The Arts Club is a private members club located at 40 Dover Street in Mayfair, London. It was founded in 1863 by a group that included Charles Dickens, Anthony Trollope, and Frederic Leighton to provide a meeting place for individuals with a professional or amateur connection to the arts, literature, and sciences. The club was originally established at 17 Hanover Square and relocated to its current Dover Street address in 1896.
Throughout its history, The Arts Club has counted among its members many of the most prominent figures in the arts. Early members included painters James McNeill Whistler, John Everett Millais, and Auguste Rodin, musicians Franz Liszt and Charles Halle, and writers Bram Stoker and Rudyard Kipling. The club maintained a relatively low profile for much of the twentieth century and underwent a significant decline in membership and physical condition before being acquired by private investors.
In 2011, The Arts Club reopened following a comprehensive renovation that transformed the Dover Street townhouse into a contemporary club spanning 30,000 square feet across multiple floors. The redesigned club includes dining rooms, bars, a brasserie, private event spaces, a nightclub, a gallery for rotating art exhibitions, and the Lanserhof health club in the lower levels. The club has also expanded internationally with a location in Dubai.
Membership at The Arts Club requires nomination by an existing member and approval by the membership committee. The annual subscription is approximately 1,500 pounds with a 500-pound assessment fee. The club maintains its founding emphasis on the arts through a permanent art collection, curated exhibitions, live music programming, and cultural events. It has attracted a contemporary membership base that includes figures from fashion, music, film, and the broader creative economy.