This year, there’s plenty to get excited about. From Christopher Nolan’s upcoming epic – featuring Tom Holland and Zendaya’s first on-screen appearance since Spider-Man – to a slew of original stories, highly anticipated sequels, and debuts both on-screen and behind the camera, cinema in 2026 will take centre-stage in the cultural zeitgeist.
But it’s not just movies we’re hyped for, as the new year also promises a host of new album releases, returning TV favourites, daring new novels and ambitious exhibitions. Below, see the new songs, stories and star-studded performances we can’t wait to release in 2026.
The films we can’t wait to watch:
The Moment
Release date: 30 January 2026
Starring: Charli XCX, Alexander Skarsgård, Rosanna Arquette, Rachel Sennott, Jamie Demetriou
Who ever said Brat summer was over? Charli XCX will take to the silver screen more than once in 2026, but no appearance will be more monumental than in The Moment. Directed by her frequent creative collaborator and former BRICKS cover photographer Aidan Zamiri, The Moment is a mockumentary-style feature that blurs reality between pop persona and behind-the-scenes mythmaking. With Zamiri’s unique visual sensibility and Charli’s self-aware approach to fame, it promises an insider’s take on the inner workings of pop culture.
Twinless
Release date: 6 February 2026
Starring: Dylan O’Brien, James Sweeney, Lauren Graham, Aisling Franciosi
James Sweeney’s sophomore film has already garnered critical acclaim at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, taking the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award, with star Dylan O’Brien earning the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting for his dual roles, plus later the Vanguard Award at the Miami Film Festival. Twinless tells the story of two men brought together by grief after losing their twins, forming an unexpected and emotionally fraught bond. Balancing uncomfortable humour with vulnerability, the film marks a notable indie turn for O’Brien.
100 Nights of Hero
Release date: 6 February 2026
Starring: Emma Corrin, Maika Monroe, Nicholas Galitzine, Charli XCX, Felicity Jones
Adapted from Isabel Greenberg’s graphic novel, 100 Nights of Hero is a queer, feminist reimagining of One Thousand and One Nights, centred on forbidden love and the enduring power of storytelling. With Emma Corrin, Maika Monroe, and Nicholas Galitzine leaning fully into its off-kilter energy, the film balances historical fantasy and modern politics, winking at the age-old queer fiction of lovers remembered simply as “very good friends.”
“Wuthering Heights”
Release date: 13 February 2026
Starring: Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi, Owen Cooper, Alison Oliver
A new adaptation of Wuthering Heights brings gothic obsession and doomed romance back to cinemas. Directed by Emerald Fennell, the film appears more “inspired by” than faithful to Brontë’s novel, a choice that has already left purists wincing at the casting of Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi in the lead roles. Still, with a much-discussed score by Charli XCX and a trailer seemingly engineered for Tumblr screenshot fame, we’re withholding judgment until it hits cinemas.
If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You
Release date: 20 February 2026
Starring: Rose Byrne, Conan O’Brien, A$AP Rocky, Christian Slater
If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You places Rose Byrne at the centre of a darkly comic portrait of emotional unravelling. Directed by Mary Bronstein, the film follows a woman pushed to the edge, unfolding with an abrasive honesty that refuses sentimentality. Byrne’s performance has already been widely singled out as a career high, generating serious awards buzz for its precision, while Conan O’Brien and A$AP Rocky join her in an unexpected trio that we can’t wait to watch on screen.
The Bride!
Release date: 6 March 2026
Starring: Jessie Buckley, Jake Gyllenhaal, Christian Bale, Penélope Cruz
Written and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Bride! radically reimagines the Bride of Frankenstein as a gothic drama full of female autonomy, desire, and rage. Set in 1930s America, the film reframes the Bride as a thinking, feeling protagonist rather than a cautionary figure, with Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, and Jake Gyllenhaal among its stacked cast (the latter marking a rare on-screen collaboration between Maggie and her brother).
