What are the best art exhibitions you should see in European museums in 2026?
One of my favourite articles I write each year on the Culture Tourist blog is dedicated to the best exhibitions to visit that year. I love conducting that research and discovering many great art shows in European museums for you. Well, to be fair, it’s also for me, because it helps me decide where I’ll travel in the upcoming year to see some of them. So, it’s definitely a win-win situation!
Best Art Exhibitions in European Museums in 2026
1 – Cézanne
25 January – 25 May 2026 | Fondation Beyeler, Basel (Switzerland)
This year marks 120 years since Paul Cézanne died. To mark that important anniversary, Fondation Beyeler is organising their first ever retrospective dedicated to that pioneering modern artist. With more than 80 paintings on display, the exhibition explores the artist’s final years and the transition from Impressionism to Cubism.
⤷ Read more: Best Museums to Visit in Basel
2 – Lucian Freud: Drawing Into Painting
12 February – 4 May 2026 | National Portrait Gallery, London
In the last few years, the National Portrait Gallery has become an unmissable spot during each of my visits to London. And one of the reasons is its fantastic temporary shows. This year will be no different. One of the best art exhibitions you shouldn’t miss in 2026 is the Lucian Freud (1922-2011) show in that museum. The exhibition explores the famous portrait artist’s process, especially his drawing and detailed observation of models.
⤷ Read more: Best Free Museums in London
3 – Yellow. Beyond Van Gogh’s Colour
13 February – 17 May 2026 | Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (the Netherlands)
Each year Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam prepares intriguing temporary exhibitions for its visitors. This year, we are in for a treat again. This exhibition focuses on a colour that’s omnipresent in Van Gogh’s art – yellow. His friend, a painter, Emile Bernard, wrote shortly after Van Gogh’s death:
It was, you will remember, his favourite colour, the symbol of the light that he sought in people’s hearts as well as in works of art.
The exhibition explores what yellow symbolised around the year 1900 in art, literature and music. Van Gogh’s artworks will be accompanied by those of his contemporaries and modern artists.
⤷ Read more: Why I Wrote the “Following van Gogh” Book
4 – Beauty and Ugliness in the Renaissance
20 February – 14 June 2026 | Bozar, Brussels (Belgium)
This exhibition explores how the standards of beauty and ugliness shifted in the art of the 15th and 16th centuries. Through the artworks made by Botticelli, Titian, Tintoretto, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Lucas Cranach the Elder, and others, you’ll get a chance to see these standards of beauty juxtaposed.
⤷ Read more: The Travelling Artists & Artworks in Renaissance Europe
5 – Tracey Emin: A Second Life
27 February – 31 August 2026 | Tate Modern, London (UK)
With more than 90 artworks on display, this will be the largest retrospective exhibition so far by this British artist. During her 40-year long art career, she’s erased boundaries between public and personal life. With some of her well-known artworks being on display, be sure to put this show on your 2026 art exhibitions agenda.
⤷ Read more: Tate Modern Museum in London: Tips for Visiting & Highlights
6 – Rothko in Florence
14 March – 23 August 2026 | Palazzo Strozzi, Florence (Italy)
With over 70 artworks brought together from all corners of the world, this exhibition explores the American artist’s love for Florence. The exhibition will also dive deeper into the influence the Italian Renaissance had on Rothko’s paintings.
To explore his connection with the city, the exhibition will stretch beyond Palazzo Strozzi. Some of his artworks will be displayed in Museo di San Marco next to Fra Angelico’s frescoes. While others will be presented in a vestibule of the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana. Its architecture made by Michelangelo, inspired Rothko’s “Seagram Murals.”
⤷ Read more: 10 Cultural Spots to Visit in Florence
7 – Matisse. 1941-1954
24 March – 26 July 2026 | Grand Palais, Paris (France)
Matisse started working on his famous cut-outs in his later years. With numerous artwork on loan from one of the best museums in Paris, Centre Pompidou (which is currently undergoing a renovation and is closed to the public) and other cultural institutions, this exhibition gives a great insight into this part of the work of a renowned French artist.
⤷ Read more: First Time in Paris Guide for Art Lovers
8 – Manosphere: Masculinity Today.
18 April – 2 August 2026 | Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (the Netherlands)
The exhibition authors started their work on it with a question: What does it mean to be a man today?
