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.
Free
The Polar Silk Road
Gregor Sailer's photography exhibition explores the new Arctic trade routes opening due to melting ice cap. (Ending Soon Fri, 24th Nov)
Natural History Museum
A rare exhibition of the work of artist-researchers at The Princes Foundation School of Traditional Arts. (Ending Soon Fri, 24th Nov)
The Garrison Chapel
£19.50
Crown and Coronation
The launch event of Crown and Coronation at the Tower of London before it begins its UK wide tour in 2024. (Ending Soon Sat, 25th Nov)
Tower of London
Free
Engineers Create
The exhibition is a journey through an Alladin's cave of engineering exploration. (Ending Soon Sat, 25th Nov)
The Crypt Gallery
This display celebrates the glittering world of musical theatre, exploring the evolution and craftmanship of iconic musicals (Ending Soon Mon, 27th Nov)
Victoria and Albert Museum
‘The Mews-eum’ tells the story of 4 Doughty Mews from humble stables to a quiet residential oasis, and now as a centre for exploring the cultural heritage of Egypt. (Ending Soon Wed, 29th Nov)
The Egypt Exploration Society
An exhibition, in collaboration with the BBC, celebrating the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who and its life at Riverside Studios. (Ending Soon Sun, 3rd Dec)
Riverside Studios
‘Not Just Words: Learning languages through art and objects’ is an interactive video showcase in the UCL Art Museum, inviting visitors to engage with the many modern and ancient languages taught at UCL using works from the collection. (Ending Soon Fri, 15th Dec)
UCL Art Museum
Free
Reformation Cardinal
An exhibition about the British priest who nearly became Pope. (Ending Soon Fri, 15th Dec)
Lambeth Palace Library
This exhibition celebrates three generations of women silversmiths from the Sultanate of Oman, showcasing their silver work and personal testimonies. (Ending Soon Sun, 17th Dec)
British Museum
An exhibition to mark the 50th anniversary of the Chilean military coup. (Ending Soon Wed, 20th Dec)
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
"Hidden in Plain Sight" is UCL Library Services' free public exhibition highlighting underrepresented voices in our historic and modern library collections. (Ending Soon Thu, 21st Dec)
UCL Main Library
Free
Inventing the Future
This exhibition celebrates the Tercentenary of the Constitutions of the Freemasons. (Ending Soon Thu, 21st Dec)
Museum of Freemasonry
Free
Sergio Lombardo
An exhibition of works by Italian artist Sergio Lombardo (b.1939, Rome). (Ending Soon Fri, 22nd Dec)
Cardi Gallery
This exhibition offers a glimpse into a past of tourism posters that resonates with the present. (Ends on Thu, 28th Dec)
Embassy of Japan in the UK
Explore thread as a method and metaphor for connection, collaboration and conversation in this exhibition by ten students. (Ends on Sun, 31st Dec)
Whitechapel Gallery
Featuring over 200 items dating from the Middle Ages to the present day, many of them on display for the first time. (Ends on Sun, 31st Dec)
Guildhall Art Gallery and Roman Amphitheater
This exhibition brings together a group of new and existing sculptures to explore Black women’s labour across histories and geographies. (Ends on Mon, 1st Jan 2024)
Tate Britain
This exhibition explores the worldwide effort to develop vaccines at pandemic speed. (Ends on Sun, 7th Jan 2024)
Science Museum
This exhibition will invite visitors to further their understanding of the Troubles through the multiple perspectives of individuals affected by the conflict. (Ends on Sun, 7th Jan 2024)
Imperial War Museum
The Art of Banksy is the world’s largest collection of original and authenticated Banksy artworks showcasing more than 110 pieces including prints, canvases, unique works and ephemera, many of which are on display for the very first time. (Ends on Sun, 7th Jan 2024)
The Art of Banksy exhibition
Discover over 100 previously unseen costume and production designs, scripts, behind the scenes photographs and posters, alongside the iconic red ballet shoes featured in the film. (Ends on Sun, 7th Jan 2024)
BFI Southbank
Four times heavier than Dippy the Diplodocus, 12 metres longer than Hope the blue whale and making its European debut, prepare to meet titanosaur and learn all about life as the biggest dinosaur. (Ends on Sun, 7th Jan 2024)
Natural History Museum
Free
Winter Light 2023/24
Over the dark winter nights, the Southbank Centre is illuminated by outdoor artworks that play with light and colour – explore to discover them all. (Ends on Sun, 7th Jan 2024)
Southbank Centre
Bringing together 36 artists from different generations and geographies, this exhibition explores how photography and video have allowed artists to examine legacies of the past while imagining more hopeful futures. (Ends on Sun, 14th Jan 2024)
Tate Modern
A major exhibition of work by British artist Claudette Johnson (born 1959) at The Courtauld Gallery. (Ends on Sun, 14th Jan 2024)
Courtauld Institute of Art
A group exhibition exploring the relationship between gender and ecology, highlighting the systemic links between the oppression of women and the degradation of the planet (Ends on Sun, 14th Jan 2024)
Barbican Arts Centre
A British artist's brash and tender exploration of what makes us human (Ends on Sun, 14th Jan 2024)
Tate Britain
From across the sea, an art revolution is coming. Discover the art of the Van de Veldes at the Queen's House (Ends on Sun, 14th Jan 2024)
Queen's House
This exhibition takes a deep dive into the different ways climate change impacts the United States and the world. (Ends on Fri, 19th Jan 2024)
Atrium Gallery
The exhibition explores the artist’s work over the last six decades through his intimate portraits of five sitters. (Ends on Sun, 21st Jan 2024)
National Portrait Gallery
£20
Frans Hals
This exhibition, the first major retrospective of Hals in more than thirty years, means a new generation can discover why he deserves his place as one of the greatest painters in Western art. (Ends on Sun, 21st Jan 2024)
National Gallery
Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Boundless will take a retrospective look at the career and achievements of artistic collaborators and life partners Christo and Jeanne-Claude. (Ends on Mon, 22nd Jan 2024)
Saatchi Gallery
£31.50
Disney 100 Exhibition
The exhibition includes ten themed galleries with classics from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to contemporary releases such as Encanto, including the latest members of the Disney family—Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel. (Ends on Mon, 22nd Jan 2024)
ExCeL London
The exhibition will feature 29 remarkable female sculptors, celebrating their contributions to the world of art from the 1960s to now. (Ends on Mon, 22nd Jan 2024)
Saatchi Gallery
A display celebrating the 400th anniversary of the publication of William Shakespeare’s First Folio. (Ends on Thu, 25th Jan 2024)
Guildhall Art Gallery and Roman Amphitheater
The first major retrospective of R.B. Kitaj in the UK for a decade features over 40 paintings, pastels and drawings, covering all major periods of his work. (Ends on Fri, 26th Jan 2024)
Piano Nobile
Free
Slavery & the Bank
This exhibition explores the history of transatlantic slavery through its connections with the Bank of England and the wider City of London. (Ends on Fri, 26th Jan 2024)
Bank of England Museum
This exhibition explores the dynamic relationship between contemporary painting and photography. (Ends on Sun, 28th Jan 2024)
Tate Modern
£27.40
Delight
A multimedia exhibition that combines visuals, sound, and augmented reality to animate the cultural heritage and spirit of South Korea's Seoul. (Ends on Sun, 28th Jan 2024)
Borough Yards
This display of prints by American artist Ed Ruscha focuses on his prevailing interest in the physical world around him. (Ends on Sun, 28th Jan 2024)
British Museum
Revel in the beauty of nature at this display of works by Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues – one of the most gifted botanical artists of his age. (Ends on Sun, 28th Jan 2024)
British Museum
£12
Burma to Myanmar
From influential superpower to repressive regime, Myanmar – also known as Burma – has seen dramatic fluctuations in fortune over the past 1,500 years. (Ends on Sun, 11th Feb 2024)
British Museum
Poet, artist and filmmaker Julianknxx explores themes of inheritance, loss and belonging as he crosses the boundaries between written word, music and visual art. (Ends on Sun, 11th Feb 2024)
Barbican Arts Centre
This display presents an outstanding group of around twenty Venetian drawings from The Courtauld’s collection. (Ends on Sun, 11th Feb 2024)
Courtauld Institute of Art
This exhibition will be one of the most wide-ranging surveys of contemporary fashion culture ever staged in the UK. (Ends on Sun, 11th Feb 2024)
The Design Museum
Explore the design and history of the Royal Festival Hall foyers, and discover the people behind them, in this free Archive Studio exhibition. (Ends on Sat, 17th Feb 2024)
Royal Festival Hall
Free
Zach Blas: CULTUS
An immersive exploration of AI Gods, spirituality, and Silicon Valley’s techno-religion. (Ends on Sat, 17th Feb 2024)
arebyte Gallery
Whether subverting, inverting, celebrating or exploding – this intriguing new show explores the history of artists taking on the medium of books. (Ends on Sun, 18th Feb 2024)
British Museum
£10
Reworking Manet
An exhibition showcasing the creativity and imagination of young people responding to Édouard Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergère (1882). (Ends on Sun, 18th Feb 2024)
Courtauld Institute of Art
Journey through the enchanting, mysterious and sometimes monstrous makings of fantasy. (Ends on Sun, 25th Feb 2024)
British Library
This exhibition will present the landscape and nature paintings and sculptures of Frank Walter. (Ends on Sun, 25th Feb 2024)
