Curtain up for 2026: new museums and cultural experiences across Britain
This year, experience Britain’s history, literature and art from new perspectives. In Wrexham, the Football Museum for Wales reopens in the home city of one of the world’s oldest professional football clubs, Wrexham AFC, formed in 1864. Part of a project titled a ‘Museum of Two Halves’, new galleries in the football museum will chart the nation’s sporting heritage, just as the next series of Welcome to Wrexham reaches screens, while the accompanying Wrexham Museum will be packed with fresh exhibitions which tell the story of north-east Wales. In the south of Wales, medieval Caerphilly Castle has had a comprehensive makeover. Its Great Hall offers new ways to relive history, now enhanced with state-of-the-art digital exhibits.
In Scotland, the new Inverness Castle Experience brings ancient history into the present with interactive displays, cutting-edge digital technology and immersive storytelling that trace Jacobite uprisings and Highland culture. Meanwhile, in the north of England, County Durham unveils Kynren: The Storied Lands, a historical theme park where live action shows, stunt performances and innovative technology bring Britain’s past to life.
The London Museum returns, having relocated to a new site in Smithfield in the heart of the City of London, with permanent exhibitions to be housed in the revamped former Victorian General Market. Expect longer opening hours and more of its seven million item collection on show than ever before. In Shoreditch, visitors will be transported to Elizabethan London at the Museum of Shakespeare. This new visitor experience is built above the remains of the old Curtain Playhouse, where Romeo and Juliet was reportedly first performed in the 1590s. Across the city, V&A East opens in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, showing historic collections side by side with contemporary design, fashion and architecture. At the National Portrait Gallery, Lucian Freud: Drawing into Painting presents never-before-seen studies, etchings and drawings, offering new insight into the artist.
Milestone moments: Britain’s 2026 anniversaries
2026 marks milestone years for two of Britain’s top cultural institutions. The Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) in Edinburgh celebrates its 200th anniversary, offering visitors a deep dive into Scottish creativity with special exhibitions, events and gallery tours. Highlights include 200 Years, showcasing the rich history of Scottish art, and This 26, presenting cutting-edge works by 26 contemporary artists. Meanwhile, London’s Southbank Centre turns 75, commemorating decades as a music, performance and visual arts hub with a vibrant programme of events and electric performances – from ‘You Are Here’, a takeover by Danny Boyle, to a major new exhibition of works by Anish Kapoor at the Hayward Gallery.
Game on: Britain’s 2026 sporting highlights
The year promises a jam-packed sporting calendar too. The Women’s T20 World Cup (12 June to 5 July 2026) will welcome the best players from around the globe, with matches played in venues across England. Between 10 and 16 August 2026, the European Athletics Championships come to Britain for the first time, as Birmingham prepares to welcome top sprinters, jumpers and throwers to compete across multiple venues.
Meanwhile, the Commonwealth Games return to Glasgow between 23 July and 2 August 2026, uniting athletes from more than 50 Commonwealth nations, with events ranging from swimming and cycling to weightlifting and boxing. Or join the roaring crowds at the Six Nations, where some of rugby’s elite will battle it out at historic grounds including London’s Allianz Stadium (known as Twickenham), the Principality Stadium in Cardiff and Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium.
And for adrenaline seekers, London’s Excel Centre hosts the Formula E Final on 15 and 16 August 2026, where drivers race electric single-seaters for the next championship title.
Go wild: coastlines, peaks and starry skies
Swap city streets for sea cliffs, misty peaks and moonlit skies. The final sections of the King Charles III England Coast Path are set to be completed in 2026, forming the world’s longest continuous coastal trail, circling all 2,795 miles (4,500 km) of England’s shoreline. The newest 42-mile (68 km) section links the Scottish border to Lincolnshire, tracing Yorkshire and north-east coastlines seen in 28 Years Later. Or along the south-west stretch, discover the windswept vistas that formed the backdrop for The Salt Path. While in the region, the Walk Scilly Festival (10 to 19 April 2026) celebrates the archipelago’s diverse landscapes and cultural heritage. Guided walks explore the sandy beaches, flora and fauna of the Isles of Scilly, located around 30 miles (48km) from the Cornish coast.
Nighttime brings another kind of spectacle, with Dark Skies Festivals in various National Parks. From the Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog) to the North York Moors, Yorkshire Dales and Cumbria, visitors will have the chance to trace constellations under some of Britain’s clearest night skies, coupled with astrophotography workshops and expert guidance.
