A Season of Cultural Renewal
A new year signals fresh currents of creative energy—and with them, a world of inspiration for the culturally attuned. As the globe’s foremost galleries unveil their forthcoming programs, an abundance of exhibitions beckons. Yet, with such richness comes the question: what truly deserves your time, and your ticket? To cut through the static, we present a sharply curated edit of the season’s most essential exhibitions—those singular shows you’ll want to mark in your diary and secure in advance.
The Defining Exhibitions of 2026
From landmark fashion retrospectives to defining moments in contemporary art, this guide distills only the unmissable. Among the standouts: Tate Modern’s most ambitious Tracey Emin survey to date; a vivid, genre-spanning exploration of 1990s culture helmed by Edward Enninful OBE; and a historic reunion of the Antwerp Six at Antwerp’s Design Museum—a first for these Belgian vanguards. Elsewhere, devotees of modern art can anticipate Euan Uglow’s rigorously observed canvases, the conceptual provocations of Jeff Koons, and a sweeping international tribute to Surrealism. Below, discover your essential exhibitions for 2026.
The 90s Revisited at Tate Britain
Tate Britain’s The 90s revisits a decade that reshaped British culture—a time defined by new optimism, audacity, and creative risk. Emerging from recession, a wave of fresh voices propelled seismic shifts in art, fashion, and identity. This exhibition unpacks the collapse of old boundaries and the birth of cross-disciplinary innovation, with ripples still felt today. Expect iconic photography from Juergen Teller, Nick Knight, and Corinne Day, the visceral energy of Damien Hirst, and era-defining fashion by Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, and Hussein Chalayan. Curated by Edward Enninful OBE, this is a vital, incisive survey of a decade that refuses to fade.
The Antwerp Six: A Fashion Milestone at MoMu
For the first time, MoMu unites the Antwerp Six—Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dirk Bikkembergs, Dirk Van Saene, and Marina Yee—under one roof. These Royal Academy of Fine Arts graduates famously stormed London Fashion Week in 1986, packing their collections into a van and capturing the imaginations of the fashion world. Four decades on, their collective influence is undeniable. This landmark exhibition serves as both pilgrimage and celebration—a testament to the enduring power of Belgian creativity.
Surrealism’s Centenary: Dreamworld at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
Surrealism’s spellbinding legacy takes center stage as Dreamworld: Surrealism at 100 arrives in Philadelphia. Nearly 200 works by over 70 artists trace a century of invention and provocation, delving deep into the movement’s fascination with dreams and the unconscious. Masterpieces by René Magritte, Salvador Dalí, Frida Kahlo, Lee Miller, Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, and Mark Rothko invite visitors to surrender logic and embrace wonder. This exhibition promises an immersive journey into the sublime and the strange.
Nan Goldin’s Raw Intimacy at Gagosian London
London’s Gagosian gallery hosts Nan Goldin’s seminal The Ballad of Sexual Dependency—its first complete UK showing. Goldin’s lens captured the raw intimacy and restless energy of New York’s downtown scene from 1973 to 1986, forging a new visual language for desire, vulnerability, and resistance. Forty years on, her unvarnished images remain urgent—redefining not only photography, but our understanding of intimacy, gender, and the everyday.
Euan Uglow’s Mastery: An Arc from the Eye at MK Gallery
MK Gallery in Milton Keynes presents Euan Uglow: An Arc from the Eye, the artist’s first major UK retrospective in over twenty years. Featuring more than seventy works—including Uglow’s precise nudes, meticulously constructed still lifes, and luminous landscapes—the exhibition also explores his deep engagement with artistic forebears like Cézanne and Giacometti. For connoisseurs of discipline and devotion to observational truth, Uglow’s work is revelatory.
Girlhood Explored: Girls at MoMu
MoMu’s Girls: On Boredom, Rebellion and Being In-Between offers a nuanced meditation on female adolescence, weaving together photography, fashion, film, and visual art. More than a thematic survey, it’s an evocative reflection on girlhood’s complexities—layered with nostalgia, defiance, and insight. With contributions from Sofia Coppola, Juergen Teller, and Simone Rocha, the show interrogates how girlhood is remembered, represented, and mythologized. Accessories—hairclips, communion dresses, fairy wings—stand as tokens of that liminal, electric state of becoming.
Tracey Emin’s Triumph: A Second Life at Tate Modern
Tate Modern unveils Tracey Emin: A Second Life, the most expansive survey of the artist’s career to date. Tracing four decades of creative evolution, the exhibition gathers over ninety works across painting, film, textiles, sculpture, and installation. At its heart: Emin’s notorious ‘My Bed,’ alongside recent, deeply personal creations debuting here. More than a retrospective, this is a testament to Emin’s fearless vision and her ongoing resonance as a cultural force.
Looking Ahead: An Unmissable Year
These exhibitions set the tone for 2026—a year poised to challenge, delight, and inspire. For those seeking experiences that linger long after the gallery doors close, this is your essential itinerary.
