The long-awaited V&A East Museum will open on 18 April 2026 in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, finishing the establishment’s east London cultural campus. Designed by architects O’Donnell + Tuomey, the brand new museum will goal to highlight making and the facility of creativity to drive social change.
The brand new five-story constructing joins the V&A East Storehouse, which opened in 2025, and can sit alongside venues for the BBC, Sadler’s Wells East and London Faculty of Vogue—which collectively make up the East Financial institution cultural quarter.
Gus Casely-Hayford, director of V&A East, described the brand new museum in an announcement as “a welcoming house for all, embedded in east London and with a world outlook”. He mentioned: “In in the present day’s world the place we’re going through down challenges from the local weather disaster to rising polarisation, museums and the inventive industries have an important function in bringing folks collectively, celebrating communities, sparking conversations and spotlighting the numerous ways in which world artists, designers and makers are utilizing their creativity to vary the world for the higher.”
The museum will host two free everlasting “Why We Make” galleries, co-curated with east London youth teams and designers JA Initiatives. That includes over 500 objects from throughout the V&A’s assortment, they are going to hint themes from illustration to wellbeing, justice and environmental motion. Works by up to date artists and designers together with Yinka Ilori, Bisila Noha and VIN + OMI will sit alongside, for instance, Italian Renaissance portray, Spitalfields silks and Tibetan ritual objects.
The museum may also launch a rolling commissions programme, debuting new works by artists together with Tania Bruguera, Carrie Mae Weems and the Turner Prize-nominated artist Rene Matić. A significant sculptural set up by Thomas J. Value will greet guests on the entrance.
The museum will open with the exhibition The Music Is Black: A British Story, charting the affect of Black British music from 1900 to the current day. The present, that includes trend worn by Little Simz and newly acquired images, will kind a part of a wider partnership with BBC Music and a brand new annual creativity pageant held throughout the East Financial institution.
