When it comes to art exhibitions and museums in London Town, we’re more than spoiled for choice. In fact, we’d go as far to say that our dear city has some of the best museums in the world. But we can also confirm that we’re not doing too badly on the photography exhibitions front either.
With artists and communities from all over the world being represented, London no doubt is the forefront for inclusivity and diversity when it comes to showcasing art. From documentary snaps capturing Britain in the ’80s to exploring humanity’s impact on Earth, here’s our rundown of the best photography exhibitions in London to explore.
1. The Face Magazine: Culture Shift, National Portrait Gallery
From February 20, 2025
The Face Magazine: Culture Shift is an upcoming exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery that celebrates the influential fashion images and portraits from The Face, a pioneering magazine that significantly shaped youth culture and style from 1980 to 2004. Known for its role in defining contemporary culture, The Face featured musicians who achieved global fame and models like Kate Moss, while also launching the careers of prominent photographers and stylists who transformed fashion photography.
This exhibition will showcase over 200 prints from more than 80 photographers, including Sheila Rock and Corinne Day, many of which have never been displayed outside the magazine. It will explore The Face’s impact on the cultural landscape of Britain and beyond throughout the 1980s to 2000s, as well as its continued relevance following its relaunch in 2019, which maintains its commitment to fostering new talent in photography, fashion, music, and graphic design.
📍St Martin’s Place, London, WC2H 0HE.
🚇 Nearest station is Leicester Square.
🎟️ From £23. More information here.
2. Peter Mitchell: Nothing Lasts Forever , The Photographer’s Gallery
From March 7, 2025
Peter Mitchell, born in 1943 in the UK, is renowned as a pioneering figure in early colour photography of the 20th century. His work, characterised by its storytelling prowess and social historical significance, has captured the essence of Leeds for over four decades. Mitchell’s photographs eloquently chronicle the city’s evolving landscape and its inhabitants, offering a warm and intimate portrayal of his adopted hometown.
His unique perspective, developed while working as a truck driver in the 1970s and 80s, allowed him to document the layers of urban and social history in Leeds with a distinctive graphic framing. Mitchell’s enduring commitment to photographing Leeds, even as it undergoes rapid changes, cements his reputation as a vital chronicler of the city’s past and present. The exhibition will include rarely seen works from Mitchell’s own collection.
📍16-18 Ramillies Street, London W1F7LW.
🚇 Nearest station is Oxford Circus.
🎟️ More information here.
3. SOIL: The World at Our Feet, Somerset House
From January 23, 2025
Somerset House is marking its 25th anniversary as a cultural hub with the exhibition SOIL: The World at Our Feet, which invites visitors to reflect on the often-overlooked soil beneath their feet and its vital connection to life on Earth. This landmark exhibition explores themes such as climate change, waste, land justice, and the beauty of soil through the works of artists, filmmakers, and scientists.
Featuring over 50 pieces, including dazzling microscopic photography and immersive installations that showcase sounds made by soil organisms, SOIL aims to educate and inspire change regarding the fragility and importance of this essential ecosystem.
📍Strand, London WC2R 1LA.
🚇 Nearest station is Temple.
🎟️ From £18.50. More information here.
4. Lee Miller, Tate Britain
From October 2, 2025
Tate Britain’s upcoming exhibition will present the most extensive retrospective of Lee Miller’s photography in the UK, celebrating her as a pivotal 20th-century artistic voice. Originally a sought-after model in the late 1920s, Miller swiftly transitioned from in front of the camera to behind it, becoming a leading figure in avant-garde scenes across New York, Paris, London, and Cairo.
The exhibition will comprehensively explore her extraordinary career, spanning her involvement in French surrealism, groundbreaking fashion photography, and powerful war documentation. Featuring approximately 250 vintage and modern prints, many never previously displayed, the retrospective will illuminate Miller’s lesser-known works, including her remarkable Egyptian landscape images from the 1930s, while revealing her poetic vision and fearless artistic spirit.
📍 Millbank, London SW1P 4RG
🚇 Nearest station is Pimlico.
🎟️ More info here.
