National Gallery Van Gogh exhibition to open 24 hours

The National Gallery will open overnight on 17 January 2025, for the final weekend of its sell-out exhibition, Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers.

Vincent van Gogh Sunflowers, 1888; oil on canvas 92.1 × 73 cm, Bought, Courtauld Fund, 1924, © The National Gallery, London.

As the critically acclaimed Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers exhibition at the National Gallery approaches its final days, the Gallery will open its doors all night on Friday 17 January 2025. This marks only the second overnight opening in the institution’s history, the first being the Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan exhibition in 2012. Tickets for these extended hours, from 9 PM Friday to 10 AM Saturday, go on sale today, 9 January. The decision comes after extraordinary demand, with over 280,000 visitors so far and some extended weekend tickets snapped up by mid-December.

The Gallery’s Director, Sir Gabriele Finaldi, hopes the overnight opening will create a unique and inspiring experience, drawing inspiration from the early morning visits of iconic artists like Lucian Freud, David Hockney, and Francis Bacon. Freud, a devoted admirer of the National Gallery, famously referred to it as his source of creative rejuvenation, likening it to a doctor offering help and ideas. The current exhibition is the first ever at the Gallery to focus on Vincent van Gogh and his imaginative transformations, featuring over 60 masterpieces borrowed from museums and private collections worldwide.

The National Gallery, London; Starry Night, 1888; © Musée d’Orsay.

As part of its 200th-anniversary celebrations, the National Gallery is also hosting a range of other major exhibitions this year, including Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300–1350 and José María Velasco: A View of Mexico. A reopening of the Sainsbury Wing and an extensive rehang of the Gallery’s collection are also scheduled, alongside the unveiling of a new Learning Centre and Supporters House in the spring. The Gallery encourages visitors to secure tickets to the sold-out Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers through Membership, which provides priority access to exhibitions and special events.

For those unable to attend in person, the Gallery offers a cinematic alternative with the film Exhibition on Screen: Van Gogh Poets and Lovers. This 90-minute documentary features close-up photography of the artworks, insights from curators Cornelia Homburg and Christopher Riopelle, and reflections by art critics and artists.

Location: 14 September 2024 ‒ 19 January 2025. Location: The National Gallery , Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN. Price: from £24. Members go free. Book now.