W: Andrew Gold

London’s club culture is set to collide with art history this February as the West End transforms into a week-long nocturnal festival, headlined by a boundary-breaking party in the heart of Trafalgar Square.

The hushed corridors of The National Gallery are about to get a loud awakening. On Thursday, 5 February, the institution will host its first-ever PARTY After Dark, a one-night-only event headlined by the non-binary icon, activist, and RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Bimini. In a historic first for the gallery, the sacred silence usually reserved for Da Vinci and Van Gogh will be replaced by a pulsing mix of electronic, pop, and club sounds.

The event marks the centerpiece of Art of London’s Art After Dark festival (3–10 February), a city-wide takeover designed to celebrate the synergy between visual art and the capital's legendary nightlife. Joining Bimini is the fast-rising DJ Mia Lily, who will set the tone with a bass-heavy, genre-bending set in the recently redeveloped Sainsbury Wing. For those lucky enough to snag a ticket, the evening offers the surreal opportunity to dance just steps away from The Virgin of the Rocks.

“I grew up thinking galleries were these quiet, untouchable spaces, so to walk in as a queer artist and get to make noise, take up space, and be fully myself feels really special.” — Bimini

Beyond the gallery walls, the West End will be bathed in kaleidoscopic light. Artist Lakwena Maciver is set to unveil Rise & Shine in Piccadilly Circus—a towering, 7-metre light installation inspired by the analogue aesthetics of 80s and 90s club culture. The sculpture, a stack of vibrant disco lightboxes, will be accompanied by a soundtrack that pays homage to the roots of hip-hop and drum and bass, turning the iconic intersection into an open-air dance floor.

The festival’s reach extends across the district with "Gallery HOP!" late-night openings and digital art takeovers on the world-famous Piccadilly Lights. From immersive Q&As at Apple to live performances at venues like The London Reign and the Hard Rock Café, the programme aims to prove that London’s cultural heartbeat is at its strongest after the sun goes down.

“Art isn’t meant to sit still, it’s meant to start conversations, and if that conversation involves dancing in the same building as a Van Gogh, I’m fully here for it!” — Bimini

Tickets for the National Gallery takeover are priced at a symbolic £5, with all proceeds supporting the gallery’s bicentenary mission to keep art accessible. In a city where nightlife and high culture often exist in separate worlds, Art After Dark is an invitation to see the masterpieces of the past through the neon-tinted lens of the present.

Event Brief: PARTY After Dark

• When: Thursday, 05 February 2026 | 20:00 – 00:00
• Where: Sainsbury Wing, The National Gallery, WC2N 5DN
• Line-up: Bimini and Mia Lily
• Tickets: £5 (Available via The National Gallery website)