![Frida Kahlo, Untitled [Self-portrait with thorn necklace and hummingbird]](https://media.timeout.com/images/106359849/1920/1080/image.webp "Frida Kahlo (Mexican, 1907–1954), Untitled [Self-portrait with thorn necklace and hummingbird], 1940. Oil on canvas mounted to board. Nickolas Muray Collection of Mexican Art, 66.6. Harry Ransom Center.")
[title]
Art lovers of London! It’s time to start curating your 2026 calendar. We’ve put together a list of the best art shows coming to the capital over the next 12 months and from Tracey Emin to Catherine Opie, there’s a remarkable amount of major exhibitions by or dedicated to women. However, the one we’re most looking forward to focuses on possibly the most famous female artist of them all: Frida Kahlo.
It’s been eight long years since a major exhibition of Mexico’s great painter came to London. But in 2026, the Tate Modern will pay homage to Kahlo and her legacy in Frida: The Making of an Icon.
More than 70 years after her death, Frida Kahlo remains a huge cultural phenomenon and commercial icon. Her monobrowed likeness has been slapped on tote bags, novelty socks, fridge magnets, mugs and limited-edition eye shadow palettes the world over. But the deluge of Frida merch can often overshadow the story of her complex personal life, her political activism and the real depth of her art – something that’s best appreciated by seeing her work in the flesh.
The Tate’s show will display 130 pieces of work by Kahlo, her contemporaries and the artists she has inspired since her death. Expect some of Kahlo’s most iconic paintings as well as documents, photographs and memorabilia from her archives.
The show promises to provide fascinating insights into Kahlo’s personal and professional life, and to deep dive into her monumental legacy. It’ll bring attention to the Frida fandoms that have spawned all over the world and to the diversity of communities – from disability rights campaigners to LGBTQ+ groups – who claim her as their own. It’ll run from June 25 2026 until early January 2027.
Keep an eye out for tickets on the Tate website here.
See all of the 12 best art exhibitions coming to London in 2026 here.
Did you see the hotly anticipated museum that is Time Out’s best new thing to do in London in 2026?
Plus: The London trend that is officially one of the best things to do in the world in 2026.
Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel.
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.