We can all agree that January in the UK is… not giving. Thankfully for us, 2025 is looking more exciting than ever as London’s art institutions announce a slate of show-stopping exhibitions opening throughout the year – from international gallery collaborations sprawling across the city, to new exhibitions amplifying under-represented artists and uncovering forgotten histories. Plus, there’s a whole host of film screenings, fashion talks, and more to get you out of the house and enjoying the new year. Below, we round up our favourites.
The short films of David Lynch
Until 28th January | Close-Up Film Centre
Cinephiles around the world have been mourning the loss of visionary director David Lynch who passed on 16th Janaury at the age of 78. Lynch’s work has been celebrated for his dark and daring depictions of American life. Close-Up, London’s most comprehensive independent film resource, is commemorating Lynch showcasing 6 of his short films: Six Men Getting Sick (1967), The Alphabet (1968), The Grandmother (1970), The Amputee, Version 1 and 2 (1974), and Premonitions Following an Evil Deed (1995). But be quick – tickets are selling fast! For those who miss out (and for those based outside of East London) some of Lynch’s filmography is available to watch via The Criterion Channel (Eraserhead, Lost Highway, and documentaries David Lynch: The Art Life and Lynch/Oz) where they have 20% off an annual subscription, or use your 7-day free trial.
Vogue Conversations Series
From 28th January | Lightroom, London
In November, London’s Lightroom opened its latest immersive exhibition, VOGUE: Inventing the Runway. In 2025, the exhibition is playing host to a series of Vogue Conversations, inviting audiences inside the inspiring minds of fashion’s greatest creatives. The first talk in the series took place on 14th January and heard British Vogue’s Fashion Features Director Julia Hobbs speak with BFA’s Womenswear Designer of the Year, Simone Rocha, chat through five iconic collections from AW13 to last year’s Jean Paul Gaultier collaborative Couture collection. The talks are particularly insightful for fashion students, new graduates and emerging designers, as Rocha imparted valuable advice on navigating the industry and developing her signature styles.
Over the coming months, the series will continue with the creative director of McQueen, Seán McGirr (28 January), Burberry’s chief creative officer, Daniel Lee (4 February), master of Italian fashion, Pierpaolo Piccioli (11 February), creative director of Vivienne Westwood, Andreas Kronthaler (25 February) and British-Jamaican menswear designer Martine Rose (18 March). Plus, even more talks are still to be announced, including with design legends John Galliano and Sarah Burton.
Lunchtime Lecture: NAOMI: In Fashion, Curator Talk at V&A
30th January, 1pm | V&A South Kensington, London
Another astute conversation that’s not worth missing this month is the latest Lunchtime Lecture at the V&A South Kensington. Senior Curator of Fashion at the V&A, Sonnet Stanfill – whose past exhibitions include Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950 (2012) and The Glamour of Italian Fashion (2014) – will discuss the main themes explored in Naomi: In Fashion and how the project came together, as well as highlight the exhibition’s most coveted objects and outfits. The one-hour talk is free to attend, no booking required, and will be held in The Lydia and Manfred Gorvy Lecture Theatre.
Sang Woo Kim – The Seer, The Seen
Until 1st February | Herald St Gallery, London
British-Korean artist Sang Woo Kim’s work is inherently influenced by cultural voyeurism, spotlighting the burden of self-consciousness and public perception. Kim’s debut solo exhibition in London, The Seer, The Seen at Herald St gallery, reclaims this perception by positioning himself as his subject alongside abstract and distorted found media to explore how best to capture his personhood as a Korean man raised in the UK, how identity is inherently influenced by cultural voyeurism, and what agency he has to alter perceived narratives of himself – throughout the exhibition, viewers will find that it’s Kim’s eyes that are watching them. The exhibition is open for another week and has received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike.
Lives Less Ordinary: Working-Class Britain Re-seen
25th January – 20th April 2025 | Two Temple Place
Two Temple Place’s flagship 2025 exhibition brings together 150 works by working-class artists of the postwar period. The free exhibition sets out to highlight, challenge and overturn many of the prevailing assumptions and stereotypes about working-class art. Artists include: Bert Hardy, Chila Burman, Corbin Shaw, 2024 Turner Prize winner Jasleen Kaur, Matthew Arthur Williams, Hannah Starkey, Hetain Patel, Jo Spence, Joanne Coates, Kelly O’Brien, Ken Grant, Mahtab Hussain, Masterji, Rene Matic, Roman Manfredi and Sirkka Lisa-Konttien.
