The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art is hosting an exhibition of one of the Twentieth Century’s greatest figurative artists.

Steering away from fiction, Lucian Freud tended to look at subjects to create portraiture in his work, in the world of reality.

“Everything is autobiographical, and everything is a portrait, even if it is a chair,” is how Lucian Freud described his view of art.

A limited amount of props such as a bed, an armchair or even floorboards were used in his studio whilst the intensification of the gaze forced insight into his work.

The vast number of drawings in the exhibition shows how drawing, graphics and painting weave in and out of Freud’s entire artistic thinking about what a portrait can be.

The exhibition features Freud’s creations from the earliest pivotal point in his career to his depictions right before his death.

The exhibition shows the relationship of things closest to himself such as his old mother and himself as an old man, they fall into place as motifs.

The Museum writes “Lucian Freud’s art unfolded in the post-war period, just as geometric abstraction and abstract expressionism were abandoning the figurative. His works do not profess the existentialism that permeated European art until the 1960s, but it is nevertheless impossible to disentangle his art and its unsentimental interest in what the ‘human animal’ contains from that very spirit of the times. For Freud it was about exposing the individual phenomenon – human, animal or plant. A new ‘body’ each time.”

The Everything is a Portrait Exhibition will be displayed 11 June – 27 September 2026. For further information or tickets visit: Louisiana Museum of Modern Art

After sourcing artifacts from over 50 British Venues, more than 150 objects are on display at this unique exhibition set in the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington.

An array of items includes gig posters, membership cards, club photography, band merchandise and subculture fashion staples.

Live performance venues in the UK have a history of showcasing the careers of many celebrated bands. The show will feature such memorabilia including handwritten Oasis lyrics from the tour bus and a Blur set list from their performances.

Other pieces in the exhibition include a pager used to measure noise levels at the Hacienda Club and the exterior sign from the Astoria London loaned by Damon Albarn.

Most of the objects come from the V&A’s call to bring together an exhibition of this theme in recognition of a rich culture of community and creativity once brought together by Britian’s lost venues.

Harriet Reed, Curator of Contemporary Performance, said: “Music venues – be they gig spaces or nightclubs – are not only the lifeblood of the music industry but an integral part of the creative sector. As sites of experimentation, entrepreneurship and artistry they nurture talent and provide vital spaces for connection and community. For this reason, I am thrilled to open Lost Music Venues, the first display at the V&A to celebrate UK venues across four decades, from Plastic People in London to the Roadhouse in Manchester. Developed with the support of Music Venue Trust, Lost Music Venues joyfully celebrates this vital sector and raises awareness of the challenges it faces.”

Free to visit, the display runs from 30 May 2026 until 30 October 2027. For more information visit: Lost Music Venues.

As we draw closer to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, luxury lifestyle resort Quinta do Lago is offering a taster of professional training with a camp led by former Premier League stars.

The ultimate football experience is to be hosted at The Campus which is Quinta do Lago’s elite multi-sports hub.

Football Escapes will be held during the school holidays from 25 May to 21 August 2026, giving children aged 5–15 the chance to train with professional coaches and football legends including Gary Cahill, Steve Sidwell and Teddy Sheringham.

Professional standard pitches will be used, alike the ones used by teams such as Chelsea F.C and the Ireland Rugby Team.

There will also be an opportunity to soak up the World Cup atmosphere as the close by sports bar Dano’s will be screening matches throughout the tournament.

2026 will mark the 23rd FIFA World Cup, hosted across the United States, Mexico and Canada, as 48 teams compete on football’s biggest stage. Quinta do Lago, in the heart of the Algarve, is giving guests the chance to join the excitement with curated training camps led by ex-professional footballers and dedicated match screening areas.

Beyond football, The Campus offers a state-of-the-art gym, yoga studio, tennis and padel courts, reformer Pilates, swimming pool with hot and cold plunges, and The Bike Shed for cyclists.