5. Energy: Sparks from the Collection, The V&A
From now to May 18, 2025
This display explores the multifaceted nature of energy in photography, revealing the dynamic forces that transform visual perception into tangible images. From the subtle interaction of sunlight filtering through a camera lens to the sudden burst of a flash bulb and the intricate electrical impulses coursing through digital microchips, every photograph emerges through a unique energetic process.
By highlighting these diverse mechanisms of image creation, the exhibition invites viewers to appreciate photography not just as a visual medium, but as a complex interplay of physical and technological energies that breathe life into captured moments.
📍 Cromwell Rd, London SW7 2RL.
🚇 Nearest station is South Kensington.
🎟️ Free. More info here.
6. Rotimi Fani-Kayode: The Studio – Staging Desire, Autograph
From October 31 to March 22, 2025
Rotimi Fani-Kayode’s photography, created in his Brixton studio from 1983 until his untimely death in 1989, represents a profound exploration of culture, intimacy, desire, and pain. As a prominent figure in the Black British art scene, Fani-Kayode’s work transcended conventional boundaries, transforming his studio into a sanctuary for black queer self-expression.
His staged and crafted portraits invite viewers to embrace new possibilities of the self, blending elements of Yoruba spirituality with Western art forms. The exhibition “The Studio – Staging Desire” showcases previously unseen works, revealing Fani-Kayode’s ability to navigate his status as an ‘outsider’ and transform it into a powerful creative force.
📍Rivington Place, London EC2A 3BA, UK
🚇 Nearest station is Shoreditch High Street.
🎟️ Free. More information here.
7. The 80s: Photographing Britain, Tate Britain
From November 21, 2024 until May 2025.
Tate Britain are offering a trip back in time with their upcoming photography exhibition, deep-diving into the social, political, and economic shifts in Britain throughout the eighties. Explore themes of race, class, identity, and politics at this must-see exhibit, touching on several pivotal moments from the decade including the punk rock rebellion, the rise of multicultural Britain, the conflict in Northern Ireland, the AIDS epidemic, and beyond. Witness the works of Maud Sulter, Mumtaz Karimjee, Martin Parr, and more. To read our article on the exhibition, click here.
📍Tate Britain, Millbank, London SW1P 4RG.
🚇 Nearest station is Pimlico.
🎟️ More information here.
8. Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize, National Portrait Gallery
From 14 November 2024 until February 2025
Showcasing the very best in contemporary portrait photography, the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize is an annual competition that unites a diverse range of talents for an unmissable exhibition in the process. Intrinsically located at the National Portrait Gallery, the space offers a stunning backdrop for the forever-fabulous collection of powerful and captivating portraits. This exhibit is a perfect addition to your cultural calendar, especially if you’re curious about the ins and outs of contemporary photography.
📍National Portrait Gallery, St. Martin’s Pl, London WC2H 0HE.
🚇 Nearest stations are Charing Cross or Leicester Square.
🎟️ Princing coming soon. More information here.
9. Zanele Muholi, Tate Modern
Until January 26 2025
Zanele Muholi is easily one of the most critically acclaimed photographers today and this June, with over 260 photographs on display, this exhibition presents the full breadth of their career to date. Muholi presents them selves as a visual artist who has documented and celebrated the lives of South Africa’s Black lesbian, gay, trans, queer and intersex communities. Most of their work captures moments of love, intimacy, addresses issues of oppression and discrimination and empowers non-binary people and trans women.
📍 Bankside, SE1 9TG.
🚇 Nearest station is Blackfriars.
🎟️ £18. More info here.
10. Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection, The V&A
Until January 5 2025
The V&A will showcase 300 never-seen-before prints from 140 photographers taken from Sir Elton John and David Furnish’s private art collection. The exhibition hopes to tell the story of modern and contemporary photography across a variety of subjects such as fashion, celebrity, reportage and the male body.
📍 Cromwell Rd, London SW7 2RL.
🚇 Nearest station is South Kensington.
🎟️ Tickets from £20.
So there you have it – a roundup of the best photography exhibitions in London to look forward to in 2025. So what are you waiting for culture vultures? Get out and there and get inspired!