Events to expect at Somerset House in 2025 for its 25th anniversary
In 2025, Somerset House celebrates its 25th anniversary as a leading cultural and creative hub in London. Over the past quarter-century, it has transformed from a government office and car park into the UK’s largest creative community, home to over 2,000 cultural innovators. Under the leadership of Jonathan Reekie, it has become a vibrant space for cross-disciplinary creativity, exploring artistic, social, and environmental themes.
To mark this milestone, Somerset House’s 25th anniversary celebrations will feature exciting initiatives and programming. Talent 25, led by acclaimed artist Yinka Ilori, will spotlight five groundbreaking creatives from the Somerset House community, offering them financial and professional development support. Step Inside 25 will open the building’s doors like never before, inviting the public to explore artist studios and experience a diverse programme of performances, workshops, and family-friendly activities. April 2025 will see the launch of Setlist, a new riverside bar bringing together chefs, artists, and musicians.
A fresh identity, marked by the launch of a new logo, celebrates Somerset House’s evolution as a cultural innovator and creative hub. Special programming will include large-scale courtyard installations and multidisciplinary works by artists such as Tai Shani and Wayne McGregor. The Luminaries series will feature influential figures like Pedro Almodóvar and Floella Benjamin, reflecting on Somerset House’s significant role in shaping cultural life.
This guide highlights the exhibitions and art fairs to look out for during this landmark year-long celebration.
Somerset House, London © Luke Walker.
Embankment Galleries
SOIL: The World at Our Feet
This landmark exhibition opens the celebratory year, unearthing the critical role of soil in sustaining life. With over 50 artworks spanning sensory installations, new commissions, and rare artefacts, the exhibition journeys through three themes—Life Below Ground, Life Above Ground, and Hope. Expect thought-provoking works by artists such as Marshmallow Laser Feast and Vivien Sansour, alongside co-curation by The Land Gardeners. This ambitious project invites visitors to reconsider the significance of soil and its connection to the planet’s future.
Date: 23 January – 13 April 2025. Location: Embankment Galleries. Price: £10–£18.50. Book now.
Wayne McGregor's FAR, Company Wayne McGregor (Catarina Carvalho), 2010, Photo Ravi Deepres.
WAYNE McGREGOR: INFINITE BODIES
A deep dive into the career of internationally acclaimed choreographer Wayne McGregor, this immersive exhibition highlights his revolutionary approach to movement and collaboration. The show includes choreographic installations and cutting-edge new commissions that explore how science, art, and technology can expand the physical possibilities of the human body.
Date: 24 October 2025 – 22 February 2026. Location: Embankment Galleries. Price: Tickets on sale in 2025.
HylozoicDesires. Soap of the Sages, Sun of the Sea , 2024. Courtesy the artists.
Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court
Salt Cosmologies
Salt Cosmologies presents a multi-dimensional project by Hylozoic/Desires (Himali Singh Soin & David Soin Tappeser) that delves into the complex histories and myths surrounding Britain’s imperial salt monopoly in India. The installation spans three spaces: the Courtyard, Terrace Rooms, and Salt Stair. In the Courtyard, a large-scale installation maps the Inland Customs Line, a 2500-mile barrier established in the 19th century to control salt, featuring block-printed fabrics with botanical illustrations dyed using plants that formed the barrier. The Salt Stair, newly refurbished and open to the public for the first time, allows visitors to explore the intertwined histories of salt in a site-specific setting.
Date: 20 February – 27 April 2025. Location: Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court, Terrace Room, and Salt Stair. Price: Free. somersethouse.org.uk.
The Spell or The Dream by Tai Shani © Adam James Sinclair and Lotti V Closs, 2024
Tai Shani: The Spell or The Dream
In this evocative installation, a monumental sculpture of a dreaming figure lies suspended in a glass box at the centre of the courtyard. Inspired by fairytales, the work symbolises hope and transformation. A live radio broadcast accompanies the piece, featuring global contributors exploring the concept of dreaming as a way to reimagine collective futures.
Date: 8 August – 25 September 2025. Location: Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court. Price: Free.
Akinola Davies Jr. Courtesy of the artist.
New Commissions
Akinola Davies Jr
As part of the Summer Series, BAFTA-nominated filmmaker and Somerset House Studios resident Akinola Davies Jr will premiere a new film accompanied by a specially commissioned live score. Supported by BBC Film, the work celebrates the rhythms of Black life in the UK, paying tribute to the collective resonances of Black British communities in their abundance.
Date: July 2025 (specific date to be announced). Location: The Courtyard (Summer Series). Price: Tickets on sale in 2025.
Lydia Ourahmane & Sophia Al Maria
This site-specific installation by artists Lydia Ourahmane and Sophia Al-Maria reflects on Somerset House’s transformation from a government building to a cultural destination. The work explores themes of power, debt, and ownership, questioning who has the right to occupy spaces and under what conditions.
Date: From April 2025. Location: Lancaster Place, New Wing. Price: Free.
Click here to read our interview with Marie McPartlin, Director of Somerset House Studios and curator of The Spell or The Dream by Tai Shani, as well as commissions by Lydia Ourahmane & Sophia Al Maria.
