V&A East Museum added a new home for making and design
The April 2026 opening brought collection galleries to London’s East Bank.
News report
V&A East Museum opened to the public on April 18, 2026, at East Bank in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The new venue added a museum focused on making and creativity to the cultural facilities developed around the former Olympic site.
The V&A’s opening plans described two free permanent galleries exploring why people make things. The collection display brought together art, design, fashion, music and performance from different periods and places, rather than organising the building around a single material.
Works announced for the opening included pieces by ceramicist Ladi Kwali, textile designer Althea McNish and photographer Jo Spence, alongside historic objects and newer acquisitions. The inaugural temporary exhibition examined Black music in Britain, providing a separate programme alongside the permanent galleries.
The five-storey museum was designed by O’Donnell + Tuomey. It sits within a wider East Bank setting that includes education, broadcasting and performance organisations, giving the opening significance beyond the addition of individual exhibition rooms.
The National Museum Directors’ Council’s May 2026 report confirmed the April opening. It followed V&A East Storehouse, which had opened in 2025 with a different emphasis on collections storage and access. The museum and Storehouse are related venues with distinct functions. The 2026 development added finished collection galleries and an exhibition programme to the V&A’s east London presence.