Condo Complex London 2025
Until 15 February 2025 | London city-wide locations
Established in 2016, Condo London is a not-for-profit event that brings together some of the art world’s most unusual talents in London. 49 galleries from 28 cities will converge in 22 London spaces, offering the artists free exhibiting spaces in the heart of the city. Highlights include Janet Olivia Henry and Cynthia Hawkins’ critique on American culture via Barbies and model miniatures at Hollybush Gardens, seminal American photographer Jimmy DeSana’s “sexed-up absurd suburbia” at Amanda Wilkinson Gallery, and Seoul-based gallery Jason Haam’s group showcase featuring works by Moka Lee, Sable Elyse Smith, Jihyoung Han, Jungwook Kim, and Mike Lee at Carlos/Ishikawa in Whitechapel.
Opening times vary depending on the venue, so it’s well worth checking in advance each gallery is open before you head out. There are no tickets required, and participating galleries are situated in all corners of London.
Looks Delicious! Exploring Japan’s food replica culture
Until 16th February | Japan House, London
Dive into the mouth-watering world of “shokuhin sampuru” – the unexpectedly realistic food replicas displayed in front of restaurants across Japan. Offering a rare opportunity to view these artful models up-close, Looks Delicious! explores the history, materials, processes and future potential of this uniquely Japanese phenomenon. Each of Japan’s 47 prefectures is represented with a specially commissioned food replica, from Okinawan goya chanpuru (bitter melon stir fry) to the indigenous Ainu ohaw (soup with salmon) from the northern island of Hokkaido. Held at Japan House, the exhibition will also host a range of free events, including craft and cookery demonstrations, workshops and talks on Japanese food culture.
The Importance of Being Earnest: NT Live
From 20th February | Cinemas nationwide
The National Theatre’s radically reimagined take on Oscar Wilde’s celebrated comedy The Importance of Being Earnest was met with widespread praise when it opened last November at the Lyttelton Theatre. The acclaimed cast includes three-time Olivier Award-winner Sharon D Clarke and Sex Education and Doctor Who alum Ncuti Gatwa, who leads as Algernon. The show’s opening number sets the stage for this colourful and high-camp adaptation of the 19th-century classic – Gatwa performs at a grand piano in a cutaway pink ballgown amid a cast of eclectic, sexually fluid characters. While the rest of the show follows closer to its source material, this adaptation shines in celebrating not only Wilde’s wicked sense of humour, but also his radicalism, unmasking conventional masculinity as simply a performance.
For those lucky enough to grab a ticket before it sells out, live performances will run until 25th January. But worry not if you can’t get your hands on one, as the stage show will be broadcast to cinemas from 20th February, giving audiences nationwide the chance to join in the fun.
Prem Sahib: Documents of a Recent Past
Until 15th March | Voltaire Studios
Immortalising queer history, Prem Sahib’s Documents of a Recent Past captures the interior of The Backstreet, London’s oldest and longest-running gay leather bar, which closed in 2022 after almost four decades. Rumours of The Backstreet’s closure began circulating in 2017 which prompted Sahib to investigate it through their work across sculpture, installation, performance, sound, video and photography. Sahib’s practice interrogates the architecture of public and private queer spaces and the structures that shape individual and communal identities – in this exhibition, Sahib’s formalism is suggestive of the body as well as its absence, drawing attention to traces of touch and forgotten memories lost in the steep decline in historical queer venues across the UK.
The Devil Wears Prada: The Musical
Until October 2025 | Dominion Theatre, London
It’s safe to say that ever since The Devil Wears Prada first hit cinemas in 2006, fashion fans have been begging Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep to reunite once again in the hallways of Runway offices. While a movie-part-two remains unconfirmed, devotees were enthralled to hear that the cult classic would be revived into a West End musical thanks to music by Elton John. A star-studded cast was revealed, with Ugly Betty’s Vanessa Williams taking over Streep’s role as the ruthless Miranda Priestley.
The musical doesn’t reinvent the wheel – and nor does anyone want it to. This is a stage production for film fans, offering a new way to experience Andy’s age-old career dilemma as she becomes seduced by the glamorous world she once despised. Despite some slightly lack-lustre dance routines, John’s penchant for writing catchy hits transfers to the stage with ease, and his songs are elevated by Georgie Buckland (Andy), Amy Di Bartolomeo (Emily) and Williams’ scene-stealing vocals.
For those looking for an enjoyable evening steeped in movie nostalgia – or for anyone who works in fashion (or just enjoys laughing at those who do) – this is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. The show run has been extended til October 2025 and tickets start from just £20.
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