Museums at Night is a twice-yearly festival of culture hosted in museums and galleries up and down the UK. The event, produced by the Brighton based arts charity Culture24, is committed to shining a spotlight on the nation’s incredible cultural riches with an array of bespoke events and cultural experiences in participating institutions.
The museums at night movement has capitalised on a real shift in the way Britons engage with cultural attractions with culture lovers increasingly visiting museums and galleries for special late openings and bespoke cultural events. Museums are increasingly waking up to the benefits of hosting such events with the opportunity to reach new audiences and groups a massive incentive.
The V&A are a great example of a museum who have successfully embraced the new trend. The institution host an incredibly popular monthly cultural evening, the V&A Late. The evening takes place on the last Friday of each month with a varied programme of subjects and attractions. The website for the event says “Friday Late celebrates all aspects of contemporary visual culture and design in society, bringing audiences face-to-face with leading and emerging artists and designers through live performance, film, installation, debate, DJs and late-night exhibition openings”.
The events are free, feature food, alcohol and music and often target a younger and more diverse audience than those who regularly visit the museum. The V&A says “Lates are becoming an increasingly good way to help diversify the museum and gallery audiences and engage with non-traditional museum goers”.
The Museums at Night Festival is the national version of the V&A’s Friday Night Late. The festival has been running for several years and the number of participating museums and galleries is still rising. The festival gives those who prefer to consume culture at night or who work during office hours or/and at weekends an opportunity to visit access cultural experiences.
The next Museum at Night festival will take place between Wednesday the 15th and Saturday the 18th of May 2019.
Find more information about the Museums at Night festival here.
For information on other great festivals in London, please click here.
