SOMERSET HOUSE INVITES PUBLIC TO ‘STEP INSIDE 25’ WITH FREE WEEKEND OF INTERACTIVE EVENTS CELEBRATING 25th BIRTHDAY

Family-friendly highlights include a pop-up basketball installation, the return of the smash-hit immersive disco experience from the CUTE exhibition featuring iconic 80s and 90s sounds, and hands-on drawing workshops inspired by the beloved Peanuts exhibition.
Waterloo Bridge to turn blue in tribute to Somerset House’s new visual identity as part of Illuminated River.
Somerset House Studios resident and Turner Prize-winning artist Tai Shani to exhibit new large-scale sculpture drawing on the archetypal fairytale image of a sleeping figure in a glass box, devised for Somerset House’s iconic courtyard.
Installations from Somerset House Studios residents such as Nick Ryan’s The VoiceLine and GAIKA’s Tomb of the Sophists will create interventions in lesser-known spaces including London’s best kept secrets and rarely seen spaces, The Deadhouse and Maker Street.
Somerset House’s resident culinary community including its new riverside bar and restaurant, Setlist, to create bespoke offers throughout the weekend.
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Somerset House, the home of cultural innovators and one of London’s best loved creative spaces, is delighted to announce Step Inside 25 Weekend: a special 25th celebratory birthday weekend, taking place on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 September 2025. Marking the radical transformation from government offices and car park to an internationally acclaimed arts destination, this milestone moment will see the entire building turned inside out. For the first time visitors will be invited in to explore and discover the lesser-known spaces including its artist studios on Maker Street, and will be given a chance to get closer to Somerset House’s resident creative community and their work.

Reflecting the full breadth of Somerset House’s vibrant creatives on site, and the artistic and social innovation taking place within its walls, the programme of free family-friendly events, installations, performances and workshops will offer visitors the chance to draw, dance and explore their way through some of Somerset House’s most popular past exhibitions alongside brand-new works from award-winning artists.

Jonathan Reekie, Director of Somerset House commented: “Somerset House is much loved as a London cultural space and it has also become a home to many of the UK’s best creatives: a powerhouse for the next generation of talent. The Step Inside weekend is a rare opportunity for the public to explore the hidden corners of our historic site and experience the incredible work made here. We’re so excited to invite visitors in to celebrate our 25th birthday year together.”

Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries said: “Somerset House has been a key part of London’s landscape for centuries. From royal residence to government tax office, this renowned creative space has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past 25 years to become today’s home to London’s vibrant cultural innovators.To celebrate this milestone, Somerset House is opening its doors with events that explore some of the biggest issues of our time through a creative and thought-provoking lens. It’s a fitting tribute to a quarter-century of creativity, community, and cultural impact.”

PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS

FAMILY-FRIENDLY

Play.Ground, a newly formed cultural architecture agency founded by Somerset House Exchange member Dawood Gustave of Reluctantly Brave and Sam Sure of Half Decent Day, will transform the entrance to Somerset House with a basketball installation hosting a variety of performances and workshops, with an opportunity to participate and co-create.
The world of Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the beloved Peanuts gang is back after their hugely successful exhibition at Somerset House, Good Grief, Charlie Brown!. Celebrating their own 75th anniversary, Peanuts Worldwide invites visitors of all ages to fall in love all over again with the much loved cartoon, tracing and illustrating the loveable characters, taking them on new adventures all of their own.
Art Explora, a creative workshop series, inspired by the charity’s Arts at Home sessions, invites participants of all ages to create their own sensory collage contributing to a community story using tactile objects, words and images.
Visitors are invited to experience part of Somerset House’s blockbuster exhibition, CUTE, with Cute Disco, an immersive disco with sounds from 80s & 90s, offering fun, play and party vibes for the weekend.
Other inclusive family friendly events taking place across the site range from face-painting in the courtyard and knitting masterclasses with Coléchi, one of Somerset House’s Talent 25 recipients
Free family-friendly and historic guided tours will also take place throughout the weekend

RESIDENT ARTISTS + COMPANIES

Turner Prize-winning artist and Somerset House Studios resident Tai Shani presents The Spell or The Dream, drawing on the archetypal fairytale image of a sleeping figure; bringing together sculpture, radio, live gatherings and a host of guest contributors, to collectively dream of new horizons.
Upgrade Yourself presents a suite of participatory games, co-created between award-winning game-maker Nick Murray and participants of Building Worlds for Play, a collaborative artist development programme for underrepresented creatives aged 16-25 who are eager to explore their creative potential in game making.
“Tomb of the Sophists” is a major sculptural installation and sonic environment by resident artist GAIKA. Throughout the day, the Portico Rooms will host live performances — music, spoken word, sound improvisation — inviting artists and audiences to engage with the installation.
Taking over the rarely-open Deadhouse, Somerset House Studios resident artist Nick Ryan presents a special reconfiguration of The VoiceLine, a unique sound instrument for voice, sound, music and audio storytelling, celebrating the histories of radio and listening which began on The Strand over 100 years ago and changed the world.
Alongside seeing completed works across site from Somerset House Studios artists, there will be the rare chance to go behind the scenes and visit studios and spaces, including Maker Street, to discover where artists develop new work and ideas. A unique opportunity to get closer to the bold creativity, innovation and experimentation of Somerset House Studios.
Makerversity will open the doors to their warren of underground studios, allowing visitors access into the unique workshops and creative spaces that make up this vibrant community of designers, technologists and inventors. Featuring live making sessions, drop-in workshops and a showcase of mission-driven practices responding to the world’s biggest challenges.
A showcase of works by Somerset House’s Talent 25 awardees - the newly launched scheme that spotlights innovative game-changers from its creative community. Portraits of the artists, taken by leading photographer Jennie Baptiste will be on show alongside their work.
Long-standing Somerset House residents Fuel, one of the UK’s leading independent theatre producers, presents The 419: a poetry and photography exhibition, where 14 sonnets by poet and acclaimed playwright Inua Ellams and 14 portraits by Oluwamuyiwa “Logor” Logo show how money flows through 14 lives on a typical day in Lagos, Nigeria.

