PhotoMonth is making its highly anticipated return in 2025 with renewed energy and an expanded vision that will transform London's eastern postcodes into a comprehensive month-long celebration of photography. The relaunched festival will run from October 2 to November 3, spanning diverse neighborhoods from EC1 to SE15, including areas from Kennington to Mile End, Clerkenwell to Deptford, and Hackney.
The festival will embrace a wide range of venues to showcase the full spectrum of photographic practice, from traditional galleries and alternative spaces to unusual and unexpected locations. In 2025, PhotoMonth will collaborate with prestigious institutions including Tate Modern, Whitechapel Gallery, and Autograph ABP, while also partnering with independent venues such as Four Corners, Roman Road, and Danielle Arnaud. Additionally, a host of local studios, shops, restaurants, and cafes throughout the participating neighborhoods will display photography exhibitions.
The program reflects photography's evolving forms and enduring relevance, featuring works that range from traditional analogue techniques to cutting-edge digital practices. Approximately 50 pop-up exhibitions will emerge across Central, East, and Southeast London, effectively turning entire neighborhoods into living galleries for visitors to explore and experience.
To help audiences navigate the extensive program, an interactive QR-coded map will guide visitors to every exhibition location throughout the festival. The organizers will also offer weekend walking tours and specialized night photography tours, all led by experienced photographers, curators, and members of the PhotoMonth team. These guided experiences will bring the areas' photographic landscape to life through local insights and compelling artist-led narratives.
Among the featured exhibitions, acclaimed photographer Zed Nelson will present "The Anthropocene Illusion," a solo exhibition that explores humanity's complex and uneasy relationship with the environment. The Pavilion will host the group show "Longing" and showcase new work from recent graduates and staff of academic institutions, offering valuable insight into the next generation of emerging photographic talent.
A parallel film program will run throughout the month at The Source Stratford and Hackney PictureHouse, featuring screenings that intersect with and complement the festival's photographic themes. Each screening will be followed by live Q&A sessions with directors, photographers, and special guests, providing audiences with deeper context and understanding of the works presented.
PhotoMonth will also run a PhotoBooth Competition in association with AutoFoto, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the photo booth. Festival participants are invited to create portraits using photo booths installed at three different locations: Yorkton Workshops, the Whitechapel Gallery, and The Photographers' Gallery. Participants can then share their creations on Instagram, with winners to be announced on Saturday, October 25.
The festival was originally founded in 2001 by Maggie Pinhorn, Director of Alternative Arts, whose pioneering work in London's East End helped establish PhotoMonth as a vital and democratic space for photographic practice until the festival paused in 2018. The 2025 relaunch builds on that important legacy, reimagined and expanded by a new team committed to platforming photography's continued relevance across today's social, artistic, and technological landscapes.
More information about PhotoMonth London 2025 is available at PhotoMonth.co.uk and on the festival's Instagram account.
