Somerset House - Connect, create and share at Upgrade Yourself Festival

 

FRI 7 & SAT 8 AUG

UPGRADE YOURSELF FESTIVAL 2026

INTRODUCING... THE CENTRAL HUB

Throughout the festival, Lancaster Room will be your central hub for relaxing, eating, reflecting, and being supported to connect, create and share without pressure. 

The space will offer:

- Free food and drinks provided by Clement Worrall

- Opportunity to network and connect with others, hosted by Strangers in the City

- Craft and Connect, facilitated by artists embedded in community and regenerative practices: Tatreez Collective, Cassie Quinn and Clara Chu

- Headshots with Kwame Dapaa

- Run the Check Jobs Board with current creative opportunities

- Share your work in progress or reflect on the festival and wider themes at the end of each day in the Sharing Space

GET YOUR FREE TICKETS

NEW PROGRAMMES

ADDED!

FRI 7 AUG, 4–7.30PM

SAT 8 AUG, 12–3.30PM

KNOW YOUR WORK. OWN YOUR STORY. 1:1 PORTFOLIO REVIEWS WITH NEWCOMMA

Bring your portfolio (or just your ideas), and we'll work through what to show, how to write about it, and how to position yourself as a creative professional.

SAT 8 AUG, 2–3PM

& 3.30–4.30PM

FUTURE FREE-PLAY WORKSHOP HOSTED BY STUDIO TIP

A hands-on creative workshop to play, invent and assemble, using natural and recycled factory offcuts. 

FRI 7 AUG, 4.30–5.30PM,

5.45–6.45PM, 7–8PM

MAP // PATH

RESOLVE Collective will host a mapping workshop that explores your relationship to your local area and your journeys and influence through practice. 

FRI 7 AUG, 4–7.30PM

SAT 8 AUG, 12–1.30PM

FUNDING CLINIC

Bring your ideas, questions, or draft sections of your application and receive guidance on accessing Arts Council funding.

THE FULL PROGRAMME

Somerset House - the most innovative exhibition you'll see this year.

 

OPENING NEXT THU 30 oct

INFINITE BODIES AT SOMERSET HOUSE

Transforming the Embankment Galleries into a series of multi-sensory choreographic installations, performances, and experiments, Infinite Bodies invites visitors to experience the intersections of dance, art, and technology.

On random, unannounced, dates Company Wayne McGregor dancers will takeover the exhibition in rare live appearances. A programme of talks, workshops, and music events will offer deeper insight into McGregor’s collaborative world.

Visitors can also continue their journey at Stone Nest with On The Other Earth, a 57 minute long, 360° choreographic installation 

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OPENING NEXT THU 30 OCT

ON THE OTHER EARTH AT STONE NEST

Step into the world’s first 3D, 360° degree, choreographic installation, at Stone Nest in London’s West End in an extended offsite continuation of Wayne McGregor: Infinite Bodies.

Never encountered in the same way twice, this 57-minute event reimagines dance performance in a startlingly original new form of experience. Visitors will step inside a radically immersive panoramic screen, where they’ll come into close contact with hyperreal dancers of Company Wayne McGregor, surrounded by breathtaking AI-powered soundscapes and 3D visuals. 

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EXHIBITION EVENTS

Mon 10 Nov

Amol Rajan in conversation with Sir Wayne McGregor

Sir Wayne McGregor and acclaimed journalist, Amol Rajan, will come together for a captivating discussion on how McGregor has continually shaped the frontiers of art, movement and technology over the past thirty years.

LIMITED TICKETS

Fri 14 Nov

Infinite Bodies:
BSL Interpreted Curator’s Introduction

Join Dr Cliff Lauson, Curator of Wayne McGregor: Infinite Bodies and Director of Exhibitions at Somerset House, for a special BSL interpreted Curator’s Introduction.

FREE EVENT

Fri 28 Nov

Relaxed Workshop with Studio Wayne McGregor

Experience Wayne McGregor’s choreographic language in a supportive and inclusive setting. With the freedom to create your own movement, youwill explore physical thinking, with and through the body. No prior experience/training needed.

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FRI 28 NOV

Wayne McGregor: Infinite Bodies Relaxed Sessions

We are hosting Relaxed Sessions for anyone who would like to explore Wayne McGregor: Infinite Bodies in a calm and comfortable environment, including people with autism and other neurodiverse needs, as well as their siblings, families and carers.

