Wildlife Photographer exhibition opens in London on 16 October

Name: Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 Exhibition
Start: 2026-10-16
Location: Natural History Museum

beehiveweb.co.uk editorial team 2026-09-08 13:41 2 min read

A curious polar bear looks down through a circular hole in thin sea ice.

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition will return to London’s Natural History Museum on Friday 16 October, bringing together the 100 winning images from the 2026 competition. The event is aimed at visitors interested in wildlife and photography, although the Museum’s announcement does not yet specify admission prices, booking arrangements or an opening time.

The exhibition marks the 62nd year of the Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. Its first preview follows what the Museum describes as a record-breaking year for competition entries.

The 100 winning images will go on display in London

The Museum has released a sneak peek ahead of the exhibition, but the central attraction will be the complete collection of 100 winning photographs. All of the selected images are due to be displayed at the Natural History Museum from the confirmed opening date.

That makes 16 October the first firm planning detail for prospective visitors. No closing date has been included in the source announcement, so the confirmed schedule currently extends only to the exhibition’s opening.

The presentation will give visitors the opportunity to see the winning work as one collection rather than relying on the initial selection released during the preview. The supplied announcement does not provide descriptions of individual photographs, category results or named photographers.

A 62nd edition shaped by a record entry year

Wildlife Photographer of the Year is described by the Natural History Museum as the world’s leading wildlife photography competition. The 2026 edition begins its public rollout with the preview of the winning images before the full exhibition opens in October.

The reference to a record-breaking year concerns the number of competition entries. The Museum has not provided an entry total in the available announcement, so no direct comparison with earlier editions can yet be made from the published information.

What visitors can confirm before making plans

The confirmed venue is the Natural History Museum in London, with the exhibition opening on Friday 16 October 2026. The display will feature all 100 winning images selected for the competition’s 62nd year.

Visitors should note that the announcement does not state a start time, closing date, ticket price, booking method, transport guidance or accessibility arrangements. Those practical details remain unconfirmed in the supplied information; the next confirmed milestone is the opening of the complete exhibition at the Museum on 16 October.

Source: Natural History Museum Press Releases

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The date, venue and exhibition scope were checked against the Natural History Museum’s announcement.

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