New Cross Fire Foundation

The new London Museum in Smithfield is due to open in 2026 and it will feature several permanent galleries focussed on the history of London. More information about the museum can be found here: London Museum | Smithfield | Opens 2026 | London Museum

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London Museum intends to reflect the 1981 New Cross Fire and the Black People’s Day of Action within the part  of the permanent galleries which will look at London in recent history.

 

In April 2025, the museum commissioned the New Cross Fire Foundation (NCFF) to support this work and assist it with selecting a suitable image to represent the 1981 New Cross Fire. An image to represent the Black People’s Day of Action had already been sourced and agreed, but it was felt that a separate image was required to represent the New Cross Fire as an important event itself in the history of London.

 

The NCFF selected seven images, agreed with London Museum, that can be seen to represent the 1981 New Cross Fire. Unlike the Black People's Day of Action, there are relatively few images relating specifically to the New Cross Fire that are suitable for display in this London Museum gallery context. The seven images we selected reflected those limitations.

 

We then undertook a consultation to help inform the final selection process and decision on which image to use.  The consultation survey was available online for 28 days, from Monday 30 June until Sunday 27 July 2026.

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The consultation closed on 27 July 2025. The response was remarkable, with more than 1,200 responses. Thank you to everyone who took part.

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The consultation data is now being collated and it will be used to inform the final selection process and decision on which image to use. Once this has been agreed and finalised with London Museum, the outcome of the process will be shared here.

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Thank you to all those who contributed to this vital consultation process to inform an important and long-lasting decision about how the 1981 New Cross Fire is represented to public audiences visiting London Museum.

 

Update Sept 2025: The consultation data has been collated and a report submitted to the London Museum. We are continuing to work with the museum to obtain the chosen image and ensure that the New Cross Fire is suitably represented in the new permanent exhibition. The Foundation and London Museum remain absolutely committed to this work and we expect everything to be in place for the opening of the museum in 2026. We will continue to update and share further information here as and when we are able to, hopefully in late 2025.

Thank you for your patience.​

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