Serpentine Galleries marked the official start of summer with its annual party last night (24 June 2025), bringing a plethora of guests together in a celebration of 25 years of the Serpentine Pavilion.
Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum and her Dhaka-based firm, Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA), designers of the 25th Anniversary Serpentine Architecture Pavilion, titled A Capsule in Time, were guests of honour at the event hosted by Michael R Bloomberg, chairman of Serpentine’s Board of Trustees; Bettina Korek, Serpentine CEO; Hans Ulrich Obrist, Serpentine artistic director; and actor, producer and humanitarian Cate Blanchett.
Guests, who were able to browse Giuseppe Penone’s exhibition ‘Thoughts in the Roots’ at Serpentine South and enjoy Sir Peter Cook’s Play Pavilion, dined in style on dishes including traditional dum pot biryanis, topped with pastry, layered marinated meats and vegetables with basmati rice. London restaurant Dorsia was on hand with a tempting food trolley, offering chicken tenders and caviar.
Chef Skye Gyngell, of Spring, stepped in for desserts. Bangladesh’s seven-layered tea was the inspiration, resulting in infusions of lychee and saffron, as well as coconut, mango and sesame cakes.
‘From our loyal patrons to our inspired partners, we are deeply grateful to all who made this year’s Serpentine Summer Party a success,’ said Korek and Obrist. ‘Last night was a celebration of the artists whose projects extended from inside the galleries and beyond their walls into the surrounding park, of Serpentine supporters everywhere, and of the Serpentine Pavilion’s 25th anniversary. In the words of our very first Pavilion architect, Zaha Hadid, “There should be no end to experimentation.” Thanks to the generosity of the global Serpentine community, and especially our inaugural Summer Party Host Committee, the Serpentine spirit of experimentation will continue throughout the summer and all year round.’
-
Vincent Van Gogh and Anselm Kiefer are in rich and intimate dialogue at the Royal Academy of ArtsGerman artist Anselm Kiefer has paid tribute to Van Gogh throughout his career. When their work is viewed together, a rich relationship is revealed
-
NLÉ transforms historic Zaria Court into a dynamic community hub – the first of its kind in RwandaArchitects NLÉ complete Zaria Court, the adaptive reuse of a modernist building in Kigali, Rwanda, into the first mixed-use project of its kind in the country
-
Five of our favourite furniture reissues from 3 Days of Design 2025At the Copenhagen event, several brands brought masterpieces from the past back to life – here’s our pick of the furniture revivals, from sofas to lighting
-
Rémy Martin and Anish Kapoor: art meets cognac in LondonThe cognac house and the artist unveiled a limited-edition XO decanter and a new sculpture in London at a recent event at the Institute of Contemporary Arts
-
Mark your calendars for Mount Street Neighbourhood Summer Festival, a feast for the sensesThe event, 12-14 June 2025, showcases the mix of food, art and community in the heart of London’s Mayfair. Here's what to expect, from afternoon tea to aperitivo, film screenings to biodynamic flowers
-
Healthy chocolate? Eat it at Makers, London’s new Lebanese chocolatierLocated in Chelsea, Makers is a new ‘healthy chocolate’ shop offering treats free of refined sugar, seed oils, wheat and dairy – and it tastes delicious
-
Sketch transforms into an English garden in celebration of Jane Austen’s 250th birthdayThe 11th edition of ‘Sketch in Bloom’ nods to the most notable works of Jane Austen with budding floral installations and a quintessentially English afternoon tea
-
At the Regent Street Sensorium, architectural jelly sculptures are designed to ignite the sensesDelve into the history of London’s Regent Street through a jellyscape, a fragrance cloud and more – plus, for the event’s final week, two new immersive workshops (ends 27 April)
-
Burns Night 2025: where to celebrate in LondonIt is time to raise a wee dram to Scotland’s national poet Robert Burns on Burns Night (25 January). Here is our pick of places to enjoy an evening of generous speechmaking, toasting, and drinking around London
-
Grand English glamour vs the Italian dolce vita? Why Il Pellicano's Claridge’s takeover is a sun-kissed delightClaridge's welcomes Hotel Il Pellicano with open arms for a one week restaurant residency of laid back luxury and Tuscan charm
-
Lunar New Year in London: where to celebrate the Year of the Wood SnakeDo you want a year of good fortune and happiness? Then it is time to tuck into some of London’s cult favourite hotspots, devour decadent treats, and toast the Lunar New Year, and we have you covered with our guide to all things going on in the city (from 29 January until 8 February 2025)
