ETCH

Central Saint Martins Degree Show 2026: dates, venue, and what to expect

Central Saint Martins runs CSM Shows 2026 in two distinct strands. The BA strand, including BA Fine Art, runs 18 to 21 June 2026. The Postgraduate Art strand, including MA Fine Art, runs 1 to 5 July 2026. Both shows are at the King's Cross campus, both are free, and neither requires booking. This guide covers the confirmed dates, opening times, transport, and what makes a CSM Shows visit different from any other UAL college.

At a glance

  • BA strand (incl. BA Fine Art): 18 to 21 June 2026
  • Postgraduate Art strand (incl. MA Fine Art): 1 to 5 July 2026
  • BA opening times: Thursday and Friday 12pm to 8pm; Saturday and Sunday 12pm to 6pm
  • PG Art opening times: Wednesday to Friday 12pm to 8pm; Saturday and Sunday 12pm to 6pm
  • Last entry: 30 minutes before close
  • Venue: Central Saint Martins, 1 Granary Square, King's Cross, London N1C 4AA
  • Admission: Free
  • Closest station: King's Cross St Pancras

Confirmation status: Dates and opening times confirmed by Central Saint Martins on the official CSM Shows page.

When are the CSM Shows 2026?

CSM splits its degree show calendar into two windows. The first runs Thursday 18 June to Sunday 21 June 2026 and covers undergraduate programmes including BA Fine Art. The second runs Wednesday 1 July to Sunday 5 July 2026 and covers postgraduate art, including MA Fine Art. The two strands sit either side of the longest week of UK degree-show season, so visitors planning a London grad-show tour can pair CSM BA with the RCA Fine Art show on the same weekend (the RCA School of Arts and Humanities Show runs 18 to 21 June, the same dates as CSM BA).

Last entry across both strands is 30 minutes before close.

Where to find it

The whole CSM Shows experience happens at the King's Cross campus, 1 Granary Square, London N1C 4AA. The building is the old Victorian granary on the canal, repurposed into one of the largest single art-school buildings in Europe.

Getting there:

  • Tube and rail: King's Cross St Pancras is a five-minute walk. Six tube lines plus Eurostar, East Coast Main Line, and Thameslink.
  • Walking: From King's Cross station, walk north past the fountains in Granary Square. The college entrance is the long brick frontage at the top of the square.
  • Cycling: Santander Cycles dock right outside in Granary Square.

The granary building is hard to miss; what is less obvious is that the show typically spreads across multiple floors of the granary plus the studios in the Boilerhouse extension behind it. Pick up a printed map at reception when you arrive.

Private view and opening night

A public-facing private view is not separately published on the CSM Shows page as of April 2026. CSM has historically run an invite-only press and industry preview the evening before each strand opens. For the public, the first evening of each run (Thursday 18 June for BA, Wednesday 1 July for PG Art) is typically the busiest because alumni and tutors arrive after work.

If you want to be in the building when the doors open on the first day, plan to arrive 10 to 15 minutes before noon.

Who is showing

CSM Shows are unusually broad because the college covers art, design, fashion, performance, and architecture all in one building. The BA strand mixes BA Fine Art graduates with BA Graphic Communication Design, BA Product Design, BA Architecture, and the famous BA Fashion graduates whose final collections walk on the runway during the same period.

The Postgraduate Art strand is narrower and concentrated on the studio-based MA programmes, including MA Fine Art and MA Art and Science. Cohort sizes are not published on the official page, but MA Fine Art at CSM has historically been around 60 graduates per year.

What makes CSM Shows distinctive

CSM's degree show is the most cross-disciplinary in London. Visitors regularly walk from a sculpture studio into a fashion presentation into a graphic design installation inside the same corridor. Two practical implications.

First, the buyer mix is wider. CSM Shows pull in collectors, gallerists, design directors, fashion buyers, and TV scouts in the same crowd. If you make work that crosses disciplines, this is the one show where the audience is already prepared for that.

Second, the standard for presentation is high. Because the building is full of fashion-trained students, the bar for how work is hung, lit, and labelled gets pulled up across the whole show. Worth bringing a camera and noting how artists at the top end have presented their stuff.

Tips for visiting

  • Pair the BA visit with RCA on the same weekend. RCA's School of Arts and Humanities Show runs the same dates (18 to 21 June). One weekend, two of the most-watched London degree shows.
  • The PG Art weekend is quieter than the BA weekend. If you want to talk to artists about their work without queuing, go on the postgraduate weekend.
  • King's Cross has dozens of food options. Caravan, Dishoom, Coal Drops Yard. You will not go hungry.
  • The college's own cafe is on the ground floor. Useful if you want to sit and review your photos without leaving the building.
  • Save your phone battery. CSM Shows is a long walk and you will end up taking hundreds of photos.

Are you a graduating artist showing at CSM?

If you are showing at CSM Shows 2026 and want a single mobile-first page where visitors can see your work, see your prices, and reserve a piece, build your exhibition on Etch. Free during the show and for thirty days after. Print QR labels and let visitors scan to the price and availability of every piece on your wall.

For pricing your work, see how to price your degree-show artwork. For getting your show calendar visible to buyers in the King's Cross orbit, see the UK Art Degree Shows 2026 calendar.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Central Saint Martins Degree Show 2026? The BA strand runs 18 to 21 June 2026. The Postgraduate Art strand runs 1 to 5 July 2026. Both at the King's Cross campus.

Is the CSM Show free? Yes, both strands are free and open to the public. No advance booking is required.

Where is the CSM degree show held? At Central Saint Martins, 1 Granary Square, King's Cross, London N1C 4AA. Five minutes walk from King's Cross St Pancras.

What time does CSM Shows close? BA: Thursday and Friday 8pm, weekends 6pm. Postgraduate Art: Wednesday to Friday 8pm, weekends 6pm. Last entry is 30 minutes before close.

Can I buy work at CSM Shows? Yes. Most graduating artists list their work for sale, with prices, contact details, and payment arrangements managed by each artist directly.

Is there an industry or press preview? CSM has historically run an invite-only press and industry preview the evening before public opening. There is no public-facing private view listed on the official page as of April 2026.

Sources

Last updated 26 April 2026. Compiled by Etch from official Central Saint Martins listings. If you spot something out of date, email hello@etchapp.art and we will correct it within 24 hours.