Japan House in Kensington is the cultural home of Japan in London. Japan House organise a number of exciting exhibitions and events throughout the year, including talks, workshops and film screenings. Most events are free but a small number of events require a participation fee.
21 March to 4 October 2026Leighton House presents the first major exploration of its extraordinary Arab Hall, one of London’s most iconic interiors, through a specially commissioned short film, three site-specific art installations and an exhibition and new publication containing extensive new research.
Included in the admission ticket.
Until 22 August 2026
A three-month summer festival in front of Holland House in Holland Park.
2026 performances include Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Turandot, Carmina Burana, Die Fledermaus, In conversation with Pete Townsend, The Royal Ballet School, The Marriage of Figaro and Songs on the Steps lunchtime recital series
Until 23 August 2026
The exhibition is conceived in close collaboration with the artist and brings Hockney’s celebrated panoramic frieze A Year in Normandie to London for the first time. Inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry, this monumental work captures the changing seasons at the artist’s former studio in Normandy. In the context of the exhibition at Serpentine, it opens a dialogue with the surrounding nature of Kensington Gardens.
Until 4 October 2026
Explore the vision and legacy of Japanese designer and creative director NIGO – from street style to music and beyond, in the first UK exhibition showcasing his multifaceted creative work, alongside vintage objects and traditional crafts from his personal collection.
Join the Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens for their free Bandstand Concert series from June - September 2026.
Kensington Gardens with its peaceful meadows and serene pathways, is a great spot for family picnics. The Diana Memorial Playground, reopening shortly after a £3 million regeneration retaining the Peter Pan theme but incorporating more accessible and challenging physical play, is also great for families looking to run off some steam.
The Gardens are also home to the Gorilla Circus Trapeze School. Located in the Southwest Corner close to the Royal Albert memorial it offers two-hour beginner Level 1 classes. Running until 6th September they are open to those 8+.
Holland Park's Adventure Playground is another great option for families looking to burn some energy featuring a zip wire, swings, slides, climbing frames and a sand pit.
The Holland Park Ecology Centre helps to promote awareness and understanding of biodiversity and the local environment through events for children and adults as well as environmental visits for schools and holiday activities.
Events for spring 2025 include a Botany Walk, Dawn Chorus Bird Walk, Family Bird Walk, Spring Bat Walk, Herbal Medicine Walk, pre-school activities
The Holland Park Ecology Centre is run by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea's Ecology Service.
PLATFORM is an annual display dedicated to showcasing contemporary design practice. Free to visit, the display presents the fascinating work of designer Simone Brewster
Photo: Charles Emerson
Discover the story of Punjabi princess and suffragette icon, Sophia Duleep Singh and five women who shaped her extraordinary life, in a new exhibition at Kensington Palace for 2026.
Kyotographie is a thought-provoking free exhibition, featuring works by two of Japan’s most influential photographers - Kawada Kikuji and Iwane Ai. The exhibition includes Kawada’s seminal 1965 photobook Chizu (The Map), a powerful reflection on postwar Japan, alongside works from The Last Cosmology, which explores his fascination with celestial imagery. Marking her first major UK presentation, Iwane Ai showcases her award-winning series Kipuka, documenting the lives of Japanese immigrants in Hawaii. The show also features works from A New River, capturing hauntingly illuminated cherry blossoms in Japan’s Tōhoku region. Please note that this exhibition contains some challenging themes that may only be deemed suitable for older children and teenagers so we recommend reviewing the website before visiting.
Every Sunday 10am-2pm, Phillimore Walk, High Street Kensington W8 7RX
Stroll through the stalls and you'll find everything you need from freshly caught fish and shellfish to seasonal fruit and vegetables, pies, fresh bread, game in season, free range and organic eggs and poultry, meat, preserves, flowers and much more.
This free exhibition brings together three Japanese artists — Yuriko Tanaka, Imahiko Kawamura and Maiko Tsuboi — working across traditional Nihonga painting, crystalline ceramics and contemporary oil painting.
It offers visitors to Holland Park an opportunity to experience three very different approaches to contemporary Japanese art in the intimate setting of The Ice House.
Calling all plant lovers! Come to Phillimore Walk for a day of greenery, garden finds, rare plants, handmade planters, botanical art and outdoor living inspiration.
Every month Kensington transforms into vibrant greenhouses filled with growers, makers, botanical artists, bulbs, tools, vintage garden furniture, ceramics, prints and outdoor living inspiration.
Expect rare and familiar houseplants, outdoor blooms, bulbs, botanical prints, ceramics, handmade planters, parasols, tools, vintage garden furniture, lighting, pots, seeds, wreaths and all the small green-world wonders that make a home feel alive.
From sculptural cacti to trailing ivy, from antique terracotta to mid-century plant stands, every stall is chosen for its beauty, quality and story. Plus plant-based street food and drink.
Created as part of the London Design Festival, the All Ears Market is a new market for music and design lovers, it will feature artist and DJ talks, records, merch and zines, alongside pan-Asian street food – with an accompanying free day of talks and music films in the Kensington Central Library Lecture Theatre.
During London Fashion Week, Judy’s Vintage Market is bringing a new event to High Street Kensington, inspired by the individuality and creative energy of the original Kensington Market. More than 50 traders will showcase emerging designers and makers, sustainable and upcycled fashion, jewellery, accessories, textiles and vintage, with plenty of one-off finds that won’t be found on the high street.
Our regular vintage Flea Market
Think statement fashion, rare finds, retro homeware & handpicked gems.
No mass production. No repeats. Just pure vintage vibes.
If you live for the thrill of the find, this one’s for you.
Bring your tote. Bring your crew. Dig through decades.
Calling all plant lovers! Come to Phillimore Walk for a day of greenery, garden finds, rare plants, handmade planters, botanical art and outdoor living inspiration.
Every month Kensington transforms into vibrant greenhouses filled with growers, makers, botanical artists, bulbs, tools, vintage garden furniture, ceramics, prints and outdoor living inspiration.
Expect rare and familiar houseplants, outdoor blooms, bulbs, botanical prints, ceramics, handmade planters, parasols, tools, vintage garden furniture, lighting, pots, seeds, wreaths and all the small green-world wonders that make a home feel alive.
From sculptural cacti to trailing ivy, from antique terracotta to mid-century plant stands, every stall is chosen for its beauty, quality and story. Plus plant-based street food and drink.
Our regular vintage Flea Market
Think statement fashion, rare finds, retro homeware & handpicked gems.
No mass production. No repeats. Just pure vintage vibes.
If you live for the thrill of the find, this one’s for you.
Bring your tote. Bring your crew. Dig through decades.
Calling all plant lovers! Come to Phillimore Walk for a day of greenery, garden finds, rare plants, handmade planters, botanical art and outdoor living inspiration.
Every month Kensington transforms into vibrant greenhouses filled with growers, makers, botanical artists, bulbs, tools, vintage garden furniture, ceramics, prints and outdoor living inspiration.
Expect rare and familiar houseplants, outdoor blooms, bulbs, botanical prints, ceramics, handmade planters, parasols, tools, vintage garden furniture, lighting, pots, seeds, wreaths and all the small green-world wonders that make a home feel alive.
From sculptural cacti to trailing ivy, from antique terracotta to mid-century plant stands, every stall is chosen for its beauty, quality and story. Plus plant-based street food and drink.
Our regular vintage Flea Market
Think statement fashion, rare finds, retro homeware & handpicked gems.
No mass production. No repeats. Just pure vintage vibes.
If you live for the thrill of the find, this one’s for you.
Bring your tote. Bring your crew. Dig through decades.