In this section
Press releases
- Plans approved to create new London Museum and regenerate Smithfield
- From DJ sets to late-night cinema Museum of London announces blockbuster festival weekends to close London Wall
- fabric to become world’s first nightclub-in-residence in a Museum
- Major new Museum of London Docklands exhibition uncovers London’s 700 year history of public executions
- 15-year-old Londoner takes over city bus stops as winner announced of Museum of London, BBC 100 & TfL poetry competition
- Museum of London unveils Greatest Hits mural to celebrate 45 years at London Wall
- Museum of London marks 100 days to closure with free event and giveaways for visitors
- Museum of London raises a further £7 million towards its new home at West Smithfield
- Museum of London celebrates 45 years at London Wall as it commences countdown to closure
- Sunil Gupta’s ‘Pretended’ Family Relationships photo series acquired by the Museum of London
- Putin’s Happy – Museum of London acquires Jeremy Deller film revealing a divided country and a city full of protest
- The Museum of London celebrates city's sporting hero with new display on Harry Kane
- The Museum of London presents 'Grime Stories: from the corner to the mainstream', opening 17 June 2022
- Joe Corré, Jordan and Richard Boon to appear in an uncensored, live Punk.London debate
- 300 year old love message embroidered in human hair to go on display at the Museum of London Docklands
- Museum of London begins countdown to West Smithfield relocation
- Douglas Gilmore appointed Managing Director of Museum of London Docklands
- New research to shed fresh light on the impact of industrialisation
- The Prince of Wales becomes Museum of London Patron
- The Clash’s Paul Simonon’s famous Fender Precision bass to go on display
- Behind the Scenes of the Museum of London
- Stanton Williams and Asif Khan to design new Museum of London at West Smithfield
- Museum of London acquires ensemble inspired by the creativity of the Windrush generation
- Feeding Black: Community, Power & Place opening 16 July at Museum of London Docklands
- Museum of London acquires NHS sign from ZSL London Zoo’s Giraffe House as part of Collecting COVID
- Museum of London sites set to reopen 19 May with extensions of Dub London: Bassline of a City and Havering Hoard: A Bronze Age Mystery
- Museum of London acquires Mayor of Lambeth’s homemade ceremonial chain as part of Collecting COVID project
- Museum of London acquires ‘viral’ Tweets for Collecting COVID
- Weavers’ Company donate £100,000 to the Museum of London’s move to Smithfield
- Museum of London receives Trump Baby blimp ahead of the Presidential Inauguration
- Museum of London to collect COVID dreams
- Arsenal’s captain donates Black Lives Matter shirt to the Museum of London
- Dub London: Bassline of a City opening 2 October at the Museum of London
- Public statement October 2020
- London Sugar & Slavery gallery
- New major exhibition Havering Hoard: A Bronze Age Mystery opens 11 September at the Museum of London Docklands
- Robert Milligan statue statement
- Museum of London sites to reopen 6 August with four-week extension of The Clash: London Calling display
- Public statement
- Museum of London releases first ever recorded soundscapes of London alongside new recordings of London in lockdown as part of Collecting COVID project
- Design concepts for new museum at West Smithfield revealed
- The Museum of London collects shared experiences of Ramadan in lockdown as part of Collecting COVID project
- Unheard oral histories are released by the Museum of London to mark Windrush Day
- Collecting Covid: the Museum of London seeks to mark unprecedented pandemic for the future
- Millicent Fawcett’s ‘Steadfastness and Courage’ brooch to go on permanent display for the first time
- Museum of London submits plans to create a new world-class cultural destination in West Smithfield
- King Charles I’s execution vest to go on display in new major exhibition
- Museum of London to celebrate Dub Reggae and its influence on the capital
- East End bastion Syd’s coffee stall to be donated to the Museum of London
- Free exhibit celebrating the making of The Clash’s ground-breaking album ‘London Calling’ now open
- Museum of London acquires extremely rare plate that belonged to Samuel Pepys
- The story of the Krios of Sierra Leone to be told in the Museum of London Docklands’ latest display
- Museum of London to host The Clash: London Calling exclusive free exhibit of over 100 personal items
- The largest ever Bronze Age hoard in London has been discovered
- Designs for Museum of London’s new West Smithfield home revealed
- Smithfield Street Party
- Museum of London hopes to acquire both the Trump Baby Blimp and the Sadiq Khan Blimp as part of their permanent collection
- Secret Rivers
- Beasts of London
- Recently acquired panorama goes on display for the first time at the Museum of London
- Museum of London appoints leading names to Board of Governors
- Earliest skull ever mudlarked from the Thames to go on display at the Museum of London
- Museum of London acquires beautiful panorama of lost Houses of Parliament
- Bengali arts and culture on show at the Museum of London Docklands family festival.
