Frequently asked

“Biennale” is the Italian term for biennial — in plain words, every other year. In art, the term is used for large-scale exhibitions that take place every two years.

A curated, museum-level award exhibition showcasing painting, works on paper, sculpture, applied arts, digital art and more. 300 artists are selected from all around the world in a celebration of contemporary art.

The VIII Edition falls in 2027; its dates and venue have not yet been announced. Every edition to date has been held at Chelsea Old Town Hall, King’s Road, London SW3 5EE.

Hours for 2027 follow with the dates. At the 2025 edition the public opening hours were:

• Thursday 17 July: 10am – 7pm
• Friday 18 July: 10am – 7pm
• Saturday 19 July: 10am – 7pm
• Sunday 20 July: 10am – 6pm

Yes. The London Art Biennale is free and open to the public during the public opening days.

Artists from all nations and career stages can apply. There is no specific theme, and there are no geographical or age restrictions.

To keep each edition of the Biennale distinct, artists exhibited in the immediately preceding edition are not eligible to submit for the next one — so each Biennale presents a fresh and broader spectrum of artists.

Submissions for the VIII Edition are not yet open. The deadline goes to the artists’ mailing list before it is published anywhere else.

No, the London Art Biennale is not theme-based. This allows for a diverse range of artistic movements and styles to be presented.

The submission fee is £36 per artwork. This is the only fee payable, even if the artwork is selected for exhibition.

Yes, previously exhibited or published artworks are accepted.

There is no size limitation, but artworks larger than 250 cm on any side require prior consultation with the Biennale team.

The prizes are set edition by edition and change every time; those for the VIII Edition have not yet been announced. At the last edition, in 2025, the Biennale awarded £13,000 in cash prizes, including awards for painting, sculpture and installation, works on paper and digital work, alongside a museum exhibition in Tuscany, written critical analyses from the International Confederation of Art Critics, and a week-long residency. The full list as it ran in 2025, and who won, is on the awards page.

The majority of artworks displayed at the London Art Biennale are available for purchase; the decision to sell remains entirely at the artist’s discretion.

Yes. Through raffles and auctions the Biennale has raised significant funds for charities such as Rotary International’s End Polio Now campaign, The Salvation Army, London’s Air Ambulance and Age UK.