London’s Tate Modern will stay open later on Fridays and Saturdays

It can be easy to pooh-pooh Gen Zs. People say they are flaky, lack basic social skills, film themselves too much in public, and that they all do the ‘Gen Z stare’, whatever that means. But then every now and again some news will come along to shut-up the Gen Z detractors and restore faith in younger generations. 

Tate Modern has announced it will stay open later on Fridays and Saturdays from autumn, thanks to the record numbers of young people who attended Tate Late events in 2025. We love to see it. 

From September 26, Tate Modern will stay open until 9pm every Friday and Saturday, offering visitors the chance to see the museum’s free collections and paid exhibitions into the evening. 

Tate said this decision was made after unprecedented numbers of visitors attended Tate Modern’s 25th birthday weekend in May this year. The museum said that 76,000 people visited to the gallery over three days, 70 percent of whom were under 35.

As well as the weekly later opening hours, the modern art museum will continue hosting its popular Tate Lates at the end of each month. Previous Lates have have been curated by Little Simz, hosted Aphex Twin listening sessions, and seen live performances by musical artists like Celeste. 

About the Tate’s new late opening hours, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: ‘Tate Modern has transformed London’s cultural landscape, and I’m thrilled the museum will now stay open later every Friday and Saturday, giving even more Londoners and visitors the chance to enjoy world-class art after hours.

‘London is the cultural capital of the world and the greatest city on earth – with the best nightlife anywhere. From museums and music venues to late-night galleries and grassroots spaces, there’s no better place to enjoy a great night out. That’s why we’re doing everything we can to support our night-time economy and make sure everyone can enjoy what our amazing city has to offer.’

Artist Jeremy Deller is hosting a massive free street party in Trafalgar Square this weekend.  

More late stuff: Central London could soon get another 24-hour McDonald’s. 

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