The Magnolia Hotel offers a stylish yet affordable alternative accommodation option, ideal for guests seeking a comfortable place to unwind after an active day. Its cottages are especially well-suited to families with young children, providing a peaceful setting away from the hustle and bustle while remaining within easy reach of the resort’s outstanding amenities.

The Magnolia Hotel (themagnoliahotelqdl.com ; +351 289 005300) offers a Standard Double Room from €116/£98 on a B&B basis.  Football Camps with Football Escapes start from £4,650 (based on 7 nights’ accommodation, transfers, and camp participation for 1 child, with 2 adults included).

The Victoria and Albert Museum is presenting a new contemporary exhibition on art from the Asia, Australia and the Pacific regions.

Over 40 artists from 25 countries will be celebrated in this unique show that partners with Queensland Art Gallery and the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane.

Many of the works have never been displayed out of their area and more than 70 pieces will be displayed including sculpture, photography, painting, ceramics, weaving and body adornment.

With 60 percent of the global population, Australia, Asia and the Pacific, Rising Voices is arranged across three thematic sections: Re-Visioning History demonstrates the response by artists to political decisions. Enduring Knowledge touches on artistic heritage of making with local materials, including traditions and ceremonial customs. Evolving Faith explores spirituality and systems of faith produced in contemporary practices.

Daniel Slater, Director of Exhibitions at the V&A, said: “Rising Voices brings together an extraordinary group of artists whose works reveal stories that are at once deeply rooted in place and urgently resonant on a global stage. These works have never been seen in the UK before, yet they speak to histories and perspectives that are essential to a fuller understanding of our shared contemporary world. From the enduring strength of ancestral knowledge and faith to powerful reflections on colonial legacies and conflict, the exhibition unfolds narratives that deserve far greater visibility here. It is a privilege to present such varied and compelling practices at the V&A, and to offer UK audiences the opportunity to encounter the depth, vitality, and creative force of the Asia Pacific region.”

Rising Voices: Contemporary Art from Asia, Australia and the Pacific is a Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art exhibition presented in partnership with the Victoria & Albert Museum, supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.

Rising Voices: Contemporary Art from Asia, Australia and the Pacific runs from 16 May 2026 – 10 January 2027. Tickets for the exhibition are on sale at vam.ac.uk.

From May 2026 the iconic galleries of The Titanic Museum in Belfast will be showcasing Northern Ireland’s fashion and textile industries in one unique exhibition.

Bringing together the greatest selection of talent within the industry, the show explores the history of fashion in the region.

Displayed until September 2026, this is the first exhibition of its kind with both established and emerging designers who are pushing the boundaries in their profession.

The designers showcasing their work are Éadach by Sara O’Neill, Kindred of Ireland by Amy Anderson, Gráinne Maher, and Hope MacAulay.

Northern Ireland’s textile industries will be featured in the galleries with materials including linen, wool, silk and leather highlighted for the role they have played in the region’s past, present and future.

Judith Owens MBE, CEO of Titanic Belfast commented: “We are immensely proud to unveil our first exhibition under the Titanic Belfast Curates banner – an initiative shaped and delivered by our own team, whose passion and expertise bring a distinctive perspective to the storytelling. Northern Threads invites visitors to engage with the creativity emerging from Northern Ireland today, highlighting how a deep-rooted sense of place continues to inform and inspire contemporary design.”

This year, Titanic Belfast will host Ulster University’s Belfast School of Art Graduate Fashion Show on Thursday 28^th May as well as Titanic Pre-Loved x Cathy Martin on 7^th June and a Fashion Tea hosted by Eddie Shanahan, Council of Irish Fashion Designers, during the run of the exhibition.

Titanic Belfast Curates… Northern Threads will be open to the public daily between 1^st May – 30^th September 2026. For more information go to www.titanicbelfast.com

Following the recent World Penguin Day in April, there is a chance to appreciate the wild variety of these birds in their natural habitats.

