With 2026 now well underway, the cultural calendar reads like a rich tapestry of global storytelling - writes Charlotte Heath-Bullock - where heritage and narrative converge to define how we, as audiences, collectors and luxury consumers, engage with cultural and art events with meaning.
It is a year that's shaping up to be one of the most dynamic for our sector in recent memory, so here’s a look at the trends and must-see moments that will shape the art and luxury worlds in the year ahead.
A Global Dimension for Japanese Culture
One of the headline cultural events of 2026 is the “Samurai” exhibition at the British Museum - a show that promises to be both visually spectacular and deeply resonant.
Samurai culture, long a touchstone for designers, filmmakers and collectors, is finally being presented at scale to global audiences. Its timing is no coincidence: the cinematic release of The Last Samurai 2 will bring renewed worldwide focus to these iconic figures, their ethos and their aesthetic legacy. When blockbuster culture and museum curatorship align, we see a rare amplification of interest that ripples through fashion, design, luxury collecting and beyond.
This groundswell of passion for Japanese heritage is showing up in the marketplace too. Dreweatts’ upcoming Samurai-themed sale on 11 February taps directly into this cultural moment, connecting collectors with exceptional works of armour, arms and artefacts at a time when global attention is high.
This confluence of film, museum narrative and auction demand is a powerful reminder that culture doesn’t just reflect taste, it shapes it.
Bayeux Tapestry: A Once-in-a-Lifetime Encounter
Another headline exhibition this year will be the Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum. This extraordinary embroidered narrative of conquest and politics is usually exhibited in Normandy; its loan to London has generated controversy, debate and curiosity in equal measure.
The significance of this exhibition goes beyond aesthetics. It is a moment of cultural diplomacy, national narrative and institutional ambition. Under Nicolas Cullinan’s leadership, the British Museum is demonstrating how blockbuster programming can drive both visitation and global dialogue.
For collectors, curators and cultural strategists, the Bayeux Tapestry offers a lesson in how history deployed with narrative clarity can generate huge public engagement, even when, or especially when, it provokes conversation.
Fashion as Cultural Force: Schiaparelli at the V&A
While historical and cultural narratives dominate the British Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum’s Schiaparelli exhibition will be one of the defining fashion events of the year.
Schiaparelli - the irrepressibly imaginative house born of Elsa Schiaparelli’s audacious vision - occupies a unique space between surrealist art and haute couture. At a moment when fashion is increasingly read through lenses of craft, identity and cultural history, this exhibition will remind audiences that the luxury category’s evolution is as much about ideas as it is about price.
The show will explore how Schiaparelli’s radical collaborations with artists like Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau continue to shape creative practice. For collectors of couture, design and art, it’s a must-see moment - one that underscores the way fashion houses are now cultural storytellers in their own right.
Narrative Artistry at the British Library: Agatha Christie
2026 isn’t just about visual spectacle. The British Library’s Agatha Christie exhibition offers a different kind of cultural gravity, one rooted in storytelling itself.
Agatha Christie’s command of plot, character and mystery made her one of the world’s most translated authors and a foundational figure in 20th-century narrative culture. This exhibition will explore her creative process, archival materials and the global afterlife of her work, from book covers to stage and screen.
For luxury markets increasingly interested in story, provenance and cultural resonance, Christie’s enduring appeal is instructive. Her narratives are collectible; they cross media borders; and they speak to audiences across generations - a reminder that good stories are among the most enduring forms of cultural capital.
Smaller Exhibitions, Bigger Conversations
Beyond these headline moments, 2026 will feature an array of smaller, deeply resonant exhibitions that are worth attention. These shows may not dominate the headlines but they are shaping the intellectual and aesthetic ecosystem that will influence collecting trends and cultural taste for years to come.
What unites the major exhibitions of 2026 is narrative power.
Luxury today isn’t defined solely by scarcity or price; it is defined by meaning.
The most compelling cultural moments are those that tell stories: about identity, heritage, craft and imagination. And as consumers become more discerning, they seek experiences and objects with cultural depth.
For brands, institutions and collectors alike, 2026 is a year to lean into story, aligning with narratives that resonate not only visually but emotionally and intellectually.
If 2025 was about recalibration, then 2026 is about cultural reawakening, reminding us that art and luxury are not isolated categories, but instead living conversations about who we are and how we understand the world.