- Bonus Levels: Artist Lawrence Lek invites viewers to re-imagine future London
- Young Londoners to take over Museum of London this March
- The Museum of London hopes to acquire Whitechapel 'fatberg'
- Treasured children’s author Jacqueline Wilson’s latest book Wave Me Goodbye inspires family day at the Museum of London Docklands
- The City is Ours: A Tale of New Cities
- Adventures in Peter Pan’s Neverland at Museum of London Docklands
- Photography of Londoners and their pastimes on show at Museum of London
- Tracking London’s most talked about topics and emojis
- London Nights: Museum of London unveils the city at night in major photography exhibition
- Museum of London Docklands celebrates Chinese New Year this February half term
- Statement on 20 May 2017
- Whitechapel’s famous monster fatberg is coming to the Museum of London
- Museum of London Docklands to showcase rare Roman sarcophagus in first public display
- Malcolm Reading Consultants appointed to run West Smithfield International Design Competition
- 8,000 years of human history on display at the Museum of London Docklands
- An Idea for a Future London open call winner announced
- Five Museum of London apprentices appointed
- London Visions: Hypothetical scenarios of a future London
- “Reputational whitewashing” investigated in latest display at the Museum of London Docklands.
- Rare George Cross medal goes on display at the Museum of London Docklands
- Museum of London displays recently acquired Sutherland drawings in new exhibition of Blitz artwork
- What does the future hold for London and cities around the world?
- Mayor of London and City of London Corporation pledge support for new Museum of London at West Smithfield
- Smithfield street party: Museum of London celebrates 150 years of Smithfield markets
- Museum of London uses Minecraft to recreate the Great Fire of 1666
- Museum of London releases third and final Great Fire 1666 Minecraft map
- Taste not waste: Be inspired by unique recipes using your leftover food for a more sustainable future London
- Museum of London opens most theatrical exhibition ever to mark 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London
- Museum of London acquires 100 menswear items worn by townscape consultant Francis Golding
- Votes for Women programme
- Technology replacing jobs won’t halt our working spirit
- Rare Victoria Cross with mysterious story to go on display at the Museum of London
- New display at the Museum of London traces the capital’s obsession with ice skating
- Rare tools give insight into working lives of Roman Londoners at the Museum of London
- New display reveals complex history of British Army’s West India Regiments
- Historic vessels Knocker White and Varlet set sail to new home at Trinity Buoy Wharf
- Missing Bake Off? Take your taste buds back in time with 17th century gingerbread
- Paddington returns to Museum of London
- Learn how to code like a pro and celebrate digital technology at the Museum of London’s free family festival
- 17th century fire engine restored for Great Fire exhibition
- Museum of London boosts Great Fire collections with mysterious manuscript
- Major new gallery at Museum of London Docklands explores history of the world's largest docks
- Sir Edward Lister joins Museum of London Board of Governors
- West Smithfield Design Competition shortlist announced
- Museum of London bolsters its art collections
- West Smithfield International Design Competition launched
- Another record-breaking year for the Museum of London
- After dark at The Night Museum
- New display about the life of ‘The Royal African’ and the slave trade
- Statue of Robert Milligan joins Museum of London collection
- Our statement on Fabric
- People of Punk bring the year of celebration to an end
- Tunnel: the archaeology of Crossrail
- Museum of London to make 5,000 stories from the capital available to the public for the first time
- The Museum of London Docklands announces major exhibition with public call out to find iconic pieces of fashion history
- Trump Baby Blimp undergoes test inflation
