What's On: The Royal Academy of Arts, Summer Exhibition, 2026
Ever since its inaugural Summer Exhibition in 1769, the Royal Academy of Arts has stood for all that is exciting and essential in British and international art and architecture. This year's show features over 1,500 artworks, most of which are available for purchase. Sales will directly support the exhibiting artists and the RA’s charitable work, including training the next generation of artists at the Royal Academy Schools. As the longest-established art school in the UK, it offers the only free three-year postgraduate programme in Europe.
Internationally acclaimed artist and Royal Academician Ryan Gander has coordinated the latest showcase, which explores the theme of interconnectedness. For this, he has introduced an exhibition device to connect each room and create cohesion: a horizontal line that runs at eye level around the gallery walls. This line will sit two metres above the floor, with artworks being placed above or below it.
In addition to the large number of public submissions, Royal Academicians showing work this year include Antony Gormley, who presents a site-specific 8.2-meter-high piece, ‘Hide (2026)’, made from cardboard. Works by Dame Tracey Emin, Wolfgang Tillmans, and Rose Wylie are also not to be missed.
But the art doesn't end at the gallery's walls. Step outside and you'll discover Ugo Rondinone's 'The Song is You' - a monumental rainbow-striped LED sculpture installation, illuminating the Royal Academy courtyard. Meanwhile, look up along Bond Street, where the Royal Academicians' vibrant flags fly high as part of Art in Mayfair, extending the Summer Exhibition's vibrant energy into the heart of London until the show closes at the end of August.
With so much to discover both inside and out, now is the perfect time to experience all that is new, bold, and brilliantly interconnected in the world of contemporary art. And if you're lucky, you might even come away with a new purchase. Indeed, there's a unique thrill in wandering the vast galleries, catalogue in hand, and spotting that little red sale sticker beneath your chosen piece.
P.S. The Royal Academy's dedicated Summer Exhibition gin bar is open Thursday through Sunday. And while temperatures soar outside, there’s the added attraction of air conditioning—a rare London luxury. At last count, it was a blissfully temperate 19 degrees inside.
The Summer Exhibition runs until 3 August 2026 at the Main Galleries, Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD