Somerset House

Somerset House is a new kind of arts centre in the heart of London, designed for today’s audiences and creatives.

Offering a diverse and dynamic public programme of contemporary arts and culture, they are also a home to a large community of creative businesses, artists and makers, including Somerset House Studios.

Somerset House’s year-round cultural programme spans the contemporary arts in all its forms including events and exhibitions with recent  highlights  including  PJ  Harvey’s Recording in Progress, Big Bang Data, Orhan Pamuk’s Museum of Innocence, Daydreaming with Stanley Kubrick, Björk Digital, Malick  Sidibé:  The  Eye  of  Modern  Mali  and  Utopia 2016: a Year of Imagination and Possibility. Somerset House also present annual festivals such as Pick Me Up (graphic arts), Now Play This (games), 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair and Photo London. Through the seasons, the beautiful Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court hosts Summer Series (live music), Film4 Summer Screen and Skate at Somerset House, plus art and design installations from the likes of Ai Weiwei, Marc Quinn and London Design Biennale.

From its 18th-century origins, Somerset House has been a centre for debate and discussion including the first home of the Royal Academy of Arts and other learned societies – an intellectual powerhouse for the nation. For over 200 years the building housed various government departments including births, marriages and deaths and the Inland Revenue until Somerset House Trust was established in July 1997 to conserve and develop Somerset House as an arts centre. After a campaign to open Somerset House to the public, they once again became a home for arts and culture in 2000.

Somerset House

London Design Biennale

1 - 27 June 2021

London Design Biennale is a global gathering of the world’s most ambitious and imaginative designers, curators and design institutes. Es Devlin is Artistic Director and has chosen Resonance as the theme, which countries, cities and territories will respond to in their installations and presentations across Somerset House, London.

The third edition will take place in June 2021.

Tickets from £22.50, concession price tickets apply to Students, Un-waged, Seniors (60+) and Teachers/Turors.

→ Book Your Ticket
3. Dodge 2021 At Somerset House

Dodge

15 July –22 August 2021

Free entry to site; £5 pp for dodgems, pre- booked packages available from £10

Turbo-charge your summer as Somerset House welcome visitors back with a thrilling new open-air experience in the spectacular courtyard. Featuring dodgems with a difference, bold installations from acclaimed artists and a delicious selection of food and drinks, Dodge is the perfect setting to celebrate quality time with family and friends once more. Regarded as one of London’s best loved spaces, the courtyard has been reimagined by Yinka Ilori, one of the most in demand figures working in design, and transformed into a joyful spectacle of colour, sound and energy. Meet up with friends and family in Yinka’s vibrant new open-air art installation, take time out with mouth-watering food and drinks from pop-up legend Jimmy Garcia, or join us for Dodge Lates and Bump & Brunch for amazing DJs on selected dates.

→ Book Your Tickets
6. Photo London 2018. Photography Graham Carlow Courtesy Of Photo London.

Exhibitions

No Comply: Skate Culture and Community

  • Monday 19 July - Sunday 19 September 2021
  • Free
  • Terrace Rooms, South Wing

Gallery 31: Create, Capture, Organise, Pluralise

  • 1 July 31 October 2021
  • Free
  • Gallery 31, New Wing

Photo London

  • 9- 12 September 2021
  • Tickets on sale on 8 June
  • Site wide

Shirin Neshat exhibition

  • 1 - 12 September 2021
  • Free until 7 September
  • Lower Embankment East Gallery
→ Find out more
v