Culture Diary — What to Do this Spring 2026

London and Paris’ contemporary art scenes remain two of the things we return to most — each offering its own rhythm, energy and perspective. We found four wonderful exhibitions and shows to acquaint your diary for the months ahead.

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Henry Moore: Monumental Nature
Kew Gardens
9 May 2026 — 31 January 2027

Set across the full expanse of Kew Gardens, Henry Moore: Monumental Nature is the largest outdoor exhibition of the sculptor’s work to date, with monumental forms unfolding quietly through the landscape. Rooted in Moore’s belief that sculpture belongs in the open air, the exhibition creates a gentle dialogue between organic form, light and movement; where each piece is encountered almost by chance, bringing with it a quiet, unexpected sense of joy.

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The Music is Black: A British Story
V&A East
18 April 2026 – 3 January 2027

At the new V&A East Museum, The Music is Black: A British Story unfolds as a landmark opening exhibition, tracing over a century of Black British music through sound, image and memory. Spanning more than 200 objects, from instruments and fashion to film and personal archives, it moves fluidly from diasporic origins to genres shaped in Britain, where music becomes a quiet language of resistance, community and joy. The exhibition is made compelling is its immersive, almost instinctive design — headsets responding to movement, fragments of sound surfacing as you pass, so that the experience feels less fixed and more like an atmosphere, where history is felt as much as it is understood.

Make sure to allow a little extra time to explore The V&A East Storehouse while you’re there. Situated just a short stroll away, it offers a more tactile experience, where collections can be encountered up close and interacted with in a quieter, more considered way.

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Nan Goldin: This Will Not End Well
Grand Palais
18 March – 21 June 2026

In Paris, begin at the Grand Palais with Nan Goldin’s This Will Not End Well, a deeply personal retrospective where image, memory and sound unfold with quiet intensity. From there, drift towards lunch at Le Grand Cafe, set within the Palais, before continuing on to the Fondation Louis Vuitton, where Calder. Rêver en Équilibre brings a lighter, more playful counterpoint; delicate forms suspended in motion, balancing space, air and rhythm.