Have you ever dreamed of stepping inside a painting and having a good look around? At Frameless, you don’t quite become one of the artists’ subjects. However, you do get to experience some of the world’s most celebrated paintings come alive. What’s more, you can interact with the art works in delightful and surprising ways.
Our trio arrived at Frameless on one of those steaming London days when all you want is to dive into a pool. If you don’t have a pool nearby, escaping into a museum is another great option. It’s cool and calm as you enter Frameless and take the escalator downstairs. We appreciated the tasteful space with its cosy Café Bar area serving seasonal food and drinks. This would actually be a nice spot to meet up with friends or drop in after a busy afternoon on Oxford Street.
Once you’ve shown your tickets, you’re welcome to wander into any one of 4 main Frameless galleries. Outside the galleries, there’s some info on the walls telling you more about the art. You can also use a QR code to download a mini guide for each room. This is useful as there’s a lot to take in between the animated art and cinematic soundtracks. I liked skimming brief notes about some of the paintings as they burst into frame around me.
Frameless displays 40+ masterpieces through floor to ceiling projection with vibrant classical and original music playing in surround sound. You’ll travel through European art history in the company of Kandinsky, Van Gogh, Monet, Klimt, Dali, Munch and more. The colours and images spring to life on multiple surfaces, creating a fully immersive event.
The first gallery we entered turned out to be our mutual favourite. Titled The World Around Us, it’s the largest gallery at the venue. Here, you can stand at the tip of Derby’s Vesuvius in Eruption, watch Hokusai’s The Great Wave rising and crashing around you, or marvel at Van Gogh’s The Starry Night swirling into focus.
The combination of moving images and music creates such a visceral effect, you can almost feel the heat from the volcanoes or the splash of the waves. I especially loved the figures walking along Canaletto’s The Grand Canal or strolling through a 19th century London in Grimshaw’s Reflections on the Thames, Westminster. It’s safe to say that after 25 minutes, we were swept away.
The next gallery got mixed reviews. My sister had already noted that she didn’t really connect with abstract art. So a gallery titled The Art of Abstraction was unlikely to hold her attention for very long. However, I was enchanted by the playful, jazzy fusion of music and motion.
Vivid lights and shapes bouncing off walls and panels. You can bob and weave through paintings like Kandinsky’s Several Circles and Mondrian’s Victory Boogie Woogie. It’s not as dramatic as the other galleries, but it’s a vibe. I could imagine young kids having a ball in there.
In the Colour in Motion gallery, the Impressionists take over. We were dazzled by Monet’s water lilies and Seurat’s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte. This is also the most interactive space, with motion tracking technology that lets your feet slide brushstrokes and paint splashes across the floor. It truly brings out the child in you.
Watching those tiny brushstrokes create Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait or Delauney’s Jean Metzinger also gives you a deeper appreciation for this art style. The first gallery was the best but this one has proper wow factor.
Finally, we made it to the 4th gallery which takes you Beyond Reality. If you felt like you were wandering through a dream before, this gallery opens into haunting, occasionally nightmarish surrealist visions. Seriously, the animation of Munch’s The Scream had me clasping my cheeks in (mock) shock. A note of caution if you’re bringing little ones or sensitive viewers along — maybe cover their eyes or skip this room altogether!
Overall, it’s more trippy than terrifying. And it’s worth a couple of scary moments to sit amidst Bosch’s earthly delights, Rousseau’s tropical dreamscape, Klimt’s tree of life, and Dali’s elephants in all their magnificence.
We’d seen all 4 galleries but our trip wasn’t over. There’s a 5th gallery called Blank Canvas where Frameless hosts artist residencies. This summer you can see Stories – Brought to Life (until Sep 12, 2026), a 15-minute experience curated by National Portrait Gallery. It uses art, technology and voice audio to reanimate the lives of cultural icons Nelson Mandela, Queen Elizabeth II, Malala Yousafzai, Amy Winehouse and William Shakespeare. Afterwards, there’s some colouring sheets and crayons where you can create your own portrait. A fun and family friendly stop to round off your visit.
Frameless is a mesmerising, uniquely educational outing and if you go, you will probably want to come again. I’d like to return with friends for a Frameless Lates session (Fri & Sat, 6pm-10pm). I also kept imagining my boys (now teenagers) as youngsters playing tag with the abstract art or kicking around with the Impressionists. It’s great to see that Frameless holds regular Multi-Sensory Tots sessions (Fris during term time, except last Friday of month). What a sensational way to introduce small kids to classic European art!
The Sistine Chapel Comes to Frameless
This weekend, Frameless opens its The Sistine Chapel immersive experience. Presented at extraordinary scale in The World Around Us gallery, you’ll discover Michaelangelo’s frescoes like never before. The Sistine Chapel at Frameless is open from Fri Jul 10 at 6pm and included in all Frameless tickets thereafter. (Fri Jul 10/ongoing)
Frameless is at 6 Marble Arch, W1H 7AP (Marble Arch tube). All ages welcome. 11am-6pm (Mon-Thu), 10.30am-10pm (Fri), 10am-10pm (Sat) & 10am-6pm (Sun). Summer opening hours (Jul 26-Aug 31, 2026): 10am-7pm (Sun-Thu) & 10am-10pm (Fri-Sat). Adult £31.50/child 3-15 £22/family £21.50pp/under 3s FREE. Frameless Lates (ages 18+ only) £21/groups £19 or £18pp. Multi-Sensory tots from £15.50 (parent + toddler). Annual membership from adult £60. Book online for best prices and up to 40% summertime discounts.
**press review
London Kids Weekend Scoop (July 9-12, 2026)
