The 16 best art galleries in the UK 2026

Where is it? Salford.

What is it? A bumper arts complex with loads and loads of Lowry.

Why go? The world’s largest public collection of works by LS Lowry is obviously the key draw to this Salford arts centre – which allots 2,000 square metres of formerly derelict dockyard space to the man best known for his depictions of working-class life in the northern industrial cities. But the so-called ‘Salford Guggenheim’ is much more than just Lowry’s ‘matchstick men’, with three lofty performance spaces (including the UK’s largest stage outside of London’s West End) ensuring constant stimulation at this steel- and glass-clad complex. Conveniently, it’s just a few minutes’ walk from both Old Trafford football ground (home of Manchester United) and Victoria Warehouse (site of legendary raves and live music events), as well as directly across the water from the Coronation Street set at ITV Studios. That makes the Lowry an anchor for a hypothetical Manchester/Salford cultural quadrifecta, for the bolder tourists among our ranks. 

Entry price: Free.

Address: Pier 8, The Quays, Salford, M50 3AZ.

Website

Where is it? Cambridge.

What is it? The University of Cambridge’s modern and contemporary art gallery.

Why go? Not for the easily home-envious. Not only is Kettle’s Yard a fantastic art gallery, but it’s quite possibly the UK’s most exquisite house. Originally the home of curator and collector Jim Ede and his wife Helen, the duo donated the property and its collection of 20th-century art to the University of Cambridge in the ’60s. The art here is not just on the walls – which feature works by the likes of Alfred Wallis, Ben Nicholson and Henri Gaudier-Brzeska – but in the furniture and objects, the sleek chairs and tables, charming bookcases, dazzling rugs and striking sculptures. Once you’re done gawping at the Kettle’s Yard house – though you’re never truly done, on each visit you always find new things to fixate upon – there are temporary exhibitions with a more contemporary focus. These aren’t to be missed: recent years have featured riveting displays from the likes of Lubaina Himid, Harold Offeh and Ai Weiwei.

Entry price: £14 (adult), £7.75 (Art Fund), £13.50 (Cambridge alumni), free for under-25s, Cambridge students and more. Full list here.

Address: Castle Street, Cambridge, CB3 0AQ

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Where is it? Hastings. 

What is it? A fishing-tastic modern art space by the sea. 

Why go?  With a façade made up of around 8,000 glazed black tiles, Hastings Contemporary blends seamlessly with the clusters of wooden fishing-net shops that line the town’s Rock-a-Nore Road. Inside, its floor-to-ceiling windows frame the fishing boats lined up on the shingle. In other words, this is a gallery that is proud of its local area. And it’s increasingly ambitious with its exhibitions. This year, for example, it became the first gallery to explore the connections between 20th-century titans Lucian Freud and Henry Moore, and brought together work from more than 150 carefully selected artists for a show focusing on the experience of coastal communities and threat of coastal deprivation. In 2025, it introduced the Sussex Spotlight series, which highlights a different local artist every few months. So far, it's included Alessandro Raho, Maggie Scott and Richard Phoenix. (The shop here is also one of the best gallery shops around, in my opinion). 

Entry price: £10 for adults, £7 for students, free for under-18s.

Address: Rock-a-Nore Road, Hastings, TN34 3DW.

Website

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Where is it? Belfast.

What is it? A champion of contemporary, experimental art in Northern Ireland and beyond. 

Why go? Belfast’s Metropolitan Arts Centre (MAC) has been the centrepiece of its Cathedral Quarter (one of Time Out’s 2026 coolest neighbourhoods in the world) since 2012. There are no permanent art displays here (save for the multicoloured wire installation suspended above the main foyer), but there doesn’t need to be – its programming of temporary and touring exhibitions is reliably brilliant. In recent years, the MAC’s three gallery spaces have hosted major shows that trace the history of the flower in art and politics, confront the inequalities and injustices within Belfast and reimagine the lost artworks of 20th-century Palestinian-Lebanese artist Maroun Tomb. The MAC isn’t just a gallery – there are two theatres and several studios, meaning there’s always something going on.

