London Museum Announces Opening Date for New £437m Smithfield Site

London Museum has announced that its new home in Smithfield will open to the public on 28 November 2026, marking a major milestone in the transformation of the historic Victorian General Market.

The £437 million project will bring together thousands of years of London’s history across new permanent galleries, public spaces, events programmes and displays drawn from the museum’s seven-million-object collection.

Designed by Stanton Williams and Asif Khan alongside conservation architects Julian Harrap, the museum occupies the restored General Market building, which has been closed to the public for more than three decades. The project is the result of a decade-long redevelopment led by the City of London Corporation and the Mayor of London.

Highlights on display will include the Whitechapel Fatberg, Banksy’s Piranhas artwork, Emmeline Pankhurst’s hunger strike medal, Charles I’s execution vest, the Lord Mayor’s Coach and objects from the internationally significant Bloomberg Collection of Roman artefacts.

The museum will also launch a new public programme shaped by rotating Guest Editors. Its inaugural season, London Tastes, will be co-curated by food writer Ruby Tandoh and Vittles founder Jonathan Nunn, exploring the city’s diverse food cultures through exhibitions, events and public programmes.

A second phase, opening in 2028, will expand the museum further with temporary exhibition galleries, a learning centre and a collections store.

London Museum’s new Smithfield site opens on 28 November 2026. Admission to the permanent galleries will be free.