The best exhibitions and events to visit in October and November 2025
Find inspiration and ignite your creativity with our list of the best art exhibitions, antiques shows, and more currently running in the UK.
We round up the best exhibitions and events to visit this month around the country.
DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS with Pete Tong, Daylesford Farm, The Cotswolds
Step into a dazzling celebration of life and remembrance at DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS - a night where the Cotswolds ignite with the vibrant spirit of Mexico. As music, colour, and emotion intertwine, the boundary between worlds blurs in a joyous tribute to those who came before us.
Dance until dawn to Pete Tong’s legendary beats while live mariachi performances transport you straight to Mexico’s heart - not something you’d expect to find on a Cotswolds farm! Savour bold, authentic flavours from Bashbites, from fiery tacos to fresh ceviches and irresistible street bites.
Embrace the Dead Chic dress code with elegant sugar skulls, luxurious marigold touches, and drop-dead gorgeous funeral fashion. With exclusive VIP tables, a private area, and a DJ curating your perfect soundtrack, it promises an unforgettable night of rhythm, remembrance, and revelry.
When?
1 November 2025, 7pm until late
Where?
Heritage House, Daylesford Farm, Daylesford near Kingham, Cotswolds, GL56 0YG
Women in Print: 150 Year of Liberty Textiles, London
Marking 150 years of Liberty Fabrics, this major exhibition at the William Morris Gallery celebrates the women whose creativity has defined one of Britain’s most beloved design houses. Women in Print brings together over 100 pieces - from early embroidery designs and rare pattern books to fashion, film, and contemporary textiles - tracing the evolution of Liberty’s distinctive aesthetic.
Designers including Lucienne Day, Althea McNish, Jessie M. King, and Collier Campbell are honoured alongside lesser-known names, many credited here for the first time. The exhibition reveals how women have shaped Liberty’s legacy, from the Arts and Crafts movement to the present day, balancing heritage with innovation. A companion film and programme of events will offer insight into the future of women in textile design.
When?
18 October 2025-21 June 2026
Where?
William Morris Gallery, Lloyd Park, Forest Road, Walthamstow, London, E17 4PP
Cecil Beaton’s Fashionable World, London
Celebrate the glamour and innovation of ‘King of Vogue’ Cecil Beaton at the National Portrait Gallery’s first major exhibition dedicated to his fashion photography. Cecil Beaton’s Fashionable World explores the photographer’s pioneering vision, charting his rise from self-taught society portraitist to one of the twentieth century’s most influential image-makers.
Curated by Vogue contributing editor Robin Muir, the show brings together around 250 items, from dazzling portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn and Queen Elizabeth II to rare letters, sketches and costumes, capturing the elegance, wit and theatrical flair that defined Beaton’s work.
The exhibition traces his creative journey through the London of the ‘Bright Young Things’, Hollywood’s golden age, and the refined post-war decades that cemented his reputation as a master of glamour and artistry.
When?
9 October 2025 - 11 January 2026
Where?
National Portrait Gallery, St. Martin’s Pl, London, WC2H 0HE
THE SINGH TWINS: Botanical Tales and Seeds of Empire, Richmond
Seeds of Empire is a solo exhibition by internationally renowned British artists The Singh Twins, commissioned by Kew as a contemporary response to its Flora Indica botanical drawings and Economic Botany collections. The exhibition explores the complex histories of botany, empire and colonial trade, revealing how plants such as cotton, spices and dyes fueled the wealth of the British Empire.
Displayed as digital-printed fabric light boxes, the works combine Indian miniature aesthetics with Western floral symbolism, exploring themes of conflict, enslavement and the legacies of colonialism. Allegorical portraits in The Masala Art Series celebrate the cultural and symbolic importance of plants across global traditions, while the short film King Cotton: An Artist’s Tale reflects on cotton’s colonial history and its relevance to contemporary issues of globalisation, fair labour and climate.
Through multi-medium artworks and innovative storytelling, The Singh Twins offer a thought-provoking reflection on Kew’s colonial past, the enduring significance of plants and the continuing inspiration of the natural world.
When?
11 October 2025 - 12 April 2026
Where?