EXHIBITIONS

Virtual Beauty, part of Somerset House’s milestone exhibition programme for 2025, explores the impact of digital technologies on the traditional concept of beauty, inviting visitors to examine their relationship with identity in the post-internet era.

PERFORMANCES & SCREENINGS

Somerset House Choir will provide an uplifting live music soundtrack with performances in the courtyard and on the Portico Balcony, that promise to surprise and delight throughout the weekend.
G.O.A.T Film Club presents Frames of Belonging: Our Lens, Our Stories, a celebration of cinema as community, featuring screenings, filmmaker Q&As, panel discussions and industry networking, as part of Somerset House’s Black Business Residency alumni programme.
Throughout the weekend, a curated playlist by Somerset House birthday ambassador Alison Goldfrapp, featuring her favourite tracks from musicians who have played at Somerset House over the years, will play in different spaces across the site.

FOOD & DRINK

Pop-up food and drink offerings over the weekend will include Plantain Papi, residents Future Plate and Blondies Kitchen, alongside Somerset House’s resident culinary offering Spring Restaurant, Cafe Petiole, Watch House together with the recently launched river terrace bar Setlist and yet-to-open Syrian cafe, deli and restaurant from Imad Alarnab, Aram.

RETAIL

A new Somerset House pop-up shop will be opening in the East Wing from 23 July to 28 September, showcasing the extraordinary talent of Somerset House’s onsite creative community. The shop will spotlight work from across Somerset House’ resident cultural innovators – from Studios artists, Black Business Residency participants, Makerversity members to creative start-ups and organisations based in the building.

OTHER SHOWCASES

An Innovation Supporter for the weekend, 886 by The Royal Mint will be showcasing their unique blend of traditional British craftsmanship, inspired by over a millennium of expertise in precious metals, and their pioneering work in precious metals recovery. Visitors are invited to discover the transformation story of Britain’s oldest company.

ILLUMINATED RIVER

To honour Somerset House’s Step Inside 25 Weekend, Illuminated River has commissioned special bespoke lighting of Waterloo Bridge. The bridge’s usual pink and purple hues will be replaced with a dynamic lighting display of “Somerset House Blue” reflecting the new visual identity of Somerset House. Alongside this will be a free walking tour which will take place at “blue hour” immediately after sunset. Guests participate in a guided walk along the River Thames to explore the artwork, architecture and history behind some of the Illuminated River bridges, before heading to Somerset House for a private tour with a House guide, featuring some of the historical, artistic and architectural highlights of the iconic building.

STARS PAY TRIBUTE 'CULTURAL FORCE'

Leah Williamson, England footballer said: “Somerset House has always been somewhere for us to come as a family and just spend time together. Be that in the fountains on a summer day back when I was a kid, ice skating at Christmas or coming to concerts here with my Grandma. It’s always been my favourite place in the world since I was a little kid and I now recognise Somerset House as less of a place and more of a feeling.”

Alison Goldfrapp, musician and record producer said: "Somerset House is truly a special place. To perform there under the open sky and within its historical grounds is a real treat and an honour. The building has a unique atmosphere. It’s a space where art, music, and life converge so beautifully. Whether on stage or wandering through an exhibition, I feel a deep connection to the spirit of the place – it fuels my imagination every time.”

Brian Eno, musician, songwriter, record producer and visual artist said: “This great institution is evolving into something beautiful and significant for the future.”

Baroness Floella Benjamin, broadcaster and author said: “Somerset House has become an oasis for creative inspiration in the heart of the city. It’s somewhere for Londoners of all generations to explore their own creativity and to view the world afresh through the eyes of artists. I’ve seen the impact of this on young people myself through my involvement in Zak Ove’s Get Up, Stand Up Now exhibition back in 2019 that celebrated 50 years of Black creative pioneers. Long may Somerset House continue to encourage creativity nirvana.”

Miquita Oliver, broadcaster said: “The diversity in my experience here is mirrored by the unique, contemporary, future-facing, genre-defying programming that Somerset House has become so loved for. So thank you, Somerset House, for everything.”

THANK YOU

With special thanks to Gusbourne who have become Somerset House’s official sparkling wine partner across 2025 and beyond. Gusbourne creates the finest vintage wines using grapes exclusively from their vineyards in Kent and West Sussex.

Thank you also to 886 by The Royal Mint who are our Innovation Supporter across the weekend.

ABOUT 886 BY THE ROYAL MINT

With a history spanning more than 1,100 years, The Royal Mint commemorates people and occasions through coins and precious metals. It remains the largest and most technically advanced minting facility in the world located in Llantrisant, South Wales. In 2022, it launched 886 by The Royal Mint, a contemporary collection of luxury jewellery under the creative direction of British designer Dominic Jones.

886 celebrates the intrinsic value of precious metal and champions traditional British craftsmanship in its collections inspired by The Royal Mint’s heritage and expertise as Britain’s oldest maker. Using only responsibly sourced precious metals, 886 pioneered the use of recovered gold sourced from e-waste in its products - a world leading innovation – and a traceable, sustainable silver, uniquely recycled from medical x-ray film.