12 Late-Night Museums To Visit Around The UK

For a date night with a difference, take advantage of this month’s ‘Museums at Night’ festival – UK-wide celebration of ‘lates’ in museums and galleries.. Taking place on 25th-27th October (with more dates beyond), you can pop into some of Britain’s top cultural hotspots for an hour after work or for a full-on night out – here’s where to head for some late-night enlightenment, wherever you live…

The Baltic, Gateshead

On 23rd November, Baltic Lates will showcase the gallery’s new exhibitions, together with intriguing talks and book-making masterclasses. Exhibitions Heather Phillipson: The Age of Love, BALTIC Then & Now and Rasheed Araeen: A Retrospective will be available to view; there’ll be a live performance of Lucy Suggate’s Pilgrim, and visitors can gain an insight into the building’s history with a show-and-tell of some surprising objects with Baltic’s archivist.

South Shore Road, Gateshead, NE8 3BA; on 23rd November the museum will be open until 10pm

Visit Baltic.art
 

Bristol Museum & Art Gallery

A treasure trove of Egyptian mummies, art, dinosaurs and nature, Bristol Museum & Art Gallery is open seven days a week. As part of Museums at Night Festival, the gallery has teamed up with Circomedia – the centre for contemporary circus and physical theatre training in the UK – to fill the museum’s grand halls with acrobatics and circus performers. Visitors can have a go at juggling, tightrope walking and hoops, check out Clowns: The Eggs-hibition, dress up, and document it all in a clown-themed photo booth. For some, Halloween’s come early.

Queens Road, Bristol, BS8 1RL; on 25th October the museum will be open until 9:30pm

Visit BristolMuseums.org.uk

Brontë Parsonage Museum, Yorkshire

On Thursday, the house where Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë wrote their novels will be opened up for guests to explore by candlelight. Listen to the grandfather clock strike the hour and hear the creaks and sounds made by the historic house after dark. Storyteller Sita Brand of Settle Stories will share dark tales from around the world; while closer to home, residents of the Parsonage will share ghost stories and village superstitions.

Church Street Haworth, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD22 8DR; on 25th October the museum will be open until 8pm

Visit Bronte.org.uk
 

The Hepworth, Wakefield

Voted Museum of the Year 2017 by the Art Fund, on Thursday The Hepworth is throwing a party to celebrate the opening of The Hepworth Prize for Sculpture. The award recognises a British or UK-based artist of any age, at any stage in their career, who has made a significant contribution to the development of contemporary sculpture. This year’s shortlisted artists are Michael Dean, Mona Hatoum, Magali Reus, Phillip Lai and Cerith Wyn Evans – all of whom are creating new work for display in a new exhibition which runs from 26th October-20th January. Expect a pop-up bar, street food, a DJ, and an Aesop giveaway.

Gallery Walk, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 5AW; on 25th October the museum will be open until 10pm

Visit HepworthWakefield.org

Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge

Kettle’s Yard is a beautiful house with a remarkable collection of modern art and a gallery that hosts modern and contemporary art exhibitions. On 25th October, the gallery will play host to a selection of live music. Curated by Multi-Story bassoonist Joe Qiu, this concert takes a look at some of the links between pop and minimalist music, from Julius Eastman’s Stay On It from 1972 to an instrumental re-working of Björk’s arrangements.

University of Cambridge, Castle Street, Cambridge, CB3 0AQ; on 25th October the museum will be open until 9:30pm

Visit KettlesYard.co.uk

National Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow

Home to Scotland’s most outstanding collection of modern and contemporary art, on 25th October, GoMA presents a museum late all about play. From music to board games, team play to cosplay, drawing to art display, the evening will explore what ‘play’ means. The night will involve performances by artists Dave Sherry and Innes Smith, an open mic night, drawing games and cosplay. Get your pencils, musical instruments and costumes ready.

Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow, G1 3AH; on 25th October the museum will be open until 8pm

Visit NationalGalleries.org

Nottingham Contemporary, Nottingham

This Friday is the exhibition launch party of Still I Rise: Feminisms, Gender, Resistance, a timely exhibition exploring the role that women have played in the history of resistance movements and alternative forms of living. Guests will get an exclusive first look at over 100 exhibits by over 40 artists; sip on Campari cocktails; and watch live music and a performance by artist, choreographer and Jay-Z’s 4:44 dancer Okwui Okpokwasili.

Weekday Cross Nottingham, Nottingham, NG1 2GB; on 26th October the museum will be open until

Visit NottinghamContemporary.org

Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford

This neo-Gothic Oxford museum is crammed with over half a million historical and archaeological finds from around the world: among its most famous features are the Oxfordshire dinosaurs, a dodo and the swifts in the tower. Our favourite way to explore the lot is at its monthly ‘Museums after dark’ events. With a light show outside and music, theatre, torchlit tours and a bar inside, this is a great way to explore thousands of years of history.

South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PP; on 16th November the museum will be open until 10pm

Visit PRM.ox.ac.uk
 

Roman Baths, Bath

At its most atmospheric in the autumnal months, each Friday and Saturday at the Roman Baths the lights are dimmed and torches are lit throughout. Guests can roam through the treasures of the ancient site, before having a three-course dinner at the Roman Baths Kitchen. Make sure you also book in for a dip at the natural Thermae Bath Spa – the views over the city are pretty special.

Stall Street, Bath, BA1 1LZ; the ‘torchlit package’ is available every Friday and Saturday

Visit RomanBaths.co.uk

Turner Contemporary, Margate

Situated on Margate seafront, on the same site where Turner stayed when visiting the town, Turner Contemporary presents a rolling programme of temporary exhibitions, events and learning opportunities which make intriguing links between historic and contemporary art. The gallery offers a space for everyone to discover different ways of seeing, thinking and learning. Usually open until 5pm, on 30th October, the museum will extend its opening by two hours for a private view of the gallery’s 2018 Platform Graduate Award.

Rendezvous, Margate, CT9 1HG; on 30th October the museum will be open until 7pm

Visit TurnerContemporary.org

V&A, Dundee

The UK’s most exciting museum launch of the year, the V&A Dundee will host a ‘Tay Late’ on 26th October. Explore the museum after hours, grab a drink and enjoy one-off performances from Nicole & The Backup Crew and Tenement Jazz Band; a special from drag prince Alfie Ordinary; drop-in sailor’s knot bracelet workshops led by designers Kirsten Manzi and Syrah Jay; and a cabaret set from The Onion Club. Ocean Liners: Speed and Style and the Scottish Design Galleries will be open throughout the evening.

1 Riverside Esplanade, Dundee, DD1 4EZ; on 26th October the museum will be open until 10pm

Visit VAM.ac.uk 

Whitworth Art Museum, Manchester

Start the weekend early with one of the Whitworth’s Thursday ‘lates’ – a series of sociable, after work and late openings that are the perfect place to meet up with friends, explore the gallery and enjoy a curated selection of talks, performances, film screenings, live music and artist interventions. This Thursday, the museum teams up with Manchester Science Festival for The Power of Placebo – a national programme of events to accompany Clod Ensemble's new performance, Placebo.

Oxford Road, Manchester, M15 6ER; the museum is open until 9pm every Thursday

Visit Whitworth.Manchester.ac.uk

To discover for late-night openings across the UK, visit MuseumsAtNight.org.uk

Fashion. Beauty. Culture. Life. Home
Delivered to your inbox, daily