One of the biggest names in British contemporary art is about to make Middlesbrough home for six months.
The Turner Prize 2026 exhibition opens at MIMA on Saturday 26 September, bringing work by this year’s four shortlisted artists to the town until 29 March 2027.
The shortlist features Simeon Barclay, Kira Freije, Marguerite Humeau and Tanoa Sasraku. Their work will be shown together at MIMA before the winner is announced on 10 December.
For Middlesbrough, this is more than another exhibition date in the diary. The Turner Prize is one of the best-known awards in British art and has previously helped bring wider to artists including Steve McQueen, Grayson Perry, Antony Gormley, Lubaina Himid and Jasleen Kaur.
Hosting it puts MIMA, and Middlesbrough itself, right in the middle of a national conversation about what contemporary art looks like now.
The exhibition is free to visit, although advance booking is required. That matters. A major national cultural event arriving in the town is one thing; making it accessible without a ticket price is another.
The Turner Prize was founded in 1984 and is organised by Tate. Each year a jury selects four artists for what it considers an outstanding exhibition or presentation of their work. The eventual winner is chosen after the shortlisted exhibition opens.
This year, that decision will be made with Middlesbrough as the backdrop.
The exhibition runs at MIMA from 26 September 2026 to 29 March 2027. MIMA is in Centre Square, Middlesbrough.
: Event dates, shortlist information and exhibition details were checked against We Are Middlesbrough, Middlesbrough Council’s official cultural listings site.