Frieze London Returns With 172 Galleries—and a Few Notable Absences

Frieze London will return to Regent's Park in October 2026 with 172 exhibitors, a slight increase from last year's 166. Notable galleries including Almine Rech, James Cohan, Sean Kelly, and Kurimanzutto have opted out, making room for newcomers like Amanda Wilkinson, Sargent's Daughters, and VeneKlasen. Frieze Masters will feature 140 participants, up from 120 in 2025, with a collaboration between David Zwirner and Victoria Miro on a presentation of work by Alice Neel. A new themed section called "The Code Universe," curated by Carol Yinghua Lu, will focus on art responding to mass media saturation.

The return of Frieze London and Frieze Masters signals the continued vitality of the art fair model despite some high-profile absences. The introduction of curated sections like "The Code Universe" and the focus on "Queering Modernism" at Frieze Masters reflect efforts to keep the fairs relevant and intellectually engaging. The participation of galleries from diverse global locations, including Indonesia, Ukraine, and Hungary, underscores a push toward greater equity and international representation in the contemporary art market.