The winning museum will be announced on June 25 and\u00a0be awarded\u00a0a game-changing \u00a3120,000. The runners-up won\u2019t go home empty-handed, though. They\u2019re still guaranteed \u00a320,000 in prize money, which is five grand more than finalists have been given in previous years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The UK museums (outside of London) shortlisted for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2026
\n![\"Exterior](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776768306_529_image.webp\")
\nPhotograph: One Plymouth
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The Box, Plymouth\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last year, The Box in Plymouth celebrated its fifth birthday. Since opening in 2020, the museum has been telling the stories of Plymouth through more than two million\u00a0artworks, objects, specimens, and archival materials. To mark its birthday, it released a report that showed it had boosted Plymouth\u2019s economy by \u00a3244m since opening. It also hosted three artist-led projects\u00a0reimagining the future through Plymouth\u2019s past and\u00a0looking into how historic collections can challenge traditional museum narratives.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776768306_319_image.webp\")
\nPhotograph: David Levene
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The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge<\/p>\n
The Fitz\u00a0was founded in\u00a01816, partly with help from funds derived from the slave trade and much of its collection has complex and contested roots. But, Art Fund says, the university museum is committed\u00a0to confronting those more difficult aspects of its past and being an \u2018active participant in social dialogue, knowledge exchange and collective responsibility\u2019. That commitment can be seen in its programme of exhibitions and community projects last year.\u00a0The programme\u00a0included\u00a0Glenn Ligon\u2019s first major UK solo exhibition, which\u00a0reflected on race, visibility and institutional histories and a rehanging\u00a0of the painting galleries that\u00a0centred equity, dialogue and contemporary issues.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"Norwich](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776768307_953_image.webp\")
\nPhotograph: David Levene
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Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery, Norwich<\/p>\n
After a huge\u00a0\u00a327.5 million, five-year-long\u00a0renovation<\/a>, Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery reopened to the public last summer. Rooms in the medieval Castle Keep were furnished to give a better impression of what they would have looked like centuries ago, an immersive experience was installed in the Great Hall and the attraction collaborated with the British Museum to create a new permanent gallery\u00a0of medieval life through over 1,000 objects. The redevelopment also meant that visitors of all mobility levels can access all five floors of the landmark, from the basement to the rooftop, making it the most accessible castle in the UK.\u00a0<\/p>\n ICYMI:\u00a0This magnificent castle has been crowned the UK\u2019s greatest UNESCO site<\/a>.<\/p>\n Plus:\u00a0This underrated British museum is getting a game-changing refurb<\/a>.<\/p>\n