Photo London Moves to Olympia: A New Home for a New Decade
Building on the success of its tenth anniversary edition, Photo London will move to Olympia, at the heart of Kensington, from May 2026. The move marks the start of an ambitious new chapter for the fair.
Olympia is undergoing a £1.3 billion transformation co-designed by Heatherwick Studio and SPPARC. The fourteen-acre site is being redeveloped as a cultural and entertainment district that combines heritage with innovation. This principle reflects Photo London’s mission to celebrate photography’s past, present and future. Situated close to leading institutions, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Design Museum, and the Serpentine, Olympia remains accessible to international visitors through Heathrow.
From 14 to 17 May 2026, with a VIP preview on 13 May, Photo London will be staged beneath the historic canopy of Olympia’s National Hall. The venue will provide greater flexibility for galleries and partners to design spaces that best present their work, while improving navigation and sightlines across the fair. Increased capacity will allow for additional talks and public programmes. Visitors will also have access to Olympia’s wider facilities, including a new theatre, cinema, music venues and a range of restaurants and bars.
Michael Benson and Fariba Farshad said: “Throughout its first decade, Photo London has earned a reputation for innovation as the photography art fair of the future, and we are proud to have played our part over the past ten years in contributing to the evolution of Somerset House as a cultural powerhouse for London.
Our chapter at Somerset House has been one of shared ambition and creative success, and we thank the team for being such a valued partner.
It is within this tradition of innovation and cultural leadership that we have decided to make our new home in Olympia, at the heart of Kensington, a destination with an ambitious vision focused on a renewed cultural identity.
This exciting move positions Photo London at the forefront of one of the most significant cultural developments to have taken place in London in over a decade.
We very much look forward to welcoming visitors to Olympia for the eleventh edition of Photo London in May 2026, which is set to be another powerful celebration of photography in all its forms.”
Director Sophie Parker added: “From outstanding gallery presentations to thought-provoking exhibitions and vibrant conversations, Photo London is the best place to explore the past, present and future of photography.
The move to Olympia offers an expanded platform to showcase photography in a setting that embodies both tradition and modernity.
The dramatically enhanced Olympia will be a blaze of activity and excitement from morning to night, and it is precisely this energy and excitement that make it an ideal venue for Photo London’s second decade.
Olympia’s new cross-cultural profile means we will benefit from increased Synergy with other arts, entertainment, and creative businesses, creating opportunities for audience development and idea exchange, while enhancing the fair’s appeal to visitors and simplifying our layout to ensure a more unified experience for all participating galleries.
We look forward to supporting Olympia in becoming a landmark destination for culture and creativity for both Londoners and visitors from around the world.”
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Joanne Carter
Joanne Carter is a British photography journalist, editor, curator, and the founder of *TheAppWhisperer.com*, one of the world’s leading platforms dedicated to mobile photography and art. Since its launch in 2009, TheAppWhisperer has become an international hub for artists of all levels to discover, learn, exhibit, and engage with contemporary photographic practice.Built on principles of inclusivity, accessibility, and artistic excellence, Joanne has spent almost two decades championing mobile photography as a serious artistic medium. Through interviews, critical essays, exhibitions, competitions, and education, she has helped shape and document the evolution of mobile art on a global scale.Her work has taken her internationally, lecturing on photography and mobile art at institutions and events including the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea, alongside appearances in the UK and Europe. She has served as a juror for international photography and mobile art awards across Portugal, Canada, the United States, South Korea, Italy, and the UK.Joanne is also the founder of *TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com*, one of the first online galleries dedicated exclusively to collectible mobile art, connecting artists with collectors across Europe, the United States, and Asia.Before founding TheAppWhisperer, Joanne worked extensively in print journalism and photographic publishing, including roles at a paparazzi photo agency and as deputy editor of a leading photography magazine. Her freelance journalism, criticism, and commentary have been published widely in both the UK and the US, with bylines in *The Times*, *The Sunday Times*, *The Guardian*, *Popular Photography*, *NikonPro*, *DPReview*, *Which?*, *Vogue Italia*, *LensCulture*, the *BBC*, and more recently, the *Financial Times*, where her published letters on photography continue to contribute to wider conversations around the medium.Alongside her editorial and curatorial work, Joanne’s own photographic practice has been exhibited internationally across the UK, Europe, South Korea, and the United States. Her work increasingly explores themes of grief, loss, death, memory, and the body.Her current research interests centre on grief, death, and poverty, with forthcoming postgraduate study leading towards doctoral research in these areas.Joanne is currently developing new long-form writing and photographic projects and is available for commissions, editorial projects, speaking engagements, and collaborations.Contact: joannetheappwhisperer@gmail.com)
