The 3 best museums in Britain (outside London) have been named for 2026

Yesterday (April 20) was a major day in the museum world. It was the day that the five finalists for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2026 were unveiled. This year, the shortlist features several cultural  heavyweights alongside smaller, more local attractions hoping to boost their national standing. 

As ever judges have chosen attractions that, through unexpected, innovative and forward-thinking practices, are ‘pushing the boundaries of what a museum is or can achieve’. The five finalists have proven their commitment to giving back to local communities and to making art and history accessible to all. Two are in London (read more about those here) but the rest can be found in Plymouth, Cambridge and Norwich. 

The winning museum will be announced on June 25 and be awarded a game-changing £120,000. The runners-up won’t go home empty-handed, though. They’re still guaranteed £20,000 in prize money, which is five grand more than finalists have been given in previous years. 

The UK museums (outside of London) shortlisted for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2026

The Box, Plymouth 

Last year, The Box in Plymouth celebrated its fifth birthday. Since opening in 2020, the museum has been telling the stories of Plymouth through more than two million artworks, objects, specimens, and archival materials. To mark its birthday, it released a report that showed it had boosted Plymouth’s economy by £244m since opening. It also hosted three artist-led projects reimagining the future through Plymouth’s past and looking into how historic collections can challenge traditional museum narratives. 

The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

The Fitz was founded in 1816, partly with help from funds derived from the slave trade and much of its collection has complex and contested roots. But, Art Fund says, the university museum is committed to confronting those more difficult aspects of its past and being an ‘active participant in social dialogue, knowledge exchange and collective responsibility’. That commitment can be seen in its programme of exhibitions and community projects last year. The programme included Glenn Ligon’s first major UK solo exhibition, which reflected on race, visibility and institutional histories and a rehanging of the painting galleries that centred equity, dialogue and contemporary issues.  

Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery, Norwich

After a huge £27.5 million, five-year-long renovation, Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery reopened to the public last summer. Rooms in the medieval Castle Keep were furnished to give a better impression of what they would have looked like centuries ago, an immersive experience was installed in the Great Hall and the attraction collaborated with the British Museum to create a new permanent gallery of medieval life through over 1,000 objects. The redevelopment also meant that visitors of all mobility levels can access all five floors of the landmark, from the basement to the rooftop, making it the most accessible castle in the UK. 

ICYMI: This magnificent castle has been crowned the UK’s greatest UNESCO site.

Plus: This underrated British museum is getting a game-changing refurb.

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