The Barbican Centre Board met on Tuesday 6 October 2026 to discuss a range of updates on the Centre's programming, operations, and future plans. Key discussions included the success of recent exhibitions and events, the ongoing Barbican Renewal project, and plans for new catering services.

CEO Report and Programme Updates

The Chief Executive Officer, Abigail Pogson, presented a comprehensive update on the Barbican Centre's activities. She highlighted a strong period over the past few months, with positive developments in programming, audience engagement, partnerships, and commercial activities. The Centre experienced a very strong summer season, with teams effectively adapting to challenges such as the summer heat. Renewal works on the concert hall were progressing well, with improvements expected upon reopening for the autumn season. Planning for the offsite period in 2028-2029 was also reportedly going well.

Three key themes were identified as influencing the Centre's direction: an emphasis on the next generation, increasing international collaboration, and working with wider creative families.

Philippa Simpson, Chief Experience Officer, elaborated on recent programming highlights. The Yuko Mori exhibition in the Curve and the Robert Ryman exhibition were noted as strong examples of cross-arts programming, aiming to cross fertilise our audiences. The latter exhibition, in particular, was designed to explore the relationship between visual arts and music. The outdoor cinema programme was described as the best we've ever had in terms of visitor numbers and success. Rebecca, the Head of Cinema, was praised for her work in expanding the programme's breadth and attracting new audiences, with discussions underway regarding film commissioning and distribution. The success of the plant giveaway initiative was also mentioned, having led to contact from Stella McCartney.

Beau Vigushin, Head of Business Events, shared updates on the business events side. The Centre supported filming with Disney and noted the continued visitor interest in the location of the Harry Styles music video. The business events team successfully moved events into the theatre during the concert hall's refurbishment, with all available dates selling out, which helped to protect income and relationships with clients. A new food and drink residency, Spiritland, is set to open in the Lakeside Room (formerly the Brasserie space) and will run until at least July 2027, aiming to complement the music programme and provide a new destination within the building.

Communications efforts have focused on building the Barbican's profile, with significant social media reach generated by the Made collaboration, achieving "over 90 million unique