Mount Street Neighbourhood Arts Festival is back. Here is what you need to know
This year sees Miles Aldridge’s photography take centre stage around the Mayfair address, plus pub quizzes, performances and more
Coinciding with this year’s Frieze Art Fair and PAD London is the Mount Street Neighbourhood Arts Festival, which is back again this year. From 12 -17 October, the festival unites visual art, fashion, food and culture across Mayfair.
Last year, across the area’s prestigious addresses, including Mount Street, South Audley Street and Carlos Place, we saw a theme of art and books. For 2026, the festival leans into photography, featuring British photographer Miles Aldridge.
Aldridge is best known for his portrait series ‘15 Minutes of Fame ’, which will feature during the festival. 62 South Audley Street will be transformed into his working studio. Inspired by his 2024 TIME Icon of the Year shoot with Elton John, the interactive installation will invite visitors to sit against his orange backdrop for a 15-minute portrait. Each sitting results in a unique Polaroid.
‘I never know who will walk into my studio, but over the course of 15 minutes together, we create spontaneous, improvised portraits whose originality never ceases to amaze me’, says Miles Aldridge. ‘Everyone embraces the impromptu nature of the project, acting out an iconic version of themselves, and as with the best images from the history of photography, how they actually come into being is a mystery. Now, after taking my portable studio to Art Basel Miami Beach, Frieze LA and the Venice Biennale, it is a joy to be bringing it to my home city for Frieze and PAD.’
The exhibition is accompanied by a new multidisciplinary performance, ‘The Fabric of Us’ at Grosvenor Chapel, by actor and writer Omari Douglas. Taking place on 13 October, it will feature dance, spoken word, music, painting and clothing, overall exploring the theme of creating and shedding identity.
The festival will also have an Art Pub Quiz at The Audley Public House, and Hauser & Wirth Publishers will bring their Pop-Up to 62 South Audley Street, spotlighting its latest releases alongside a selection of limited signed copies. Throughout the week, there will be numerous talks and presentations, including creative studio A Vibe Called Tech, which will host a series of breakfast conversations exploring the art of rituals, with residents including Hauser & Wirth Publishers Book Shop, Lyndsey Ingram, FoundRae and APPARATUS.
Today, Farm Shop, The Row, The Connaught, Dr. Barbara Sturm, Scott’s, Simone Rocha, The Audley Public House and Jessica McCormack are among the Mount Street partners. The festival brings together such a wide roster of creatives, combining culture and community at this celebrated address.
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Tianna Williams is Wallpaper’s staff writer. When she isn’t writing extensively across varying content pillars, ranging from design and architecture to travel and art, she also helps put together the daily newsletter. She enjoys speaking to emerging artists, designers and architects, writing about gorgeously designed houses and restaurants, and day-dreaming about her next travel destination.