Five UK museums compete for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2026, including Norwich Castle after £27.5m restoration

Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery, following a £27.5 million redevelopment that reopened its medieval Keep in August 2025, joins four other institutions on the shortlist for the 2026 Art Fund Museum of the Year prize. The National Gallery in London earned its nomination through bicentenary initiatives including an £85 million Sainsbury Wing upgrade and Jeremy Deller's Trafalgar Square installation. London's V&A East Storehouse in Stratford, launched in May 2025, has attracted over 500,000 visitors with its barrier-free display approach. Cambridge's Fitzwilliam Museum, founded in 1816, was recognized for innovative programming like Glenn Ligon's first major UK solo exhibition. Plymouth's The Box, celebrating its fifth anniversary, has drawn one million visitors and contributed £244 million to the local economy. The winner, to be announced on 25 June at London's Cutty Sark, receives £120,000 while four runners-up get £20,000 each. Judges include Derby Museums executive director Tony Butler, artist Yinka Ilori MBE, author Alice Loxton, and broadcaster June Sarpong. Last year's winner was Beamish, The Living Museum of the North in County Durham.