and War
This exhibition explores some of the ways in which Shakespeare has shaped how we think about soldiers and the Army, and how we imagine war and its consequences today. (Ends on Sun, 1st Sep)
National Army Museum
Somerset House presents the first exhibition on international fashion powerhouse Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY, which celebrates 10 years of club to catwalk in 2024. (Ends on Sun, 1st Sep)
Somerset House
Explore how music shapes our lives in this landmark interactive exhibition. (Ends on Sun, 1st Sep)
Science Museum
The artist’s first London solo exhibition in over 20 years interrogates the ecological impact of colonialisation, imperialism's legacy on conflict and consequential attempts at peace. (Ends on Sun, 1st Sep)
Serpentine South Gallery
Delve into the powerful, participatory work of artist and activist Yoko Ono (Ends on Sun, 1st Sep)
Tate Modern
The first-ever, walk-through photography exhibition that tells the untold story of how Princess Diana changed the world – through the lens of her official photographer. (Ends on Mon, 2nd Sep)
Dockside Vaults
£12.65
The Biba Story, 1964-1975
Exploring how fashion phenomenon Biba blossomed to become the world’s first lifestyle label. (Ends on Sat, 7th Sep)
Fashion and Textile Museum
Offering art lovers a fresh perspective on London, its architecture, and geography, Guildhall Art Gallery celebrates the work of artist and specialist wood engraver, Anne Desmet RA. (Ends on Sun, 8th Sep)
Guildhall Art Gallery and Roman Amphitheater
£12
Beyond Fashion
Beyond Fashion showcases the work of acclaimed fashion photographers from around the world. (Ends on Sun, 8th Sep)
Saatchi Gallery
Japan’s leading creators share inspirational design that spans disciplines, regions and eras. (Ends on Sun, 8th Sep)
Japan House London
£20
Enzo Mari
This exhibition celebrates the life and work of one of the greatest Italian designers of the 20th century, Enzo Mari, whose designs have inspired generations of creatives around the world. (Ends on Sun, 8th Sep)
Design Museum
Tudor paintings by Hans Holbein the Younger and contemporary photography by Hiroshi Sugimoto meet in the National Portrait Gallery’s first exhibition of historic portraiture since reopening. (Ends on Sun, 8th Sep)
National Portrait Gallery
This exhibition explores networks of solidarity between groups campaigning on peace, nuclear weapons and national self-determination. (Ends on Sun, 15th Sep)
LSE Library
The 14 works on display provide a snapshot of digital art practices from the 1960s to early 2000s. (Ends on Sun, 15th Sep)
Victoria and Albert Museum
Free
Raise the Roof
See new creative works that unpack narratives of gender, race and imperialism at 66 Portland Place. (Ends on Sat, 21st Sep)
Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
The most wide-ranging exhibition in the UK dedicated to Japanese folk-craft. (Ends on Sun, 22nd Sep)
William Morris Gallery
An exhibition about an architectural style developed in the 1940s and adopted after independence by India and Ghana as a symbol of modernity and progressiveness, distinct from colonial culture. (Ends on Sun, 22nd Sep)
Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum
An exhibition of diaries collected by the artist Dylan Jonas Stone. (Ends on Sun, 29th Sep)
Maughan Library
Loaned from Brighton Museum, this display showcases more than 300 years of popular British history. (Ends on Sun, 29th Sep)
Victoria and Albert Museum
Take a deeper look into the human experience of conflict with Storyteller: Photography by Tim Hetherington at IWM London. (Ends on Sun, 29th Sep)
Imperial War Museum
Spanning 400 years, this exhibition follows women on their journeys to becoming professional artists. (Ends on Sun, 13th Oct)
Tate Britain
Discover how British artists and writers invaded America and made their mark on iconic superheroes and more. (Ends on Sat, 19th Oct)
Cartoon Museum
Discover the story of the friendships that made modern art (Ends on Sun, 20th Oct)
Tate Modern
The Wallace Collection explore the remarkable life and legacy of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839), the founder of the Sikh Empire (1799-1849). (Ends on Sun, 20th Oct)
Wallace Collection
This exhibition shows the decade-to-decade evolution of today’s most iconic brands, including Cadbury’s Milk Tray, Bisto, HP Sauce, Ovaltine and many more. (Ends on Thu, 31st Oct)
Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising
This exhibition invites you to discover the key role chocolate played in the revival of Greenwich. (Ends on Sun, 3rd Nov)
Old Royal Naval College
This exhibition tells the stories of the ordinary women, trained in the nursing style of Florence Nightingale, who were thrust into the arena of war during D-Day. (Ends on Sat, 30th Nov)
Florence Nightingale Museum
Free
Women of the RNLI
Women of the RNLI at the National Maritime Museum celebrates the work of women in the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. (Ends on Sun, 1st Dec)
National Maritime Museum
£16.50
Birds: Brilliant and Bizarre
Unravel the epic story of birds, discover the secrets to their success and learn some of their surprising and often shocking tactics for survival. (Ends on Sun, 5th Jan 2025)
Natural History Museum
Showcasing over 300 rare prints from 140 photographers, this exhibition is a major presentation of twentieth and twenty-first century photography on loan from the private collection of Sir Elton John and David Furnish. (Ends on Sun, 5th Jan 2025)
Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum
The exhibition is a joyful exploration of the body, drawing on the artist’s experience of becoming disabled as a child. (Ends on Sun, 12th Jan 2025)
Wellcome Collection
£18
Zanele Muholi
Over 300 photographs will be brought together to present the breadth of Muholi’s career to date, from their very first body of work to their latest and on-going series. (Ends on Sun, 26th Jan 2025)
Tate Modern
Free
Lost Victorian City
Using photographs, maps, panoramas, trade cards, watercolours, and historic documents to explore the theme, this exhibition uncovers London's lost secrets. (Ends on Wed, 5th Feb 2025)
London Metropolitan Archives
Journey into the Barbie universe and discover over 250 remarkable objects, with rare, unique and innovative dolls dating from 1959 to the present day. (Ends on Sun, 23rd Feb 2025)
The Design Museum
Free
The Future of Money
Money and the way we use it has changed. This free exhibition responds directly to questions asked by the public about the future of money. (Ends on Fri, 29th Aug 2025)
Bank of England Museum