- Museum of London Docklands launches the Dodger family trail, based on BAFTA-winning BBC TV series, Dodger
- Museum of London Docklands announces Indo + Caribbean: The creation of a culture
- Young Londoners push for a more sustainable city in Museum of London report
- Museum of London Docklands announces street party to mark its 20th anniversary, with Vanity Milan, star of Ru Paul’s Drag Race, to headline
- Museum of London formally appoints Sir Robert McAlpine as Construction Management Company on Smithfield project
- Rare Festival of Britain sculpture discovered in London garden will join Museum of London collection
- Jennifer Francis appointed Director of External Affairs at Museum of London
- Museum of London announces acquisition of major sports collecting project, including Wimbledon oral histories
- Coats worn by Princess Diana and Dot Cotton to go on display as part of a major new exhibition
- Bridget Banton and Samir Patel join Museum of London Board of Governors
- Museum of London issues public call for iconic signs from across the capital
- First witness to the Great Fire of London uncovered
- Opening Friday 13 October – Fashion City: How Jewish Londoners shaped global style at Museum of London Docklands
- Foundation stone unveiled for the new London Museum as principal construction works begin
- New research finds Black women of African descent more likely to die of medieval plague
- Rare tie discovered in charity shop goes on display in London fashion exhibition
- Museum of London Docklands launches new display in collaboration with Mind and Taking Shape Association
- Acclaimed Fashion City exhibition extended to 7 July 2024 with free student ticket offer for April and May
From DJ sets to late-night cinema, Museum of London announces blockbuster festival weekends to close London Wall
• The festivities – including DJs sets, immersive theatre, and late-night cinema – will take place over two free weekend festivals: London’s Greatest Weekends
• Visitors can take part in London’s biggest table football competition inspired by free display Harry Kane: I want to play football. Winners will be in with the chance of winning a signed shirt by the England captain.
• Dates will be Sat 26 & Sun 27 November (family weekend festival) and Sat 3 & Sun 4 December (music weekend festival)
• Visitors have one last chance to see the museum at its London Wall site before it closes on 4 December, preparing for its new home in West Smithfield where it will reopen in 2026 under the name The London Museum
• The museum will be open 24 hours on Saturday 3 December, opening at 10am and closing on Sunday 4 December at 5pm
• The Museum of London Docklands remains open, and will become The London Museum Docklands from early 2023
• More information on London’s Greatest Weekends can be found here (Family Festival) and here (Music Festival)
Wednesday 26 October 2022 – The Museum of London will mark its closure at London Wall after 45 years with two spectacular free weekend festivals which will include DJ sets, London’s biggest table football competition, immersive theatre, and late-night cinema. For the first time in the museum’s history, it will remain open for 24 hours from Saturday 3rd December. This will allow visitors to come in throughout the night for a last chance to see its galleries and collections before it closes on Sunday 4 December at 5pm, preparing for its new home in West Smithfield.
The weekend extravaganza will open on 26 November with London’s biggest table football competition, inspired by the museum’s free exhibition Harry Kane: I want to play football and the 2022 World Cup. Visitors will be invited to compete against players from the Walking Football Association. Winning teams will be entered into a raffle to win a special Museum of London prize, which includes an England shirt and poster signed by Harry Kane. Winners will be announced on the museum’s closing day. This first weekend festival will also offer families lots of creative fun, with arts and crafts, face painting, theatrical performances, immersive tours, and pop-up musical performances to bring the museum’s galleries to life.
