Photo London, the UK’s leading photography fair, is to relocate from its long-time home at Somerset House to the newly renovated Olympia in west London next year.
The move follows a decade at the neoclassical Thames-side venue and coincides with Olympia’s £1.3bn redevelopment, co-designed by Heatherwick Studio and SPPARC.
Photo London’s organisers say the decision to move is a response to participating galleries and collectors, who have pushed for a more flexible, cohesive environment in which to show work.
“We have listened to the feedback of our galleries and our collectors,” says Sophie Parker, Photo London’s director. “This space offers us the opportunity to provide a more unified experience for all, where everyone can feel the electric energy which Photo London generates. Participating galleries will have flexibility to showcase photography of the highest quality in innovative ways.”
Olympia, located in Kensington, was designed by the architect Henry Edward Coe as a purpose-built exhibition centre, intended to host international trade shows and cultural events. It opened to the public in 1896.
Photo London will be housed entirely within the National Hall, one of Olympia’s newly refurbished venues. This space will, according to a statement, feature enhanced sightlines, greater navigability, increased capacity for talks, events, and “VIP and collector lounges”.
Heated competition
Photo London’s relocation reflects an aim to compete more directly with its main European rival, Paris Photo, which recently returned to the restored Grand Palais.
Michael Benson, the co-founder of Photo London, describes the relocation as “a thrillingly adventurous reimagining” of Photo London’s future.
“This move places us firmly in the vanguard of one of the most significant cultural developments to take place in London in over a decade,” he says. He adds that Olympia’s proximity to the Design Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum and Heathrow airport makes it “the ideal place for us to embark on our second decade”.
The fair’s final edition at Somerset House took place in May 2025, marking its tenth anniversary. Benson paid tribute to the role Somerset House played in establishing Photo London as a “global brand of real significance”.
The 11th edition of Photo London will take place at Olympia from 14 to 17 May 2026, with a preview on 13 May.
The redesigned Olympia, meanwhile, reopens at the end of 2025. Other key aspects of the redevelopment include the reimagining of the building’s historic glass canopy, which was part of the original construction. The new site will also include a 1,575-seat theatre, 4,000-capacity music venue, two hotels and more than 30 restaurants and bars.
The project is one of several major cultural commissions that Heatherwick Studios has undertaken in recent years, with others including the Xi’an Culture & Business District in China, which opened in December 2024, the new Hainan Performing Arts Centre in China and the redesign of Seoul’s COEX Convention Centre façade, announced in early 2025.
SPPARC’s portfolio includes the Borough Yards redevelopment adjacent to London’s Borough Market and heritage‑driven schemes such as the Grade II*‑listed Royal Masonic Hospital, located in London’s Ravenscourt Park.
