For the 2018 Christmas holiday period, Artlyst has produced a helpful guide to the closing times of the major London museums and galleries. The majority of commercial galleries will be closed for the whole holiday period so check first if you intend to visit. However, the museums and public galleries stay open with only Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day closures. Here’s a list with a helpful reminder of what exhibitions are showing.
Barbican Centre
The Curve
Francis Upritchard: Wetwang Slack
Until 6 Jan 2019
Bank Holidays 12pm–8pm, Closed 24, 25 and 26 December
NB: The Curve will close at 4.45pm, Friday 19 October.
Barbican Art Gallery
Modern Couples: Art, Intimacy and the Avant-garde
until 27 January 2019
Closed 24, 25 and 26 December, New Year’s Day 12pm–6pm
NB: From Sat 29 Dec and every Saturday throughout January 10am–8pm
British Library
Closed 24, 25, 26 December , Monday 31 December Building shuts at 17:00
Closed Tuesday 1 January 2019
https://www.bl.uk
British Museum
I object: Ian Hislop’s search for dissent
Until 20 January 2019
I am Ashurbanipal: king of the world, king of Assyria
Until 24 February 2019
Holiday hours: Closed 24, 25 & 26 December, 1 January 2019
https://www.britishmuseum.org/
Camden Arts Centre
Camden Arts Centre will close for Christmas at 6.00pm on Sunday 23 December and will re-open at 10.00am on Wednesday 2 January.
https://www.camdenartscentre.org
Design Museum
Closed 24, 25, 26 December
https://designmuseum.org
Dulwich Picture Gallery
Ribera: Art of Violence
Until 27 January 2019
Closed 24, 25, 26, 31 December, 1 January 2019
https://www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk
Fashion and Textile Museum
Night and Day: 1930s Fashion and Photographs
Until 20 January 2019
Closed 24, 25, 26, 30, 31 December. Please note the Museum will close at 6pm on Thursday 27 December
Closed 1 January 2019
https://www.ftmlondon.org
Freud Museum
Freud, Dalí and the Metamorphosis of Narcissus
Until 24 February 2019
Closed 24, 25, 26, 31 December, 1 January 2019
https://www.freud.org.uk
Guildhall Art Gallery
see website for details
Hayward Gallery
Space Shifters
Until 6 January 2019
closed 24, 25, 26 December, 1 January 2019
Thu 27 Dec: 11am – 9pm, Fri 28 to Sun 30 Dec: 11am – 7pm, Mon 31 Dec: 11am – 3pm
https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/venues/hayward-gallery
Jewish Museum
Roman Vishniac Rediscovered
Until 24 February 2019
Closed 25, 26 December, 1 January 2019
Imperial War Museum
closed 24, 25 & 26 December
https://www.iwm.org.uk
National Gallery
Courtauld Impressionists: From Manet to Cézanne
Until 20 January 2019
Mantegna and Bellini
Until 27 January 2019
Rachel Maclean:
The Lion and The Unicorn
Until 3 February 2019
Landseer’s The Monarch of the Glen
Until 3 February 2019
Lorenzo Lotto Portraits
Until 10 February 2019
Closed 24, 25, 26 December, 1 January 2019
https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/
National Portrait Gallery
Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2018
until 27 January 2019
Gainsborough’s Family Album
Until 3 February 2019
see website for details
https://www.npg.org.uk
Nude Self-Portrait, Squatting, 1916., Royal Academy of Arts
Royal Academy of Arts
Renzo Piano
until 20 January 2019
Klimt / Schiele
Drawings from the Albertina Museum, Vienna
Until 3 February 2019
Closed on 24, 25, and 26 Dec, New Year’s Eve 10am–6pm, 1 Jan 12 noon–6pm
https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/
Saatchi Gallery
Black Mirror: Art as Social Satire
until 17 February 2019
Prints & /Originals Gallery
Trinity
until 6 January 2019
Salon 009: We live an Ocean of Air
until 20 January 2019
24 December: Closes at 4.30pm
25-26 December inclusive: Gallery Closed
31 December: Closes at 4.30pm
https://www.saatchigallery.com
Serpentine Galleries
Serpentine Gallery
Pierre Huyghe: Uumwelt
Until 10 February 2019
Serpentine Sackler Gallery
Atelier EB Passer-By
Until 6 January 2019
check website for details
Sir John Soane’s Museum
Closed- 24, 25, 26, 31 Dec & 1 Jan
Also closed 7 Jan-15 Jan for conservation
https://www.soane.org
Somerset House
Good Grief. Charlie Brown!
Until 3 March 2019
Athi-Patra Ruga: Of Gods, Rainbows and Omissions
Until 6 January
As normal except
Mon 24 Dec 2018: 10.00-16.00 (last admission 15.00)
Tue 25 & Wed 26 Dec 2018: Closed
Mon 31 Dec 2018: 10.00-16.00 (last admission 15.00)
Tue 01 Jan 2019: 12.00-18.00 (last admission 17.00)
https://www.somersethouse.org.uk
South London Gallery
Bloomberg New Contemporaries
Until 24 February 2019
Closed 25 and 26 December, and 1 January.
Tate Britain
Turner Prize 2018
Until 6 Jan 2019
Edward Burne-Jones
Until 24 Feb 2019
closed 24–26 December, but open as usual on all other days of the year, including Bank Holidays and New Year’s Day.
https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-britain
Tate Modern
Christian Marclay: The Clock
Until 20 Jan 2019
Anni Albers
Until 27 Jan 2019
closed 24–26 December, but open as usual on all other days of the year, including Bank Holidays and New Year’s Day.
https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern
V&A
Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt
Until 24 February 2019
Fashioned From Nature
until 27 January 2019
Closed 24, 25 & 26 December.
https://www.vam.ac.uk
Wallace Collection
Closed 24th, 25th and 26th December 2018
https://www.wallacecollection.org
Wellcome Collection
closed 24, 25, 26 , 31 December 2018 and 1 January 2019
https://wellcomecollection.org
Whitechapel Gallery
Elmgreen & Dragset
This Is How We Bite Our Tongue
Until 13 January 2019
closed 24, 25, 26 December
https://www.whitechapelgallery.org