8 Must-See Art Shows and Installations During Frieze London 2026

From Slawn’s industrial-scale painting performance to Kozo’s art car takeover at The Peninsula London, here’s what to see beyond the fair.

Summary

Frieze London 2026 brings a packed lineup of exhibitions, installations and performances across the city from October 14–18.

Highlights include major presentations by Justin Caguiat, Tarek Atoui, Salman Toor and Issy Wood.

Beyond traditional galleries, Slawn, JW Anderson and CART Department x Kozo blur the boundaries between contemporary art, fashion, design and public space.

As Frieze London and Frieze Masters return to Regent’s Park from October 14 to 18, the city’s art scene is spilling well beyond the fairgrounds. Across London, major institutions, independent galleries and unconventional spaces are presenting a packed lineup of exhibitions, performances and installations.

This year’s highlights span everything from experimental sound and contemporary painting to large-scale interventions and collaborations at the intersection of art, fashion and design. Whether you’re navigating the city between fair visits or looking to skip the tents altogether, here are standout presentations worth checking out during Frieze Week.

Justin Caguiat, ‘Change Ringing’ at Serpentine South

October 8, 2026 – January 10, 2027
Justin Caguiat makes his UK institutional debut with ‘Change Ringing,’ an ambitious exhibition spanning painting, sculpture, printmaking, sound and film. Taking over Serpentine South, the presentation explores the relationship between art, architecture and the passage of time. Among the highlights are paintings made with heat-sensitive pigments that shift in color and appearance depending on their environment, alongside bronze bells cast in the forms of flowers and seeds. The result is an evolving exhibition that challenges the idea of an artwork as something fixed.

Tarek Atoui, ‘Hold’ at Tate Modern

October 13, 2026 – April 11, 2027
Lebanese artist and composer Tarek Atoui transforms Tate Modern’s iconic Turbine Hall into an expansive sonic environment for the latest Hyundai Commission. Titled ‘Hold,’ the installation brings together custom-built instruments, sculptural objects, electronics and percussion to create an evolving orchestra of sound and movement. Visitors are invited to experience the work through both listening and physical sensation, while a program of live performances will continually reshape the space. It’s a monumental exploration of how music, architecture and human interaction can exist as one.

CART Department x Kozo, ‘A World Within’ at The Peninsula London

October 15–31, 2026 | The Peninsula London
CART Department and The Peninsula London have teamed up with artist Kozo to transform six of the hotel’s luxury vehicles into moving works of art. Titled ‘A World Within,’ the project sees Kozo bring his intricate visual language to a fleet of Rolls-Royces, Bentleys and other vehicles, drawing inspiration from London’s rich cultural history, British nature and surrealist imagery. Blending elements of the past, present and future, each vehicle becomes a canvas for the artist’s fantastical world, where familiar motifs take on unexpected forms. Unveiled during Frieze Week, the fleet will travel throughout London in October, bringing contemporary art off the gallery walls and onto the city’s streets.

Slawn, ‘Crane Painting’ with Saatchi Yates

October 13, 2026 | Doon Street Car Park
Never one to follow the traditional gallery playbook, Nigerian-born, London-based artist Slawn takes his practice to an industrial scale with a special painting performance presented with Saatchi Yates. Staged at the Doon Street Car Park, the intervention brings together cranes, cars and the artist’s unmistakable visual language, turning an everyday urban setting into an unconventional canvas. Known for bridging street culture, contemporary art and spectacle, Slawn continues to challenge where and how art can be experienced.

JW Anderson, ‘A Composition’ in Pimlico

October 15–20, 2026
Jonathan Anderson brings together art, fashion and design for ‘A Composition,’ a special exhibition presented by JW Anderson in partnership with The Platinum Card by American Express. Taking place at the brand’s Pimlico flagship, the presentation features new works by Cerith Wyn Evans alongside contributions from artists and makers within Anderson’s creative circle. Highlights include ceramics by Akiko Hirai, paintings by Mary Stephenson and sculptures by Shawanda Corbett. The exhibition offers a closer look at Anderson’s long-standing dialogue with contemporary art and craftsmanship, extending his creative vision beyond clothing and into the gallery space.

Salman Toor, ‘Someone Like You’ at The Courtauld Gallery

October 2, 2026 – January 10, 2027
Salman Toor’s first solo exhibition in Europe arrives at The Courtauld Gallery with ‘Someone Like You,’ bringing together 19 paintings created since 2019. Known for his atmospheric depictions of contemporary urban life, the Pakistani-American artist captures moments of friendship, desire, isolation and belonging through his signature palette of luminous greens and intimate interior scenes. Balancing tenderness with humor and unease, the exhibition offers a compelling look at how Toor navigates identity and human connection.

Issy Wood, ‘Self-Portraits’ at the National Portrait Gallery

October 9, 2026 – February 28, 2027
British-American artist and musician Issy Wood turns the lens inward with a presentation of self-portraits at London’s National Portrait Gallery. Created as part of the institution’s Artist Focus series, the paintings explore intimacy, consumer culture and the complicated nature of self-representation. Through tightly cropped compositions, unusual perspectives and subtle distortions, Wood treats portraiture as a means of both revealing and concealing identity. The exhibition offers a more personal look at an artist whose practice moves fluidly between painting, music and contemporary culture.

Rirkrit Tiravanija, ‘(situational awareness)’ at Pilar Corrias

October 9 – November 14, 2026
Rirkrit Tiravanija returns to Pilar Corrias with ‘(situational awareness),’ his fifth solo exhibition with the gallery. Presented at its Savile Row location, the show brings together new paintings and performance to examine the connections between British military history and the traditions of labor, craftsmanship and production associated with the famed tailoring district. Known for his socially engaged practice, Tiravanija approaches the gallery as a space for cultural exchange, drawing unexpected connections between historical narratives and the everyday rituals of making.