8 London art fairs of autumn 2026, worth leaving the house for

Since Frieze London arrived in 2003, white tented walls have become the standard backdrop for the creative industries and, by extension, for fairs at large. They established a distinctly 21st-century model for art lovers and the like to get their creative hit. And yet, despite the white booth crossovers, each fair brings its own distinctive flair, one that keeps artists, editors, journalists and the public returning in droves, year on year. As we edge towards autumn, it's safe to say much of the industry's fanfare is now behind us. But if your enthusiasm for the art fair is yet to wane, we have some suggestions. From the alternative to the traditional, here are the upcoming autumn art fair events promising to keep your diaries booked and busy.

British Art Fair

British Art Fair, Image credit Guy Bell. courtesy of British Art Fair

By Frieze standards, the British Art Fair is ancient. Or at least, having been founded in 1988, it feels that way when you compare the Saatchi Gallery-based event to the city's newer white tent editions. The fair also has a calmer feel. It brings together leading specialist dealers and a vast array of modern and contemporary British art, which is the fair's bread and butter. Visitors can explore and collect paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography, prints and ceramics from Britain's most celebrated artists, all while cushioned by the walls of a gallery that launched the success of the YBAs (Young British Artists). Tickets at the ready!

Date: 24–27 September 2026 Location: Saatchi Gallery, Chelsea, London, SW3 4RY Price: From £23. Concessions available. Discover more.

Queeriosities (Art & Makers Fair)

Conor Quin. Image courtesy of artist and Queeriosities

Unlike the others on this list, Queeriosities exists on a much smaller scale, but that doesn't make its impact any less valuable. The fair returns to Peckham's Copeland Park this October for its fifth edition. It brings together more than 50 LGBTQ+ artists and makers under one roof, giving them the opportunity to show their work and make direct connections with queer audiences. Whether it's badges you're after, or a special print, painting, drawing or even zine, we promise you the fair will have everything you could possibly desire.

What's more, every year Queeriosities is marked by a feature exhibition at the centre of the fair. This year's showcase brings together up-and-coming and established names. Winnona Hedgeland, Tom Hemingway, Sandy Kiralawella, Jingyi Li, Ailsa Ogden and Joey Terrill present work as part of Here We Go Again, an exhibition exploring the idea of 'queer truth' and what it represents in times of turmoil.

Date: 2–4 October 2026 Location: Copeland Gallery, Peckham, London, SE15 3SN Price: From £15 Discover more.

Minor Attractions

Installation view Daine Singer’s booth, Minor Attractions, 2024. Image Courtesy of Minor Attractions.

Just like Queeriosities, Minor Attractions likes to do things a little differently. It is very much an art fair to have on your radar, and thankfully there isn't a white tented booth in sight. For years, the fair called London's swish The Mandrake Hotel its home. This year, thanks to continuous growth and surrounding buzz, it will celebrate its fourth birthday at The Newman, the city's newest luxury hotel. The move lets the fair scale up to what it calls its 'biggest, loudest, and most conceptually ambitious incarnation to date.'

More importantly, Minor Attractions is less about the schmoozing traditionally associated with industry events and more about actually enjoying art. It blends art with nightlife, performance and music to create a relaxed yet slightly chaotic environment that favours genuine passion over business cards.

Date: 13–17 October 2026 Location: The Newman, Fitzrovia, London, W1T 3EB Discover more.

PAD London

Installation view, Nilufar Gallery Booth, PAD London 2025. Image credit Stéphane Aboudaram. Courtesy of PAD and Nilufar Gallery.

We all love a showroom, and few fairs do them better than PAD London. Here, high-end design and boutique crafts from across a myriad of centuries come together to reveal what's possible in interior design when money is no object. PAD London is the sister fair to PAD Paris, which was founded in 1998, and it launched nine years later. It has since become a permanent fixture on the capital's art and design circuit. The fair inspires collectors, who make up its largest target audience, as well as consultants, curators and design practitioners the world over. Tickets vary in price depending on whether you're a student or a collector.

Date: 13–18 October 2026 Location: Berkeley Square, London, W1J 5FJ Price: From £30. Concessions available. Discover more.

Frieze London & Frieze Masters

Just as September rings alarm bells for fashion followers, October is synonymous with all things art. For four short days, Regent's Park comes to life as home to Frieze and Frieze Masters. The two fairs sit at opposite ends of the beloved London park, and both attract galleries from around the world. Frieze focuses on contemporary art, while its sister fair, Frieze Masters, expertly bridges the gap between ancient and mid-century art.

Although the fairs run for only four days, a copious amount of art and industry events are scattered across the city to sink your teeth into. There is so much, in fact, that you'll want to wait for our specialist Frieze Guide before making any decisions. That said, we're particularly keen to catch artist Marcin Dudek's reconstruction of the Soviet-era Kraków apartment where he grew up, showing at Edel Assanti gallery. We're also looking forward to many of the cross-historical dialogues Frieze Masters is set to bring, including Queering Modernism: Visual Languages of the 20th Century, curated by Anke Kempkes. Watch this space for our Frieze bumper guide, coming soon.

Date: 14–18 October 2026 Location: Regent's Park, London, NW1 4NR Price: From £38. Concessions available. Discover more.

1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair

Slawn, installation view of Transition, 2024, at 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, 2024. Photo by Jim Winslet. Courtesy of 1-54.

As far as international fairs go, few reach as wide or as far as 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair. It is the leading global fair for African and diasporic art, with editions in London, Marrakech and New York. It's also one of a kind in its mission to provide 'visibility to contemporary art' from Africa and its global diaspora. As with any jam-packed fair, gallery booths aren't the only thing drawing the attention of fair-goers. There is also a specialist programme with an extensive list of artists' talks, panel discussions and associated projects, all taking place at Somerset House. As for its offbeat name, consider it an homage to the fifty-four countries that make up the African continent.

Date: 15–18 October 2026 Location: Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2R 1LA Price: From £32. Concessions available. Discover more.

LAPADA

Many of London's art fairs claim to be the city's 'biggest' or 'largest', but if you're going by footfall alone, few beat the impact of LAPADA. It is a rather big tented event, also held in Berkeley Square, gathering hundreds of dealers across art, antiques and design, with over eighty exhibitors in total. You might be hunting for jewellery, antiques, furniture, carpets, tapestries, silver, clocks or the perfect dining room painting. Whatever it is, LAPADA caters to both the established collector and the first-time buyer thanks to its dynamic pricing, which ranges from a mere £500 to an eye-watering £500,000.

Date: 27 October – 1 November 2026 Location: Berkeley Square, London, W1J 5FJ Price: From £29 Discover more.

CEREMONY: A Festival of Performance Art by Future Ritual

Anne Bean, What is this Damned Beast? The Anatomy of Performance, Future Ritual, 2025. Photo by Fenia Kotsopoulou.

Admittedly, this one doesn't fit our description of art fairs with 'white tent walls'. Nor is it your traditional collector-meets-gallerist fair, with booth upon booth vying for your attention. Instead, CEREMONY, by Future Ritual, is dedicated to the more alternative folk among us. It focuses on the ritual qualities of performance art and its unlimited potential. The festival is only a year old, having debuted in November 2025 to a sold-out audience, and it is set to be the largest-scale performance art programme in London this autumn. It considers how 'queers, migrants and others who inhabit the outsides and undersides' have gravitated towards mystery, ritual and connection in the shadow of empire and industry. Expect the unexpected.

Date: 25–29 November 2026 Location: Copeland Park, Peckham, London, SE15 3SN Price: From £10. Concessions available. Discover more.

By Christina Donoghue