The second weekend (3 & 4 December) will allow visitors to move to London’s funky beats, exploring the capital’s greatest hits from five decades from music genres such as disco, punk, dub, and grime – from the 70s to present day. Sisu, a DJ platform showcasing women and non-binary DJs and producers, will perform live in the museum’s Ellipse Hall, where visitors can also see the museum’s free music display Grime Stories: from the corner to the mainstream. They will also be running an exclusive DJ workshop.
Night owls in the City will be able to visit the museum throughout Saturday evening and into the early hours of Sunday morning to get their culture fix. During a late-night film festival in collaboration with Film London, the museum will show films and host discussions that celebrate the city of London. Visitors will also be able to enjoy the museum’s galleries by night and see the treasures of its incredible collection charting London’s history.
The Roman Bucklersbury mosaic, Oliver Cromwell’s death mask, a sword belonging to Admiral Nelson, the Booth Map of Poverty, Selfridge’s art deco lifts, and a 1960s Beatles dress are among the rare and unique objects on show at the museum. Actors from the Walking Theatre Company will impersonate London’s historical characters, bringing the museum’s collection to life. Visitors will have a last chance to see these items, alongside the museum’s immersive pleasure gardens and Victorian Walk before the site closes.
The museum’s final day will be marked with closure celebrations inspired by the lighting of Thomas Heatherwick’s copper cauldron sculpture for the 2012 London Olympics – a symbolic passing of the flame from the museum’s past to the future and new home at West Smithfield.
London’s Greatest Weekends mark the culmination of the museum’s six-month programme of events, activities and displays celebrating its 45-year history at London Wall, including Black History Month, October half-term programming and a November special schools programme. Families will be invited to go on a Roman family walk through London and celebrate London’s Olympic history by creating their own Olympic torches, go on a sporting objects treasure hunt, and show their dance moves during a workshop with DashDotDance.
The museum will reopen at West Smithfield under a new name – The London Museum. It will welcome its first visitors to a festival curated by Londoners in late 2025 and open to the public in 2026. The Museum of London Docklands will remain open to visitors throughout and will become The London Museum Docklands from January 2023.
Sharon Ament, Director, Museum of London, said: “We have planned a fantastic party to celebrate the Museum of London’s 45 years at London Wall and I look forward to welcoming visitors old and new to mark the end of an era with us. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II opened our site in 1976 and we have enjoyed some fantastic moments here- whether that’s marking the History of the Coronation, the 2012 Olympics, the Cheapside Hoard, or Vivienne Westwood’s wardrobe. Over 21 million people have visited our galleries to find out more about this great city, its history, and its people. We’re looking forward to one final hurrah before we continue the museum’s next chapter in our new location at West Smithfield.”
Melissa Kains, Founder and Director of Sisu, said: “We are beyond thrilled to bring a soundscape of different musical eras to the Museum of London's closing festival. Celebrating the work that the museum has done over the past 45 years, along with their venture to a new space is something incredibly special! London is the birthplace of our community and a place we call home. To be showcasing music in and from such an important cultural heart feels very exciting. With education being at the core of what we do, we are looking forward to hosting a DJ workshop ahead of the musical showcase - connecting with the educational aspects of the museum. See you there!”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
More information on London’s Greatest Weekends can be found here (Family Festival) and here (Music Festival).
About the Museum of London
The Museum of London tells the ever-changing story of this great world city and its people, from 450,000 BC to the present day. Our galleries, exhibitions, displays, and activities seek to inspire a passion for London and provide a sense of the vibrancy that makes the city such a unique place.
