We've rounded up the premier events to have in your diary for 2024 and the start of 2025.
Affordable Art Fair
Evolution Centre, Battersea Park, London
6th – 10th March / 16th – 20th Oct
Running since October 1999, this lively and unintimidating fair really does what it says on the tin. Its success has been such that it now takes place in 10 cities around the world, but the London edition is where it all started, and opening night has a celebratory air, with a busy bar allowing visitors to pause and refuel as they work their way around the pavilion.
Although the Affordable Art Fair – which only features works by living artists – may seem an odd inclusion alongside events that include Old Masters and antiques, this is the place for anyone with an interest in collecting art to cut their teeth.
And, who knows, a purchase made here may well prove to be an heirloom for future generations.
affordableartfair.com
Bath Decorative Antiques Fair
The Pavilion, Bath
14th – 16th March
The embodiment of the phrase ‘Small is beautiful’, this annual fair in the heart of Bath has established itself as a key event for the decorative antiques trade outside London.
Popular with private buyers from the South West and beyond, the fair also has a loyal following within the trade: Spencer Swaffer, one of the UK’s most influential dealers, visits every year. ‘It’s always the first entry made in my diary. The hotel is booked, the van is on hire. I would never miss it,’ he says.
This year, around 30 dealers will fill the pavilion with a wonderful variety of treasures, from statement pieces of antique and vintage furniture that will transform a room, to unique decorative accessories that might provide those all-important finishing touches.
The atmosphere is always warm and friendly, and on the first day there is a buzz as visitors vie with one another to snap up that special something.
Although there is no upper limit, prices tend towards the affordable, whether you are in the market for a large piece of furniture, a decorative collectable, or more practical items such as serving platters, glasses or a dinner service. bathdecorativeantiquesfair.co.uk
London Original Print Fair
Somerset House, London
21st – 24th March
Founded in 1985, London Original Print Fair is the capital’s longest-running fair, and a celebration of print in all its forms.
As such, it offers visitors the chance to understand a field that can appear complex and confusing to newcomers. Expect to find around 40 stands offering prints ranging across five centuries, and embracing techniques including wood-cut, etching, monotype, lithography and more.
Better still, as the overriding ethos of the fair is to share knowledge and expertise, many artists will be available to talk about their work and there will also be live printmaking sessions. londonoriginalprintfair.com
The Cotswolds Decorative Antiques Fair
Westonbirt School, Tetbury
12th – 14th April
Taking place three times a year (see website for additional dates), this is one of four excellent fairs owned by Cooper Events. Expect antiques and collectables from the 17th century through to mid-century modern, and prices from £20 to over £10,000.
cooperevents.com
Ceramic Art London
Kensington Olympia West, London
19th – 21st April
Organised by the Craft Potters Association of Great Britain, Ceramic Art London celebrates its 20th anniversary with a move to a new home at Olympia.
The need for the larger location is testament to the event’s growing popularity, as demonstrated by ‘hundreds of makers applying to exhibit and an ever-growing visitor base’, says fair director Toby Brundin.
It’s also evidence that ceramics remain a buoyant area of collecting, with plenty of scope to discover the next Bernard Leach, Lucie Rie or John Ward. ceramicartlondon.com
The Decorative Fair
Evolution Centre, Battersea Park, London
7th – 12th May
If your passion for interiors matches your interest in antiques, then this is the fair for you. Although it takes place three times a year, The Decorative Fair’s reputation is such that each edition is hotly anticipated, attracting interior designers worldwide.
Many of the exhibitors participate season on season, year on year, which gives the fair a collegial atmosphere – and, for regular visitors, this also enables good relationships to grow.
Strong on paintings from all periods (visit Catharine Miller for works post 1950, or Peter Last for frames to transform the works you already own), textiles (Su Mason and Katharine Pole are regulars) and the furniture stands always look stunning: surprising combinations spark trends in the way antiques are used in interior design.
Despite its starry appeal (David Beckham is a regular), it’s fun, informal and laid-back. Well-behaved dogs on leads are admitted and there’s an all-day restaurant and bar where you can take time out to mull over a possible purchase or simply refuel while people-watching.
Price-points range from the very affordable at under £50, to high-end collectors’ pieces fetching £10,000–£25,000. Important works by renowned artists have sold at prices up to £100,000.
decorativefair.com
The Annual Buxton Decorative Antiques & Art Fair
Buxton Pavilion, Buxton
10th – 12th May
Another regional treat from Cooper Events, the Buxton fair only takes place once a year and attracts 40 specialists in fine art, furniture, glass, ceramics and decorative accessories.
Its location in this pretty Derbyshire spa town attracts visitors from far and wide, treating themselves to an antiques-filled weekend. cooperevents.com
The Petworth Park Antiques & Fine Art Fair
The Marquee, Petworth Park
17th – 19th May
A real treasure of a fair. Held in a large marquee in the grounds of Petworth House, when the sun shines, this fair has the air of a spectacular village fete.
The 60-or-so specialist dealers in all fields are generous with their expertise, and this really is a fair that caters to all tastes, however it’s particularly strong on Art Deco furniture, jewellery from the 18th
to the 20th century, antique glass, and paintings.
The majority of the exhibitors are members of either BADA or LAPADA and the fair is vetted. An excellent restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating means you really can make a day of it, if not two (which we’d recommend, as Petworth town itself has an excellent selection of antiques shops). petworthparkfair.com
The Pavilions of Harrogate Decorative, Antiques & Art Fair
The Pavilions of Harrogate, Harrogate
14th – 16th June
A little larger than its fellow stablemates at Cooper Events, this fair has 50 specialist dealers including Mark Goodger, David Hickmet, Shapiro & Co, Dansk Silver, and Peter Bunting.