The Drama
Release date: 3 April 2026
Starring: Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Alana Haim
Another anticipated A24 release, The Drama pairs powerhouses Zendaya and Robert Pattinson at a moment when both are taking visible risks with their career choices. Directed by Kristoffer Borgli, whose work (Dream Scenario, Sick of Myself) specialises in social discomfort and public unravelling, the film is described as an anti-romantic comedy about an engaged couple whose wedding week is derailed by an “unsettling revelation”. Excitement first began when paparazzi images of Robert Pattinson and Zendaya arguing in the street were circulated online, then surged again after A24 placed a fake engagement announcement in The Boston Globe, triggering a fresh wave of speculation.
Mother Mary
Release date: April 2026
Starring: Michaela Coel, Anne Hathaway, Hunter Schafer, Kaia Gerber, FKA twigs
Directed by David Lowery, A24’s Mother Mary is described as an “epic pop melodrama” built around fame, devotion, and creative control. The film stars Michaela Coel as a globally influential musician opposite Anne Hathaway, with Hunter Schafer appearing as Coel’s assistant. Charli XCX is once again contributing to the soundtrack (this time alongside Jack Antonoff) while the score is from Daniel Hart.
The Devil Wears Prada 2
Release date: 1 May 2026
Starring: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Lady Gaga, Simone Ashley, Sydney Sweeney
The long-anticipated The Devil Wears Prada 2 has already sparked intense online speculation, from which celebrity cameos we might expect to how Miranda Priestly’s wardrobe will read in the post-print editorial era. Faithful fans were initially alarmed after the teaser trailer showed Meryl Streep wearing Valentino Rockstuds – a choice some fashion insiders initially questioned as out of step with Miranda’s famously exacting taste. When Alessandro Michele later unveiled his Pre-Fall 2026 vision for Valentino, reworking the Rockstud for a new era, what first read as a misstep became a relieving sign that the sequel understands contemporary fashion discourse.
The Odyssey
Release date: 17 July 2026
Starring: Matt Damon, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Elliot Page, Lupita Nyong’o
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey lands as a globe-spanning IMAX epic, adapting Homer’s myth into a survival journey as Odysseus fights to reach home after the Trojan War. Matt Damon leads, with Tom Holland and Zendaya reuniting on screen alongside Robert Pattinson, a combination that’s already generated heavy online interest. Universal has positioned it as a theatrical-first spectacle shot worldwide using brand-new IMAX film technology – the kind of scale Nolan reserves for projects designed to be experienced in cinemas – and we’ve got our popcorn at the ready.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Release date: 31 July 2026
Starring: Tom Holland, Sadie Sink, John Bernthal, Tramell Tillman
The next Spider-Man instalment sees Tom Holland return following the franchise reset of Spider-Man: No Way Home. With Peter Parker now entirely erased from public memory, the film is expected to follow a more grounded, solitary chapter that strips away multiverse spectacle in favour of consequence, anonymity, and adulthood. Though much remains under wraps, anticipation has been boosted by reports that Sadie Sink has joined the cast in a major role. Best known for anchoring Stranger Things’ emotional weight, Sink’s arrival has fuelled speculation about a darker, more intimate phase for the series — even as Marvel keeps details deliberately opaque.
The Social Reckoning
Release date: 9 October 2026
Starring: Mikey Madison, Jeremy Strong, Jeremy Allen White, Bill Burr
Aaron Sorkin returns with The Social Reckoning, a companion piece to The Social Network that updates the story of Facebook for the present moment. Set nearly two decades after the original cult-favourite film, it follows former Facebook engineer and whistleblower Frances Haugen (Mikey Madison), who enlists a Wall Street Journal reporter (Jeremy Allen White) to expose the company’s most guarded secrets. While some fans may be sad to hear that Jesse Eisenberg and David Fincher won’t be returning to the anthology, we’re more than intrigued to see Jeremy Strong’s unhinged portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg.
Dune: Messiah
Release date: 18 December 2026
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh
Denis Villeneuve’s final Dune chapter adapts Dune Messiah, shifting the story to what comes after Paul Atreides takes power. Timothée Chalamet returns as Paul alongside Zendaya and Florence Pugh, with early teasers suggesting fewer heroic speeches and more hard questions about what happens once the prophecy has technically already been answered.
