Inside the Dazzling Serpentine Summer Party 2026

This year’s spectacular, sun-soaked Serpentine Summer Party turned a spotlight upon Mexican culture, from its trio of cinematic hosts—Salma Hayek Pinault, Alfonso Cuarón, and Alejandro González Iñárritu—to 2026’s rhythmic brick architectural commission itself, titled “a serpentine” and designed by Mexico City–based LANZA atelier. “The English brick city and the Mexican brick wall speak different languages, yet both turn earth, fire, and craft into culture,” Iñárritu shared. In high-fashion ensembles, amidst a London heat wave, A-list attendees who have long defined film, art, and philanthropic culture gathered around the Pavilion with glasses of effervescent Ruinart Champagne and signature cocktails from Casa Dragones and Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Serpentine CEO Bettina Korek and Artistic Director Hans Ulrich Obrist welcomed guests, who passed through artist Jesús Rafael Soto’s interactive outdoor sculpture (set to a live performance by Dhol drummers), dined upon Laila Gohar's artistic culinary creations, and toured Serpentine’s two milestone exhibitions, Cecily Brown “Picture Making” and David Hockney “A Year in Normandie and Other Thoughts on Painting.” On the grounds, Gohar unveiled “The Weight of Air,” a series of fabric installations, as well. Isha Ambani, the Chair of the Summer Party Host Committee for a second year, most precisely summed up the rarified occasion, “Serpentine is a remarkable celebration of creativity, culture, and connection.”