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Royal College of Art Degree Show 2026: dates, venue, and what to expect

The Royal College of Art's 2026 graduate exhibition, RCA2026, opens at RCA Battersea on Thursday 18 June and runs to Sunday 21 June 2026. Admission is free and there is no booking. This guide covers the confirmed dates, opening hours, the ten MA programmes in the Fine Art strand, how to get there, and what to expect on a visit.

At a glance

  • Show: RCA2026: School of Arts and Humanities Show
  • Dates: Thursday 18 June to Sunday 21 June 2026
  • Times: 12pm to 6pm daily, with a late opening on Friday 19 June until 8pm. Last entry is 30 minutes before close.
  • Venue: RCA Battersea, 1 Hester Road, London SW11 4AY
  • Admission: Free, no booking
  • Cohort: Ten MA and MFA programmes across the School of Arts and Humanities
  • Sibling shows under RCA2026: School of Design EXPO (16 to 19 July), Festival of Communication (3 to 12 July)

Confirmation status: Dates and times confirmed by the Royal College of Art on the official RCA2026 page.

When is the RCA Degree Show 2026?

RCA2026 runs over four days, Thursday 18 June to Sunday 21 June 2026. Public hours are 12pm to 6pm on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, with a late opening on Friday 19 June until 8pm. Last entry is 30 minutes before close, so plan to arrive by 5:30pm on most days and 7:30pm on Friday.

This is the Fine Art strand of RCA2026, the School of Arts and Humanities Show. The College splits its degree shows by school. If you also want to see the Design EXPO, it runs separately at RCA Kensington and Battersea from 16 to 19 July, and the Festival of Communication runs 3 to 12 July.

Where to find it

The Fine Art show is at RCA Battersea, 1 Hester Road, London SW11 4AY. The Battersea campus sits on the south bank of the Thames near Battersea Bridge, and has been the RCA's main studio campus since the Sandberg-Holberton expansion. The address sometimes appears as Howie Street, SW11 4AN, in older listings; both refer to the same site.

Getting there:

  • Tube: Battersea Power Station on the Northern line is roughly a 15 minute walk along the river. Sloane Square on the District and Circle lines is a short bus or 20 minute walk across Chelsea Bridge.
  • Overground: Imperial Wharf is closest from west London.
  • Bus: 19, 49, 170, 319, 345 all serve Battersea Bridge Road.
  • Walk from central London: From Sloane Square, cross Chelsea Bridge and walk west along the river. Roughly 25 minutes door to door.

Private view and opening night

A dedicated public-facing private view is not separately published on the RCA2026 page as of late April 2026. In recent years, the College has run an invite-only press, patrons, and sponsors preview on the evening before public opening. If you want to attend that preview without an invitation, the most reliable route is via RCA's press office or a sponsoring organisation, not the public booking page.

The Friday late opening on 19 June, until 8pm, is the closest substitute for an evening visit and is open to everyone for free.

Who is showing at RCA2026

The Fine Art strand pulls graduating students from ten MA and MFA programmes inside the School of Arts and Humanities:

  1. Arts and Humanities MFA
  2. Ceramics and Glass MA
  3. Contemporary Art Practice MA
  4. Curating Contemporary Art MA
  5. Jewellery and Metal MA
  6. Painting MA
  7. Photography MA
  8. Print MA
  9. Sculpture MA
  10. Writing MA

Headcounts vary by programme. Typical Fine Art cohorts at the RCA run from around 25 to 60 graduates each, so expect work from somewhere between 250 and 500 artists across the four days.

What makes RCA2026 distinctive

Two things set the RCA Degree Show apart from any other UK grad show. First, it is postgraduate only. Every artist showing has chosen to take their practice past a BA, and several have already exhibited internationally before they arrive. Second, the College is consistently ranked the world's number one art and design university in the QS World University Rankings by subject, which means buyers, gallerists, and press treat the show as a serious commercial signal in a way they do not for most degree shows.

The practical effect for visitors: works at RCA2026 are often priced higher than at undergraduate shows elsewhere in London the same week, and the piece that catches a curator's eye on Friday is often gone by Sunday.

Tips for visiting

  • Friday late opening is the busiest evening. If you want to see work without crowds, Thursday afternoon is the calmer option.
  • Wear comfortable shoes. RCA Battersea spans multiple buildings and the show stretches across studios and gallery floors.
  • Bring a notebook or use the official catalogue. With ten programmes showing, you will lose track of which artist made which work without notes.
  • Cash is optional. Most artists at RCA shows accept bank transfer, card payments via Stripe, or platform-mediated payment.
  • The Battersea bridge area has limited cafes. The Royal Pump House on the riverside is the closest sit-down option. Otherwise, head into Battersea proper for food.

Are you a graduating artist showing at RCA2026?

If you are showing at RCA2026 and want a clean way for visitors to see your prices, reserve, or buy without an awkward DM exchange, build your exhibition page on Etch in about fifteen minutes. Free during the show and for thirty days after, no card required to start. Print QR labels for your wall so visitors can scan straight to your work from your studio space. Etch handles the checkout and payouts; you arrange collection or delivery with the buyer.

For pricing your work for the first time, see the Etch Exhibition Playbook on how to price your degree-show artwork.

Frequently asked questions

Is the RCA Degree Show 2026 free? Yes. Admission is free and open to everyone, no booking required, per the Royal College of Art's official RCA2026 listing.

What dates is RCA2026? Thursday 18 June to Sunday 21 June 2026 for the Fine Art strand at RCA Battersea. The Design EXPO runs separately 16 to 19 July, and the Festival of Communication 3 to 12 July.

Is there a private view at the RCA Degree Show? The official RCA2026 page does not publish a public-facing private view as of April 2026. There is typically an invite-only press and patrons preview the evening before public opening. The Friday late opening until 8pm is the closest evening visit window for the public.

Where is the RCA Battersea campus? RCA Battersea is at 1 Hester Road, London SW11 4AY. The closest stations are Battersea Power Station (Northern line) and Imperial Wharf (Overground).

Can I buy work at the RCA Degree Show? Yes. Most artists list works for sale, with payment handled directly between buyer and artist or through the artist's own platform. The College itself does not run a central till.

What time should I arrive? For the calmest visit, Thursday 18 June between 12pm and 3pm. For the buzziest atmosphere, the Friday late opening 19 June 6pm to 8pm.

Sources

Last updated 25 April 2026. Compiled by Etch from official Royal College of Art listings. If you spot something out of date, email hello@etchapp.art and we will correct it within 24 hours.