Hokusai's Great Wave from 20 October and Charlie Mackesy's drawings from 3 November. Prices, opening hours, Christmas events and last year's festive closures.
Dulwich Picture Gallery has two winter shows this year, and they overlap from November. Hokusai: Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji opens on Tuesday 20 October and runs to 17 January 2027, with adult tickets from £21.50. Charlie Mackesy: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, the Horse… and You opens on Tuesday 3 November and runs to 7 February 2027, and it is included in the normal admission ticket. Under-18s go free to both.
The quick answer
- Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm, bank holidays included. Closed Mondays.
- Hokusai from £21.50; Mackesy included with a £10 collection ticket. Under-18s free; £1 exhibition tickets on Universal Credit or Pension Credit.
- Christmas closures for 2026 are not published yet. Last year the gallery shut on 22 to 26, 29 and 31 December and 1 January.
The two exhibitions
Hokusai: Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji from the Iuchi Collection, 20 October 2026 to 17 January 2027. The gallery says it is the first time the complete set has been shown in the UK. It includes an impression of Under the Wave off Kanagawa, better known as The Great Wave, and a rare variant of Red Fuji never before seen in the UK. The prints come from the Iuchi Collection, lent in partnership with the National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo. Adults from £21.50 with donation; Friends free.
Charlie Mackesy: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, the Horse… and You, 3 November 2026 to 7 February 2027. A one-room show of early sketches, unpublished studies and finished drawings from his two best-selling books, curated by Kate Bryan. Visitors are invited to make their own drawings in response. Included with gallery admission.
Also on until Sunday 25 October: Curtain Up!, a display of theatre portraits, included with admission.
Prices
From the gallery’s visit page:
| Ticket | Exhibition ticket | Collection ticket |
|---|---|---|
| Adult, with donation | from £16 (Hokusai from £21.50) | £10 |
| Student or disabled visitor | £10 | £5 |
| Under 30, with donation | 50% off | £5 |
| Universal Credit or Pension Credit | £1 | Free |
| Under 18 | Free | Free |
| Companion | Free | Free |
| Art Fund member | Free |
An exhibition ticket includes the collection and displays; a collection ticket covers the permanent collection and displays, which this winter includes the Mackesy room. The gallery recommends booking ahead.
Opening hours
- Gallery and shop: Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm, including bank holidays.
- Cafe: Tuesday to Saturday 8am to 5pm, Sunday 9am to 5pm, closed Monday.
- Sculpture Garden: every day, 8am to 5pm, free.
- ArtPlay Pavilion for under-8s: every day, 9am to 4.45pm. Sessions £9 per child with up to two adults.
Christmas opening: what happened last year
The gallery says it is open “across all Bank Holidays, and for much of the Christmas period”, and posts festive hours on its visit page each December. It has not posted 2026 hours yet.
Last year, according to the visit page as archived on 6 December 2025:
- Gallery, cafe and shop: closed 22 to 26, 29 and 31 December 2025, and 1 January 2026.
- ArtPlay: closed 23 to 26 and 31 December 2025, and 1 January 2026.
So expect a closure across Christmas week and around New Year, with the between-days open. We will update this page when the 2026 hours appear.
Christmas and winter events
| Date | Event | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Tue 3 Nov | Curator’s talk: Hokusai | £35, concessions £30 |
| Sun 8 Nov | Make your own beaded felt stars | £55 |
| Sun 15 Nov | Festive paper cutting | £65 |
| Thu 19 Nov | Hokusai paint and sip | £40 |
| Sun 22 Nov | Wreath making with Floral Evolution | £115 |
| Sun 22 and 29 Nov | Festive printmaking with Alex Booker | £95 |
| Thu 3 Dec, 7pm to 8.30pm | Christmas Concert: carols and readings with The Imperial Singers, in Christ’s Chapel | £19 |
| Sat 5 Dec, 6pm to 7pm | Charlie Mackesy Live, at the Michael Croft Theatre, Alleyn’s School | from £25 |
| Sat 12 Dec | Make your own charm necklace | £65 |
| Sun 13 Dec | Japanese woodblock printmaking | £70 |
All from the gallery’s what’s on listings; Friends get discounts. The Christmas Concert’s seats are first come, first served, and proceeds go to the gallery’s learning programme.
Last year the gallery also hosted So Last Century’s Christmas Vintage Market on 5 and 6 December 2025, free to enter. No 2026 date has been listed.
Getting there
Entrances are on College Road and Gallery Road, SE21 7AD. The nearest stations are West Dulwich (from Victoria) and North Dulwich (from London Bridge), each about a 10-minute walk. The P4 bus stops outside. There is free parking on Gallery Road and College Road and paid parking in Dulwich Park; Gallery Road is inside the ULEZ. Check the Dulwich parking and roadworks pages before driving, and the Christmas trains page for holiday services.
For children’s events in the October holiday, see Dulwich October half term. Dulwich Village’s own festive day is covered on our Christmas lights page.
Still to be confirmed
- 2026 Christmas opening hours. Expected on the visit page in late November or early December.
- Whether the Christmas vintage market returns.
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