AE Expeditions have an offer that will save up to £6,799 for participants of their voyages.

There has long been a desire to maintain sustainable travel, along with an urgent need to protect this species.

AE Expeditions is committed to offer guests a unique experience while preserving the pristine Antarctic ecosystem that the penguins call home.

With expert-led excursions, intimate small-ship experiences, and unforgettable wildlife encounters, there’s never been a better time to witness penguins in their natural environment.

Top travel picks include:

Falklands, South Georgia & Antarctic Peninsula
(24 Oct – 14 Nov 2026 | 22 Days) – From £20,808 £26,097 pp twin share

In Shackleton’s Footsteps
(8 Nov – 27 Nov 2026 | 20 Days) – From £18,829 £25,105 pp twin share

Spirit of Antarctica: In Partnership with New Scientist Discovery Tours
(7 Dec – 18 Dec 2026 | 12 Days) – From £12,647 £14,879 pp twin share

Antarctic Explorer Express
(7 Jan – 15 Jan 2027 | 9 Days) – From £11,220 £13,200 pp twin share

For more information or to book visit: AE Expeditions | Small Ship Expedition Cruises – Aurora Expeditions

Louisiana Literature presents the names of nine international authors in the 15^th edition of the festival which will take place from Thursday 20^th August until Sunday 23^rd August 2026.

According to the museum: Over the past few weeks, Louisiana Literature has announced the names of a number of authors who have confirmed their visit to the festival in Humlebæk in August. In addition to the winner of the Booker Prize 2025, David Szalay, the list also includes previous years’ prize winners, a new star and, as always, authors who are current with new publications in Danish. Here is a presentation of the nine names:

David Szalay

The Hungarian-British writer is acclaimed for his minimalist and captivating realism and has received several awards for his books. His novel Flesh, an exploration of masculinity, sex and money, won last year’s prestigious Booker Prize.

Nelio Biedermann

Louisiana Literature also welcomes the 23-year-old Swiss writer. His second novel Lázár is currently being published in 25 countries and has received international praise from critics, readers and fellow writers.

Kae Tempest

Poet, spoken word artist and musician is also coming to Humlebæk. He is known for his great linguistic sensibility and powerful stage presence – a “truth teller,” according to fellow author Max Porter. In 2014, he was the youngest recipient of the Ted Hughes Award for the long poem “Brand New Ancients”.

Leila Slimani

Won the Goncourt Prize in 2016 for Lullaby , which became an international bestseller. The French-Moroccan author, journalist and women’s rights advocate has been called a “master stylist” and “exquisite storyteller”.

Georgi Gospodinov

“My father was a gardener. Now he is a garden.” This is how The Gardener and Death by the Bulgarian author begins. It is his loving farewell novel to his father, who is suffering from cancer. As in Gospodinov’s other novels, including the Booker Prize-winning Time Hideout, the book deals with themes such as grief, empathy and memory, while the recent history of Eastern Europe and today’s political anxieties form the backdrop for the personal narrative.

Dag Johan Haugerud

Norwegian author and award-winning filmmaker will present his fifth novel, Sjælesorg , which has been nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize and has just been published in Danish.

Kiran Desai

Born in India and came to the United States as a young woman, moves effortlessly between philosophy, comedy, sensitivity and horror in her books, including The Lost Country, which won the Booker Prize in 2006.

Antonio Scurati

From Italy comes author and literature professor whose international bestseller M , about Benito Mussolini’s rise to power, will be published in Danish translation in August. In his homeland, the novel, which is the first in a planned series about Italian fascism, initiated a public debate about the fascist legacy and was honoured with the Strega Prize, the most prestigious literary honour in Italy.

Katie Kitamura

The American author will present her latest novel Audition, a drama about a successful actress and a much younger man who turns her life upside down. The novel, which was shortlisted for last year’s Booker Prize, is an exploration of role-playing and deception in human relationships. Kitamura herself has called the novel a Rorschach test, where the reader is challenged in their expectations of what they want to be true and what they want to remain in the world of fantasy.