RBG Kew, Richmond, TW9 3AE
Theatre Picasso, Tate Modern
To mark one hundred years since Pablo Picasso painted The Three Dancers (1925), Tate Modern presents a captivating new exhibition exploring the artist’s fascination with performance and transformation. Picasso was endlessly inspired by the figures of the stage, dancers, actors and bullfighters, whose presence shaped not only his paintings but also the very persona he crafted as “Picasso, the Artist.”
This special exhibition has been imaginatively staged by contemporary artist Wu Tsang and curator Enrique Fuenteblanca, who reimagine the gallery as a theatrical space. Visitors can look forward to encountering more than 45 works drawn from Tate’s own collection, together with significant loans from across Europe. Paintings, sculpture, textiles and works on paper are all represented, including pieces never before shown in the UK.
The display offers a fresh perspective on Picasso’s enduring interest in performance, myth-making and identity. His self-fashioned role as both insider and outsider continues to resonate, shaping our idea of what it means to be an artist today.
Theatre Picasso is on view in the George Economou Gallery at Tate Modern, supported by White & Case, the Huo Family Foundation and Tate Members.
When?
17 September 2025 - 12 April 2026
Where?
Tate Modern, Bankside, London, SE1 9TG
Genteel Tourists: Visiting Longleat in the Age of Jane Austen, Wiltshire
Longleat House in Wiltshire invites visitors to step into the Regency era with Genteel Tourists: Visiting Longleat in the Age of Jane Austen.
Marking the 250th anniversary of Austen’s birth, the exhibition explores the rise of stately home tourism in the early 19th century, when fashionable visitors could tour great houses, provided the housekeeper agreed.
One such figure was Mary Ventrice, trusted housekeeper to the 2nd Marquess of Bath. Like Austen’s fictional Mrs Reynolds in Pride and Prejudice, she shaped the visitor experience with discretion and authority.
Highlights include Richard Warner’s Excursions from Bath (1801), a guidebook owned by Austen’s family and the Marquess himself; a first edition of Mansfield Park (1814); and Humphry Repton’s original Red Book of landscape designs for Longleat. Archivist Emma Challinor notes: “It’s possible Jane Austen herself visited Longleat, her nephew even signed our earliest surviving visitor book.”
The exhibition celebrates the birth of country house visiting as a genteel pastime—a tradition that continues at Longleat today. Entry is included with a day ticket, with optional Afternoon Tea available at weekends.
When?
12 July -2 November 2025
Where?
Longleat, Warminster, BA12 7JS
Marie Antoinette Style Exhibition, London
This autumn, the V&A unveils Marie Antoinette Style, the first UK exhibition dedicated to the most fashionable queen in history. Sponsored by Manolo Blahnik, the show explores the origins and enduring influence of Marie Antoinette’s distinctive style - an aesthetic that has captivated designers, filmmakers, and tastemakers for over 250 years.
Featuring over 250 objects, including exceptional loans from Versailles never before seen outside France, the exhibition will showcase rare personal belongings of the Queen herself - silk slippers, jewels, and the final note she ever wrote. Alongside these treasures, visitors will encounter couture by Dior, Chanel, Moschino, and Vivienne Westwood, as well as iconic screen costumes from Sofia Coppola’s Oscar-winning Marie Antoinette.
Through immersive design, theatrical staging, and even a scent experience evoking the royal court, the exhibition reveals how one woman’s image - part glamour, part tragedy - continues to inspire fashion, film, and culture worldwide.
When?
20 September 2025-22 March 2026
Where?
V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL
Practically Magic: William Morris at Home, Hammersmith
To mark the William Morris Society’s 70th anniversary, a new permanent exhibition opens at Kelmscott House, Hammersmith, on 11 September 2025. Practically Magic: William Morris at Home in Hammersmith celebrates the life and legacy of the Victorian designer, poet, activist, and craftsman in the very house where he lived with his family for eighteen years. The exhibition explores Morris’s creative pursuits during this period—from his celebrated designs for Morris & Co. and his venture into fine printing, to his founding role in the Socialist League.
