Saturday 14 November 2026
The V&A has a packed programme across its London sites as autumn turns to winter. At V&A South Kensington, the major new exhibition Constantinople to Istanbul: One City, Two Empires is now open, and Festive Fridays start on 20 November. Over in east London, V&A East Museum has extended its free upperground DJ nights, while V&A East Storehouse hosts a special dance performance and the David Bowie Centre. Here are five things to know about what’s on at the V&A this November and December.
1. Constantinople to Istanbul is now open
The big new show at V&A South Kensington is Constantinople to Istanbul: One City, Two Empires, which opened on Saturday 7 November in Galleries 38 and 39. The V&A describes it as “a major UK-first exhibition exploring 1,600 years of extraordinary art and design, offering a compelling new perspective on a city defined by artistic excellence across more than a millennium.” It takes visitors on a journey across one of the world’s great cities, dropping in on landmarks from the Hippodrome and Hagia Sophia to Topkapı Palace and the Galata Tower. Rarely seen objects from the V&A collection sit alongside national and international loans, some dating back as early as the 4th century. Tickets start from £25.
2. Festive Fridays bring Christmas after hours
From Friday 20 November, V&A South Kensington opens late for Festive Fridays, free after-hours evenings filled with entertainment, shopping and culture. They take place on 20 November and on 4, 11 and 18 December, across the whole museum. Expect pop-up performances, including the award-winning Rock choir, with seasonal drinks to buy throughout the evening. Shopping is at the heart of the event, with the chance to find seasonal gifts and get a head start on Christmas shopping across the museum’s three shops. The free Freddie Mercury | Splendid Things trail and the new Constantinople to Istanbul exhibition both stay open throughout the evening.
3. Dance at V&A East Museum on Thursday nights
Back by popular demand, V&A East Museum’s free DJ residency upperground has been extended and now runs every Thursday until 17 December, from 6.30pm to 9.30pm, with a brand-new line-up. It turns the museum’s Upper Ground into a late-night dancefloor inspired by the critically acclaimed exhibition The Music is Black: A British Story. You can also enjoy Café Jikoni’s pop-up bar and restaurant on Lower Ground, after-hours access to the exhibition, the free Why We Make galleries and panoramic views from the top-floor terrace. The exhibition itself covers 125 years of Black music-making in Britain through more than 200 objects, including 60 new acquisitions, and closes on Sunday 3 January 2027.
4. Bowie, peace and a closer look at V&A East Storehouse
On Saturday 12 December, from 3pm to 6pm, V&A East Storehouse hosts Poster for Peace by Van Huynh Company in its Collections hall. It’s a free three-hour durational performance installation by choreographer Dam Van Huynh, bringing together contemporary dance, visual arts and sound to create a space to gather and think about peace. The Storehouse is also the permanent home of the David Bowie Centre, where nine curated displays spotlight 200 objects, from costume and instruments to lyrics and photography, for £5. Through the free Order an Object service, you can even book a one-to-one viewing with items from more than 90,000 Bowie objects. Jazz Grant’s free mini display Look What I Found explores creativity, heritage and Caribbean identity.
5. Plenty of free displays, tours and family workshops
V&A South Kensington is free to enter, and there’s lots to see without a ticket. Freddie Mercury | Splendid Things celebrates the superstar in his 80th anniversary year with eight looks on a trail across the museum, until 17 January 2027. The Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon runs until 3 January, Bharti Kher’s sculptures until 24 January, and Lost Music Venues, featuring around 50 lost performance spaces, until 22 May 2027. Rising Voices brings together more than 40 artists from 25 countries across the Asia Pacific region (£17). There’s also a free volunteer-led Remarkable Women Tour every Saturday at 11am until 26 December, and a free Family Design Challenge at Young V&A on the second Saturday of each month.
Visit
V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL
Daily 10.00–17.45; Fridays 10.00–22.00 (some galleries close after 17.45). Free entry
Festive Fridays: 20 November, 4, 11 and 18 December (free)
V&A East Museum, 107 Carpenters Road, London E20 2AR
upperground: every Thursday until 17 December, 18.30–21.30 (free)
The Music is Black: A British Story: until Sunday 3 January 2027, £22.50/£24.50
V&A East Storehouse, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London E20 3AX
Open daily 10.00–18.00; Thursdays and Saturdays 10.00–22.00. Free
Poster for Peace: Saturday 12 December, 15.00–18.00 (free)