Summer on the Square
FAQs
To help us keep Summer on the Square a safe and enjoyable place for everyone, please follow the guidelines below by:
- Being considerate towards others
- Not crossing barriered areas
- Consuming food and drink in designated areas only
- Not smoking or vaping within the studio space
- Following our photography guidelines and only photographing those within your own family – unless otherwise granted permission.
The Gallery is free to enter. We recommend you book a free Gallery Entry ticket prior to your arrival. If you do not have a ticket, you can join the queue outside the Portico Entrance on the day.
Please see our visiting information here.
The main studio is undercover and weatherproof to accommodate most weather conditions. However, the British weather is unpredictable and running any kind of event outdoors comes with risk.
On rare occasions, due to exceptionally heavy rain or wind, it may not be possible for us to run advertised workshops. If the weather looks particularly bad, please check our website before you travel to Trafalgar Square to see if events have been cancelled that day.
See our most up-to-date safety and hygiene measures.
In line with government guidance, it is your choice whether to wear a face covering during your visit.
In the Summer on the Square studio, hand sanitiser, anti-bacterial wipes and masks will be available.
Materials will be shared between participants but please feel free to bring your own
Art materials can also be purchased in the National Gallery Shop (a Gallery Entry ticket is required to enter).
If you or anyone you live with displays symptoms associated with COVID-19, please delay your visit until it is safe to do so.
You are welcome to use the toilet facilities in the National Gallery, but you will need to book a separate Gallery Entry ticket to gain access to the building.
Public toilet facilities are also located on the west side of Trafalgar Square at the base of the central staircase. There is a small charge to use this facility.
Our sessions are designed for everyone. For activities that include easels, all our easels can be raised or lowered, and an option to use a drawing board instead will be provided. Stools will also be provided and there will be a ramped entrance to enter and exit the studio space. Trafalgar Square is flat and easily negotiable with a wheelchair.
In between your visits to the Gallery and the studio activities outside, you are welcome to bring a picnic to enjoy the atmosphere of Trafalgar Square on the benches provided.
Our cafés and restaurant, Ochre, and Muriel's Kitchen and Espresso Bar serve delicious food and refreshments.
Food and drink is not available to purchase from Summer on the Square.
Summer on the Square does not have access to running water, so we are unable to refill water bottles. Inside the Gallery, water fountains are available for you to use. The nearest of these is located outside the toilets in the Portico Entrance (please note, you will need a free Gallery Entry ticket to enter the building).
The Refill app shows you which locations nearby are happy to refill your water bottles.
There are also many places surrounding the Square where you can purchase bottled water.
Please pack lightly, as we do not operate a cloakroom facility. Place your belongings somewhere you can always see them and keep purses and bags closed and secured. Don’t forget to take them with you when you leave!
Of course, feel free to take photographs for personal, non-commercial use, but please don’t take pictures of people outside of your own family and friends without permission.
We would love to see the work you create during the festival. Tag us in your posts on social media at:
Instagram @nationalgallery
Facebook @thenationalgallery
Twitter @NationalGallery
TikTok @nationalgallerylondon
If you would like to take pictures for press or commercial use, please contact our press team press.external@nationalgallery.org.uk
You can find the National Gallery safeguarding policy here.