Opening on 16 May 2026, this multi-channel film and sound installation has been created by Sir John Akomfrah RA.

Originally commissioned by the British Council for the British Pavillion at the 60^th Venice Biennale in 2024, this exhibition will come to Liverpool as part of a tour funded by Art Fund.

The work Listening all Night to the Rain has been inspired by the poetry of the Chinese writer Su Dongpo (1037–1101), then arranged into a canto, with the Walker Gallery displaying three out of the eight cantos that were shown in Venice.

Transforming the gallery’s exterior, Canto I will contain imagery and voices that project the original appearance on the façade of the British Pavillion in Venice. Cantos IV and V will be inside and will be showing a layering of soundscapes and recently formed footage from around the world.

The gallery writes that Akomfrah addresses memory, migration, racial injustice and climate change. His signature cinematic style creates critical and poetic connections across different places and times to encourage acts of listening and looking again, as forms of activism.

Sir John Akomfrah said: “I’ve had a long personal and professional relationship with the city of Liverpool, returning many times over the last four decades. It’s always felt to me, like an ever-unfolding conversation between myself, the city, and its communities.

Many of the themes, stories, people and ideas within my practice draw inspiration from, or find deep resonances with, cities like Liverpool. It is a place shaped by movement, by departures and arrivals, and by stories carried across water.

To bring Listening all Night to the Rain here, feels less like an arrival and more like a continuation of that conversation - one that Liverpool feels uniquely equipped to host.”  

Admission is free, with all donations welcome. For more information, visit liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/johnakomfrah

Set in the landscape of where this mighty ship was not only designed but it was built, this landmark attraction guarantees to fascinate.

Visitors of this Belfast attraction are taken through its conception in the early 1900s right through her construction and launch before the fateful maiden voyage took place in 1912.

Being transported back to follow the journey of Titanic, guests are shown state of the art projections, along with a 7.6 m long scale fully rotational model of RMS Titanic which is suspended from the ceiling. This was part of a £4.5 million refresh in 2023.

Followers of The Titanic are left with mesmerizing memories of a story of this great ship that now lives at the bottom of the ocean.

The Titanic experience is unforgettable and a must-see attraction for those visiting the Northern Irish capital of Belfast.

Tickets are available from £24.95 for adults and £11 for children and Anytime Ticket from £34.95 for adults and £21 for children with an average duration of 1.5-2.5 hours for the experience.

For more information, please visit https://www.titanicbelfast.com/experiences/the-titanic-experience/

An impressive collection of gender themed art works is to be shown at the Walker Art Gallery from 16 May 2026.

The show highlights the works of key artists from Grayson Perry to David Hockney, with personal objects such as a Liverpool LGBTQ+ football scarf. The exhibition covers centuries of history through oil paintings, etchings, ceramics, textiles, sculpture and video.

Some of the historical works include a watercolour by Sarah Biffin who won a medal from the Society of Arts, after she was born with no arms and learned to paint with her mouth. She was commissioned for her works by the Royal Family and spent her final years in Liverpool.

A linen smock joins the work on display, which was worn by the artist Gluck in the 1930s. The artist adopted a gender-neutral name with no prefix, suffix or quotes. Born Hannah Gluckstein in 1895, dressed in menswear and having their hair cut at a barber in Bond Street, they created one of the most famous same-sex paintings titled Medallion, an iconic double portrait of themselves and their lover Nesta Obermer, painted in 1936.

Charlotte Keenan, Head of Walker Art Gallery, said: “Everyone has a lived experience of gender, and this exhibition creates space for visitors to reflect on their own while hearing from others. Working with communities across Liverpool has been central to bringing Gender Stories to the Walker, and we hope it will be a place for honest conversation and genuine connection.”

