Frida: The Making of an Icon mural. Thames Path, Blackfriars Station, SE1 8NJ; 15 June?2026 – 2028. Made possible by Better Bankside and Network Rail, produced by JACK ARTS, part of BUILDHOLLYWOOD.
London is preparing for a summer-long celebration of Frida Kahlo as a city-wide programme of murals, public art installations and cultural activations launches alongside Tate Modern’s major exhibition Frida: The Making of an Icon.
Opening to the public next week on 25th June, Tate Modern’s exhibition has already become the highest pre-selling exhibition in the institution’s history, with more than 35,000 tickets sold before opening. In response to unprecedented demand, cultural partners across the capital have joined forces to bring Kahlo’s image, ideas and influence beyond the gallery walls and into the public realm.
The programme sees Kahlo’s legacy appear across Bankside, Soho and central London through a series of ambitious public artworks, celebrating the artist’s enduring impact on contemporary culture, identity, feminism and self-expression.
A major highlight is the return of Beyond Boundaries, a collaboration between Better Bankside and Tate Collective, Tate’s global network for 16 to 25-year-olds. Six large-scale public murals have been unveiled across Bankside, created by emerging artists under the age of 25 in response to Kahlo’s life and work.
Installed on railway arches, walls and public spaces around Tate Modern, the murals explore different aspects of Kahlo’s identity, including her Mexican heritage, feminism, queerness, resilience and experience of disability.
Among the commissioned works are Amy Almeida’s Paisajes Mexicanos, which reflects on Mexican identity and environmental issues, Eddie Donaldson’s Dining Table, inspired by Kahlo’s radical honesty around pain and vulnerability, and Gloria da Silva’s Long Live London, a vibrant response to Kahlo’s final painting Viva La Vida that celebrates the diversity of contemporary London through sign language.
Speaking about the project, artist Gloria da Silva said:
“It has been a pleasure working on this mural honouring Frida Kahlo, an iconic female queer artist who was unapologetically vulnerable in her artwork. Despite living a tumultuous life, Frida’s level of resilience and commitment to painting by any means necessary is deeply inspiring.”
Meanwhile, Soho’s Carnaby Street will host ¡Frida Icónica!, a large-scale public art installation transforming the district into a colourful tribute to Kahlo’s creative vision. Designed by Mexican artist Alejandra Ballesteros, the installation features traditional papel picado banners suspended above the street alongside an anamorphic mural that reveals Kahlo’s instantly recognisable profile when viewed from the correct angle.
Launching during Pride Month, the project highlights Kahlo’s continued relevance as a cultural icon whose influence extends far beyond the art world.
Visitors can also expect to encounter Kahlo’s image across London throughout the summer, from digital screens in Piccadilly Circus to sites around Blackfriars and Bankside. Many of the artworks reinterpret her celebrated Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird (1940), reflecting how successive generations of artists continue to engage with her work.
Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, said:
“Frida Kahlo was an extraordinary artist, activist and style icon, recognised across the globe. We’re very excited to celebrate her across the capital with major murals and installations, showcasing our talented young artists.”
Tate Modern’s Interim Director Catherine Wood added:
“The extraordinary demand for Frida Kahlo is testament to the enduring power of her story and her work, which continues to resonate across cultures and communities, and inspire new generations of artists.”
More than seventy years after her death, Kahlo remains one of the most recognisable artists in the world. This summer, London itself becomes a canvas for her legacy, transforming streets, public spaces and neighbourhoods into a city-wide celebration of one of modern art’s most enduring figures.
Frida: The Making of an Icon, 25th June 2026 – 10th January 2027, Tate Modern
Beyond Boundaries Sumner Street, Ewer Street, Southwark Street, Great Suffolk Street, Great Guildford Street, Green Dragon Court; 15 June 2026 – 2028 www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/bankside/beyond-boundariesBeyond Boundaries is a collaboration between Tate Collective and Better Bankside, co-curated with Tate Collective Producers, made possible with support from Oxford Properties.
¡Frida Icónica! Carnaby Street,Soho, W1F 9PS; 25 June – September 2026 www.thisissoho.co.uk/whats-on/soho-events/frida-kahlo¡Frida Icónica! is a collaboration between Shaftesbury Capital and Tate Modern
Blackfriars mural Thames Path, Blackfriars Station, SE1 8NJ; 15 June 2026 – 2028 Made possible by Better Bankside and Network Rail, produced by JACK ARTS, part of BUILDHOLLYWOOD
Piccadilly Lights Piccadilly Circus, W1D 7ET; 20:30, 20 June 2026
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