The ‘Salford Guggenheim’ is officially the best art gallery in the UK

If you’ve been sleeping on Salford’s cultural prowess, now’s the time to get with it. Not only is the northern city home to Victoria Warehouse – a hub for legendary raves and live music events – the Corrie set at ITV Studios and Man U’s Old Trafford Stadium, it’s now also the proud owner of the country’s top art gallery.

Yep, The Lowry, AKA the ‘Salford Guggenheim’, has just been ranked top of Time Out’s list of the best art galleries in the UK in 2026. As the name suggests, the Lowry home to the world’s largest public collection of works by LS Lowry, with 2,000 square metres of formerly derelict dockyard space dedicated to the artist’s depictions of working class life and northern industrial cities. 

You’ll experience more than just Lowry’s ‘matchstick men’ on a trip to the cultural hub, though, which also encompasses three lofty performance spaces, including the UK’s largest stage outside London’s West End. Theatre productions, dance performances and talks by cultural big-wigs make up its events programme. 

Plus, access to this cultural beacon, which is roughly the size of five football pitches (eat your heart out, Old Trafford), is completely free. It’s even home to the UK’s first free permanent immersive experience in the form of Lowry 360, a contemporary reimagining of one of his most iconic works, ‘Going to the Match’ (pictured above).

Wondering how we curate the list? Well, alongside some of the country’s biggest art names, we’ve also sniffed out intriguing programming, star curators and spectacular cultural spaces, whittling the list down to a final 16. 

🖼️ Check out the full list of Time Out’s best UK art galleries here.

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