What's On at Kensington Palace in 2026
Dated shows and palace-run tours for 2026, with the closure that matters at the top. Everything here is either included in a standard ticket or sold at the palace's own desk; none of it is bookable through a tour operator.
Closed until spring 2027: the Queen's State Apartments
The Queen's State Apartments closed on 15 June 2026 for a conservation and re-presentation project and reopen in spring 2027. These are the rooms of Mary II and the earliest years of the palace, and two of the booking listings still advertise them. The King's State Apartments, Victoria's childhood rooms, the Jewel Room and the exhibition are all open, which is still a comfortable ninety minutes inside.
Exhibitions
🏛️ The Last Princesses of Punjab — 26 March to 8 November 2026
What it is: an exhibition marking the 150th birthday of Princess Sophia
Duleep Singh, suffragette and goddaughter of Queen Victoria, alongside the five women who shaped
her: her sisters Catherine and Bamba, her mother Bamba Müller, her grandmother Maharani Jind
Kaur and Victoria herself.
Where: Kensington Palace, inside the ticketed route.
Price: included in general admission, no separate ticket.
Ends: 8 November 2026.
💎 The Jewel Room — year-round
What it is: Queen Victoria's emerald tiara of 1845 with the matching necklace,
earrings and brooch of 1843, all designed by Prince Albert with the jeweller Joseph Kitching,
shown beside the Fife tiara and Princess Louise's diamond kokoshnik.
Where: Kensington Palace, on the standard route.
Price: included in general admission.
Runs: all year, on palace opening days.
Tours run by the palace itself
🌳 Palace in the Park — Wednesdays and Sundays to 20 December 2026
What it is: a headset-guided walk through three hundred years of the palace
and its gardens, taking in a royal alcove, the lions' heads and Queen Caroline's garden design,
and going inside the Sunken Garden rather than looking down into it.
When: every Wednesday and Sunday from 19 August to 20 December 2026, at
11:00–12:15 and 14:00–15:15.
Group size: ten people maximum.
Booking: at the on-site ticket office only — it cannot be booked online,
so ask at the desk when you arrive.
👑 The Duke Tour — Saturdays, 5 September to 19 December 2026
What it is: a guided tour of rooms lived in by Edward, Duke of Kent, his
daughter Queen Victoria and other royal residents, covering stories the standard route does not
reach.
When: 15 and 29 August 2026, then every Saturday from 5 September to 19 December
2026.
Booking: on site.
Relaxed and accessible sessions
🤝 Relaxed events for young people and adults
When: Sunday 10 May 2026 and Sunday 15 November 2026, 10:00 to 12:00.
What it is: a quieter opening for visitors who find a busy building difficult,
with lower light and sound levels and fewer people in the rooms.
Booking: through Historic Royal Palaces.
What has just finished
👗 Dress Codes — ended 30 November 2025
What it was: a display of court dress and the rules that governed it, drawn
from the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection held at the palace.
Ran: 13 March to 30 November 2025.
Why it is here: one of the booking listings still names it in its inclusions, so
if you see Dress Codes advertised against a 2026 ticket, that is a listing nobody has updated
rather than a show you can still see. The exhibition running now is The Last Princesses of
Punjab, and it is included in the same admission.
Every 2026 date in one table
| What | Dates | Days and times | Price | Booked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Last Princesses of Punjab | 26 March – 8 November 2026 | Palace opening days | Included | With admission |
| The Jewel Room | All year | Palace opening days | Included | With admission |
| Palace in the Park | 19 August – 20 December 2026 | Wed and Sun, 11:00 and 14:00 | Paid | Ticket office only |
| The Duke Tour | 5 September – 19 December 2026 | Saturdays | Paid | Ticket office |
| Relaxed event | 10 May and 15 November 2026 | Sundays, 10:00–12:00 | Included | Book ahead |
| Queen's State Apartments closed | 15 June 2026 – spring 2027 | — | — | — |
| Palace closed | 24 – 26 December 2026 | — | — | — |
Dates published by Historic Royal Palaces and checked in August 2026. Verify before you travel — programmes move.
Official sources
- Historic Royal Palaces — what's on at Kensington Palace
- The Last Princesses of Punjab
- Palace in the Park
- Opening and closing times
For hours, prices and what a ticket covers, plan your visit, and for the rooms these shows sit in, what you see inside. Kensington Palace Tours compares every bookable trip, none of which includes the palace's own two guided tours.