After a five-year hiatus, The Harris Open Exhibition makes its highly anticipated return in 2026, reaffirming its status as one of Preston’s most beloved cultural traditions. 

Running for more than 70 years, The Harris Open has long served as a vibrant platform for creativity, community pride, and championing local artists.

In keeping with The Harris’ mission to broaden creative access, all entries will be accepted for display unless the content is deemed offensive or inappropriate by the team. This commitment ensures a truly open exhibition that reflects the breadth of Preston’s artistic talent and community identity.

The Harris Open entry forms will be available from Monday, 19 January at The Harris welcome desk and on The Harris website along with full details of how to prepare your work for entry. Submissions are open to anyone living, working or studying within a PR1, PR2, PR3, or PR4 postcode area, of all ages and abilities. Each entrant may submit one artwork, and for 2026, entry is completely free of charge.

Artists working in any medium are encouraged to submit. This includes drawing, painting, print, photography, sculpture, digital art, film, sound, fashion, illustration, experimental practice, traditional forms, sketchbooks, zines, and works in progress. By embracing diversity in approach, content, and style, the 2026 exhibition promises a display as vibrant, varied, and multifaceted as Preston itself.

The Harris is pleased to welcome and celebrate group entries in this year’s exhibition. Confirmed submissions already include projects from Preston-based community groups such as The Foxton Centre, Places for People, and Wot Wud U Do.

Throughout the exhibition, visitors can attend a range of free activities, including artist-led workshops, celebrations for International Women’s Day, an exhibiting-artist networking event, and the People’s Choice Award celebration. 

In addition, this year introduces new selling opportunities. Exhibiting artists may choose to sell their artwork, and for the first time, The Harris Open will also feature a pop-up shop offering artist-designed merchandise such as prints, apparel, jewellery, and more. 

Submission Dates

All artworks must be hand delivered to Gallery One, situated on The Harris’ second floor during one of the following hand-in sessions:

• Tuesday, 3 February, 1pm – 4:30pm
• Thursday, 5 February, 5pm – 9pm
• Saturday, 7 February, 10am – 4pm

The Harris Open Exhibition will open to the public at 1pm on Saturday, 21 February 2026.

Councillor Hindle Cabinet Member for Culture and Arts at Preston City Council said: “For over 70 years, The Harris Open has been a cornerstone of Preston’s cultural life. The exhibition’s return in 2026 is a testament to the city’s creativity, and we are proud to support this exciting platform for artists of all ages.”