Queer Britain, the UK's national LGBTQ+ museum, reopens with new exhibitions

Queer Britain, the UK's only dedicated museum for LGBTQ+ history, reopened its doors on February 4, coinciding with LGBTQ+ History Month. This eagerly awaited reopening introduces an array of new displays across its galleries, showcasing unique and significant queer stories and experiences.

Located in Granary Square, King's Cross, London, the museum has curated over 200 objects from various collections, including notable contributions from the National Football Museum and the Women’s Liberation Music Archive, alongside many private lenders. The exhibitions cover themes ranging from the unconventional families of the Bloomsbury Group to the inspiring journey of Justin Fashanu, the UK's first openly gay professional footballer.

The new collections are structured around six engaging themes:

• Resist! highlights the activism of the 1980s and 1990s, focusing on The Black Lesbian and Gay Centre and its pivotal role in LGBTQ+ organizing, featuring rarely seen posters and pamphlets co-curated by filmmaker Veronica McKenzie and community members.
• Club Kids celebrates inclusive spaces, opening with a showcase of Club Kali, the first UK venue welcoming all LGBTQ+ individuals to honor their diverse South Asian heritage.
• Queer Creativity emphasizes artistic expression through the lens of the Women’s Liberation music-making movement of the 1970s and 1980s.
• Body and Mind reclaims narratives related to health, illness, and disability, prominently displaying a panel from the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt.
• Live, Laugh, Love focuses on domesticity and relationships within the Bloomsbury Group, particularly the bond shared by Lytton Strachey and Dora Carrington.
• The World Around Us delves into the societal impact of LGBTQ+ lives, featuring the groundbreaking story of Fashanu, who made headlines when he came out in 1990.

Throughout 2026, Queer Britain will host several special exhibitions. “Queer Print,” running from February 4 to May 3, examines the importance of radical and alternative print cultures for pre-digital LGBTQ+ communities. It will be complemented by “40 Years of BFI Flare,” which highlights the evolution of one of Europe's largest queer film festivals from its inception in 1986.

Later in the year, exhibitions such as “Progressive Advertising with Diageo” will explore contemporary LGBTQIA+ representation in advertising and culture, while “Trans is Human,” produced by trans couple Jake and Hannah Graff, will showcase portraits of inspiring transgender individuals by renowned photographer Mariano Vivanco.

Queer Britain operates on a 'Pay What You Can' admission policy, allowing visitors to support the museum at their discretion. The museum’s mission is to reclaim and preserve the rich tapestry of queer stories while educating and celebrating LGBTQ+ lives and culture.

“It’s a museum for anyone to learn, to understand, and accept what it means to be LGBTQ+ today, and we are both delighted to support Queer Britain as Patrons,” said Elton John and David Furnish.

For further information, please visit queerbritain.org.uk or contact them at [email protected].

Admission Details:

• Location: Queer Britain, 2 Granary Square, Kings Cross, London N1C 4BH
• Opening Hours: 12–6 PM, Wednesday to Sunday (closed Monday and Tuesday)
• Note: Advance booking is recommended due to capacity limits.