London’s Blue Plaque scheme has been celebrating the famous figures that have helped shape our city for around 160 years now. The very first shiny blue sign was proudly plonked on the wall of Lord Byron’s birthplace in 1867, and there are now over 1000 of them scattered around the capital; seamlessly linking legendary Londoners with the building in which they lived or worked.
The scheme runs on public suggestions and each year, English Heritage (who runs the scheme) select a number of notable figures to receive one of the iconic plaques. In order to be suggested, the individual must have been deceased for at least 20 years and resided in London for a significant period of time. The London building in which they lived or worked must have a substantially unaltered exterior, and the figure in question must have made an exceptional impact in their field. With all that taken into account, this year’s honoraries have just been announced.
2026 London Blue Plaques
Nine notable names have earnt themselves a sought-after plaque that’ll be unveiled in London at some point this year. Among the nine is the oh-so legendary Laurence Olivier; a multi award-winning performer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of the 20th century.
Olivier already boasts a Blue Plaque in his home town of Dorking, and his statue is displayed proudly outside of the National Theatre (a building that Olivier was deeply involved with). Olivier redefined the standards of both stage and screen performance, having truly set the bar for British acting. He was nominated for eleven Academy Awards throughout his career, and was tightly intwined with London’s theatre scene until he died in 1989.
Other 2026 Blue Plaque recipients include Julia Margaret, Brigadier Dudley Clarke, Brigadier Dudley Clarke, Kamal Chunchie, Dusé Mohamed Ali, Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, Gertrude Tuckwell and Stefan Zweig. English Heritage is now working with the property owners, and all plaques are subject to owner approval.
English Heritage Curatorial Director, Matt Thompson, said: “This year’s new plaques represent an astonishing range of achievement – from scientific discovery and artistic innovation and political campaigning. Each, in their own way, helped shape London as a place of ideas, creativity and reform, and their stories continue to resonate today.”
You can read the full list of 2026 Blue Plaque recipients here.