Photo London 2026

Photo London’s eleventh edition marks an exciting new chapter as the UK’s leading photography fair launches in its new home at Olympia in Kensington. The historic venue, currently undergoing a £1.3 billion redevelopment led by Heatherwick Studio and located near major institutions including the V&A, the Design Museum and the Serpentine, provides a fitting setting for the Fair to bring leading galleries and artists together to present outstanding photography and explore the medium’s future.

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Photo London Founders Michael Benson and Fariba Farshad, said: “After ten wonderful years at Somerset House, during which we established Photo London as an unmissable part of the international cultural calendar, the chance to be part of London’s exciting new creative hub at the reimagined Olympia in West London was simply too good to miss. We are already seeing the results. This year sees a significant tightening of our curatorial focus, a development that has resulted in an exciting mix of new and returning galleries from New York to Tokyo and from Warsaw to Taipei.

Also, in a move that reflects the growing importance of the photo book in today’s photography ecosystem, we have engineered a major expansion of our publishing section. We will also launch an annual first book award to celebrate the remarkable career of the late Martin Parr who was an indefatigable champion of the photo book and of documentary photography.

Our long-term partners Nikon and the FT have responded enthusiastically to the opportunities presented by the new venue, and we are delighted to welcome our new official partner, Julius Baer, who will play an important role in supporting our innovative Positions section for unrepresented artists. All in all at the start of its second decade Photo London stands on the brink of a hugely exciting future.”

Tristram Hunt, Director of Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) said: “I’m delighted to welcome Photo London to its new home at the thrillingly reimagined Olympia. The Founders of the Fair already have strong links with the V&A through the Prix Pictet and I’m sure that these will only get stronger now that they have become part of the dynamic cultural scene in West London.”

Tim Marlow, Director and Chief Executive of the Design Museum, London said: “There’s a real sense of cultural energy and momentum developing in this part of London and we are delighted that Photo London is moving West and joining in. Like the Design Museum, I’m confident that Photo London will thrive in its new home in Olympia and add further heft to the impressive and evolving creative ecosystem here in West London.”

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PHOTO LONDON EXHIBITORS

Photo London 2026 will feature a strong international list of participants including several galleries returning for their debut at Olympia after a number of years away from the Fair, such as The Photographers Gallery, London; Hackelbury Fine Art, London; Goodman Gallery, London; Ira Stehmann, Munich; and Akio Nagasawa, Tokyo. Other notable galleries already confirmed to return include Flowers Gallery, London; Persons Projects, Berlin; Galerie Esther Woerdehoff, Paris; Purdy Hicks, London; and ROLF Art, Buenos Aires. The list of galleries joining Photo London as first-time exhibitors includes Paris-B, Paris; Miyako Yoshinaga, New York; and Fulcrum, Mumbai.

A focused selection of Central and Eastern European, and Latin American galleries will be presented between the main gallery area and the Discovery Section, providing affordable access to the Fair for important global voices that are no longer considered emerging. These include PHOTON GALLERY, Ljubljana; Galeria Monopol, Warsaw; Raster Gallery, Warsaw; Ungallery, Buenos Aires; and Carlos Caamano Foto Galeria, Lima.

Photo London will introduce an art film screening room for the first time, made possible by the Fair’s expanded footprint at Olympia. Exhibiting galleries will present collectable film work in a wide-ranging programme throughout the Fair.

Photo London Director, Sophie Parker, said: “The move to Olympia creates a unified experience that has sparked incredible enthusiasm from new and returning galleries alike. It has given us the space and freedom to increase much-loved areas of the Fair, with Discovery, Positions and Publishing bigger than ever. With new initiatives, such as Tristan Lund returning to curate Source, and our dedicated screening room showcasing artist films, we are deepening our commitment to the many

forms of photography we have always championed and celebrating the joy of collecting.”

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SOURCE, DISCOVERY & POSITIONS SECTIONS

Source is a new section at Photo London at Olympia dedicated to solo presentations by artists of significant cultural value. Curated by photography specialist Tristan Lund, Source places a particular focus on under-represented and marginalised artists whose work has not received the institutional recognition of their contemporaries, as well as mixed-media galleries whose risk-taking approach resonates with the ethos of the Fair. Configured as a trail through the main section of the Fair, early highlights include Peter Silem, Frankfurt, showcasing Ute and Werner Mahler; Bacqueville, Lille, exhibiting Shen Wei; Jednostka Gallery, Warsaw, platforming the work of Weronika Gęsicka, and first-time exhibitor Gitterman Gallery, New York, bringing work by Roger Mayne.

Curator of Source, Tristan Lund, said: “Solo artist stands have a reputation for being memorable, visually engaging and intellectually rewarding. They create lasting impressions for discerning visitors who appreciate the risks galleries take in choosing to exhibit just one of their artists. With Photo

London’s debut at Olympia, we want to encourage bold curation from our exhibitors and reward their risk-taking.”

Photo London’s Discovery returns with an expanded offering for 2026, curated by the critic and author Charlotte Jansen. A leading platform for emerging photographers and galleries, Discovery once again promises to be a highlight of the Fair featuring bold young galleries including AC Latin, Buenos Aires, Sorondo Projects, Barcelona; Victoria Law, London; Evin Gallery, Istanbul; and Starch Gallery, Singapore making their Photo London debut.

Supported by Julius Baer, Photo London’s Positions section returns for 2026 consolidating the Fair's role as a champion of unrepresented talent. Maria Sukkar, arts patron and founder of the ISelf Collection, will curate Positions for a second edition, platforming photographic artists without gallery representation and offering a unique opportunity for collectors to access and support artists often excluded from the traditional art fair format.

Barbara Staubli, Head of the Art Collection, Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd., said: “Our deep-rooted engagement with the visual arts dates back to 1981, and we are passionate about creating opportunities for artists through meaningful platforms. We are therefore proud to support Photo London’s Positions programme, which celebrates unrepresented, up-and-coming talent.”

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PUBLISHING, AWARDS AND TALKS PROGRAMME

Photo London’s Publishing section returns for an extended second edition, running throughout the duration of the Fair. At Olympia the Publishing section will be incorporated into the main section alongside leading photography galleries, championing a vibrant and diverse community of independent publishers and celebrating the photo book as a central part of the photography ecosystem. Highlights include Schilt Publishing & Gallery, Amsterdam; Kaph Editions, Lebanon; GOST, London; Kehrer Galerie, Berlin; and Verlang, Heidelberg.

For 2026 the Photo London x Nikon Emerging Photographer of the Year Award again highlights outstanding emerging photographers with shortlisted work presented in a special display at the Nikon Gallery at the Fair. Now in its eleventh year, and sixth in partnership with Nikon, many previous winners of the award have gone on to achieve significant international recognition such as the 2021 winner Heather Agyepong.

The Photo London Student Award also returns to the Fair in 2026. Working with UK universities offering photography degrees, the award highlights the most exciting early-career talent within the industry, bringing their portfolios to international attention.

The 2026 Photo London Talks Programme returns with a curated series by Thames & Hudson. Further details will be announced closer to the Fair.

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