Entry price: Free.

Address: 10 Exchange Street, Belfast, BT1 2NJ.

Website

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Where is it? Cardiff.

What is it? A gallery inside a trailblazing arts centre with rock ’n’ roll history.

Why go?  Founded by avant-garde trio Christine Kinsey, Bryan Jones and Mik Flood in the 1970s, Chapter’s backstory is one for the ages. Artists Jones and Kinsey, and journalist Flood (later the director of London’s ICA) clubbed together to create somewhere to showcase the radical, countercultural art of the time. To raise money for the venue, they enlisted the help of Pink Floyd and put on a benefit concert in Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens, with support from a (then) little-known band named Black Sabbath. More than 50 years later, Chapter continues to be ahead of the game with bold shows that confront and provoke.

Entry price: Pay what you can.

Address: Market Road, Cardiff, CF5 1QE.

Website

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Where is it? St Ives, Cornwall.

What is it? Tate’s stunning southernmost outpost.

Why go? Tate St Ives looks like some gorgeous relic of the 1920s but was in fact finished in 1993. Partly modelled after a 19th century gasworks – which once occupied the site – the gallery’s stunning rotunda replaces an old gas ring. Although greatly expanded in the mid-’10s, it remains the smallest and most relaxed of the four Tates, with core collections that focus on local artists and interesting, esoteric, relatively un-blockbustery temporary shows (it’s not really a Matisse or Picasso sort of place). Smack-bang on Porthmeor Beach, it’s perfectly reasonable to go for a coffee, gawp at the waves and decide after how much art you’re in the mood for. Oh, and it‘s worth noting that Tate St Ives grew out of the Tate’s 1980 takeover of St Ives’ Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, which is a completely separate venue but not far off and well worth a visit.

Entry price: The cafe is free, the gallery is £14 (free for children) and admission includes the current temporary exhibition.

Address: Porthmeor Beach, St Ives, TR26 1TG.

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Where is it? Manchester.

What is it? A Victorian art collection surrounded by verdant parkland, part of the University of Manchester.

Why go? Sandwiched between the Curry Mile and Manchester Uni’s red-brick main campus, the Whitworth offers 60,000 works of art against a lush backdrop: when it first opened in 1908, it was the first English gallery in a park. While exhibits of Japanese woodblock titans Hokusai and Hiroshige, textile designer William Morris and outsider art are most likely to coax patrons through the doors, the site itself is no less worthy of admiration – and a £17m redevelopment completed a decade ago added elegance via a huge, bright, glass, steel and brick extension. Since then, the Whitworth has welcomed over two million visitors through its doors to browse artworks, architecture and one of the world’s biggest wallpaper collections (for art-viewing and home improvement inspo). 

Entry price: Free.

Address: Oxford Road, Manchester, M15 6ER.

Website

🎨 The top art galleries in Manchester.

Where is it? West Lothian (near Edinburgh).

What is it? A spellbinding sculpture garden that seems straight out of the mind of Lewis Carroll. 

Why go? Half an hour out of Auld Reekie, Jupiter Artland is a labyrinth of otherworldly monuments. As you patrol its lush 120 acres, you’ll come across installations by the likes of Tracey Emin, Anish Kapoor and Antony Gormley. There’s a psychedelic tiled pool called ‘Gateway’ by Joana Vasconcelos (which you can actually take a dip in), a 12-metre-tall orchid called ‘Love Bomb’ by Marc Quinn and a fountain made of giant spiralling shells by Laura Aldridge called ‘A Comic Reset’. This is only the second year ever that the site will stay open during the winter season. Make the most of it in the colder months and catch Irish artist Sgàire Wood’s ‘In Pride, In Piety, In Vigilance’, a temporary commission that draws upon Northern Irish history, heraldic symbolism and pop-culture iconography. 

