The Arts Club London 2026: Membership, Dress Code and Guests

According to Spear's, Charles Dickens, Anthony Trollope and Lord Leighton were among its founders. Rodin, Whistler and Liszt were members. The Arts Club has been a home for people who love art, literature and ideas since 1863, and today its townhouse at 40 Dover Street is one of the most glamorous rooms in Mayfair. It also publishes its fees, its dress code and its full rules, which makes it easier to understand than most clubs. Here is how it works, all checked on the club's own website and rules on October 30, 2026.

What The Arts Club Is Today

According to the club's About page, it was founded "to provide a sanctuary for those with a professional or amateur relationship with the Arts, Literature or Sciences." Its art collection remains at its core, with exhibitions curated by Wedel Art in the Drawing and Ante Rooms. The club website lists the Brasserie, the Ofelia Members' Lounge, the Japanese restaurant Kyubi, the late-night cocktail bar Leo's, the cigar lounge Oscuro, and a hotel on the top two floors. On October 30, 2026, the site showed the club open from 7:30 am to 3:00 am.

Membership Categories and Fees

The official membership page lists the following:

• Full membership: for applicants aged 33 or older. £3,200 a year, plus a £1,600 Member Assessment Fee.
• Second membership: for a spouse or partner at the same address as a full member. £1,400 a year, with no assessment fee.
• Young membership: for applicants under 33, with full access. £1,500 a year, plus a £500 assessment fee.
• International membership: full access to The Arts Club Dubai for members whose primary club is London. An additional £1,400 a year.

The club's Rules and Bye-Laws (July 2025) also include an Overseas category for applicants aged 30 or older with a non-UK address. Its rate is not listed on the membership page, so ask the membership team. The page also asks international applicants to apply to the club closest to their primary residential address.

How Election Works

The rules are unusually transparent about the process:

• A proposer and a seconder. Every candidate must be supported by two members of The Arts Club London or Dubai. Each may be asked to write a letter saying how long they have known you and why you are qualified "by virtue of [your] connection with, or interest in, the arts, literature or sciences."
• An application with a photograph, for identification and security.
• A meeting with the membership team, unless the Secretary decides it is not needed.
• A unanimous decision. The Executive Committee elects members, and one vote against excludes a candidate. At least 48 hours pass between receiving an application and deciding, and no reason is given if you are not elected.

Our advice: the "interest in the arts" line is real. A genuine connection to art, design, music, writing or collecting, and two members who can speak to it, matters more than your job title.

Going as a Guest

Most people first see The Arts Club as a guest. The rules set out how it works:

• Guests must be 18 or over, and 21 or over for Oscuro and Leo's.
• A member may bring up to three guests on any visit, at the club's discretion, unless a private party or dining reservation has been confirmed in advance. More than five guests in a day needs prior arrangement.
• Your host stays with you. Guests are signed in, must be accompanied throughout, and wait in reception if they arrive first.
• No photography, video or social media. The club enforces a strict policy, and it extends to smart glasses.
• Phones on silent. Laptops, phones and papers may be used until 5:30 pm, but never in the dining rooms or Oscuro.

The Arts Club Dress Code

The dress code page is titled "Always Elegant," and members and guests are "encouraged to dress up for the occasion." Gentlemen are encouraged to wear a blazer after 6:00 pm. The list of what is not permitted includes several items that matter for women:

• Overly revealing clothes, including cut-outs and excessively short hemlines, and hot pants.
• Ripped jeans, sportswear, athleisure and hooded sweaters.
• Gym shoes, flip-flops, sliders, sports sandals and other casual open-back footwear.
• T-shirts with large logos, prints or slogans, baseball caps and beanies (an elegant hat is fine, removed in the restaurants), and backpacks.

The club adds that how you carry yourself is part of the code, and that someone who technically complies but is not well presented may be refused entry at the front desk's discretion.

What we would wear

• Lunch: a tailored midi dress or a fine knit with a pleated skirt, and a polished pump or loafer.
• Dinner and Leo's: a silk or velvet dress, or black evening trousers with a beautiful top. Think gallery opening, not nightclub.
• Your bag: a structured handbag or clutch. Leave the backpack at the hotel.

For more on the dress codes between smart and formal, see our guide to cocktail attire for women.

Private Events and the Festive Season

Members can host their own celebrations at the club. The private events page lists the Drawing Room for receptions, dinners and wedding ceremonies, the adjoining Ante Room for smaller occasions, Naisho, a private dining room in Kyubi for up to ten, and Leo's for exclusive hire, with many spaces licensed for weddings. For a December dinner or a birthday in the season, it is one of the most beautiful private rooms in Mayfair, but you need a member to book it.

As of October 30, 2026, the club had not published its 2026 Christmas or New Year's Eve plans on its website; members should watch the club's events program. If you want a ticketed evening instead, our guide to Christmas balls in London lists the season's black-tie nights. For how The Arts Club compares with Annabel's, 5 Hertford Street and Home House, see our guide London Private Clubs & Black-Tie Access, Explained.

FAQ

How much is The Arts Club membership?

£3,200 a year plus a £1,600 Member Assessment Fee for full members aged 33 or older, or £1,500 plus £500 for under-33s, as listed on October 30, 2026.

Do you need a proposer to join The Arts Club?

Yes. Every candidate needs a proposer and a seconder who are members of The Arts Club London or Dubai.

What is The Arts Club dress code?

Elegant. No sportswear, ripped jeans, gym shoes, overly revealing clothes, casual open-back footwear or backpacks.

How many guests can a member bring?

Up to three on any visit, aged 18 or over, unless a private party or dining reservation has been arranged.

Sources: The Arts Club, About the Club, Membership, Dress Code, Private Events and Rules & Bye-Laws (July 18, 2025), The Arts Club; The best private members' clubs in 2026, Spear's (January 20, 2026); all checked October 30, 2026. Fees and policies can change; confirm with the club.

More London evenings: browse our London guides or see every Femme Jet Set guide.

Cover photo: Megalit, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.