The music we’ll be playing on repeat:
Stove, Lana Del Rey
Release date: TBC, likely late January 2026
Following multiple title and timeline changes, Lana Del Rey’s long-awaited tenth studio album Stove is tipped for a January 2026 release. The project reunites her with producer Jack Antonoff and is teased as her most autobiographical work yet, incorporating country influences and deeply personal songwriting, some of which were performed at Stagecoach Festival last summer.
Secret Love, Dry Cleaning
Release date: 9 January 2026
South London-based post-punk band Dry Cleaning return in January with Secret Love, their first album with Welsh producer Cate Le Bon, and a distinctive shift from their earlier work. Known for literate lyrics and post-punk textures, this release is already anticipated in indie rock circles as a significant evolution.
Locket, Madison Beer
Release date: 16 January 2026
Madison Beer’s third studio album Locket arrives early in the year, following buzz from singles that bridge confessional pop and mature production. It builds on her steadily growing artistic profile and might showcase a sharper thematic focus.
Wuthering Heights, Charli XCX
Release date: 13 February 2026
Following her breakthrough pop era with Brat, Charli XCX is releasing Wuthering Heights, an album of original music tied to Emerald Fennell’s upcoming film adaptation of the Emily Brontë classic. After Fennell approached her in late 2024 to write a song for the soundtrack, Charli and collaborator Finn Keane expanded the project into a full 12-track album recorded through 2025, leaning into a raw, gothic, and distinct British aesthetic that diverges from her recent, club-classic work. The first singles, including “House” – a collaboration with John Cale of The Velvet Underground – and “Chains of Love”, have already teased the album’s haunting atmosphere, positioning the release as one of 2026’s most intriguing crossovers between pop music and cinema.
My Ego Told Me To, Leigh‑Anne Pinnock
Release date: 20 February 2026
After years as part of Little Mix, Leigh-Anne Pinnock steps fully into her own with My Ego Told Me To, a solo debut positioned as both a reset and a statement of intent. The album builds on the sound she has been exploring since going solo, pulling from R&B, Afrobeats and dancehall, blended with her glossy pop roots. Its announcement, alongside a European tour, signals a distinct step forward, untethered from group dynamics and industry expectations.
Dreamboy, Lil Nas X
Release date: early 2026
Lil Nas X’s Dreamboy follows a period of relative withdrawal after an intense run of viral releases, cultural scrutiny, and near-constant public visibility. The album builds on his genre-hopping approach, merging pop, rap, and theatrical spectacle, and is reported to feature production from long-time collaborators Take a Daytrip alongside other major pop producers, signalling a full-scale return. After openly speaking about burnout and the pressure of public life, Dreamboy will position Lil Nas X back at the centre of cultural conversation.
Confessions on a Dance Floor Part 2, Madonna
Release date: TBA, 2026
Madonna has confirmed that a follow-up to her 2005 club classic Confessions on a Dance Floor is officially in progress, writing that “the disco era continues.” It will mark her first studio album since Madame X and signals a return to the dancefloor at a moment when club revivalism is already dominating pop’s mood.
TBC, Raye
Release date: TBC, likely late 2026
After a long and very public fight to regain control of her work, Raye enters her next era without the delays that shaped her debut. Following the breakout success of My 21st Century Blues, she confirmed a new album is on the way with the release of “Where Is My Husband!” With full creative autonomy and momentum firmly behind her – not to mention her record-breaking 7 BRIT Awards – this will be one of the most highly-anticipated sophomore records not only of the year, but of the decade.
OR3, Olivia Rodrigo
Release date: TBC, likely late 2026 or early 2027
Fans are closely tracking clues around what’s currently being dubbed OR3, Olivia Rodrigo’s next album following Guts. Rumours that Rodrigo and actor Louis Partridge ended their two-year relationship in late 2025 have swirled online following her appearance at Lily Allen’s Christmas party, with some commenters suggesting the break may prompt a shift in the emotional tone of her next era. From darker on-stage visuals and lyrical shifts during recent performances, to repeated references to ageing out of girlhood in interviews, speculation points toward a more controlled and mature direction. With no official release date yet confirmed, those signals have only intensified anticipation around what shape her next era might take and when it might arrive.
TBC, Erin LeCount
Release date: TBC, likely late 2026
After two acclaimed EPs, Erin LeCount has emerged as one of the most exciting new voices in alternative pop. With a rapidly growing fan base and industry attention following the success of her EPs – most recently I Am Digital, I Am Divine in April – speculation is building around a possible debut album in 2026 that could see her expand her emotionally detailed world without losing its self-made edge.
The TV shows we’ll be bingeing:
His & Hers
Release date: 8 January 2026
Starring: Tessa Thompson, Jon Bernthal, Pablo Schreiber
Platform: Netflix
Adapted from novelist and former journalist Alice Feeney’s thriller, His & Hers follows a high-profile news anchor (Tessa Thompson) forced back to her hometown after a murder cuts through her carefully curated life. As her personal and professional worlds begin to overlap, the series leans into relationship friction and suspense, evoking Mr & Mrs Smith-style tension, but filtered through the mechanics of a murder investigation.
Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials
Release date: 15 January 2026
Starring: Mia McKenna-Bruce, Helena Bonham Carter, Martin Freeman
Platform: Netflix
This period mystery adapts Agatha Christie’s The Seven Dials Mystery, transporting her signature intrigue to 1920s London society. Led by BAFTA Rising Star Mia McKenna-Bruce alongside Helena Bonham Carter and Martin Freeman, the casting alone teases an A-list reboot of the British detective drama, and we can’t wait to watch Bonham Carter’s electric eccentricity with Freeman’s signature sharpness.
Industry Season 4
Release date: 12 January 2026
Starring: Myha’la, Marisa Abela, Kit Harington, Kiernan Shipka, Charlie Heaton, Max Minghella
Platform: BBC
The flirty finance-world drama returns to interrogate career ambition, power dynamics, and burnout inside global capitalism. Sharply observed and often brutal, the new series will see the returning cast joined by Kiernan Shipka, Stranger Things’ Charlie Heaton and The Handmaid’s Tale’s Max Minghella, expanding Industry’s world beyond Pierpoint as the show leans further into tech money, media scrutiny, and the uncomfortable overlap between work, sex, and self-worth.
The Beauty
Release date: 21 January 2026
Starring: Bella Hadid, Evan Peters, Billy Eichner, Lux Pascal, Jeremy Pope
Platform: FX via Disney+
The Beauty arrives at an uncomfortable moment for Ryan Murphy, whose recent projects (including All’s Fair and the Monster instalments on the Hernández brothers and Ed Gein) have drawn much criticism for their questionable acting (sorry, Kim) and unsympathetic handling of real-life traumas. Even so, it’s hard to look away from a series built around Bella Hadid’s acting debut, particularly one with a premise this unsettling. Adapted from the graphic novel, The Beauty imagines a world where physical perfection is sexually transmitted and aggressively commodified, folding body politics into a glossy sci-fi thriller.
Imperfect Women
Release date: 18 March 2026
Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Kerry Washington, Kate Mara
Platform: Apple TV+
Adapted from Araminta Hall’s novel, Imperfect Women is a psychological drama centred on friendship, desire, and betrayal in the aftermath of a woman’s murder. With Elisabeth Moss, Kerry Washington, and Kate Mara leading the cast (and Moss also serving as executive producer), the series is a character-first piece of prestige television exploring how intimacy, resentment, and perception shape the stories women tell about one another.
Margot’s Got Money Troubles
Release date: 15 April 2026
Starring: Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer, Nicole Kidman
Platform: Apple TV+
Another Apple TV release, this darkly comic drama centres on a young single mother navigating financial precarity, internet visibility, and the moral grey areas of survival. Led by Elle Fanning alongside Michelle Pfeiffer and Nicole Kidman, the book-adapted series explores how femininity, labour, and performance collide under economic pressure. Part-satire, part-social study, it feels sharply attuned to the realities of monetised intimacy and the unglamorous logistics behind online success.
