Young V&A exhibition with more than 150 items behind the scenes of Aardman's stop-motion animation, including Wallace & Gromit puppets and props.
Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends is running at Young V&A in Bethnal Green from 12 February to 15 November 2026. It's the museum's third exhibition, and it's built around taking you behind the scenes of Aardman's stop-motion animation, from the first ideas and storyboarding through to model making, filming and post-production. It's aimed at children and families, so it's one of those things you can take the whole lot to on a weekend.
There are more than 150 items on show, and they cover a lot of ground. You'll see early character sketches, concept art, puppets, character 'bibles', props, scripts and set models. Some of it is being displayed for the first time, like Wallace & Gromit's motorbike and sidecar from Vengeance Most Fowl (2024). The set pieces pull from across the studio's history, with A Grand Day Out (1989), The Wrong Trousers (1993), The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! (2012), Robin Robin (2019) and Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023) all represented.
It's not just for looking, either. Younger visitors can try their hand at stop-motion animation, light sets and make Live Action Videos. Aardman themselves attribute the charm of their films to their handcrafted 'thumbiness', something that started when two school friends first experimented with animation at home.
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Tickets are £12.50, with concessions available, and V&A Members visit for free. You'll find Young V&A at Cambridge Heath Road, Bethnal Green, London, E2 9PA, and the exhibition runs from 12 February to 15 November 2026.
