One of Britain’s most notable collections of Victorian and modern buildings, its five venues house exhibitions, meetings, educational programmes, digital experiences, conservation and research, as well as an ever-evolving collection of almost 3 million objects spanning all creative disciplines, a figure that will increase from next year with the opening of the V&A East Museum.
This new space will join the Victoria and Albert Museums (V&A), South Kensington; Victoria and Albert, of Dundee; V&A Wedgwood Collection; Young V&A, and the V&A East Warehouse, each with its particular characteristics, but with the same mission: to promote design and creativity in all its forms, promote cultural knowledge and inspire creators and innovators around the world.
The V&A East Museum will open its doors with the exhibition The Music is Black: A British Story, which seeks to record how British black music has shaped the culture of the United Kingdom, as well as its global impact, through an exhibition that will span from the year 1900 to the present, which tells the story of struggle and resilience of that community.
This exhibition will include the childhood guitar of the British singer, guitarist and songwriter Joan Armatrading, originally from the northern Antilles; clothing by Little Simz, British rapper and actress, as well as images by photographers Jennie Baptiste, whose work celebrates the rich cultural influence of black British communities on music, fashion and youth identity, as well as Dennis Morris, known for his images of Bob Marley and the Sex Pistols, and Eddie Otchere, who has documented youth culture underground British, portraits that are part of the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London.
In the heart of the East Bank
Designed by architects O’Donnell+Tuomey, the V&A East Museum will open its doors in the East Bank, London’s cultural district in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
It will feature two permanent galleries called Why We Make, where visitors can explore the most important themes of contemporary culture through exhibitions that reveal unexpected connections over time through the stories of artists from various countries, cultures and eras, addressing topics ranging from representation and identity to well-being, social justice and environmental action.
A monumental work by the sculptor Thomas J Price, A Place Beyond, will welcome visitors to the V&A Museum East, offering an insight into the worlds of art, design, fashion, music and performing arts in a new five-storey space, right next to East Bank Partners London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London, the BBC, Sadler’s Wells East and University College London East.
“In today’s world, where we face challenges ranging from the climate crisis to increasing polarisation, museums and the creative industries play a vital role in bringing people together, celebrating communities, fostering dialogue and highlighting the many ways in which artists, designers and creators around the world are using their creativity to transform the world for the better,” said Gus Casely-Hayford, director of the V&A East, announcing the opening of this new space.
Among the objects that will be exhibited are the designs of Pakistani architect Yasmeen Lari; the architectural models of Assemble and the Himalayan Institute for Alternatives in Ladakh; photographs of Preston Bus Station by Jamie Hawkesworth; sculptural ceramics by Bisila Noha, and one of the first works of Yinka Ilori: his armchair Captain Hook (2015), inspired by a school friend and a Yoruba parable about destiny and the importance of not judging others.
With the opening of this venue, scheduled for Saturday, April 18, 2026, east London will have a new space where the history and future of British creativity will come together.