The museum is open Monday - Sunday 10am – 5pm and is FREE to all. You can explore the Museum of London with collections online – home to 90,000 objects with more being added regularly.
www.museumoflondon.org.uk
About the Walking Football Association
Walking Football is a unique small-sided ball game created by John Croot in 2011. The purpose of The WFA is to promote and facilitate the playing of Walking Football in England as a unique amateur sport in all parts of England for the purpose of recreation, physical exercise and competition.
www.thewfa.co.uk
About Sisu
Sisu is a community providing a platform to educate, inspire and showcase aspiring women and non-binary DJs and producers. Our vision is to create educational and inspirational spaces to enhance national and international opportunities, connections and pathways into the music industry.
www.sisucrew.co.uk
About The Walking Theatre Company
The award-winning Walking Theatre Company is an experienced theatre and events Company producing, touring and delivering theatre performances everywhere. The Walking Theatre Company’s dedicated Creative Team have over 15 years’ experience producing, delivering and managing interactive theatre experiences across the UK and beyond.
www.thewalkingtheatrecompany.com
About Film London
Film London works to sustain, promote and develop London as a global content production hub. We support the development of the city's new and emerging filmmaking talent. And we invest in a diverse and rich film culture. Our aim is to ensure the capital is a thriving centre for a creative industries sector that enriches the city's businesses and its people.
www.filmlondon.org.uk
About Groove Baby
Groove Baby produce grown up concerts your baby can groove to! Started in 2013, they play sell out concerts across the UK. The gigs are an opportunity for parents and carers to regularly experience outstanding music while treating the small ones to an engaging and enriching live music experience.
www.groovebaby.co.uk
About The Glitterbox
The Glitterbox is a professional face painting service for parties and events.
www.theglitterbox.co.uk
For listings: further information on London’s Greatest Weekends
Weekend 1 – 26 & 27 November (family weekend festival)
Saturday 26 & Sunday 27 November (10am-5pm):
• London’s biggest Table Football Competition
• Time tunnel
• Illuminated Histories
• Tours and interactive performances by the Walking Theatre Company
Saturday 26 November (11am – 4pm):
• Arts and Crafts workshops
Saturday 26 November (11am – 4pm):
• Arts and Crafts workshops
Saturday 26 November (12pm – 3pm):
• Face painting with The Glitterbox
Sunday 27 November (11am & 2pm):
• A party hosted by Groove Baby, combining music with learning for parents, guardians, and young visitors, from newborn to three years old
Weekend 2 – 3 & 4 December (music weekend festival)
The museum will be open 24 hours on Saturday 3 December, opening at 10am and closing on Sunday 4 December at 5pm.
Saturday 3 December (10am – 5pm):
• London’s Biggest Table Football Competition
• Time tunnel
• Illuminated Histories
• Tours and interactive performances by the Walking Theatre Company
Saturday 3 December (10.30am – 12.30pm)
• DJ Workshop in collaboration with Sisu for all ages, with an introduction to DJing covering topics such as DJ equipment, musical structures, beat-matching and mixing techniques – limited places, booking essential
Saturday 3 December (1pm – 5pm)
• London Music through the Five Ages - Sisu DJ Collective
Saturday 3 December (7pm – midnight)
• Film Festival in collaboration with Film London, with films, shorts and discussions celebrating film and London’s role in its growth and development across the globe
Sunday 4 December (early morning)
• Wake Up with Yoga at the Museum of London: join us before the day starts in the foyer of the Museum of London for a free yoga class - please bring your own mat.
Sunday 4 December (10am-5pm)
• London’s biggest Table Football Competition
• Time tunnel
• Illuminated Histories
• Tours and interactive performances by the Walking Theatre Company
Sunday 4 December (4.30-5pm)
• Closing celebration inspired by the Olympic Cauldron
For listings: further information on the museum’s programme in October and November
Bars of Reassurance: Poetry and Grime with Yomi Sode and Kayo Chingonyi
Date: Wednesday 2 November 2022
Time: 7 pm
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Paid advanced booking required: £12 (Concession and Museum of London friends: £10)
Hear from some of London’s most exciting writers as they discuss connections between poetry and music. Join Yomi Ṣode, Kayo Chingonyi and a guest chair as they lead us through the links and lyrics found in poetry and grime. The event will feature poetry readings, an audience Q&A, and a screening of Distant Daily Ijó / YNWA – a short film Yomi and fellow poet Caleb Femi worked on together to accompany Yomi’s poetry, featuring references to and samples from legendary grime tracks. There will also be an opportunity to explore the display and purchase signed copies of the poets’ work.
