Best of British: The Royal Academy of Arts, Summer Exhibition

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The Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition, now in its 257th year, is the United Kingdom’s best-loved art exhibition. There are 1,700 exhibits to enjoy, so allow plenty of time to wander the main galleries at Burlington House.

What is the Summer Exhibition

The Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts is always one of our must-attend London Summer experiences, along with the Wimbledon Championships or Glastonbury. It’s up there with the Henley Royal Regatta and Royal Ascot.

After attending previous Summer Exhibitions, we knew almost anything goes. So expect to find art in all forms, from prints, paintings, films, and photography to architectural works and sculpture by invited artists, Royal Academicians, and emerging talent.

You could easily spend many hours at the RA’s Summer Exhibition. In previous years, we have been intrigued by Paula Rego’s work, Oratorio, 2008-09. There is so much to look at here. I’m sure you could write a whole thesis on what the late Paula Rego RA was intending with Oratorio. This old wooden cabinet contains gory scenes and grisly dolls. There’s a gripping darkness to her work.

Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition

An incredible 16,500 works of art are submitted online. They choose around 4000 works of art to shortlist from, and about 6% are chosen by the hanging committee. Everyone selected to display their art feels like a winner!

I love the diversity of the talent and finding a work of art that speaks to me. I respect being made to think about what the artist portrays. Some are lovely, others are funny, and some are shocking. Everyone chosen plays a part in the bigger picture and has something to say about the theme.

Theme: Dialogies

This year’s theme is Dialogues, which allows for a broad interpretation. Organisers suggest:

‘Dialogues: The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2025 will be dedicated to art’s capacity to forge dialogues and to afford us sensitivity towards societal concerns, such as ecology, survival and living together.

For the first time, architecture will be integrated with the artworks throughout the show, creating conversations with art rather than being confined to its own space.
Farshid Moussavi OBE RA

For many, one of the fun parts of the exhibition is trying to work out the link to the “Dialogues” theme. Mr Wren comments that the theme often wasn’t clear to his untutored eye. In his words: ‘The theme allowed every humanoid and their automated dog to score an entry, making for an eclectic mix’

Take this above, found in 2023, called Big Easy Mixing Red and Transparent. This striking contemporary piece is one of four by Ron Arad. An industrial designer, artist, and architect and one of the most influential designers of his generation. If you would like to own this hunk of crystalline resin, it’s yours to snap up for £75,000.

What I love about the Summer Exhibition is the mixture of eminent artists and lesser-known people. Many are people I feel I should get to know (and perhaps most people probably do!).

How to buy Artwork

The excitement of the Summer Exhibition is that most of the artworks are for sale. How many of us dream of having Royal Academy art hanging in our lounge? Well, you can!

Sales from the Summer Exhibition support the exhibiting artists and the RA’s charitable work, including training the next generation of artists in the Royal Academy Schools. So go on, it’s for a worthy cause!

We love to guess how much the art costs. We then compare the artwork to its price in the list of works. What is great about the Summer Exhibition is the range in prices. Artwork starts at £250.

In our opinion, the Summer Exhibition is always worth a trip. The walls are very full with art, perhaps too full, and almost overwhelming. Sometimes you hear murmurs of “that’s rubbish” —harsh words! One person’s rubbish is another’s jubilation to have their art on the prestigious walls of the Royal Academy. Art is definitely all in the eye of the beholder.

Look out for in 2025

In 2022, we had the mouldy lemon that we were all discussing. In 2023, it seemed to be a dead cat.

The alarmingly realistic moggy is by Ryan Gander, RA. It is called Rest in Pieces. It’s certainly a talking point and is made of wood, latex, resin, synthetic fur, paint, and animatronics. For sale for £66,000.

Highlights in 2025 include a playful, large-scale installation by Ryan Gander in the courtyard, featuring five 3-metre inflatable balls, new paintings by Tracey Emin, and an array of sculptural installations hanging from the gallery’s ceiling.

Time Out Inside the 2025 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition suggests works of art to look out for. I bet if you attend with all your friends, everyone would have a different favourite. Everyone would possibly choose a different memorable piece, too.

Entering works for the Summer Exhibition 2026

The best thing about the Summer Exhibition is that you could be looking at a painting that any one of us created. I watched a BBC fly-on-the-wall documentary that followed artists far and wide as they submitted their works. It’s brilliant that anyone can be chosen to be hung on the prestigious Royal Academy walls. 

Go on, I know there are lots of fabulous artists who follow this blog. Would you like to enter works for next year’s exhibition? Good Luck!

The Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition details

Website: The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition

Held: 17 June – 17 August 2025

Tickets: £23.50 – £25.50 (including donation)

For those planning ahead, the dates you need for next year are June 16 to August 23 2026

Address: Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BD

Opening hours: Tues – Sun: 10 am–6 pm, Fridays 10 am – 9 pm

Nearest Tube Stations: Piccadilly Circus, Green Park, Oxford Circus, Bond Street

Final Thoughts

I hope you have enjoyed this little wander around the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition. Perhaps if you are in London in the next few weeks, you will consider popping along to enjoy the exhibition.

Do you like visiting art galleries? Is there a Summer Exhibition where you live?

If you have enjoyed this post, you might like to read:

Wandering the Royal Academy of the Arts Summer Exhibition,

Ban Silipan Artist Community, Bangkok

The Shambolic Delight of the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi