The London Museum, which will be situated on the former site of Smithfield Meat Market and Billingsgate Fish Market, will officially open in November 2026.
It was announced that London Museum will open its doors to its permanent galleries in Smithfield’s General Market on 28th November 2026. This comes after news that the Royal Docks in Newham have been identified as the preferred new site for Smithfield and Billingsgate markets.
The opening completes a decade-long restoration of the Victorian General Market, returning the disused historic building to public use for the first time in more than three decades. The £437 million project was developed through a partnership between the City of London Corporation and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.
The museum will be spread across three interconnected spaces. Visitors will enter the museum via a covered former street that acts as the museum’s main entrance, then move into the ‘Our Time’ exhibition, which will feature events, activities and installations. Below ground, permanent displays will look at the history of London through chronological and thematic displays.
The adjacent Poultry Market will open in 2028, said London Museum, and will expand the museum with two temporary exhibition spaces, a dedicated learning centre and a collections centre.
Sharon Ament, director of London Museum, commented: “This has been a long undertaking – not without its challenges but mostly filled with immense joy and hyper-creativity – and now we are counting down the days to welcome our first visitors. At the beginning, we asked ourselves how to be the best museum for London, the answer is, to be London itself, in all its grit and glitter.
“We’ve done it with the very best; designers, historians, curators, builders, architects, artists, poets, writers, creators to name a few, all are shapers of London. And the very best includes over one hundred thousand people who have contributed along the way. I hope our museum is a place where people can come together, feel at home, and find themselves grounded in the lives, treasures, challenges and innovations of this city’s vast history. Above all, I hope we make Londoners proud!”
“London Museum at Smithfield is a flagship investment that brings new life to one of our most historic buildings.”
Christopher Hayward, City of London Corporation
Christopher Hayward, policy chairman of the City of London Corporation, stated: “This is a landmark moment for the Square Mile and the City of London Corporation is proud to have been a major partner in making this happen and funding it. London Museum at Smithfield is a flagship investment that brings new life to one of our most historic buildings, opening it up for the public to enjoy for the first time in a generation.
“This sits at the heart of our Destination City vision, a Square Mile that is alive seven days a week, where world-class culture, history and ambition exist side by side. By combining world-class heritage with a dynamic programme of events and experiences, the museum will not only tell London’s story in all its richness, but play a vital role in shaping its future, strengthening the City’s appeal as a place to work, visit and invest.”
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “The opening of the new London Museum will be a hugely significant moment both for London and internationally. Backed by one of the largest ever cultural investments in our capital, London Museum will attract millions of visitors and Londoners and reinforce our status as the culture capital of the world. London Museum celebrates the past, creates opportunities in the present and will inspire future generations, as we continue to build a better London for everyone.”
