National Army Museum launches 2025 programme

Friday, 29 November 2024

The National Army Museum is pleased to announce the events programme and special exhibitions for 2025, including major exhibitions on Victorian military art and the first new exhibition on the Burma campaign in the UK for 25 years.

Click here for press images and caption sheet.

Special exhibitions

All of our exhibitions are free to enter as part of our commitment to be the national home of the history and heritage of the Army.

The Story of Soldier Magazine

Tuesday 4 February 2025 to Sunday 6 July 2025

Soldier Magazine has been the official magazine of the British Army for 80 years. To mark this milestone, and the acquisition of the official photographic archive of the magazine into the Museum’s collection, this display will chart the development, graphic design and storytelling of this unique publication.

The magazine’s front covers and journalism provide a historic touchstone of Army life, reflecting the evolving tastes, styles, values and concerns of the real everyday soldier. From war zones to welfare, Soldier Magazine has reflected the experiences of servicemen and women across the world.

This story will be told through a film charting the history of Soldier Magazine over the last 80 years.

In April, a speaker from Soldier Magazine will give a talk at the Museum discussing the publication’s history.

Myth and Reality: Military Art in the Age of Queen Victoria

Tuesday 1 July to Sunday 1 November 2026

In an era when news photography and mass reporting were in their infancy, Victorian military art had an enormous impact on the general public, providing the first visual representations of battlegrounds, as artists were commissioned to report and draw scenes from the front.

The Victorian era saw great change in British society with the art produced during this period mirroring a shift in the public’s attitudes to soldiers. No longer would Britain’s Army be depicted through its generals and leaders alone. Instead, military painters evoked the ordinary soldier and their experiences.

Myth and Reality will showcase over 140 works from the Museum’s collection, charting 100 years of military art through some of the 19th century’s most celebrated artists. The Museum’s extensive collection of Lady Butler’s sketch books, alongside finished works such as the groundbreaking ‘Dawn of Waterloo’, will take centre stage. Featuring artworks not seen in public for a generation, this major exhibition will bring a fresh perspective to a vital period of art history.

The Museum’s programming throughout the summer will celebrate the exhibition. At the end of July, premier embroidery house Hand & Lock will lead creative workshops inspired by the exhibition and Sketching the Museum sessions will offer the chance to create art from the exhibition’s content. Museum Members will have exclusive access and a tour with the exhibition’s lead curator.

Beyond Burma: Forgotten Armies

Tuesday 16 September 2025 to Monday 13 April 2026

While the Allies fought to defeat Nazi Germany in Europe, another brutal conflict raged on the other side of the world. Since 1941, a multinational force had struggled to resist and then overcome the Japanese Army. This special exhibition will tell the story of how British, Indian, African and Asian forces turned defeat into victory.

Beyond Burma: Forgotten Armies will commemorate the eightieth anniversary of the end of the Burma campaign. It is the first special exhibition on the campaign in the UK for 25 years. From the early reverses to the resurgence and transformation of the British and Indian armies, it will highlight the role of soldiers from across the world who came together to fight in Southeast Asia.

To celebrate the opening of Beyond Burma: Forgotten Armies, the National Army Museum will host a series of special events examining the conflict in Burma featuring key historians.

American War of Independence season

Spring 2025 marks 250 years since the start of the American Revolution: a conflict in Britain’s American colonies that would last for eight years and culminate with independence for the United States. A season of talks and tours will explore the war and its impact, as well as showcasing the National Army Museum’s unique collection of objects and archives.

As part of this season, the Museum’s programme of free Friday lectures will cover key events such as the Battle of Saratoga and the Battle of Lexington. In April, the Museum will launch Americans in Chelsea, a new walking tour covering the history of Americans in the area. The tour will start in the Museum examining its collection, before heading out on to the streets of Chelsea to explore sites significant to the American Revolution in the borough.

Museum Lates

These exclusive events are a chance to soak up the Museum’s atmosphere after hours. The year begins with a Scottish Cèilidh to celebrate Burns Night in January. To mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe, May will bring a VE Day Dance. In June, the Museum will collaborate with neighbours at the Royal Hospital Chelsea to host a Waterloo Ball in their historic Great Hall to mark 210 years since the Battle of Waterloo. And the year will be rounded off by another night of swing-dance lessons and a chance to show off new skills on the dance floor at a Jingle Bell Jive in December.

Family programming

The National Army Museum’s Family Programme delivers free activities inspired by the collection and the history and heritage of the Army all year round. Every Sunday, meet characters from the Army’s past and explore the galleries through their eyes with Soldier’s Stories, where reenactors bring to life the true stories and experiences of figures from the military past. In the school holidays, a whole host of workshops, activities, games and trails will bring military history to life.

Chelsea History Festival

At the end of September 2025, the Chelsea History Festival will return for its seventh year. London’s annual celebration of history and heritage brings top authors and performances to three spectacular venues: the National Army Museum, Royal Hospital Chelsea and Chelsea Physic Garden, with the generous support of Cadogan.

For more information about next year’s dates and programme, sign up here.