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FROM OUR FRIENDS

24 & 25 Oct, Shoreditch Town Hall

Elena Antoniou: LANDSCAPE

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Cypriot performer Elena Antoniou brings her bold and intimate solo LANDSCAPE to Dance Umbrella Festival 2025.

Transforming the body into a living stage, Antoniou explores desire, exposure and resistance with striking physicality and unapologetic presence. Oscillating between pleasure and pain, this raw and provocative work dares to confront the politics of looking – and being looked at. A vital new voice on the contemporary dance stage.

17 Jan –13 Feb 2026, Royal Opera House

Wayne McGregor's Woolf Works

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An experimental ballet triptych inspired by the genre-defying works and writings of Virginia Woolf returns to the Royal Ballet & Opera on 17 Jan.

Moving away from traditional narrative storytelling, Woolf Works evokes Woolf’s stream of consciousness writing style with a collage of themes from Mrs Dalloway, Orlando, The Waves and her other writings. Created for The Royal Ballet in 2015 and winner of an Olivier and a Critics’ Circle National Dance Award, Woolf Works captures the heart of Woolf’s uniquely artistic spirit

Somerset House - Step Inside 25: Free festival weekend, Tai Shani’s dreamscape & unmissable exhibitions

 

WHAT'S ON THIS MONTH

13 & 14 SEP

Step inside weekend

2025 marks two landmark anniversaries: 25 years since Somerset House began its bold transformation from government offices and a car park into London’s leading centre for cultural innovation, and 75 years of Peanuts, Charles M. Schulz’s timeless creation.

Following the success of our 2018 exhibition Good Grief, Charlie Brown!, Somerset House is once again partnering with Peanuts Worldwide. Together, we’ll be reviving a much-loved interactive drawing activity from the exhibition, inviting visitors to join us in celebrating creativity, imagination and cultural legacy. 

Don't miss this and so much more next weekend at Step Inside 25 where we open our doors over 2 days for a free festival. Celebrate with us across a weekend of culture and creativity: behind-the-scenes tours, new commissions from Tai Shani, GAIKA and Nick Ryan, a pop-up basketball court, Cute Disco, live music, workshops inspired by Peanuts, family activities, street food, and Somerset House Blue lighting up Waterloo Bridge at sunset.

Proudly supported by 886 by The Royal Mint, our Innovation Supporter for the weekend.

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UNTIL 14 SEP

what does the dreamer dream?

Leaving our courtyard soon, Tai Shani’s dreaming figure rests atop a stepped plinth. Suspended between sleep and wakefulness, their blue form rises and falls in a slow breath, drawing visitors to gather, peer inside, or move through the space while tuning into The Dream radio - a daily online broadcast for radical imagination and dreaming of new possibilities.

As Time Out observes, it’s a balance that’s hard to achieve:

'Art with a message often risks being didactic, prioritising its statement over its aesthetic experience. Here, though, is a deft balance of content and form: a nuanced message, contained within immediately impressive and accessible art.'

DON'T MISS IT

UNTIL 28 SEP

UNFILTERED, UNMISSABLE – VIRTUAL BEAUTY ENDS SOON

Don’t miss your final chance to experience Virtual Beauty, closing Saturday 28 September.

Described by Wallpaper* as “both profound and thought-provoking,” this critically acclaimed exhibition explores how beauty is filtered, coded and performed online.

Featuring bold, immersive works by artists including Qualeasha Wood, ORLAN, Bunny Kinney and Ines Alpha, the show dives deep into identity, technology and self-image in the digital age.

Want more? Unpack the ideas behind the show with our Channel behind-the-scenes film and long-read essay offering new perspectives from the curator and artists.

BOOK NOW

UNTIL 28 SEP

Summer Shop

Step inside the vibrant Somerset House summer pop-up shop before it’s gone, and explore a curated collection of gifts, art, fashion, and homeware from brilliant independent designers, artists, and makers. Whether you’re an art enthusiast or a curious newcomer, the range promises to captivate, think bold, bright, and truly one-of-a-kind.

Among the treasures are rare items from key moments in Somerset House’s history, featuring names like PJ Harvey, Andrew Ibi, and Pam Hogg. With the majority of each sale supporting the Somerset House creative community, every purchase makes an impact. Open for a limiited time only.

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cOMING SOON

Rhythm, Roots & Culture – A New Season OF ART This Autumn

OPENS 17 OCT

JENNIE BAPTISTE: RHYTHM & ROOTS

A landmark exhibition celebrating photography, music, and Black British culture lands at Somerset House this Autumn.