Sophia Al-Maria & Lydia Ourahmane © Vasso Vujovic.
Terrace Rooms
Jennie Baptiste: A Solo Survey
A tribute to Jennie Baptiste’s iconic photography, this will exhibition chronicles the vibrant spirit of Black British youth culture, music, and urban life in the 1990s and beyond, featuring unseen works from her archive.
Date: October 2025 – January 2026 Location: Terrace Rooms. Price: Pay What You Can.
Virtual Beauty
This thought-provoking group exhibition will explore how digital technologies—including AI, avatars, and social media filters—are transforming perceptions of beauty and identity. Featuring international artists working across sculpture, photography, installation, and video, the show will challenge traditional ideas of gender, race, and self-representation in the digital age.
Date: 23 July – 21 September 2025. Location: Terrace Rooms. Price: Pay What You Can.
Jennie-Baptiste, 1995. Photo taken from a series for fashion designer Wale Adeyemi.
Somerset House Partner Art Fairs and Festivals
Collect 2025
Collect, the leading international fair for contemporary craft, returns to Somerset House to celebrate the best in global craft and design. Over 40 galleries will present the work of more than 400 exceptional artists, with many new, specially commissioned pieces.
Date: 28 February - 2 March 2025 (Previews 26-27 February). Price: from £23. Book now.
London Original Print Fair (LOPF) 2025
LOPF marks its 40th edition, celebrating four decades of printmaking. Featuring over 40 international dealers, this fair will showcase prints from old masters to contemporary icons, alongside curated exhibitions, live printmaking demos, and exclusive launches.
Date: 20-23 March 2025. Price: from £15. Book now.
Sony World Photography Awards 2025 Exhibition
The prestigious Sony World Photography Awards exhibition returns, highlighting global photography talent. It will feature winning and shortlisted works from the 2025 awards, alongside special showcases, including Photographer of the Year 2024 and the Outstanding Contribution to Photography award.
Date: 17 April - 5 May 2025.
Left to right: Chaise Bergère, Agnès Debizet, represented by Galerie Melissa Paul; An expanded fragments: Blue oriental, Minyeol Cho, represented by Siat Gallery; Seom/ Island 4001, Park Sung-wook, represented by Lloyd Choi Gallery; Prism Side Table, Angus Ross, represented by Contemporary Applied Arts (Photograph: Jake Curtis, Styling: Alex Kristal).
Photo London 2025
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Photo London brings together exhibitors from across the globe, showcasing the best of photography. The fair will feature innovative works, along with a public programme of exhibitions, talks, and book signings.
Date: 15-18 May 2025 (Preview 14 May 2025).
London Design Biennale
This global showcase of design innovation, led by Artistic Director Dr. Samuel Ross, will explore the theme Surface Reflections this year, examining the interplay of internal and external experiences. Ross’s large-scale courtyard sculptures will debut, alongside installations, talks, and workshops.
Date: 5 – 29 June 2025.
National Saturday Club Summer Show 2025
This free exhibition will feature the work of over 2,500 young people aged 13-16, who have participated in the National Saturday Club’s creative workshops across the UK. It promises an inspiring display of the next generation’s talent and innovation.
Date: 12-15 July 2025.
1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair 2025
The renowned 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair returns to Somerset House for its 13th year, showcasing contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora. This leading art fair will feature a diverse range of artists, offering a unique insight into contemporary African creativity.
Date: October 2025.
Slawn, installation view of Transition, 2024, at 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, 2024. Photo by Jim Winslet. Courtesy of 1-54.
Seasonal Favourites and Community Event
Now Play This
A festival of experimental game design, showcasing interactive and playful works. This year’s theme, “Surface Reflections,” explores the interplay of internal and external experiences. The event will feature large-scale courtyard sculptures by Dr. Samuel Ross, along with installations, talks, and workshops.
Date: 10–13 April 2025.
Upgrade Yourself Festival
A free programme aimed at empowering 18-30-year-olds with workshops, mentoring, and guest speakers to support young creatives in accessing the industry. It will take place twice in 2025.
Date: June and November 2025. Location: New Wing, Somerset House. Price: Free.
AGM
Somerset House Studios’ annual late-night event celebrating its artist community with live performances and collaborative art installations. The 2025 edition will take over the entire New Wing building.
Date: October 2025. Location: Somerset House Studios. Price: Tickets on sale in summer 2025.
Skate at Somerset House. photo by Khali Ackford.
Skate at Somerset House
The popular ice rink returns for the 2025-2026 winter season, offering skating, winter treats, music, and shopping in the heart of London’s festive atmosphere.
Date: 12 November 2025 – 11 January 2026. Location: Edmond J. Safra Court, Somerset House. Price: Tickets on sale in September 2025.
Channel
Somerset House’s online space for curated art, talks, films, and original commissions. The first 2025 commission, Grumpy by Sidsel Meineche Hansen, explores themes of automation and desire.
Date: January 2025 onwards. Location: Online at channel.somersethouse.org.uk.
For more details and updates, please visit the official Somerset House website.