What’s in store for the museums and heritage sector in 2025?

This article was first published by Museums and Heritage Advisor.

The Bradford museum begins the year with its £6m reopening on 8 January, whilst the V&A East Storehouse launches in May, providing public access to 500,000 collection items and preceding the David Bowie Centre for the Study of Performing Arts, housing an 80,000-piece archive.

Tate Modern’s 25th anniversary celebrations in May will feature the return of Louise Bourgeois’s landmark sculpture ‘Maman’, alongside new acquisitions and free exhibitions exploring ecological themes and future visions.

These developments come as several institutions navigate funding challenges, with National Museums Liverpool seeking £10m for its Waterfront Project, whilst multiple heritage sites including Newhaven Fort, the Leas Lift in Folkestone, and Glencoe Folk Museum complete extensive restoration works.