Last Chance to See tour on Smartify (free)
Don't miss your last chance to explore the stories behind some of the most interesting objects in our collection direct to your mobile phone in our free, self-guided audio tour. You’ll hear our curators bring to life 10 of our most compelling pieces, from the Great Fire of London to the Suffragettes movement and Charles Booth’s Map of Poverty. We’ll take you on a journey through some of the important moments in history that have helped to shape the London of today.
https://smartify.org/tours/last-chance-to-see
Black History Month programme
Follow the Flame!
Date: 25-27 October 2022
Time: 10:30 am, 12 pm and 2 pm
Duration: 45 minutes
Free drop in, no booking required
Join Big Wheel Theatre Company for a fun interactive journey through London's Black sporting history. Follow our Olympic torch bearer as she tells tales of famous and lesser-known sporting heroes including Walter Tull, Alice Coachman and Mo Farah. This is a promenade-style performance with stops throughout the museum's lower galleries. You can join from the start or you might encounter our actor as part of your visit. Feel free to drop in and out as you please although numbers may be limited at particularly busy times to avoid overcrowding.
October half-term programme
Roman London family walk
Date: 26 October 2022
Time: 10:30 am
Duration: 1 hour
Paid advanced booking required
Go back 2,000 years and walk the streets of Roman Londinium! Visit the remains of the Roman city wall, the location of a long lost fort and Londinium’s hidden amphitheatre, where brave gladiators and nimble acrobats entertained the raucous crowds, on this interactive tour for families.
Terrific torches
Date: 24-26 October 2022
Time: 10:30 am and 2 pm
Duration: 30 minutes
Free, no booking required
Light up your day! Make and design your own Olympic torch inspired by the 2012 games in this fun family craft session. Don't forget to head to our London 2012 and World City galleries afterwards to see a real torch, the 2012 cauldron and other memorabilia on display. Please note this is an unticketed drop-in session. You can drop in at any time between 10.30-12.30 or 2-4pm. We expect you'll spend around 30 minutes in the session. Numbers may be limited at busy times.
Play the game family trail
Date: 22-30 October 2022
Time: 10 am
Duration: 1 hour
Free, no booking required
Play your way through the museum galleries to hunt for sporting objects from London’s past with this fun, free trail for all the family. Complete challenges to earn the skills and attributes you need to become a sports superstar!
Move at the museum
Date: 26 & 28 October 2022
Time: 11 am, 1 pm, and 2:30 pm
Duration: 45 minutes
Free, advanced booking required
Get the whole family moving! Join inclusive dance company DashDotDance for a family dance workshop inspired by London's sporting history. Suitable for disabled and non-disabled children and their families, everyone will be encouraged to join in and show off their moves in this accessible creative dance session. Come balance, turn, spring and reach with us - no experience necessary!
After Hours programme
After Hours: Medieval London
Date: 2 November 2022
Time: 6:30 pm
Duration: 2 hours
Paid advanced booking: £12 (Concession and Museum of London Friends: £10)
Join researcher, Eliot Benbow for a talk exploring our world-leading collection of everyday objects from the Middle Ages. Discover aspects of trade, domestic life, devotion, play, recreation and childhood in London on display in the museum. This talk will be followed by an opportunity to enjoy the medieval gallery after-hours, with expert guide Eliot on-hand to answer questions about life in the medieval city.
After Hours: Black history in Roman London
Date: 16 November 2022
Time: 6:30 pm
Duration: 2 hours
Paid advanced booking: £12 (Concession and Museum of London Friends: £10)
Join Senior Curator Dr Rebecca Redfern to investigate the evidence for Black people in the Roman Empire. This talk will explore how Black people’s presence in Roman London can be made visible, by looking at what stories are revealed by studying an object’s creation, origin and use. This talk will be followed by an opportunity to enjoy the Roman gallery after-hours, with expert guide Rebecca on-hand to answer questions.