New V&A East Museum & Galleries To Open IN April 2026
Why We Make Galleries by JA Projects, A Practice for Everyday Life and artist Larry Achiampong
The V&A announced that V&A East, will officially open on 18 April 2026 at East Bank in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Co-created with young people, creatives, and local communities, the new museum celebrates the power of making and creativity to inspire change around the world.
Fuelled by East London’s creative energy, the five-storey museum brings together art, design, fashion, music and performance in a dynamic new cultural space, located alongside East Bank partners London College of Fashion, UAL, the BBC, Sadler’s Wells East and UCL East. The museum is the sister site to V&A East Storehouse, which opened in 2025.
Since summer 2022, JA Projects, with A Practice for Everyday Life and artist Larry Achiampong, have designed the Why We Make galleries and connecting spaces at V&A East. Spanning two floors and ten themes, the galleries showcase over 500 objects from the V&A’s collections, highlighting art, design, performance, and fashion. With a design inspired by East London and in collaboration with the V&A East Youth Collective, the galleries offer a fresh look at contemporary culture through the V&A’s collections, with guiding quotes from global makers throughout. Objects are brought together in constellations across different times, cultures and countries, and addressing topical issues important to our audiences – from representation, identity and wellbeing to social justice and environmental action. Recent acquisitions and community-led projects highlight the creativity of East London makers, including work by Bisila Noha, Yinka Ilori, VIN + OMI, Richard Malone and the collaborative collective One of My Kind.
Gus Casely-Hayford, Director of V&A East, said:
“Museums and the creative industries have a vital role in bringing people together…V&A East Museum is a welcoming space for all, embedded in east London and with a global outlook. We hope visitors find joy, connection and a sense of belonging the moment they walk through the door.”
Alongside a new café by Jikoni, V&A East will launch a six-monthly rotating creative commissions programme, unveiling eight new artworks by Tania Bruguera, Es Devlin, Lawrence Lek, Rene Matić, Shahed Saleem, Justinien Tribillon, Carrie Mae Weems and Laura Wilson. A major new sculpture by Thomas J Price will welcome visitors on arrival.
The museum will open with its first flagship exhibition, The Music Is Black: A British Story, featuring a sound experience by Sennheiser. Spanning 1900 to today, the exhibition highlights the profound impact of Black British music on UK culture and the world, with key objects including Joan Armatrading’s childhood guitar and fashion worn by Little Simz. A new partnership with BBC Music and the launch of The Music Is Black Festival in spring 2026 will accompany the exhibition.