Renoir and Love at The National Gallery: Tickets, Dates and London Stays

Checked 11 October 2026. Exhibition dates, evening hours and gallery schedules are subject to change, so confirm current arrangements directly on The National Gallery website.

Renoir and Love runs at The National Gallery until 31 January 2027 in the Sainsbury Wing. The exhibition gathers more than 40 paintings from collections across the globe, led by Pierre-Auguste Renoir's 1876 canvas Bal au Moulin de la Galette, shown in the United Kingdom for the first time. Book your timed-entry tickets online through the gallery box office well beforehand: weekend and evening slots fill quickly.

What this guide covers

• Pierre-Auguste Renoir's greatest loans in London
• Exhibition dates, opening hours and Friday Lates
• Tickets, pricing and how to book
• How to plan an art collector's weekend in London
• Fine dining near Trafalgar Square and St James's
• Getting to The National Gallery
• Where to stay in London
• Questions we are asked most
• Planning your London art stay with Luxury Experience AI

Pierre-Auguste Renoir's greatest loans in London

Renoir and Love brings together over 40 paintings examining human intimacy and affection. Organised jointly by The National Gallery, the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the exhibition centres on Pierre-Auguste Renoir's 1876 work Bal au Moulin de la Galette. Lent by the Musée d'Orsay, it has never before been shown on British soil.

The show focuses on Renoir's work between the mid-1860s and the mid-1880s. Over these two decades, he turned Impressionist brushwork toward personal warmth rather than remote landscapes, painting dance halls, riverbanks, and family gatherings.

Key international loans on view include:

• Bal au Moulin de la Galette (1876, Musée d'Orsay, Paris): The great canvas of couples dancing under the dappled trees of Montmartre. Left to the French state by Gustave Caillebotte in 1896, it has never previously crossed the Channel.
• Dance at Bougival (1883, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston): A companion dance scene, notable for its turning figures, bright red bonnets, and detailed fabrics.
• Lunch at Restaurant Fournaise (The Rowers' Lunch) (1875, The Art Institute of Chicago): An easy riverside meal by the Seine, painted with natural warmth.
• Mother Antony's Tavern (1866, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm): An early group portrait showing the artist's roots in Realism before Impressionism took hold.
• Young Mother (1881, The Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia): A quiet domestic study of early motherhood.
• Self-Portrait (c. 1875, Clark Art Institute, Williamstown): An austere self-examination painted during his most prolific years in Paris.

For private tours or cultural programmes planned around the exhibition, ask our AI concierge to coordinate details with our specialist art advisory partners.

Exhibition dates, opening hours and Friday Lates

Renoir and Love runs daily in the Sainsbury Wing of The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square until 31 January 2027. Normal hours are 10:00 to 18:00 Saturday to Thursday, with late opening until 21:00 each Friday.

Friday Lates give the galleries a different tempo. From 23 October 2026 to 15 January 2027, evening access includes acoustic music in the foyer, short salon talks, and the gallery's "Pay What You Wish" scheme.

Date / Schedule	Operating Hours	Featured Event / Programme
Saturday to Thursday	10:00 to 18:00	Standard daytime exhibition admission
Friday Lates (Weekly)	10:00 to 21:00	Extended evening opening across Sainsbury Wing galleries
Friday 16 October 2026	18:30	The Renoir Girls author talk with Catherine Ostler and curator Christopher Riopelle
Friday 23 October 2026	18:00 to 21:00	Friday Lates opening night with pianist Karim Kamar; Pay What You Wish begins
Friday 6 November 2026	18:30 to 20:30	A Toast to Renoir: Champagne tasting with canapés in the Supporters' House Salon
Monday 16 November 2026	13:00 to 13:45	Curator's introduction to Renoir and Love in the Pigott Theatre
Friday 27 November 2026	18:00 to 19:30	Creative masterclass: drawing Renoir's The Umbrellas

For the quietest visit, take the 10:00 entry on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Weekend afternoons between 13:00 and 16:00 are the busiest.

Tickets, pricing and how to book

Standard admission to Renoir and Love is £20 on off-peak days (Sunday to Thursday) and £25 on peak days (Friday, Saturday, and throughout the exhibition's opening fortnight). Visitors aged 17 and under enter free. National Gallery Members visit without charge and do not need to book in advance.

Luxury Experience AI does not sell general admission tickets. Purchase yours directly through The National Gallery online box office well before your trip.

Points to keep in mind when booking:

• Timed entry slots: Each ticket gives you a 15-minute arrival window. Arriving late can mean waiting outside when rooms are full.
• Pay What You Wish Friday evenings: From 17:30 to 21:00 on Fridays between 23 October 2026 and 15 January 2027, admission is pay-what-you-wish from £1. These slots must still be booked online beforehand.
• Membership benefits: Members bypass the timed lines and can return whenever they like: sensible if you plan to spend several days in town.
• Group bookings: Independent groups of seven or more must contact the gallery education office before reserving tickets.

How to plan an art collector's weekend in London

An art weekend in central London pairs an early exhibition slot at Trafalgar Square with private gallery visits in St James's and Mayfair. The West End is compact, making it simple to walk between public collections and commercial spaces.

Friday: Arrival and Friday Lates

Check into your apartment in the early afternoon, unpack and unwind. Head to Trafalgar Square for a 17:30 slot at The National Gallery, which gives you two unhurried hours with Renoir and Love. Dine afterwards in St James's, where 45 Jermyn St. serves dependable British cooking late into the evening.