Garden Museum
The first UK exhibition dedicated to the work of French couturière, Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel, charting the establishment of the House of CHANEL and the evolution of her iconic design style. (Ends on Sun, 25th Feb 2024)
Victoria and Albert Museum
£20
Philip Guston
One of the 20th century’s most captivating painters responds to a world in turmoil (Ends on Sun, 25th Feb 2024)
Tate Modern
This Prize is one of the most important and anticipated photography competitions in the world and a showcase for both celebrated professionals and talented amateurs. (Ends on Sun, 25th Feb 2024)
National Portrait Gallery
How can we design our homes to respond to the climate emergency? Discover how architects are reimagining wood, stone and straw to design homes fit for the future. (Ends on Thu, 29th Feb 2024)
The Design Museum
For the first time in 250 years, this exhibition reunites the pastel masterpiece by Swiss artist Jean-Etienne Liotard, painted in Lyon in 1754, with the painted version in oil he completed in London almost 20 years later. (Ends on Sun, 3rd Mar 2024)
National Gallery
The forgotten story of the Indian Army camps at Hampton Court Palace (Ends on Sun, 3rd Mar 2024)
Hampton Court Palace
Free
Unforgotten Lives
This exhibition presents the stories of Londoners of African, Caribbean, Asian and Indigenous heritage who lived and worked in the city between 1560 and 1860 and are recorded in London’s archives. (Ends on Wed, 27th Mar 2024)
London Metropolitan Archives
Showcasing prints and drawings from Genoa's golden age, this display spotlights an artistic powerhouse that rivalled Venice, Florence and Rome. (Ends on Mon, 1st Apr 2024)
British Museum
This free installation invites visitors to orient themselves in the buildings and their complex, fascinating histories in an exciting new display at the heart of the Barbican’s Foyers. (Ends on Fri, 5th Apr 2024)
Barbican Centre
£20
DIVA
Expect an explosion of over the top fashions at the V&A Museum this summer, as it brings together a collection of outfits worn by celebrities under the title of "divas". (Ends on Sun, 7th Apr 2024)
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Devil is in the Detail will display one of the most important series of woodcuts in Albrecht Dürer’s career, the Great Passion, which is rarely seen in its complete set, as well as several other key works from the era. (Ends on Wed, 10th Apr 2024)
Strawberry Hill
This exhibition brings together over 100 works from Henry VIII’s court, including drawings, paintings and miniatures by Hans Holbein the Younger drawn from the Royal Collection, one of the most important surviving groups of the artist’s work. (Ends on Sat, 13th Apr 2024)
The Queen's Gallery
For the first time, this exhibition will uncover the major contribution of Jewish designers in making London an iconic fashion city. (Ends on Sun, 14th Apr 2024)
Museum of London Docklands
Discover over 100 years of intrigue, deceit and real-life secret agents. (Ends on Sun, 14th Apr 2024)
Imperial War Museum
This free display brings together ten works by the two artists: with four views of Yorkshire by Turner and five scenes of Normandy and Venice by Bonington. (Ends on Sun, 21st Apr 2024)
Wallace Collection
Explore how music shapes our lives in this interactive exhibition. (Ends on Mon, 6th May 2024)
Science Museum
This exhibition showcases the difference between refillable, returnable (prefill) and repurposed product packaging of the past, present, and future. (Ends on Wed, 15th May 2024)
Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising
Through photographs, possessions, interviews, maps and more, this exhibition explores the lives and stories of generations of UCL students. (Ends on Mon, 20th May 2024)
UCL Octagon Gallery
A display exploring the body of literature about London by European writers from across the centuries. (Ends on Mon, 20th May 2024)
Bloomsbury Campus
The museum exhibition features first-hand accounts of the horrors and moments of hope faced by doctors tackling the impact of the virus. (Ends on Fri, 24th May 2024)
Royal College of Physicians Museum
£18
Skateboard
The first major UK exhibition to map the design evolution of the skateboard from the 1950s to today – a story of design, daring and disobedience. (Ends on Sun, 2nd Jun 2024)
The Design Museum
A forest rodeo, a hidden stargazer and a mason bee at work are just a few of the awe-inspiring images featured in the 59th Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. (Ends on Sun, 30th Jun 2024)
Natural History Museum
The exhibition explores tea’s complex history and myriad of meanings – from its popularisation and globalisation connected to stories of imperialism and colonial violence. (Ends on Sun, 7th Jul 2024)
Horniman Museum
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 2024)
Young V&A
