Image: Roman Ondak, Measuring the Universe at Tate Modern 9 - 12 May 2025. Photo: Shani Monica
The extended hours will boost London’s night-time cultural offering, giving visitors chance to enjoy world-class art after work on weekends, says Mayor Sadiq Khan.
Following a record number of young visitors to Tate Modern’s 25th birthday weekend, it will now stay open until 9pm every Friday and Saturday.
A total of 76,000 people came to the gallery in three days for its birthday weekend, 70% of whom were under 35.
Tate Modern has previously held ‘Late’ events, an ongoing series of specially curated evening events held at the end of each month. These events have welcomed over three-quarters of a million people since launching in 2016, it said.
Building on these metrics, Tate Modern will begin permanently opening late on Friday and Saturday from 26 September 2025.
The free evening access “will contribute to the vibrancy of London’s night-time cultural offering, giving many visitors the chance to enjoy art after work on a Friday and Saturday”, it said.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he was “thrilled” at the news, adding that it will give “even more Londoners and visitors the chance to enjoy world-class art after hours.”
Alongside the extension of Tate Modern’s opening hours, the gallery’s regular Lates will continue at the end of each month, offering artist talks, creative workshops, film screenings, live music and DJ sets.
Karin Hindsbo, director of Tate Modern, said its Tate Modern Lates events “have become a cornerstone of London’s nightlife. They have proven the huge demand for access to our galleries outside of regular hours, especially among young Londoners who want to make the most of their city’s dynamic cultural scene.”
Further evening events take place every week in the Starr Cinema and in the gallery’s late-night bar Corner.
