Victoria and Albert Museum to face two-day strike in October 2026

The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) has announced strike action scheduled for October 29 and 30, 2026, which will impact all four of its London locations. The industrial action involves members of the Prospect and Public and Commercial Services (PCS) unions, stemming from a dispute regarding the museum’s 2026 pay award.

The V&A East Museum and V&A East Storehouse will be completely closed during the two-day period. Other sites will operate with significant restrictions: the South Kensington site will have reduced access, with only the café, some ground-floor galleries, and the ‘Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art’ exhibition expected to remain open. The Young V&A will be limited to the ‘Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends’ exhibition and pre-booked half-term events.

Visitors holding tickets for canceled events at South Kensington or specific exhibitions like ‘The Music is Black’ and the ‘David Bowie Centre’ are expected to be contacted directly by the museum regarding refunds or arrangements.