Euphoria Season 3
Release date: April 2026
Starring: Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Hunter Schafer, Jacob Elordi
Platform: Sky & NOW TV
The final season of Euphoria arrives shrouded in controversy, following delays, reported behind-the-scenes tensions, and ongoing debate around the show’s creative direction. Zendaya returns as Rue as the series jumps five years forward, closing out a run that redefined the look and emotional register of teen television through its unflinching depictions of addiction, identity, and queer experience. With questions lingering over cast dynamics, narrative choices, and how much ground the show can realistically cover in one last chapter, the final season is under intense scrutiny – and feels like a car crash we can’t look away from.
Heartstopper: Forever
Release date: late 2026, following the final graphic novel released on 2 July 2026
Starring: Kit Connor, Joe Locke, William Gao, Yasmin Finney
Platform: Netflix
Concluding the Heartstopper saga, this final chapter follows Nick and Charlie as they navigate long-distance love and the first uncertain steps of adulthood. Beyond its Netflix-approved gloss, the series has consistently stood out for its nuanced, gentle depictions of a wide range of queer teen experiences, from coming out and first intimacy to mental health, friendship, and self-acceptance. That balance of lightness and emotional care remains central to why Heartstopper has resonated so deeply, and why its ending feels genuinely significant.
The White Lotus Season 4
Release date: late 2026 / early 2027
Starring: Alexander Ludwig, AJ Michalka
Platform: Sky & NOW TV
While still undated, season four of The White Lotus is already generating buzz around casting rumours, having confirmed France as its next location, with names like Helena Bonham Carter, Lisa Kudrow, and even Charli XCX (shock) circulating online. In the shadow of Jennifer Coolidge’s unforgettable (and tragic) exit in season two, viewers are still waiting to see whether Greg ever faces consequences, and where newly-wealthy Belinda might resurface next. As ever, the show’s mix of satire and slow-burning moral collapse keeps it firmly in the cultural conversation, and with filming reportedly beginning in early 2026, hopes are high for a release before the end of the year.
The books we won’t be putting down:
Is This a Cry for Help? by Emily Austin
Release date: 13 January 2026
From queer Canadian writer Emily Austin, this novel follows Darcy, a librarian grappling with grief, mental health, and growing tensions within her local community. Building on Austin’s reputation for blending dark humour with emotional honesty, the book speaks to queer coming-of-age, sexuality, and the power of local libraries, and puts community spaces at the centre of contemporary cultural conflict.
Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy
Release date: 20 January 2026
In her debut novel, the i-Carly actor and author of I’m Glad My Mom Died turns to fiction to explore power, desire, and coming-of-age. Half His Age focuses on Waldo, a seventeen-year-old desperate for connection, who becomes entangled with her older, unpredictable creative-writing teacher, Mr Korgy. The project builds on McCurdy’s widely-discussed work around exploitation and stolen childhoods, tapping into ongoing conversations about consent, influence, and the long shadow of unequal attention.
Plastic by Matthew Rice
Release date: 29 January 2026
Set during a single night shift in an Irish plastics factory, Plastic is a book-length poem tracing the interior world of an industrial worker who is also a poet. Blending memoir and satire, the story moves between the physical demands of factory labour and the persistence of creative thought. Focused on labour, class, and the struggle to sustain creativity under late capitalism, Plastic offers a perspective rarely centred in contemporary literary publishing.
Female, Nude by Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett
Release date: 12 February 2026
Set on a Greek island, Female, Nude follows painter Sophie as she navigates friendship, desire, and creative ambition against the pressures of motherhood and romantic attachment. The novel centres on the emotional and practical tensions faced by women making art within constrained circumstances. Framed as both intimate and reflective, it situates questions of female creativity, labour, and autonomy within a broader cultural conversation about who is afforded time and taken seriously in the art world.