Rest assured: new stays for 2026
Expect fresh new accommodation across Britain in 2026 too, each offering a base for discovering Britain’s diverse landscapes and bustling cities. In Manchester, The Medlock – a sleek new four-star hotel at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium – will feature contemporary rooms and a luxury penthouse suite as part of the Etihad Campus expansion, offering easy access to matches, concerts and the city.
The Kithmore re-opens in St Andrews, Scotland, after major refurbishments, with 44 luxury rooms and views of the historic town and Links golf course on the doorstep. Bristol’s Hotel Gotham is a nod to the city’s art-deco heritage, offering 75 opulent bedrooms in the Grade II*-listed Guildhall building, alongside a restaurant, spa and a rooftop terrace. Meanwhile, on Wales’ north coast, the luxury Ty Gwyn hotel in Abersoch features a sleek minimalist design, with a spa and terrace bar overlooking the sea and sandy beaches below.
Britain on screen: hot new releases for ‘set-jetters’
2026 promises a feast for screen lovers, with Britain doubling as a cinematic playground for some of the most anticipated TV and film releases. The Making of Harry Potter experience at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London continues to enchant ahead of the 2027 Harry Potter TV series, giving fans a backstage pass to Hogwarts’ Great Hall and Diagon Alley. The Scottish Highlands return in Outlander Season 8, with Doune Castle (standing in for Castle Leoch), Fort William and sweeping lochs providing the backdrop for time-travelling romance. Bath’s crescents and Georgian mansions star once more in Bridgerton Season 4, with highlights from past seasons including Wrotham House and Castle Howard. While in Yorkshire, the Dales also take centre stage in Emerald Fennell’s new Wuthering Heights adaptation.
Birmingham’s Digbeth Loc Studios and the surrounding cobbled streets help brings Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man to life, while the latest Marvel film, Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings through Glasgow’s streets. London’s Richmond remains Ted Lasso’s footballing stomping ground, while Jane Austen fans can get into the spirit of the upcoming Sense and Sensibility adaptation by visiting heritage houses featured in earlier versions, from Saltram House in Devon (Norland Park in director Ang Lee’s 1995 adaptation) to Mompesson House in Salisbury.
From folk tunes to foodie feasts: Britain’s 2026 festivals
Britain’s 2026 festival calendar offers a lively mix of music, wellness and gastronomy. Early in the year, Glasgow’s Celtic Connections (15 January to 1 February 2026) brings world-class folk, roots and world music to venues across the city. Spring returns with mindfulness, yoga and wellness workshops at The Big Retreat (22 to 25 May 2026) in Pembrokeshire, followed by The Feel Good Festival (5 to 7 June 2026) in Cumbria, celebrating mindful living through food, workshops and live entertainment.
Summer heats up with Roundhay Festival in Leeds on 4 July, headlined by Lewis Capaldi, and a nationwide celebration of Pride, including NottsPride (25 July 2026), Brighton & Hove Pride and Manchester Pride (28 to 31 August 2026), all highlighting Britain’s diversity and inclusivity. Food and drink aficionados can indulge in Welsh flavours at Abergavenny Food Festival (12 September 2026) or sample Scottish spirits at Feis Ile (22 to 31 May 2026), the annual whisky festival on Islay in the Inner Hebrides. The Edinburgh International Festival returns to showcase more theatre, comedy and music, while the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) packed calendar of events includes the new Sandringham Flower Show 2026, held on the royal family-owned estate in Norfolk.
Tastes of 2026: fresh flavours and spirited openings
Britain’s culinary scene continues to innovate in 2026 too, with new distilleries, festivals and restaurant openings that showcase local produce and craft skills. In Scotland, Eden Mill Distillery and the Isle of Barra Distillery in the Outer Hebrides offer tasting tours and insights into traditional whisky and gin production. The Spirit of Speyside Festival (29 April to 4 May 2026) remains a highlight for whisky enthusiasts, combining masterclasses, tours and sampling across Scotland’s whisky regions. In England, Rosemaund Farm – a new distillery backed by film director Guy Ritchie – invites visitors to explore English whisky production and enjoy fine dining with a new Wild Kitchen experience. In Tunbridge Wells, THE PIG at Groombridge blends farm-to-table cuisine with a relaxed country hotel escape. Meanwhile, Northumberland sees the opening of Freyja on the Close House Estate, bringing Scandi-inspired cuisine with seasonal twists to the north-east of England.