Saturday: The Courtauld Gallery and Mayfair Dealerships

Start Saturday morning at The Courtauld Gallery in Somerset House on the Strand, ten minutes on foot from Trafalgar Square. The Courtauld holds an exceptional collection of Impressionist art, including Renoir's 1874 canvas La Loge, Édouard Manet's A Bar at the Folies-Bergère, and prime works by Paul Cézanne.

Walk north in the afternoon through the commercial galleries along Cork Street and Duke Street St James's. If your stay falls during the autumn fairs, consult our guide to Frieze London and Frieze Masters for notes on collecting in Regent's Park.

Sunday: Private Culture and British Etiquette

Take Sunday morning slowly with a walk through St James's Park towards the Mall and Buckingham Palace, followed by brunch. For guests interested in British social conventions, Luxury Experience AI arranges a private etiquette session with Laura Windsor, covering formal dining and hosting traditions.

Fine dining near Trafalgar Square and St James's

The streets around Trafalgar Square and St James's hold several excellent dining rooms within ten minutes' walk of the Sainsbury Wing.

• The Portrait Restaurant by Richard Corrigan (St Martin's Place, WC2H): At the top of the National Portrait Gallery, this room looks over Trafalgar Square towards the Palace of Westminster. Richard Corrigan's menu focuses on British fish and game, ideal for lunch before the exhibition.
• 45 Jermyn St. (St James's, SW1Y): Fitted with burnt-orange booths and run with polished hospitality, this dining room is known for table-side caviar service, beef wellington, and seasonal autumn game.
• Maison François (Duke Street St James's, SW1Y): A French brasserie serving house terrines, Dover sole, and an impressive subterranean wine bar, Frank's. A natural choice alongside French painting.
• The Wolseley (160 Piccadilly, W1J): The grand cafe on Piccadilly, well suited to breakfast before morning viewings or dessert after a Friday Late.

To reserve a table at The Portrait Restaurant or secure private dining rooms in St James's, request a booking through our online concierge.

Getting to The National Gallery

The National Gallery sits on the north terrace of Trafalgar Square, with the Sainsbury Wing entrance on Pall Mall East. Charing Cross station is two minutes away on foot.

Station / Route	Lines / Service	Distance to Sainsbury Wing	Walking Time
Charing Cross	Bakerloo, Northern, National Rail	150 metres	2 minutes
Leicester Square	Northern, Piccadilly	300 metres	4 minutes
Embankment	Circle, District, Bakerloo, Northern	500 metres	7 minutes
Piccadilly Circus	Bakerloo, Piccadilly	650 metres	8 minutes
Tottenham Court Road	Elizabeth line, Central, Northern	900 metres	11 minutes

For routes and live service details, check the Transport for London website.

Taxis can set down on Pall Mall East and Whitcomb Street, directly beside the Sainsbury Wing. Arriving from Heathrow, the Elizabeth line reaches Tottenham Court Road in 35 minutes, leaving a short black cab ride down to the gallery.

To arrange transfers between your residence, private air terminals and Trafalgar Square, book a chauffeur through our AI concierge.

Where to stay in London

Stay central to keep journeys short. We suggest the historic streets of Mayfair, the museum quarter in South Kensington, or the waterside developments of Canary Wharf.

We provide luxury residences across London, bookable through our online concierge.

If you prefer South Kensington, we arrange stays in trusted partner apartments on request; our own building there is currently in development.

For guests who value quiet, generous floor plans and fast transit across London, our Canary Wharf properties connect to the West End via the Elizabeth line in twelve minutes:

• The John Cabot: A one-bedroom luxury apartment in Canary Wharf, sleeping four guests, from £427 a night. Offers open living space, a private balcony and rapid links into central London.
• The William Jessop: A two-bedroom apartment in Canary Wharf, sleeping up to seven guests, from £580 a night. Well suited to families or collectors travelling together.
• The Mellish Residence: A comfortable one-bedroom apartment in Canary Wharf, sleeping five guests, from £275 a night. Waterfront views and swift train connections.

Questions we are asked most

Where is Renoir and Love taking place in London?
The exhibition is held inside the Sainsbury Wing of The National Gallery, located on the north side of Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN. The dedicated exhibition entrance is accessed directly via Pall Mall East.

Is Bal au Moulin de la Galette on display in the UK?
Yes. Pierre-Auguste Renoir's monumental 1876 canvas Bal au Moulin de la Galette has been loaned by Paris's Musée d'Orsay for this exhibition, marking the first time the historic artwork has ever been shown in the United Kingdom.

Do I need to book tickets in advance for Renoir and Love?
Advance booking is strongly recommended for all visitors. Standard entry requires a timed 15-minute arrival slot, and peak weekend slots frequently sell out several weeks before the date.

Can I visit Renoir and Love in the evening?
Yes. The National Gallery hosts Friday Lates every week, keeping the exhibition open until 21:00. These sessions also feature live musical performances, philosophical talks, and the gallery's Pay What You Wish admission initiative.

Does Luxury Experience AI sell tickets to The National Gallery?
No. Luxury Experience AI does not sell general admission exhibition tickets, which must be purchased directly through The National Gallery box office. We curate luxury apartment stays, chauffeur transfers, private dining and bespoke art itineraries around your trip.

Planning your London art stay with Luxury Experience AI

Renoir and Love provides an unusual opportunity to see major French paintings that rarely travel outside Paris or Boston. Combining the exhibition with a private apartment ensures your London visit remains peaceful and straightforward.

Browse our luxury residences across London, or speak to our online concierge to arrange private transfers, table bookings, and gallery itineraries for your stay.