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  • British Library website
  • What’s on
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What’s on

Featured exhibitions

  • A collage on a green background. It shows a tree with birds and frogs around the tree, two planets ans stars are in top corners of the image. A cat in a spaceship travels toward the the left hand planet
    British Library, LondonFree

    Story Explorers: A journey through imaginary worlds

    Until Sunday 18 January 2026

    Take a free family trip through our collection and discover the stories behind objects which take you to wondrous places. Designed for children 0–9.

    More info
  • Artwork for Secret Maps exhibition. Navy background with lots of different maps from history, and images of a flight tracker, an Enigma Machine, Minecraft’s Uncensored Library, D-Day, and a war room. Some of these are obscured by shadows or pixellation.
    British Library, London

    Secret Maps

    24 October 2025 – 18 January 2026

    Who shapes your world? Who decides what you see? What hides behind grid lines?

    More info
See all exhibitions

All Events

List of Events

  1. The Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and Westminster Bridge barely visible in the smog.
    Free

    SMOG STORIES: A Lived History of Air Pollution in Britain

    Wednesday 29 October 18.30

    Learn about histories of air pollution with Visiting Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Sustainability, Kathy Davies.

    More info
  2. Blue and white cyanotype impressions of algae
    Free

    Libraries and positive climate action: inform to transform

    Thursday 30 October, Thursday 11 December 2025 and Thursday 26 February 2026

    Explore how libraries are embracing climate literacy to empower staff, users and communities.

    More info
  3. Photos of Tasha Suri, Juno Dawson, TJ Klune and Samantha Shannon

    Queer Fantasy

    Thursday 30 October, 19.00

    An evening with Juno Dawson, Samantha Shannon, Tasha Suri and TJ Klune.

    More info
  4. Various archival items and equipment relating to the recording of sound and music including a CD, vinyl in paper sleeves and wax cylinder tubes.

    Doctoral Open Day: Music, Sound and Vision

    Friday 31 October 11.30

    Explore our music, sound and vision, and visual arts collections in this Doctoral Open Day for PhD students.

    More info
  5. Map from 1842 titled Map to illustrate the War in China.

    How Maps Win or Lose Wars

    Friday 31 October 19.00

    Discover the crucial role maps play in warfare from the frontlines to the war rooms.

    More info
  6. a spooky image of the British Library
    Festival

    Tales of the Weird: An Autumnal Festival

    Saturday 1 – Sunday 2 November

    The return of the British Library’s celebration of strange, uncanny and horrifying writing.

    More info
  7. Elderly woman knitting on a sofa with her companion android reading a book in the living room.

    AI Debate: Will AI make us happier?

    Monday 3 November 19.00

    Join a panel of experts to explore whether AI can really make us healthier, wealthier and happier than ever.

    More info
  8. black and white photo of Mariana Enríquez

    World Wide Weird: Mariana Enríquez and Mona Awad

    Monday 3 November 19.00

    A special event to close Tales of the Weird: An Autumnal Festival.

    More info
  9. Images of the speakers: Münire Zeyneb Maksudoğlu, Shazia Jagot, Lubaaba Al-Azami and Rebecca Rideal

    Islam in Medieval England

    Thursday 6 November 18.30

    Our expert panel explore the Islamic presence in England during the medieval and early modern period.

    More info
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Further content for What's on

Three people are silhouetted against a brightly lit display case as they look at the books instead. The case has a yellow background.

Accessible events and group workshops

We offer a range of events and group workshops for people with additional needs and disabilities.
Photograph showing a group of young children playing with a bearded workshop leader wearing a red plaid shirt. The children are throwing pieces of coloured fabric into the air

Family activities

Join us for family fun from creative family days, regular under 5’s sessions and artist-led workshops. There is so much for you to enjoy. Book Now.
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Tours

Discover more about our history, collections, and architecture with our available guided tours of the Library. Concessions and private tours available.
A group of 6 schoolgirls of varying heights but all dressed in school uniform have gathered around an exhibition display case to look inside of it.

School workshops

Planning your next school trip? We offer hands-on creative workshops, interactive tours with experts, and self-guided visits to inspire your students. Book Now.
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Business events

We’re here to help you start and grow your business with free events, workshops and one-to-ones with our team of specialists.

Adult courses

We run courses for adult learners both in-person and online, themed around key areas of our collection. Join a one-day masterclass, a hands-on creative weekend or tune into a six-week lecture series on a variety of topics.

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Our members play a vital role in supporting us so we can care for our collections, protecting them for future generations.

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