Museum openings not to miss in 2026

V&A East Museum, London

The V&A East Museum opens in April, joining the V&A East Storehouse in Stratford’s East Bank cultural complex in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

The latest branch of the Victoria & Albert Museum will celebrate East London’s creative heritage, partnering with young people and showcasing leading contemporary designers and artists.

Hull Maritime Museum

Closed for restoration since 2019, Hull Maritime Museum will feature 800 years of maritime history when it reopens this summer.

Located in Queen Victoria Square, the museum will have a focus on modern technology and immersive experiences and promises to 50% more objects on display than before – including a 40ft long whale skeleton.

Royal Marines Experience, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

Set to open at Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard July this year, the Royal Marines Experience will transform a warehouse previously used for boat building, repair and storage into a national centre exploring the story of the Royal Marines.

The new experience will display Royal Marines regimental artefacts and reserve collections that have previously been in storage and provide visitors with an interactive and immersive experience including a hi-tech, Royal Marines-inspired laser quest arena.

London Museum

Formerly known as the Museum of London, London Museum will reopen in its new Smithfield location “towards the end” of 2026.

Located at the once derelict Victorian General Market Smithfield, London, the museum promises to be creative and contemporary, with displays that respond to social issues.

Trent Park House of Secrets, London  

Trent Park House in the London’s borough of Barnet is a 18^th-century mansion that once served as a weekend party retreat for Sir Phillip Sassoon.

The property was transformed into a surveillance centre in 1939, and when it opens its doors as a museum this spring visitors will have the chance to learn more about intelligence operators in the second world war and Britain’s secret listeners through an immersive learning experience.

The Artistic Museum of Contemporary Art (AMOCA), Cardiff

After organising two pop-ups in 2025, the Artistic Museum of Contemporary Art (AMOCA) is scheduled for permanent opening in Cardiff in 2026.

Owned by Welsh-Swedish entrepreneur Anders Hedlund, the museum plans to exhibit temporary and permanent exhibitions – including 1,000 art works from Hedlund’s private collection. The museum hopes to increase public access to contemporary art.

Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration, London

The Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration will open in May as the UK’s only permanent place for illustration. Located at derelict waterworks in Clerkenwell, the museum has been undergoing restoration since 2019, and when completed will feature three galleries.

The museum plans to host exhibitions, events and workshops that celebrate illustration, featuring a blend of historic, contemporary and international collections – including some of Blake’s own archive.