Hooked by Asako Yuzuki, translated by Polly Barton
Release date: 12 March 2026
Following the international success of Butter, Yuzuki’s Hooked looks again at desire, intimacy, and projection in contemporary Japan. The novel focuses on Eriko, whose outwardly polished life masks profound loneliness, and her growing fixation on Shoko, a popular housewife blogger. As admiration intensifies into obsession, the story traces how online performance, femininity, and isolation intersect, building on Yuzuki’s reputation for examining power dynamics and emotional hunger within everyday settings.
Fruit Fly by Josh Silver
Release date: 23 April 2026
Josh Silver’s Fruit Fly is a sharp debut novel that centres on illness, obsession, and erotic fixation through a darkly comedic lens. Published by Oneworld, the book follows a young man grappling with chronic pain and intrusive desire, blurring the lines between control, fantasy, and bodily autonomy. Unsettling and formally bold, it signals Silver as a writer willing to sit with discomfort, and push readers into it.
Wimmy Road Boyz by Sufiyaan Salam
Release date: 28 May 2026
Published by Stormy’s #Merky Books, Wimmy Road Boyz is a coming-of-age novel rooted in friendship, masculinity, and survival in contemporary London. Sufiyaan Salam’s debut traces the lives of a tight-knit group of young men negotiating loyalty, violence, and belonging within a rapidly shifting city. With its attention to class, community, and moral pressure points, the novel joins a growing body of British fiction pushing against narrow representations of urban youth.
No God But Us by Bobuq Sayed
Release date: May 2026
The debut novel from Afghan-Australian writer and poet Bobuq Sayed centres on two gay Afghan men living in exile and navigating political precarity in Istanbul. Moving between queer community spaces and the pressures of displacement, the novel foregrounds questions of faith, belonging, and resistance in a globalised world shaped by borders and surveillance. Sayed’s perspective as a nonbinary writer from the Afghan diaspora makes this a significant addition to contemporary fiction, offering a rare narrative shaped by migration, queerness, and post-colonial realities.
Land by Maggie O’Farrell
Release date: 2 June 2026
From the author of the recent Paul Mescal film Hamnet, Land is a multi-generational historical novel rooted in nineteenth-century Ireland. Set in 1865, it follows a father and son working for the Ordnance Survey as they traverse a country still shaped by the devastation of the Great Hunger. Through this framework, the novel examines family, grief, and colonial power, foregrounding how national histories are carried through land, labour, and inheritance.
Autistically Me: How to Understand and Celebrate Our Autistic Minds by Bradley Riches
Release date: 9 June 2026
Written by Heartstopper actor and autism advocate Bradley Riches, Autistically Me offers a personal and accessible exploration of what it means to navigate the world as an autistic person. Blending lived experience with practical insight, the book reframes autism away from deficit-based narratives and towards self-understanding, community, and pride. Arriving amid broader cultural conversations about neurodiversity and representation, it positions acceptance and visibility as forms of empowerment rather than accommodation.
Heartstopper Volume 6 by Alice Oseman
Release date: 2 July 2026
The final instalment of Heartstopper brings Nick and Charlie’s story to its conclusion, following them as they face transition, distance, and the uncertainties of early adulthood. Alice Oseman’s soft, emotionally literate approach has reshaped how queer teenage lives are represented in mainstream publishing, prioritising care, communication, and everyday intimacy. Volume 6 arrives not just as an ending, but as a cultural marker for a generation raised on the series.
Country People by Daniel Mason
Release date: July 2026
Country People follows Miles Krzelewski, a husband and father rebuilding his life in the Vermont woods, where he encounters eccentric neighbours, uncanny experiences, and a persistent local legend. Drawing on folklore and communal storytelling, the novel uses rural life as a lens to consider the narratives we construct to ground ourselves.
Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel
Release date: 10 September 2026
From the author of Station Eleven and The Glass Hotel, Exit Party weaves together crime, lost relationships, and unexpected encounters, continuing Mandel’s interest in interconnected lives and the structures that bind strangers together. Little has been revealed about the full shape of the story, but its focus places it firmly within her ongoing exploration of fragility and human connection. Ahead of publication, the novel has already attracted significant interest from film and TV producers, with multiple studios reportedly circling a screen adaptation.
Espíritu by Aiden Thomas
Release date: September 2026
The long-awaited sequel to Cemetery Boys, Espíritu returns to the supernatural world established in Thomas’s bestselling debut, which made history as the first novel by an openly trans author to top the New York Times YA list. The story continues to follow Julian as he navigates the consequences of forbidden magic, deepening his connection to ghosts while expanding the novel’s brujería-inspired universe. The novel represents the growing visibility of trans Latinx voices in fiction publishing, and the demand for queer stories rooted in community and culture, rather than marginalisation alone.
The exhibitions we’ll be attending:
Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit & Friends
12 February – 15 November 2026
Young V&A
Young V&A invites visitors into the creative engine of Aardman Animation with an immersive exhibition exploring the making of Wallace & Gromit and other studio favourites, revealing the craft, humour and ingenuity behind decades of stop-motion storytelling.
Tracey Emin: A Second Life
26 February – 31 August 2026
Tate Modern
In early 2026, Tate Modern stages its most expansive presentation of Tracey Emin’s work to date, surveying more than four decades of her practice across neon, painting, sculpture and installation, and foregrounding the emotional intensity and radical honesty that have made her one of Britain’s most influential contemporary artists.
Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art
21 March – 1 November 2026
Victoria & Albert Museum
Opening in spring, the V&A’s major Schiaparelli exhibition charts Elsa Schiaparelli’s transformation of couture into a surrealist art form, spotlighting her collaborations, symbolic motifs and bold designs that permanently altered the relationship between fashion, art and modern femininity.
Murugiah: Ever Feel Like
May 2026 – TBC
Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration
The British-Sri Lankan multidisciplinary artist is known for his vibrant illustration style and sharp social commentary, exploring vulnerability, masculinity, and joy through his works. Mutugiah arrives at the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration in May 2026, and while tickets and dates are yet to be released, this rare showing of his expansive works across fine art, illustration and pop culture is not one to miss.
Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait
4 June – 6 September 2026
National Portrait Gallery
Marking the centenary of Marilyn Monroe’s birth, the National Portrait Gallery’s summer exhibition examines how her image was constructed, circulated and reinterpreted, assembling photographic and artistic portraits that unpack the tension between Hollywood mythology and personal identity.
Frida: The Making of an Icon
25 June 2026 – 3 Jan 2027
Tate Modern
This exhibition will showcase works by the artist that introduce her ‘many selves’ – the dedicated wife, the intellectual, the modern artist, and the political activist. Featuring over 130 works, including some of her most well-known paintings, the exhibition will also include documents, photographs and memorabilia taken from Kahlo’s archives, as well as the work of more than 80 of her contemporaries and artists she inspired from later generations.
Amar Kanwar
23 September 2026 – January 2027
Serpentine
In autumn, Serpentine foregrounds a major solo exhibition by Amar Kanwar, transforming the gallery into a contemplative film installation that reflects on displacement, state violence, and memory, and positions attention and listening as political acts. Elsewhere in the programme, exhibitions by David Hockney and Cecily Brown frame questions of perception and gesture through painting, but it is Kanwar’s work that most urgently speaks to the present moment.
The 90s
1 October 2026 – 14 February 2027
Tate Britain
Closing out the year, Tate Britain turns its focus to the 1990s, tracing how art, fashion and visual culture responded to rapid social change, subcultures and new media, and capturing the creative mood of a decade that continues to shape contemporary aesthetics.
Tim Walker’s Fairyland: Love and Legends
8 October 2026 – January 2027
National Portrait Gallery
In autumn, the National Portrait Gallery presents Tim Walker’s fantastical vision, weaving together photography, myth and romance in an exhibition that celebrates storytelling, queer identity and the enduring allure of imagined worlds.
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