IWM 2026

IWM London, 20 March 2026 – 1 November 2026 

This exhibition tells the story of London during the Second World War, as seen by wartime artists. The works of art in the exhibition present a city that is both familiar and strange, and cover subjects from the iconic resilience of St Paul’s Cathedral, to Londoners sheltering in the Tube and the devastation of the docklands. 

As bombs rained down, artists in London responded. Set up in 1939, the UK Government’s War Artists’ Advisory Committee commissioned artists to document how the war transformed the city and its inhabitants. Londoners faced loss, displacement, overcrowding and shortages. 

Amid exhaustion and trauma, people showed an astonishing degree of adaptability. Artworks include commissions by Bernard Hailstone, Henry Carr, Evelyn Dunbar, Edward Ardizzione, Duncan Grant, Frances MacDonald and many more. 

The exhibition presents over 45 paintings and drawings alongside photographs, film, objects and oral histories from the IWM collection.

IWM London, 31 July 2026 – 28 February 2027

Childhood in War invites visitors to explore how conflict has shaped the lives of children from 1914 to today. Through personal testimonies, poignant objects, interactive displays and activities, this exhibition will highlight how war impacts every aspect of children’s lives, from play and schooling to health, home life and safety. 

The exhibition will also show how life carries on, with wartime games, outfits and a look at some of Britain’s best-loved children’s books.

With personal objects, including a Holocaust survivor’s teddy bear, and immersive set pieces such as an evacuee train carriage and a Cold War-era kitchen, Childhood in War offers families a chance to reflect, learn, and discuss the profound impact of conflict on young people.

A full programme of events will accompany the exhibition, including a family day of vintage games and creative workshops, and an event hosted by the IWM Institute.

IWM London, September 2026

On 11 September 2001, two hijacked aeroplanes were flown into the World Trade Center’s ‘Twin Towers’ in New York. A third aircraft was flown into the Pentagon building in Virginia and a fourth crashed in rural Pennsylvania. It was later found that the terrorist group Al Qaeda were behind these attacks, in which almost 3,000 people were killed.

To mark the 25th anniversary, IWM will unveil a poignant temporary installation in September 2026, presenting photographs taken on the day of the attacks on the World Trade Center by freelance photographer Bill Biggart, who was killed by the collapsing North Tower, and by photojournalist for Associated Press Suzanne Plunkett. The display will offer visitors a strong sense of the events, supported by personal insight and reflections.

Further programming, including an event hosted by the IWM Institute, will be announced in the run-up to this anniversary. 

IWM London, Autumn 2026

In spring 2006, British troops were sent to the province of Helmand in southern Afghanistan to support reconstruction efforts. But their arrival coincided with the return of a resurgent Taliban, who had been driven out of the country by an international coalition in 2001. 

Over the next eight years, British troops were drawn into a violent counter-insurgency campaign, increasingly characterised by the Taliban’s use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

After handing over security to Afghan forces, the last British troops left Helmand in 2014. Britain’s involvement in Afghanistan cost the lives of 457 British service personnel and left many more with life-changing injuries. 

IWM’s programming, which will be announced in the run-up to this anniversary, will tie into activity marking the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

IWM Duxford, May – October 2026

IWM Duxford’s 2026 Flying Programme will be back and bigger than ever next year with a series of uniquely themed Flying Days, a Flying Evening and a Flying Finale on various dates from May to October, and our two annual Air Shows. 

The Duxford Summer Air Show will take place on 4 and 5 July, with a special show to mark 250 years since the United States Declaration of Independence, and the Duxford Battle of Britain Air Show will take place on 12 and 13 September. 

Both weekend events will feature an array of entertaining ground content and signature aerial displays.