The 62nd Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition opens at London’s Natural History Museum on 16 October 2026 and runs until 11 July 2027. The museum lists adult off-peak tickets from £17, with 100 awarded photographs on display in the Central Building at South Kensington.
With the opening two days away, readers following this year’s competition can now plan to see the complete exhibition rather than only a selection of pictures in news coverage. The useful choice is between a London visit and the museum’s linked online gallery; the advertised starting price applies to a particular ticket category.
A hundred photographs, with the stories around them
The exhibition brings together 100 awarded images from this year’s competition. The museum describes a journey through polar regions, rainforests, oceans and deserts, with photographs that also raise questions about environmental pressures. The display is intended to connect the image with the species, place and circumstances behind it.
The museum’s 26 August preview gives a concrete example: a photograph by Jack Crockford aligns a common swift with an aircraft above London. Its accompanying account links the bird to the end of its migration from southern Africa to northern European breeding grounds. That context explains why the exhibition can offer more than a quick scroll through striking pictures.
What the £17 price actually buys
The official exhibition page describes £17 as the starting price for an adult off-peak ticket. It is a useful budget starting point, but it is not a single price promised for every date or visitor. The same page says museum members get free exhibition entry. Membership is a separate product; a visitor should not treat that benefit as a free ticket available to everyone.
For a visit, open the museum’s exhibition page and use “Book your tickets”, which leads to its ticket booking page. Choose the intended visit and ticket type there before relying on a final price. This article has not completed a booking and does not promise availability, an exact party total or a particular entry slot.
Choose the visit that fits
The venue listed for this exhibition is the Central Building at South Kensington, rather than the museum at Tring. The museum also links “See the photos online” to its Wildlife Photographer of the Year gallery, giving readers who cannot travel a direct route to explore the images. That viewing route is not permission to copy or republish the photographs.
The confirmed answer for this year’s London exhibition is therefore a 16 October opening, a run through 11 July 2027 and adult off-peak admission starting at £17. An in-person visit offers the complete 100-image display in its exhibition setting; the linked gallery is the practical alternative for a remote reader. For a London plan, the final decision should use the actual visit and ticket category on the museum’s booking page.
The museum’s current exhibition page and its 26 August preview were read directly. Opening dates, venue, 100 awarded images, adult off-peak starting price and members’ entry benefit are confirmed by the museum. Booking availability, detailed categories and checkout totals are not independently quoted. No award-winning photo was copied.
- Natural History Museum: exhibition and booking ↗
- Natural History Museum: first look at the62nd competition ↗