Wake up to the world’s greatest art collection
It’s the dream competition for any art lover. The chance to go to sleep surrounded by some of the world’s greatest works of art – from Rembrandt to Gainsborough. Can you imagine waking up to gaze upon the wonders of George Stubbs’ Whistlejacket?
The National Gallery has a date in mind for one lucky winner of a unique competition: Friday 9 May.
It’s the first time the world-renowned gallery has offered the chance of a ‘sleepover’ ahead of its full reopening to mark its 200th anniversary.
The National Gallery is launching the prize draw to find the first member of the public to enter the Sainsbury Wing, following its two-year closure, and experience the biggest rehang of the entire collection: C C Land: The Wonder of Art.
The competition opened earlier this week and sees the chance extended to anyone over 18 who subscribes to the Gallery’s newsletter.
The bed will be on the ‘bridge’ that connects the newly refurbished Sainsbury Wing with the rest of the Gallery.
Organisers explain the lucky winner will enjoy dinner for two at Locatelli, the National Gallery’s restaurant which is soon to be opened by Michelin-starred chef Georgio Locatelli, in partnership with Searcy’s.
The winner will also receive their own private, personal tour of C C Land: The Wonder of Art with a National Gallery curator.
A personal tour among 1,000 works of art
As they make their way through the Gallery, they’ll see more than 1,000 works of art, which trace the development of painting in the Western European tradition from the 13th to 20th centuries.
The displays vary from iconic masterpieces to paintings which have never previously been seen in the National Gallery.
The carefully curated rehang will enable them to not only see their favourites returned to the walls, but also those paintings in the context of history, of collecting for the nation and where we are now.
As the winner wakes up on the morning of Saturday 10 May, they’ll enjoy a breakfast hamper before having the Gallery to themselves to explore ahead of the first public opening of the Sainsbury Wing at 10am.
The competition is open until 6pm on Monday 28 April after which one lucky winner will be randomly selected. Visitors can see the completed redisplay from 10 May 2025.
The transformed Sainsbury Wing has experienced more than two years of building work.
