Turner Prize 2026 opens in Middlesbrough with four artists on the shortlist

Four artists are about to take over Middlesbrough. The Turner Prize 2026 exhibition opens on 26 September at MIMA, the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art in north-east England, and runs to 29 March 2027.

The shortlist this year is Simeon Barclay, Kira Freije, Marguerite Humeau and Tanoa Sasraku, Tate announced in April. All four were picked for an outstanding exhibition or other presentation of their work over the past year. The show at MIMA, which is run by Teesside University, brings together new and recent work by each of them across the gallery's ground floor and second floor, according to MIMA.

The winner will be named on 10 December 2026 at an award ceremony in Middlesbrough. That leaves almost three months of public viewing before the decision.

If you want an early look, MIMA is holding an Opening Weekend on 26 and 27 September, Saturday and Sunday from 10:30am to 3:30pm with free entry, MIMA lists. The gallery's regular hours are Tuesday to Saturday 10:00am to 4:30pm and Sunday noon to 4:00pm, with Mondays closed. Teachers get their own preview too, with free evening events booked for 22 October and 19 November.

So what is the Turner Prize? It is Britain's best-known prize for contemporary art, first awarded in 1984 and named after 19th-century artist J.M.W. Turner. It goes to a British artist, which Tate defines as an artist working mainly in Britain or an artist born in Britain working elsewhere. The focus is recent work, not lifetime achievement.

A new jury is chosen each year, drawn from gallery directors, curators, critics and writers, with at least one member from outside Britain. The jury picks four artists for the shortlist, then chooses the winner on the day of the announcement. The prize money totals £55,000, with £25,000 for the winner and £10,000 for each of the other three.

What makes this stand out for visitors is the setting. The prize is staged outside Tate Britain in London every other year, taking the shortlisted artists to a different city each time. This time it is Middlesbrough's turn, and the show sits alongside the gallery's own programme through winter and into spring.

Tickets are now listed on MIMA's website, with the opening weekend free. The result in December will decide who takes the £25,000 top award home.