Visitors will discover original hand-drawn textile and wallpaper designs, printing blocks, and manuscripts, alongside insights into the flourishing garden and library that inspired him. The display also highlights the contributions of friends, colleagues, and family, such as May Morris, whose work enriched the home’s vibrant creative atmosphere. Together, they evoke the spirit of a house that George Bernard Shaw once described as “magical.”
When?
From 11 September 2025
Where?
William Morris Society & Museum, Kelmscott House, 26 Upper Mall, Hammersmith, W6 9TA
Claridge’s Bright Young Things, London
Claridge’s marks the centenary of Art Deco and the 1925 Paris Exhibition with a dazzling yearlong celebration inspired by the glamour of the Roaring Twenties and the original Bright Young Things. Known as London’s Art Deco jewel, the hotel pays homage to its glittering past with a series of immersive experiences, exclusive events, and stylish collaborations.
Guests can enjoy monthly Art Deco tours led by Claridge’s archivist, Great Gatsby pre-theatre dinners, and Charleston masterclasses with London’s finest flappers, The Bees Knees. In The Fumoir bar, original Lalique glassware serves up 1920s cocktails from Cecil Beaton’s cocktail book.
For the ultimate indulgence, the Bright Young Things Claridge’s Sleepover includes a night in Deco-designed suites, vintage jazz playlists, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Flappers and Philosophers, and Guerlain’s iconic Shalimar scent.
When?
Throughout 2025
Where?
Claridge’s, Brook Street, Mayfair, London, W1K 4HR
The Edwardians: Age of Elegance, Buckingham Palace
On display for the first time in over 30 years, Queen Alexandra’s gold coronation dress headlines The Edwardians: Age of Elegance at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace. The exhibition features over 300 Royal Collection items, showcasing the grandeur and transformation of Edwardian Britain.
Highlights include Alexandra’s lavish gown, jewels, and Edward VII’s coronation regalia, reflecting a blend of tradition and modernity.
Visitors explore the royal couples’ public pageantry and private lives, with artworks, fashion, photographs, and rare objects, including Fabergé pieces, society portraits, and Alexandra’s personal Kodak snapshots, offering a vivid portrait of a glittering era on the edge of global change.
When?
11 April - 23 November 2025, every Sunday, Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Where?
The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, London, SW1A 1AA
Dress Codes, Kensington Palace
A fascinating new exhibition, Dress Codes, has opened at Kensington Palace, showcasing the evolution of royal and court fashion from the 18th century to today. Featuring treasures from the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection, the exhibition presents iconic pieces alongside never-before-seen garments, including a gold wedding dress from the 1920s, childhood dresses worn by Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret, and striking ensembles from Diana, Princess of Wales.
Contemporary fashion is also explored, with highlights such as Dame Vivienne Westwood’s investiture gown. Plus, a unique collaboration with young creatives brings fresh perspectives, cementing Kensington Palace as a hub of royal style past and present.
When?
13 March-30 November 2025
Where?
Kensington Palace, Kensington Gardens, London, W8 4PX
Paul Thomas Flower School, Nine Elms
Founded in the heart of Mayfair, Paul Thomas has long been a respected part of English floristry, dressing the most prestigious events – from royal weddings to famed London institutions. To celebrate their 35th anniversary in 2024 the brand unveiled a Flower School, hosted in their Battersea studio. The school invites attendees on a range of day courses to month long courses, aimed at immersing their students in the world of floristry.
Classes include a half day Paul Thomas bouquet class, and as well as those aimed specifically at designing with British flowers from the current season.
When?
Ongoing
Where?
Paul Thomas Flowers, Arch 83 Queen’s Circus, Nine Elms, London SW11 8NE
Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, London
Step into a former 19th-century stable next to Old Spitalfields Market in London and immerse yourself in a world crafted from Van Gogh’s most renowned works. This exhibition, now a fixture in numerous cities worldwide, has captivated over five million art enthusiasts since its debut in 2017.
Wander through three expansive rooms covering 17,000 square feet, where huge projections transform the Dutch Post-Impressionist’s masterpieces into a breathtaking 360-degree experience
When?
Ongoing
Where?
106 Commercial Street, E1 6LZ
More from British Travel
More from The English Home
