Installation view of ¡Frida Icónica! on Carnaby Street, created in collaboration with Tate Modern to coincide with ‘Frida: The Making of an Icon’. Photo: Jack Hall/PA Media Assignments.
Coinciding with the public opening of Frida: The Making of an Icon at Tate Modern, ¡Frida Icónica! has taken over Carnaby Street, transforming the cultural hub into a vivid celebration of one of the art world’s most enduring and iconic figures.
This spectacular installation has turned the heart of Soho into a vibrant canvas with a colourful display of public art inspired by Kahlo’s extraordinary vision. Garlands of traditional papel picado – the intricate Mexican art of decorative paper cutting - designed by artist Alejandra Ballesteros, cascade down Carnaby Street, featuring motifs and scenes inspired by Kahlo’s life and work. At its heart, an anamorphic mural composed from four portraits by Kahlo and contemporary artists reveal the artist’s recognisable profile when viewed head-on. The installation transforms when lit up from day to night, bringing Kahlo’s extraordinary world of colour, queer identity and Mexican heritage to this legendary district renowned for the very radical creativity and self-expression that the artist represents.
Opening today (25 June) Frida: The Making of an Icon became the highest pre-selling exhibition in Tate’s history, with more than 50,000 tickets sold, reinforcing Kahlo’s status as one of the most influential and widely recognised artists of the 20th century. Bringing together over 30 works by Kahlo alongside more than 80 contemporary artists from across the globe who have drawn influence from her aesthetic, identity and biography, the exhibition explores just how she transformed from a little-known Mexican painter to a worldwide cultural phenomenon.
¡Frida Icónica! extends this celebration of Kahlo’s life and work out of the gallery and onto the streets of London, remaining in place until 31 August. On the other side of the river in Bankside meanwhile, six large-scale public murals have been created by emerging artists aged under 25, in response to Kahlo’s extraordinary legacy. From a monumental floor-based intervention to paintings spanning the area’s iconic railway arches, they mark the second iteration of Beyond Boundaries - a collaboration between Better Bankside and Tate Collective, Tate’s scheme for 16-25-year-olds worldwide, with support from Oxford Properties, aimed at connecting passers-by with creativity, community and the world around them. Due to remain in place for several years, each mural explores different facets of Kahlo’s identity, including her feminism, Mexican heritage, queerness and experience of disability, carrying her fearless spirit forward through the voices and perspectives of a new generation.
Catherine Wood, Interim Director of Tate Modern said: “The extraordinary demand for Frida Kahlo is testament to the enduring power of her story and her work, which continues to resonate across cultures and communities, and inspire new generations of artists. Tate Modern is thrilled to be leading a summer-long programme across the city. Positioning Frida as an artist for 21st century London, we will offer audiences multiple entry points into her world - from the intimate space of the gallery to the shared experience of the public realm.”
Catherine Riccomini, Director of Marketing and Communications at Shaftesbury Capital, said: “Welcoming ¡Frida Icónica! to Carnaby Street this summer is about creating a shared cultural experience for London that makes Soho and Carnaby Street unlike anywhere else in the city. It has been brilliant to collaborate with Tate Modern, bringing together two of London’s most celebrated cultural destinations to share Frida Kahlo’s life, art and legacy in the heart of the city. By bringing world-class culture into a vibrant public space, we hope to make art more accessible and part of the everyday experience of Londoners and visitors alike. ¡Frida Icónica! is a tribute to Frida Kahlo’s spirit and the richness of Mexican artistry and heritage and we hope it inspires everyone who encounters it.”
For press requests, email pressoffice@tate.org.uk. To download press images, visit Tate’s Dropbox.
Listings information
Frida: The Making of an Icon
25 June 2026 – 3 January 2027
Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 9TG
Open daily 10.00–18.00, and until 21.00 every Friday and Saturday Tickets available at tate.org.uk and +44(0)20 7887 8888
Free for Members. Join at tate.org.uk/members
Follow @Tate
Frida: The Making of an Icon is organised by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, in collaboration with Tate Modern. The exhibition is in partnership with Lead Global Supporter, Bank of America. Supported by John J. Studzinski CBE. Further support from The Dyers' Company. With additional support from the Frida: Making of an Icon Supporters Circle and Tate Members.
¡Frida Icónica!
Carnaby Street, Soho, W1F 9PS; 25 June – 31 August 2026 www.thisissoho.co.uk/whats-on/soho-events/frida-kahlo
¡Frida Icónica! is a collaboration between Shaftesbury Capital and Tate Modern
Beyond Boundaries
Sumner Street, Ewer Street, Southwark Street, Great Suffolk Street, Great Guildford Street, Green Dragon Court; 15 June 2026 – 2028 www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/bankside/beyond-boundaries
Beyond Boundaries is a collaboration between Tate Collective and Better Bankside, co-curated with Tate
Collective Producers, made possible with support from Oxford Properties.
About Tate Collective
Tate Collective is a free-to-join scheme for 16-to-25 year-olds with over 190,000 members worldwide. It offers £5 exhibition tickets, discounts in cafés, bars and shops, plus access to exclusive creative opportunities and events. Tate Collective is supported by The Rothschild Foundation, and Tate Patrons.
About Shaftesbury Capital
Shaftesbury Capital PLC is the leading central London mixed-use Real Estate Investment Trust and is a constituent of the FTSE-250 Index. With a property portfolio under management valued at £5.4 billion, it extends to 2.8 million square feet of lettable space across the most vibrant areas of London's West End. Featuring a diverse mix of shops, restaurants, cafés, bars, residential apartments and offices, key destinations include the high footfall, thriving neighbourhoods of Covent Garden, Carnaby, Soho and Chinatown, with properties close to the main West End Underground stations and transport hubs for the Elizabeth Line.
About Soho
Soho is a world-famous shopping and dining destination in the heart of London’s West End, synonymous with culture, creativity and innovation. Made up of one square mile of vibrant interconnecting streets including the globally renowned Carnaby Street, it’s home to a multi-dimensional mix of international flagships, independent boutiques and innovative, new concept stores. The epicentre of London’s dining scene, its unique day-to-night hospitality offer comprises high-quality restaurants, cafés, bars and pubs.
ThisisSoho.co.uk / @ThisisSoho
About Better Bankside
Guardians and ground breakers for one of the world’s great neighbourhoods, Better Bankside works with local businesses and the community to make Bankside stronger, greener and happier. One of the UK's first Business Improvement Districts, Better Bankside covers the neighbourhood from London Bridge to Blackfriars Bridge, from the Thames in the north to Borough Station in the south. Putting the better in Bankside since 2005: betterbankside.co.uk
About Oxford Properties Group
Oxford Properties Group ("Oxford") is a leading global real estate investor, developer and manager. Established in 1960, Oxford and its portfolio companies manage approximately C$86 billion of assets across four continents on behalf of their investment partners. Oxford's owned portfolio encompasses logistics, office, retail, multifamily residential, life sciences, credit and hotels in global gateway cities and high-growth hubs. A thematic investor with a committed source of capital, Oxford invests in properties, portfolios, development sites, debt, securities and real estate businesses across the risk-reward spectrum. Together with its portfolio companies, Oxford is one of the world's most active developers with 30 projects currently underway globally across all major asset classes. Oxford is owned by OMERS, the Canadian defined benefit pension plan for Ontario's municipal employees. Visit oxfordproperties.com for more information.