Discover High Street Kensington’s Strong Cultural Line Up This Easter
The London destination is jam-packed with day out activities
London’s High Street Kensington offers a surprising number of museums, attractions and food experiences that make for a great Easter day out.
The seasonal programme launches on 30th March with a Farmers’ market on Phillimore Walk and an Easter/Mother’s Day event with free Easter bunny egg hunt and crafts in Jubilee Square. While throughout the holidays visitors can take in new spring exhibitions at Kensington Palace, The Design Museum and Japan House, a flower-themed family workshop at Leighton House plus chocolate-treat shopping can be weaved into a memorable day out in this cultural hotspot. For out more here: www.highstreetkensington.co.uk/
Specific highlights include:
Spring fun for the fashionistas at Kensington Palace’s new ‘Dress Codes’ exhibition
Fashion, royalty and court etiquette collide at Dress Codes a major new exhibition launching in time for Easter at Kensington Palace. Running from 13 March to 30 November 2025, never-before-seen royal and court fashion treasures and the associated dress codes, conventions and sometimes boundary pushing outfits will be on dazzling display.
Highlights include matching Liberty print floral dresses worn in 1936 by Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, which are rare survivals. Visitors can also view a red Bruce Oldfield gown worn by Diana, Princess of Wales, during a 1986 state visit to Saudi Arabia, underlining the significance of attire in official duties. Additionally, a 1978 Thea Porter evening ensemble, demonstrating Princess Margaret’s bold fashion choices, and a black mourning bodice of Queen Victoria, offering insight into her personal life, will be displayed. The exhibition is included with palace admission, and members enjoy free entry without pre-booking. Prices: £24.70 adults; £12.40 children, under 5yrs free; £20 concessions. Members free.
Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style at the Design Museum
Pamela Anderson’s sensational red bathing suit from Baywatch, the first Olympic solo swimming gold medal won by a British woman, and a selection of eye-catching men’s Speedos from the 1980s, are some of the star items that will go on display in the Design Museum’s major spring exhibition on swimming and style.
Offering Easter visitors a virtual on the water experience, Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style examines the enduring love of water over the past 100 years: from Britain’s lido boom during the early 20th century to the recent Mermaid core trend.
Other objects include the banned ‘technical doping’ LZR Racer swimsuit, one of the earliest surviving examples of a bikini, and a detailed architectural model of the Zaha Hadid-designed London 2012 Aquatics Centre. In total over 200 objects will feature in Splash! Offering a full spectrum of the design of swimming — from sports performance and fashion to architecture. Prices £14.38 adults, £7.19 children 6-15yrs and £10.77 concessions. Members free. The exhibition opens on 28th March and runs until 17 August.
Doodling at The Design Museum in celebration of Tim Burton
Thanks to record-breaking attendance numbers, the Design Museum’s retrospective on the exceptional career of director Tim Burton has been extended beyond the original closing date to 26 May 2025. Running throughout the Easter holidays families will be able to marvel at the exhibition which features props, set designs, and costumes from his iconic films, as well as expressionistic sketches and drawings. Gleaning inspiration from his creativity, on Friday 11 April families can join a Doodle Day afternoon filled with self-led activities and facilitated workshops across the museum. From creating an exquisite corpse drawing book with artist Josie Britton and learning to draw a self-portrait in the style of Tim Burton with artist Mark Connolly to designing and play with spooky shadow puppets, crafting a mini theatre it’s set to be a doodling extravaganza. Tickets from £5.
Fans of the director can also indulge in the Design Kitchen’s enchanting Tim Burton themed tea. Fantastical sweet creations include the fleet street barber shop pole (a salted caramel cookie sandwich), the inventor (pistachio macaron), the recently deceased tart (a dark chocolate tart with crunchy chocolate pearls) and an undead love (blueberry and almond polenta cake). There are fruit scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam and a fantastic choice of classic savoury treats – each offering a playful nod to Tim Burton’s iconic worlds. The standard afternoon tea is £34.95pp and the sparkling option is £49.95pp. Monday to Thursday: by booking only. Friday to Sunday: available all day. Design Kitchen opening hours are Monday to Thursday 1000-1700 and Friday to Sunday 1000-1800.
Family fun: Spring flower secrets at Leighton House this Easter – Saturday 19 April 2025, 11am – 12:30pm and 2:30pm – 4pm
Throughout time, cultures have associated different types of flowers with different meaning. The Victorians used flowers to share their feelings for each other without words. Iznik pottery uses flowers to express ideas about beauty, love and new life. Exploring this theme Leighton House’s ‘Spring Flower Secrets’ workshop enables families to create their own bouquet of handmade, papercraft flowers full of hidden messages.
Participants can also spend time exploring the museum and former home of celebrated Victorian artist Frederic Leighton, including the mesmerising Arab Hall. Tickets £5 for one child (5-10yrs) and one accompanying adult and includes entry to the house.
The Craft of Carpentry Exhibition at Japan House London
The serene world of wood craftmanship is on display at Japan House London this Easter at new exhibition called The Craft of Carpentry. Transporting visitors from the living forests that sustain this Japanese tradition to the celebrated structures they produce, the exhibition celebrates the tools and craftsmanship behind Japan’s temples and shrines. The centrepiece of the exhibition is a life-size reconstruction of the Sa-an teahouse in the temple Daitoku-ji in Kyoto, offering visitors a rare opportunity to experience the intimate elegance of teahouse architecture. Visitors can also enjoy hands-on opportunities to assemble ingenious wood joints and inhale the scents of Japan’s native wood types. Open from 12th March until 6th July. Admission free although pre-booking is advisable.
Meltingly good: Easter Chocolate Shopping
For some proper chocolate-coated shopping, Kensington High Street is treat and truffle- filled. From new kid on the chocolate block, the luxury Swiss chocolatier Läderach (with their aesthetically splendid displays of handcrafted slabs, cute bunnies, chicks and praline eggs) to luxury Belgian chocolate maker Leonidas and Knoops which offers over 20 different hot chocolates to tantalise the tastebuds.
For those looking for something special for an Easter spread, an Italian-style cornucopia is available at Rosso Deli, fresh produce, specialist cheeses, wine, hampers and more can be found at Bayley & Sage and Whole Foods Market is a one-stop shop of world-favourite Easter goodies.
- Liz Blakeborough