Building on that, the exhibition explores the topic of the masculinity crisis and the rise of the “manosphere.” Through the various works of art on display, from the Stedelijk Museum collection and some which are on loan, the exhibition explores these topics in detail.
⤷ Read more: Stedelijk Museum Highlights
9 – Zurbarán
2 May – 23 August 2026 | The National Gallery, London (UK)
This 2026 summer exhibition is the first major show dedicated to the work of one of the leading Spanish 17th-century painters, Francisco de Zurbarán (1598-1664). With around 5o paintings on display, the National Gallery exhibition will provide a great insight into this artist’s work.
⤷ Read more: The Best Museums in London
10 – Marina Abramović: Transforming Energy
6 May – 19 October 2026 | Gallerie dell’Accademia, Venice (Italy)
With this exhibition, Marina Abramović is becoming the first living female artist to have a major solo show at the Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice. The exhibition will display new works next to the classical artworks, creating a transforming energy that way.
⤷ Read more: Best Museum Instagram Accounts You Should Follow
11 – Venice Biennale 2026
9 May – 22 November 2026 | Venice (Italy)
Marina Abramović’s exhibition is happening at the same time as this year’s Venice Biennale, providing a great opportunity to visit both. The main event will be an exhibition, “In Minor Keys,” curated by the late Koyo Kouoh. However, many small events will be organised in Venice during the six-months-long event.
With this year marking its 61st edition, the Venice Biennale is an event that should be on any contemporary art lover’s list.
12 – Anish Kapoor
16 June – 18 October 2026 | Hayward Gallery, London (UK)
One of the best exhibitions in 2026 will be a treat for anyone interested in contemporary sculpture. Anish Kapoor made his name with massive sculptures that he places in a public space, playing with the space and void. One of the exhibition’s highlights is “Mount Moriah at the Gate of the Ghetto,” made in 2022. A sculpture resembles lava descending from the ceiling.
⤷ Read more: Most Beautiful Museum Cafes in Europe
13 – Frida Kahlo: The Making of an Icon
25 June 2026 – 3 January 2027 | Tate Modern, London (UK)
During my visit to MoMA in New York a few years ago, I was especially inspired by Frida Kahlo’s paintings. And felt a bit sad we don’t have a chance to see so many of them in Europe. This fascinating artist is one of the icons of modern art. The Tate Modern exhibition will explore her legacy through her artwork, documents, photos and other items that belonged to a well-known artist.
⤷ Read more: 16 Inspiring Female Artists from History
14 – Bayeux Tapestry
September 2026 – July 2027 | British Museum, London (UK)
One of the most famous medieval artworks, the 70-metre Bayeux Tapestry, travels from France to London this year, where it will be on display at an exhibition entirely dedicated to it. The Bayeux Tapestry depicts the 1066 Norman invasion and the Battle of Hastings. This is the first time the famous artwork will be displayed in the UK since it was made almost 1000 years ago.
⤷ Read more: A Guide for the Perfect Museum Visit
15 – Mary Cassatt: The Choice of Independence
6 October 2026 – 31 January 2027 | Musée d’Orsay, Paris (France)
This exhibition, dedicated to one of the most important Impressionist painters in art history, marks 100 years since her death. Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) was an important member of the Impressionist movement in France, as well as in her home country, the USA. Through this exhibition, she will be introduced through her focus on independence. With around 80 artworks (paintings, pastels and prints), the exhibition will showcase artworks she created throughout her entire career.
⤷ Read more: Impressionists in Paris
16 – Van Eyck: The Portraits
21 November 2026 – 11 April 2027 | The National Gallery, London (UK)
2026 in art will finish strong with an exhibition featuring all nine known Van Eyck’s portraits at the same place for the first time. The Flemish painter revolutionised the art world (and especially portraiture) in a way he improved the oil paint technique and showed light in his artworks. He also started painting portraits of common people, such as wealthy merchants and citizens of Flemish cities.
⤷ Read more: Virtual Museum Visit – Jan van Eyck in MSK Ghent
We are in for a treat with some fantastic art shows this year. Are you planning to visit any of them? Would you add anything to this list of the best art exhibitions in European museums in 2026? Let me know in the comments.
Cover photo by Liam McGarry on Unsplash