Overview

• Hayward Gallery Touring has appointed Ekow Eshun—chairman of The Fourth Plinth and former director of London’s ICA—as curator for the show’s 2026–28 edition.
• The exhibition will open at Coventry’s Herbert Art Gallery & Museum in September 2026 before moving to Swansea, Bristol, Sheffield, and Newcastle Gateshead.
• Spanning five cities, this will be the British Art Show’s most extensive tour since its 1979 launch and cements its role as the UK’s largest recurring contemporary art survey.
• Eshun, awardee of the 2023 Association for Art History’s Curatorial Prize, plans to commission new works and spotlight artists whose practices speak powerfully to our time.
• All five regional venues are confirmed and partner-city funding secured as organizers prepare to finalize artist selections next year.