When it comes to exhibitions, Europe is truly spoilt for choice.
Home to some of the world’s most prestigious museums and galleries, every year these play host to boundary-pushing art, in-depth retrospectives, and historical re-evaluations that allow visitors to experience the world through different eyes.
This year alone has seen exhibitions dedicated to pioneering figures like Alexander Calder, Henri Matisse, Frida Kahlo, Rothko and Martin Parr, along with anniversary celebrations for Marilyn Monroe and Aardman studios. Elsewhere, everything from samurais to Black British music to birds of paradise have also been explored been explored.
…And that’s not to mention the myriad smaller, more localised exhibitions — or the new ones yet to arrive in Autumn. Some upcoming highlights include ‘The Bayeux Tapestry’ at London’s British Museum and ‘Monet, Painting Time’ at Paris’ Musée de l’Orangerie, both of which open in September.
But while we wait for these, and slope towards the end of summer, what better time to round-up some of our current favourites? Especially if you’re seeking a bit of shelter from the sun…
Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art
Where: V&A (London, UK)
When: Until 8 November 2026
Pinecone chokers, shoe-shaped hats and lobster dresses: the V&A’s landmark exhibition on Elsa Schiaparelli is a spectacular soiree of avant-garde whimsy. It’s also the very first UK exhibition to be dedicated to the visionary Italian fashion designer, spanning her early works from the 1920s through to today. Through combining the past with the present, a detailed history of design is revealed that explores ambitious vision, creative processes — and the intersections between couture and art.
Edvard Munch and the Chocolate Factory
Where: MUNCH (Oslo, Norway)
When: Until 11 October 2026
When most people think of Edvard Munch, they think of The Scream. Or his myriad other expressionist works that conjured the deep, dark emotions of human anguish. But few might realise that his portfolio expanded way beyond this. In 1923, Munch was the first painter to be commissioned for a factory, creating vibrant oil portraits for Norway’s most popular chocolate brand, Freia. Many of these paintings depicted women, who made up the majority of Freia’s employees, and captured an era of burgeoning social change.
This is the focus of MUNCH’s exhibition, which, through a layered reveal of archival materials, documentary footage and imagery, not only broadens our understanding of Munch’s career, but also unravels its deeper socioeconomic context.
Marina Abramović, Balkan Erotic Epic in Berlin
Where: Gropius Bau (Berlin, Germany)
When: Until 30 August, 2026
You can always be certain of one thing with Marina Abramović: you’re about to witness something truly jaw-dropping. Throughout her career, the legendary performance artist has continued to push the mental and physical boundaries of the body through captivating means: standing still in a room for six hours or having people watch as she cleaned the blood off cow bones. However, Balkan Erotic Epic might be her most ambitious performance of all. Featuring a cast of over 70 performers, this spiritually and sexually-charged tribute to her Slavic roots will shock, stun, and sweep you up in its purging of human pain.
Rothko in Florence
When: Palazzo Strozzi (Florence, Italy)
Where: Until 23 August 2026
Rothko’s iconic Colour Field works have always felt like voids to another place; their transcendental quality something almost indescribable — and something that would not exist without Florence. The Italian city was foundational to Rothko’s creative visions, its architecture and spiritual ambience imbued in every brushstroke. The Palazzo Strozzi’s landmark exhibition reunites the two in what might be one of the most impressive Rothko retrospectives yet. Spanning his entire career, there are over 70 works on display — loaned from private collections and prestigious museums across the world. Curated by Christopher Rothko and Elena Geuna, it is a remarkable way to witness not only the scope of his output, but also the depths of his visions.
Tracey Emin: A Second Life
Where: Tate Modern (London, UK)
When: Until 31 August 2026
A messy bed, a neon confessional, a bloodied sketch — the works of Tracey Emin find beauty and poetry in life’s pain. After skyrocketing to fame with her Turner Prize nominated My Bed in the 1990s, Emin quickly became a defining voice of British contemporary art. In the decades since, her works have transversed mediums but continued to push boundaries: feminine, raw, and always completely unapologetic. The Tate Modern’s exhibition provides a breathtaking overview that includes everything from her most famous works to those never shown before. It’s like walking into a personal diary, its pages stained with mucky fingerprints and tears — captivating.
Maria Lassnig and Edvard Munch: Painting Flow = Life Flow
When: Hamburger Kunsthalle (Hamburg, Germany)
Where: Until 30 August 2026
Despite being separated by half a decade, the works of Edvard Munch and Austrian artist Maria Lassnig contain fascinating parallels. Both concerned with translating the internal tumult of emotions into abstract visuals, the Hamburger Kunsthalle creates a psychological through line between the two; a display of almost 200 paintings, sculptures, films, photographs and more. Highlights include Munch’s Madonna (1893–1895)and Lassnig’s Traditionskette (1983).
Lucian Freud: Everything is a Portrait
When: Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk, Denmark
Where: Until 27 September 2026
Lucian Freud was a master of figurative art, capable of capturing the fragile emotional spirits of humans without vanity or artifice. While best remembered for his paintings, his career began — and continued to evolve — through his drawings. From shadowy sketches of strangers in suits, to the textured flesh of his charcoal nudes, the Louisiana Museum brings every medium of Freud’s portraiture together to reveal his lifelong fascination with faces and bodies; each one revealing the beautiful ugliness of existence.
Jasper Johns: Night Driver
When: Guggenheim Bilbao (Bilbao, Spain)
Where: Until 12 October 2026
A pioneering figure of contemporary art, Jasper Johns utilised American postwar imagery to pave the way for innovative new artistic movements. His Pop Art creations in particular, often featuring vivid targets and American flags, distorted familiar imagery into something vivid and contemplative; conjuring questions about how we perceive the world around us. These, along with his countless other sculptures and paintings, are highlighted in this richly themed and enlightening retrospective.
Want to keep up with more exciting exhibition news? Check out our culture digest — a weekly round-up of the best events and exhibitions to experience across Europe. You can also find our best movies and albumsof the year so far as linked.
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