Tate Modern is hoping to boost visitor numbers, especially among younger audiences, by extending opening hours until 9pm every Friday and Saturday from next month.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic the gallery was regularly open until 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays. This return to extended opening hours capitalises on the gallery’s popular monthly late-night evening events, Tate Modern Lates.
Tate Modern Lates—specially curated events held on the last Friday of every month—have drawn more than 750,000 people since launching in 2016. From 2016 to 2020, the events programme were sponsored by the clothing brand Uniqlo; throughout 2024 it was supported by Swatch.
Karin Hindsbo, the director of Tate Modern, said in a statement: “Over the last decade, Tate Modern Lates have become a cornerstone of London’s nightlife. They have proven the huge demand for access to our galleries outside of regular hours, especially among young Londoners who want to make the most of their city’s dynamic cultural scene.”
Future Tate Modern Lates, which are currently not sponsored, will be linked to the ongoing exhibitions Do Ho Suh: Walk the House (until 26 October) and Nigerian Modernism (opens 8 October). All of Tate Modern’s galleries will be open during the extended times on Fridays and Saturdays.
It is hoped that the longer opening hours will generate more revenue in commercial areas, which in turn will help to offset additional staff costs. The new hours will be introduced following a cost-cutting exercise earlier this year, due to which 7% of Tate’s workforce was slashed.
The announcement of longer opening hours follows Tate Modern’s 25th birthday weekend in May, when more than 76,000 people attended the gallery across three days. According to the gallery, 70% of these visitors were under 35.
The growth of a younger demographic via initiatives such as Tate Collective, which was launched seven years ago for the 16-25 age bracket, has boosted Tate Modern’s profile and attendance. The collective has gone from 2,000 members to becoming the “largest arts youth membership scheme in the world”, says the Tate annual review 2023-24, with over 180,000 members attracted by £5 tickets and shop and café discounts.
