Summer Exhibition 2025 at the Royal Academy of Arts

The Royal Academy of Art's Summer Exhibition is the largest and oldest open contemporary art exhibition in the world. It's been held every year since 1769, and showcases a wide range of new and recent works by established, emerging and unknown artists.

In its early years it was simply known as 'The Exhibition', and featured the likes of Constable, Gainsborough, Reynolds and Turner. In more recent times it has included works by Royal Academicians and famous names like Tracey Emin, David Hockney, Wolfgang Tillmans, Wim Wenders and Ed Ruscha.

Photo: royalacademy.org.uk

Anybody can enter their work to be considered for inclusion, and the exhibition typically attracts around 12,000 entrants every year. This is then whittled down to a final round of 4,000. Judges then select the works deemed worthy enough to appear on the walls of the main gallery.

The wide range of entrants means the exhibition represents what is happening in the art world right now - providing visitors with a window into today's art world. Many of the pieces are also made available to buy, giving the artists a platform to sell their paintings, prints, photographs, sculptures and architectural works.

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How to get to the Royal Academy of Arts

Oyster Visitor Oyster Contactless Travelcards Child fares Senior fares

Bus and train fares to Royal Academy of Arts

Fare zone	Cash	Oyster & Contactless				Travelcard
	Single fare	Single fare		Daily cap		One day
		Peak	Off-peak	Peak	Off-peak	Any­time	Off-peak
Bus (all zones)	n/a	£1.75		£5.25		£6
Train (zone 1)	£7	£2.90	£2.80	£8.90	£8.90	£16.60(zone 1-4)	£16.60(zone 1-6)
Train (zone 1-2)	£7	£3.50	£2.90	£8.90	£8.90
Train (zone 1-3)	£7	£3.80	£3.10	£10.50	£10.50
Train (zone 1-4)	£7	£4.60	£3.40	£12.80	£12.80
Train (zone 1-5)	£7	£5.20	£3.60	£15.30	£15.30	£23.60(zone 1-6)
Train (zone 1-6)	£7	£5.80*	£3.80*	£16.30	£16.30
* Journeys between zone 1 and Heathrow are always charged at the peak rate. Prices are correct as of 2nd March 2025

Bus No.14, 19, 22 and 38 all stop near the Royal Academy of Arts. The closest train station is Piccadilly Circus Bakerloo Piccadilly. Plan your journey from Bank, Charing Cross, Earl’s Court, Euston, King’s Cross St. Pancras, Liverpool Street, London Bridge, Marylebone, Paddington, Victoria, Waterloo or another station:

Acton TownAldgateAldgate EastAll SaintsAngelArchwayArsenalBaker StreetBalhamBankBarbicanBarons CourtBayswaterBecktonBeckton ParkBelsize ParkBermondseyBethnal GreenBlackfriarsBlackhorse RoadBlackwallBond StreetBoroughBounds GreenBow ChurchBow RoadBrent CrossBrixtonBromley-By-BowCaledonian RoadCamden TownCanada WaterCanary WharfCanning TownCannon StreetChalk FarmChancery LaneCharing CrossChiswick ParkClapham CommonClapham NorthClapham SouthColliers WoodCovent GardenCrossharbourCustom HouseCutty SarkCyprusDeptford BridgeDevons RoadDollis HillEaling BroadwayEaling CommonEarl’s CourtEast ActonEast FinchleyEast HamEast IndiaEast PutneyEdgware Road (B)Edgware Road (C)Elephant & CastleElverson RoadEmbankmentEustonEuston SquareFarringdonFinchley RoadFinsbury ParkFulham BroadwayGallions ReachGloucester RoadGolders GreenGoldhawk RoadGoodge StreetGreat Portland StreetGreen ParkGreenwichGunnersburyHammersmithHampsteadHanger LaneHarlesdenHeathrow T4Heathrow T5Heathrow T2&3Hendon CentralHeron QuaysHigh Street KensingtonHighbury & IslingtonHighgateHolbornHolland ParkHolloway RoadHyde Park CornerIsland GardensKenningtonKensal GreenKensington (Olympia)Kentish TownKew GardensKilburnKilburn ParkKing George VKing’s Cross St. PancrasKnightsbridgeLadbroke GroveLambeth NorthLancaster GateLangdon ParkLatimer RoadLeicester SquareLewishamLeytonLeytonstoneLimehouseLiverpool StreetLondon BridgeLondon City AirportMaida ValeManor HouseMansion HouseMarble ArchMaryleboneMile EndMonumentMoorgateMornington CrescentMudchuteNeasdenNew CrossNew Cross GateNorth ActonNorth EalingNorth GreenwichNorthfieldsNotting Hill GateOld StreetOvalOxford CircusPaddingtonPark RoyalParsons GreenPimlicoPlaistowPontoon DockPoplarPrince RegentPudding Mill LanePutney BridgeQueen’s ParkQueenswayRavenscourt ParkRegent’s ParkRichmondRotherhitheRoyal AlbertRoyal OakRoyal VictoriaRussell SquareSeven SistersShadwellShepherd’s BushShepherd’s Bush MarketShoreditch High StreetSloane SquareSouth EalingSouth KensingtonSouth QuaySouth WimbledonSouthfieldsSouthwarkSt. James’s ParkSt. John’s WoodSt. Paul’sStamford BrookStepney GreenStockwellStonebridge ParkStratfordSurrey QuaysSwiss CottageTempleTooting BecTooting BroadwayTottenham Court RoadTottenham HaleTower GatewayTower HillTufnell ParkTurnham GreenTurnpike LaneUpton ParkVauxhallVictoriaWalthamstow CentralWappingWarren StreetWarwick AvenueWaterlooWembley CentralWembley ParkWest ActonWest BromptonWest HamWest HampsteadWest India QuayWest KensingtonWest SilvertownWestbourne ParkWestferryWestminsterWhite CityWhitechapelWillesden GreenWillesden JunctionWimbledonWimbledon ParkWood GreenWood Lane

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