Entry price: £14.50 for adults, £9.50 for children, students and blue badge holders.

Address: Bonnington House, Wilkieston, Edinburgh, EH27 8BY.

Website

📍 The best art galleries in Edinburgh.

Where is it? Norwich.

What is it? An extraordinarily eclectic art collection inside a game-changing building. 

Why go? The Sainsbury Centre bills itself as an art museum, not simply a gallery. Housed in one massive open-plan space (a design that was considered ground-breaking when it opened in 1978), the thousands of pieces hail from all over the world and date as far back as ancient Egypt. Weaving in between the countless display cabinets and gallery walls, you’ll come across Picasso drawings and Francis Bacon studies next to traditional crafts from Oceania and artefacts from medieval Europe. What makes this place even more special is that it considers art as a living thing. That means visitors are strongly encouraged to experience the works beyond just looking at them – hug a Henry Moore sculpture, step inside a display box, sit in a reclining chair and confide in the Giacometti painting above you, that sort of thing. Once you’re done inside the centre, have an amble around the enchanting sculpture park that surrounds it. 

Entry price: Pay what you can.

Address: Norfolk Road, Norwich, NR4 7TJ.

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Where is it? Margate.

What is it? A seaside space named after one of Britain’s greatest ever painters (who frequently visited and painted Margate and its surrounding seascapes).

Why go? The Turner Contemporary has been a major catalyst for Margate’s regeneration since it opened in 2011; its gravitational pull is so strong that it has reportedly contributed over £100m to the local economy over the past 15 years - despite the fact that all its exhibitions are free (‘art should be for everybody’ is part of the gallery’s manifesto). Though named after JMW Turner, who had a knack for injecting luminosity into the dramatic coastal scenes depicted in his paintings, there is no permanent collection here. Instead, visitors might find works displayed by everyone from Antony Gormley and Grayson Perry to Margate’s own Tracey Emin. You can spot the building’s shard-like architecture right off the train – it adds a dramatic edge to the main beachfront façade, just a stone’s throw from the Kentish town’s penny arcades, chippies, markets and pubs.

Entry price: Free.

Address: Rendezvous, Margate, CT9 1HG.

Website

Where is it? West Sussex.

What is it? A stunning not-for-profit exhibition space and sculpture garden in a forested South Downs country estate.

Why go? Goodwood may be better known for its famous motorsports track and horse-racing, but its brand-new art foundation – which opened in 2025 – might be the 11,000-acre estate’s next big thing. Occupying ancient woodlands, glades and wildflower meadows in a leafy corner of Goodwood, the foundation is a tranquil alternative to stuffier art halls elsewhere. In fact, it almost feels like the art world’s equivalent of a trip to Center Parcs – only instead of tennis courts and wooden camping lodges you’ll find Yayoi Kusama’s polka dot pumpkins and Rose Wylie’s pink pineapples. Don’t miss a visit to the vast, minimalistic, glass-and-concrete Café 24, which is worth the entry price on its own. 

Entry price: £15 per adult; under-18s go free.

Address: New Barn Hill, Chichester, PO18 0QP

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Where is it? Oxford.

What is it? A pocket-sized powerhouse with one of the country’s boldest contemporary art programmes.

Why go? The variance within contemporary art can be daunting. There are so many artists doing great things in so many places, where on Earth do you begin? Well, start by being a regular at Modern Art Oxford. MAO is no stranger to big names – Tracey Emin, Joseph Beuys, Marina Abramović, Yoko Ono and Anish Kapoor have all had exhibitions here – but it’s most exciting when its bold programming platforms unsung artists (Lubaina Himid’s 2017 show particularly sticks in my memory, her first major survey exhibition and a dazzling display of sculptures, ceramics and works on paper) or ones you may well have never even heard of. Not only does MAO make the scope of contemporary art that much more graspable and get you interested in new artists and movements, these days it’s looking sleeker than ever due to a 2024 revamp that opened a new gallery, exhibition space and a cafe designed by UK artist Emma Hart.

