Queer Britain

Queer Britain is a museum in London’s King’s Cross that tells the story of British LGBTQ life and culture. It occupies the ground floor of a former warehouse at 2 Granary Square, a building shared with arts organisations. Three linked galleries display objects, photographs and archives from across the country. A small shop sells books and souvenirs. The space sits beside the Regent’s Canal towpath with cafés and studios nearby. The museum opened in 2022 after years of pop-up shows across London. Its founders, Joseph Galliano-Doig and Ian Mehrtens, began in 2018 with touring exhibitions such as Our Naked Skin and Virtually Queer. The first permanent display, ‘Welcome to Queer Britain’, used material from the photography archive. A later exhibition, ‘We Are Queer Britain’, won Best Small Museum Project in 2022. After a short closure for refurbishment, it reopened in 2026 with six new collection themes. Visitors now find six galleries arranged around themes like Resist! and Club Kids. Stories include the Black Lesbian and Gay Centre, Club Kali and the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt. Two special shows, ‘Queer Print’ and ‘40 Years of BFI Flair’, sit alongside rotating displays. The building still holds the museum’s reserve collection at the Bishopsgate Institute. Outside, the canal-side walk offers a quiet place to reflect on what has been shown inside.