The World Press Photo Exhibition returns to London after 7-year hiatus

Sebastian Oakley
·3 min read
Alina Surquislla Gomez, a third-generation alpaquera (alpaca-farmer), cradles a baby alpaca on the way to her family’s summer pastures, in Oropesa, Peru. The climate crisis is forcing herders, many of whom are women, to search for new pastures, often in difficult terrain.
Alina Surquislla Gomez, a third-generation alpaquera (alpaca-farmer), cradles a baby alpaca on the way to her family’s summer pastures, in Oropesa, Peru. The climate crisis is forcing herders, many of whom are women, to search for new pastures, often in difficult terrain.

The highly anticipated World Press Photo Exhibition makes its return to London after a seven-year hiatus. From Friday, May 3 to Monday, May 27, 2024, the exhibition will be held at Borough Yards, Dirty Lane, London, SE1 9AD.

Renowned as the world's most prestigious news photo competition, the World Press Photo Contest will feature a  display of the finest photojournalism and documentary photography from across the globe.

141_Southeast Asia and Oceania_Open Format_Chad Ajamian
141_Southeast Asia and Oceania_Open Format_Chad Ajamian

At its core, the World Press Photo aims to foster connections by highlighting stories of global significance. By transcending the daily news cycle, the exhibition encourages viewers to engage critically with pressing issues worldwide, fostering mutual understanding through accurate, diverse, and high-quality visual storytelling.

Established in 1955, the World Press Photo Foundation has been dedicated to showcasing the best in photojournalism and documentary photography. With its annual photo contest, the foundation reaches millions worldwide, with the exhibition traveling to over 60 cities in more than 40 countries each year.

Retrieving the Dead. Resistance fighters from the People's Defence Force retreat with the body of a comrade, following a clash with the Myanmar military, in Moe Bye, Kayah State. Myanmar authorities have sent reinforcements to the region as fighting with the local opposition groups intensifies.
Retrieving the Dead. Resistance fighters from the People's Defence Force retreat with the body of a comrade, following a clash with the Myanmar military, in Moe Bye, Kayah State. Myanmar authorities have sent reinforcements to the region as fighting with the local opposition groups intensifies.

The London Exhibition Director, Woody Anderson, commented:

“In the realm of visual storytelling, World Press Photo stands at the forefront of its art, beckoning its audience into the reality inhabited by the subjects in each image… The exhibition not only sparks emotion, it also kindles a collective consciousness, whilst vividly illuminating the most paramount news stories of our time. The exhibitions prolonged absence from the capital has been a significant omission from the city’s cultural calendar."

North and Central America_Singles_Jonas Kako_Panos Pictures (1) copy
North and Central America_Singles_Jonas Kako_Panos Pictures (1) copy

The 67th edition of the World Press Photo Contest for 2024 saw an impressive turnout, with 61,062 entries submitted by 3,581 photographers hailing from 130 different countries. A panel of 31 esteemed professionals from around the globe dedicated six weeks to meticulously reviewing this year's submissions.

The regional winners of the 2024 contest are set to be unveiled on April 3, 2024, at 10:00 GMT, followed by the announcement of the global winners on April 18, also at 10:00 GMT. The exhibition will open its doors on May 3, 2024.

The 2024 World Press Photo Contest is organized into six worldwide regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, North and Central America, South America, and Southeast Asia, and Oceania. Entries were evaluated based on the region in which they were captured. Across these regions, there are four format-based categories: Singles, Stories, Long-Term Projects, and Open Format. These categories welcome submissions that capture news moments, events, and aftermaths, and shed light on social, political, and environmental issues or solutions.