Entry price: Ground floor exhibitions are free. Other shows range in price from pay-what-you-can, with the most being £12.

Address: 30 Pembroke Street, Oxford, OX1 1BP.

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Where is it? London.

What is it? An esteemed art college and our current favourite gallery in London.

Why go? For 250 years, Britain’s first art school has been a hotbed of artistic talent. You name ’em, they were an Academician. Alongside a sizeable free permanent collection display, the RA’s also got serious pedigree when it comes to putting on big shows. Its temporary exhibitions are ultra-well-researched, ambitious things that are always worth visiting, like 2016’s totally incredible ‘Abstract Expressionism’ show and 2022’s magnificent Francis Bacon retrospective. The annual Summer Exhibition is also always a treat, because where else would you see a Tracey Emin next to a Joe Lycett? 

Entry price: Free (general entry)

Address: Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BD

Website

🖼️ The best art galleries in London.

Where is it? Liverpool.

What is it? A grand 150-year-old gallery, housing works from the 13th century to the present.

Why go? The ‘National Gallery of the North’, as it’s known, is a grand, Grade II*-listed art palace with everything from Tudor portraits and Renaissance paintings to Vivienne Westwood fashion archives (at least until October 2026, that is) – all conveniently located directly opposite Lime Street Station. The Walker is, in many ways, a classic old-school exhibition space: vast rooms, old-fashioned wallpaper, and creaky floorboards underfoot. And its at-times eclectic collection is very much a who’s who of art history, with names like Rodin, Monet, Hockney and Francis Bacon all arranged chronologically for ease of comprehension. Finish off your trip with a bowl of scouse from the café for additional local cultural kudos.  

Entry price: Free.

Address: William Brown Street, Liverpool, L3 8EL

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Where is it? Gateshead.

What is it? A beautifully converted flour mill on the banks of the River Tyne with an exhibition programme of both regional artists and major global names.

Why go? Lorna Simpson, Hew Locke, Huma Bhabha, Chris Killip and Judy Chicago are some of the internationally renowned artists who’ve exhibited at Gateshead’s Baltic Centre in recent years. Opened in 2002, the contemporary art gallery has become a proper northeast institution over its relatively short history, and welcomed its 10 millionth visitor last year. Head up to the top floor in one of its glass elevators for spectacular views over the quayside, check out past exhibitions via its recently launched digital archive, watch curated seasons of classic and contemporary films at its 54-seat cinema, or even submit some work to the Baltic Open Submission – the northeast’s answer to the RA Summer Exhibition. The place is getting a pretty huge revamp soon, too.

Entry price: Free.

Address: Baltic Business Quarter, Gateshead, NE8 3BE.

Website.

Where is it? Preston.

What is it? A sprawling neoclassical landmark with thousands of pieces to feast your eyes on. 

Why go?  It’s been about a year since the Grade I-listed Harris unveiled the magnificent results of its four-year, multi-million-pound makeover – most importantly, new galleries. Its fine art collection spans nine centuries, featuring more than 800 oil paintings and 6,000 watercolours, drawings and prints. Among them is the captivating ‘Pauline in the Yellow Dress’, nicknamed the ‘Mona Lisa of 1944’, and the ethereal ‘Puck’ painted by Richard Dadd two years before he suffered his mental breakdown. Keep an eye out for other works by the likes of Lucian Freud, Graham Sutherland, JMW Turner and Julius Olsson. This place is big on nurturing local talent, too. It’s been hosting the Harris Open for the last 70 years (with a short break from 2020 to 2025), displaying hundreds of submissions from local painters, sculptors, textile artists and more. The 2027 edition will take place from January. 

Entry price: Free.

Address: Market Square, Preston, PR1 2PP.

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