V&A East Thursday Lates bring late-night openings and free DJ sets in September

V&A East Museum is staying open until 10pm every Thursday throughout September, with free DJ sets, a pop-up bar and late-night access to its exhibitions and galleries. The museum’s current major exhibition, The Music is Black: A British Story, explores 125 years of Black music-making in Britain and has last entry at 9pm on Thursdays.

V&A East b2b, 2026 © Photograph by Ella Mitchel.

The free upperground DJ residency continues throughout September, with a different artist taking over the museum’s Upper Ground each week. East London techno DJ Lo-Low performs on 3 September, followed by BBC Radio 6 Music host Zakia on 10 September, multidisciplinary artist Demae on 17 September and A.G on 24 September. The September line-up features artists working across techno, house, afrobeats, grime, garage, drill, R&B and hip-hop.

V&A East b2b, 2026 © Photo by Yasmin Huseyin @yasminhuseyin.

The series follows Karen Nyame KG’s appearance at V&A East on 27 August, when the UK funky pioneer performed as part of the BBC’s The Music is Black season. The museum also welcomed artist, photographer and filmmaker Gabriel Moses that evening for a special edition of A Life in the Work of Others. In conversation with V&A East curator Josephine Small, Moses discussed the influences behind his work and collaborations with artists including Dave, Skepta and Little Simz. His 2025 film The Last Hour was also screened at the museum.

Jikoni pop up bar V&A East © Rahil Ahmad

Café Jikoni’s pop-up bar on the Upper Ground will serve cocktails, beer, non-alcoholic drinks and snacks throughout the Thursday late nights. The museum’s terrace will also be open, with views across Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, while the Why We Make galleries and creative commissions remain accessible until 10pm.

Inside V&A East Museum’s inaugural exhibition, The Music is Black A British Story © David Parry for the V&A.

The Music is Black: A British Story traces 125 years of Black music-making in Britain, featuring figures including Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Joan Armatrading, Craig David, JME, Massive Attack, Stormzy and Tems. The exhibition explores the musicians, movements and sounds that have shaped British culture, as well as the influence of Black British music beyond the UK.

Click here to discover more about upperground: DJ sets at V&A East.