Visitors can browse a wide range of fine art, early furniture, decorative collectables for the home, as well as jewellery at this event, which takes place three times a year. Check the organiser’s website for additional dates. cooperevents.com
The Treasure House Fair
Royal Hospital Chelsea, London
26th June – 2nd July
Last year’s new arrival in the premier league returns to the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea this summer. Like Masterpiece, which it replaced, this is a glamorous event that draws an international audience as well as exhibitors. treasurehousefair.com
The Northern Antiques Fair
The Garden Rooms, Tennants, Leyburn
26th – 29th September
Running since 1951, this prestigious boutique fair is run by the team behind The Petworth Park Fair and The Mayfair Antiques & Fine Art Fair.
Its impressive location – The Garden Rooms and Cloisters at Tennants Auctioneers in Leyburn – sets the tone for an event that offers serious antiques across a broad range of specialisms (Chinese ceramics, rugs, clocks, books and Parian figures, as well as excellent furniture and jewellery).
The spacious location also allows for wide aisles and beautifully curated stands. Many dealers are regulars, making this an event at which you can build a relationship with a dealer and buy with confidence. northernfair.com
PAD London
Berkeley Square, London
8th – 13th October
The 17th edition of PAD London is certainly a must for anyone with a serious interest in 20th-century art and design.
Dealers come from all over the world, offering an exciting mix of exceptional art and design from the recent past, offered alongside works by contemporary designers and makers. padesignart.com
The Chester Decorative, Antiques & Art Fair
The County Grandstand, Chester Racecourse
18th – 20th October
A friendly and approachable fair, just like its sister events at Harrogate, Buxton and the Cotswolds. An
ideal place to start collecting. cooperevents.com
LAPADA Berkeley Square Fair
Berkeley Square, London
22nd – 27th October
One of the most important events of the antiques year, the LAPADA members’ fair is a highlight for serious collectors both at home and abroad.
Expect to see art, antiques and design of exceptional quality, presented by over 100 dealers, who are at the top of their fields. lapadalondon.com
Winter Art & Antiques Fair
The Grand Hall, Olympia London
4th – 10th November
The last London fair of the year, the Winter Art & Antiques Fair is ideally timed for Christmas.
With a strong offering of jewellery and smaller antiques (glass, silver, ceramics and mirrors, as well as wonderful paintings and furniture), this is the place to find that exceptional something for the antiques-lover in your life.
And certainly you will find yourself perusing the stands alongside an interesting mix of serious collectors and eager Christmas shoppers, giving the fair a festive buzz. olympia-art-antiques.com
Antiques & Fine Arts Fair
NEC, Birmingham
29th November – 1st December
The launch of the Antiques and Fine Arts Fair was without doubt last year’s good-news story for the antiques trade, and a wonderful example of how much these events are valued by the collectors and exhibitors who attend them.
Following the demise of the popular Art and Antiques for Everyone fair held at Birmingham’s NEC, ceramics collector and dealer John Andrews of Scottow Antiques in Kent stepped into the breach.
A nerve-racking decision, he admitted, but one that really paid off: ‘Seeing the pride the exhibitors took in their stands and the excitement on the faces of the visitors as they came in made it all worthwhile.’
Some good trading helped, of course, and the event was such a success it will return this year with a significant number of important dealers. The fair’s future looks bright. classicantiquefairs.co.uk
Fairs to look forward to in 2025
The Mayfair Antiques & Fine Art Fair
London Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square, London
9th – 12th January 2025
Now in its 11th year, the Mayfair Antiques & Fine Art Fair is firmly established as the opening event of
the year. With just 40 dealers, it styles itself as a boutique event, suited to its surroundings in the London Marriott Hotel, and aimed primarily at serious collectors and the interior design trade.
But, as with all fairs, this is open to anyone with an interest in antiques and fine art, and collectors at all levels will find wonderful items on offer, from ancient civilisations through to the late 20th century. mayfairfair.com
London Art Fair
Business Design Centre, Islington, London
January 2025
Established in 1989, the London Art Fair offers visitors a chance to engage with some of the best modern and contemporary art galleries in the UK, alongside exciting emerging talent.
Prices range from stellar to very affordable, making this a popular fair for seasoned collectors, as well as visitors looking to embark on their collecting journey. londonartfair.co.uk
LARTA
Evolution Centre, Battersea Park, London
January 2025
The London Antique Rug and Textile Art Fair (LARTA) is London’s premier event dedicated to handmade carpets, rugs, tribal weavings and antique costume from around the world.
With the aim of promoting this vibrant art form to a wider audience, the fair is a visual feast of colour and texture, and dealers can be relied upon to bring an exciting and eclectic selection of stock.
They are also happy to source items and advise on restoration. larta.net
CADA Fair
Chelsea Old Town Hall, London
20th – 23rd March 2025
The annual showcase for members of the Cotswold Art & Antiques Dealers’ Association (with one or two guest exhibitors) might be one of the smallest events on the list, with a maximum of 27 dealers, but it’s well worth a visit.
After three successful fairs held at Compton Verney in Warwickshire, CADA is moving into London for its next event in March 2025.
Like the premier fairs, this is a vetted event so you can be sure of the quality and provenance of the antiques on offer. cotswolds-antiques-art.com