This year Whitechapel Gallery proudly celebrates its 125 anniversary as a purpose-built gallery, with a mission to make great art accessible to the people of the East End.  

A milestone as big as this means a bold, jam-packed 2026, as their agenda-setting programme takes a look into The World in Whitechapel. 

Whitechapel Gallery kicked off the year with an Anniversary Gala; where artists, supporters and performers came together to both celebrate the gallery's culture and look, with anticipation, to the future of the institution. The events team at the gallery would like to thank Discreet Events, Les Soeures de Fleurs, & Kunstraum for their wonderful work in making this event a huge success.

As always, the contemporary art exhibitions of their anniversary-year reflect an ongoing commitment to working with, and for, their local community and to amplifying underrepresented or overlooked voices.

 The next major exhibition starts on the 1st of April 2026, you can discover more on the artists here, or discover more about our full programme for our 125 Anniversary here.  

They hope to welcome you to the gallery soon, to celebrate their 125 anniversary and diversity in contemporary art in the heart of the East End.