Royal Academy of Arts has announced the co-chairs for its highly anticipated Summer Exhibition Preview Party 2026, bringing together leading figures from the worlds of contemporary art, music, film and fashion to celebrate the opening of the 258th Summer Exhibition.
Taking place on Wednesday 10th June 2026, the Preview Party has become one of the defining events of London’s cultural and social calendar — a night where artists, collectors, curators, designers, musicians and public figures gather ahead of the public opening of the Summer Exhibition. The event also offers guests the first opportunity to purchase works from the exhibition while raising essential funds for the Royal Academy and the RA Schools, the oldest art school in the UK.
This year’s co-chairs reflect the increasingly cross-disciplinary character of the contemporary cultural landscape. They include thirteen-time Grammy nominee and composer Anoushka Shankar; BAFTA EE Rising Star nominee Archie Madekwe; Frieze Director of EMEA Eva Langret; Turner Prize-winning artist and Royal Academician Grayson Perry; and British Fashion Council CEO Laura Weir.
In a new addition for 2026, broadcaster and Honorary Trustee of the RA Clara Amfo has been appointed inaugural Music Curator for the event, overseeing the evening’s DJs and live performances.
Speaking about the event, Rebecca Salter, President of the Royal Academy, said:
“Our annual Summer Exhibition Preview Party is a highlight of our calendar, and we are delighted to announce a wonderful line-up of Co-Chairs and our inaugural Music Curator for this year’s event. I am very grateful to them for their time and support. The party offers the first chance to buy works from our Summer Exhibition, and the funds raised support the exhibiting artists, the work of the Royal Academy and the Royal Academy Schools.”
The Preview Party coincides with the opening of the 258th Summer Exhibition, coordinated this year by artist and Royal Academician Ryan Gander, who has chosen the theme “Interconnectedness.” First staged in 1769, the Summer Exhibition remains the world’s largest open submission contemporary art exhibition and one of the few major art events where emerging artists exhibit alongside internationally established names.
The exhibition’s committee for 2026 includes Royal Academicians Eileen Cooper, Michael Craig-Martin, Oona Grimes, Katherine Jones, Goshka Macuga, Humphrey Ocean and Peter St John, chaired by Salter.
For the Royal Academy, the Preview Party functions not only as a high-profile social event but as a vital fundraising platform supporting artists, postgraduate students at the RA Schools and the institution’s wider public programme. The majority of works in the exhibition will be available to purchase, continuing a tradition that has connected artists and collectors for more than 250 years.
The 2026 edition also marks 20 years of sponsorship by Insight Investment, while this year’s Preview Party is sponsored by The House of Creed.
The Summer Exhibition, 16th June to 23rd August 2026, Royal Academy of Arts