Opening 17 October as part of our 25th birthday year, Jennie Baptiste: Rhythm & Roots is the first major solo show from one of the UK’s most influential image-makers. With work held in collections at the V&A and National Portrait Gallery, Baptiste’s portraits have helped define the visual language of a generation.

Step inside three decades of bold, joyful and politically charged photography, capturing the spirit of youth, sound and self-expression across the Black British diaspora – and beyond. From iconic portraits of The Notorious B.I.G., Ms. Dynamite, NAS and Estelle, to intimate moments from London’s dancehall and hip-hop scenes, the show charts a powerful visual history of style, identity and cultural pride.

Set to a specially curated soundtrack from featured artists, this is a celebration of rhythm, roots and creative resistance.

Entry is Pay What You Can – helping keep the exhibition open to all.

BOOK AHEAD

landmark exhibitions from wayne mcgregor 

OPENS 30 OCT

Wayne McGregor: Infinite Bodies

Step into 30 years of radical choreography where dance and the human body collide with AI, robotics, motion-capture and multisensory installations. Expect immersive works, new commissions and unannounced live activations from Company Wayne McGregor.

Presented with Bloomberg Philanthropies, Principal Partner of Infinite Bodies.

BOOK AHEAD

OPENS 30 OCT

Wayne McGregor: on the other earth

The world’s first post-cinematic choreographic installation, at Stone Nest in London’s West End.

Visitors will step inside a cutting-edge, 360° 12K LED cylindrical screen, where they’ll experience the hyperreal dancers of Company Wayne McGregor and Hong Kong Ballet, surrounded by shifting AI-powered soundscapes and breathtaking 3D visuals, each and every visit offering a unique and powerful encounter. Presented in partnership at Stone Nest. 

Save £5 by booking a ticket to both Infinite Bodies and On The Other Earth

BOOK AHEAD

Somerset House - Summer will see you now 🌞

 

Summer in the Courtyard

At the heart of Somerset House is the Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court, an unparalleled location for soaking up the sunshine in the capital. This summer, we’re serving up a series of free and affordable events with community and family at its core.

Think magnificent water fountains, family workshops and weekend takeovers from grassroots collectives.

01 – 31 AUG

EXPLORE

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BLACK UNITY BIKE RIDE WITH LIONBEAT

Celebrate this annual 17-mile ride across London at Somerset House, with entertainment courtesy of Lionbeat, who provides an energising line-up of DJs and soundsystem. 

SAT 03 AUG | 11.00 – 20.00
FREE

Register now

QUEER FAMILY PICNIC WITH PXSSY PALACE

The intergenerational gathering for queer families of all ages will offer workshops including friendship bracelet making, painting and crafting with clay, perfect for little ones, plus DJs and performances.

SAT 10 AUG | 12.00 – 18.00
FREE

Register now

WORKSHOPS WITH BLACK GIRL FEST 

A rejuvenating afternoon of dance with renowned choreographer Natalie Lawrensky, and breathwork and movement activations with the founder of Babes on Waves Club, Jasmine Douglas.

SUN 11 AUG | 13.00 – 17.00
FREE

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DANCE UMBRELLA PRESENTS LONDON BATTLE

A day of dance and breaking showcases, workshops, live DJs and party atmosphere curated by choreographer Jade Hackett, all culminating in a head-to-head dance battle between the four corners of London.

SAT 17 AUG | 14.00 – 20.30
FREE

Register now

DAYTIMERS X REPRESENTASIAN

Joining forces for the day, this Sunday is dedicated to South Asian creativity, with music, live performance, yoga sessions and DJ sets.

SUN 18 AUG | 13.00 – 19.00
FREE

Register now

VOGUE RITES PRESENTS THE MIGHTY CROWN BALL POWERED BY ADIDAS LONDON

Marking Vogue Rites’ triumphant return to Somerset House, this unmissable Vogue Ball shines a light on the community and its remarkable talent as performers and house members compete for prizes.

SAT 24 AUG | 15.00 – 22.30
£20

Book now

FAGGAMUFFIN BLOC PARTY

You're invited to a vibrant celebration of Black Pride and LGBTQIA+ individuals of African and Caribbean heritage within the joyous context of Carnival. Expect music, dance and community spirit.

SUN 25 AUG | 18.00 – 22.30
FREE

Register now

SOMERSET HOUSE TERRACE BAR WITH SAN MIGUEL

Enjoy a taste of Spain at the perfect al-fresco riverside spot, boasting a selection of small plates by Jimmy Garcia plus a new range of diverse cocktails and San Miguel drinks.

OPEN DAILY

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