Gender Stories is part of MAGNET (Museums and Galleries Network for Exhibition Touring), a network of 12 museums and galleries sharing their collections with regional audiences. The exhibition toured to Bristol Museum & Art Gallery in 2025 and Brighton Museum and Art Gallery earlier in 2026 before arriving in Liverpool.

Gender Stories opens at Walker Art Gallery on 16 May 2026 and runs until 31 August 2026.

For more information visit liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/genderstories

Flight delays and cancellations because of the current situation in the Middle East have drawn travellers to book different destinations, particularly focusing on the Caribbean.

Tour operators such as British Airways Holidays, have recognised searches for the Caribbean have gone up by fifty percent and St Lucia is one of the islands featured in this search.

Rapidly becoming a holiday hotspot, Windjammer Landing Resort & Residences offers six swimming pools, seven signature restaurants and bars, the Serene Spa, a fitness centre, water sports and a well-equipped kids club.

After this recent travel change, British Airways have announced that they will increase their seat capacity for visitors to St Lucia from October 2026. This change allows holiday makers to have more choice on travel dates, as the airline will be providing an additional 51,000 seats in both directions from its flights from London Gatwick.

Situated in the Eastern part of the Caribbean Sea, the island has lush rainforests and beautiful pristine beaches. The Windjammer Landing Resort & Residences is a Mediterranean resort that delivers luxury to its guests in this location.

There are 220 guest rooms and villas set in different landscapes from waterfront villas to charming hillside rooms. There are exceptional views across Labrelotte Bay.

The resort is a five-star destination and has undergone a $4o million refurbishment over the last few years, making it a premium location set in the heart of this glorious island.

In addition to the hotel, the resort also has a ten bedroom villa La Belle Hélène which is fully staffed with a butler, chef and housekeeper. Among the amenities in the villa, there is a basketball court, and a lagoon style pool.

Windjammer provides an ultra-destination for those looking for a year-round opulent retreat, with flights increasing capacity within the winter season.

Windjammer Landing Resort and Residences (www.windjammer-landing.com) offers Hilltop 1 Bedroom villas rates starting from $972/night USD on a B&B basis or starting at $1321/night USD – for a premium all-inclusive (kids 11 and under eat for free). For more information and reservations, visit www.windjammer-landing.com.

The V&A East Museum has just unveiled London based artist Thomas J Price’s tallest work to date, before the Museum opens to the public next month.

The 18-foot sculpture titled A Place Beyond sits outside the museum on the East Bank in Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Park and will be there upon its opening on 18^th April 2026.

Welcoming guests to the museum, the artwork has been created in the form of a fictionalised young person in casual dress, with phone in hand, looking out to a horizon full of possibilities.

A narrative derived from observation and 3 scans; the statue has been crafted in bronze with a combination of digital technology and ancient techniques.

Celebrating the diversity in the East London area, the V&A East Youth Collective were consulted in the build, as the piece is designed to bring the visitors own thoughts into the interpretation of the work, as the theme rejects social or racial profiling.

Thomas J Price, said: “Being based in east London, it means so much to have my public work, A Place Beyond, on display at V&A East Museum. I want this sculpture to become an extension of the people who inhabit the museum, and the spaces around it. This commission is especially meaningful to me as I was taken to the V&A as a child with my mother and it has shaped much of my critique of museum collections. I’m excited to be part of the next chapter in the V&A’s evolution in east London.”

Thomas J Price is one of the most important contemporary artists of his generation. Having studied at Chelsea College of Art, he completed his MA at the Royal College of Art. This V&A sculpture is not the first work in east London by Thomas J Price: Warm Shoes was one of his works that was commissioned by Hackney Council to celebrate the Windrush generation and their descendants in the UK, it was unveiled in June 2022 and is a permanent work of art.

V&A East Museum is FREE to all and opens on Saturday 18 April 2026. Opening hours are 10:00-18:00, seven-days-a-week, with late night openings to 22:00 every Thursday and Saturday.