HOLBA’s award-winning free art and culture programme, Art After Dark, returns with a week-long celebration of London’s nightlife through art and music, including a special after-hours DJ set at the National Gallery.
From Tuesday 3 to 10 February 2026, the programme, delivered by Art of London, features large-scale public artworks, late-night gallery openings, and exclusive music experiences across the West End.
To open the programme, internationally acclaimed London-based artist Lakwena Maciver will unveil her landmark public artwork, Rise and Shine: a 7-metre-tall tower of stacked disco lightboxes in Piccadilly Circus.
The artwork reimagines the site’s analogue heritage through kaleidoscopic colour and a soundtrack referencing the nightlife of the 1980s and 1990s, a period that influenced music genres from hip-hop to drum and bass.
The artwork reimagines the site’s analogue heritage through kaleidoscopic colour and a community-inspired soundtrack, with acid-bright visuals referencing the nightlife of the 1980s and 1990s that shaped genres from hip-hop to drum and bass.
Explore the West End after hours with late-night gallery openings and bookable tours via Art of London Gallery Hop! On Thursday 5 February, discover one-night-only exhibitions at galleries such as Cristea Roberts, Larkin Durey, and The Mayor Gallery, and experience Lakwena Maciver’s headline public art installation.
🗓️ 5 February 2026 | ⏱️ 6pm – 8pm
📍To be announced | 🎟️ free
Experience the West End after dark with live performances and special offers at over 30 bars and nightclubs, including Hard Rock Cafe and San Carlo. Don’t miss a one-off Party After Dark special DJ event at the National Gallery and an exclusive Q&A with Lakwena, in partnership with Apple Music.
🗓️ TBC | ⏱️ TBC
📍 TBC | 🎟️ TBC
Art After Dark 2026 is almost here, and this year it returns as a week-long celebration where music and art collide. Lakwena’s extraordinary installation will light up the West End with the colour, rhythm and energy that define London’s music culture. From late-night gallery hops and themed performances across the West End to a very special DJ-led after-party at The National Gallery, this year’s programme truly has it all. We want Londoners and visitors alike to feel the buzz, share the joy, and be part of something unforgettable in the heart of the capital
Kirsty Tullett-Jones, Director of Marketing and Communications, HOLBA
