Eleanor MaslinEast Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

Getty Images A drawing of a hippo-like creature stuck on to the side of a wooden dark brown hut. The creature has a black outline and a white body and is holding four purple flowers in its hand. It's eye is closed. Around it are colourful wildflowers that have been drawn with a butterfly and caterpillar with animated faces.Getty Images

Moomin has featured on TV animations, films, opera and puppet shows

Hull will showcase an iconic children’s tale and work by a master of impressionism as part of a programme of events in 2026.

The Ferens Art Gallery will welcome the world of Moomin, created by the Finnish illustrator and writer Tove Jansson in May, Hull City Council said.

The same venue will also display Claude Monet’s masterpiece, The Petit Bras of the Seine at Argenteuil, painted in 1872, in June as part of the National Gallery Masterpiece Tour.

Councillor Rob Pritchard, portfolio holder for culture and leisure, said the Hull Museums teams had “really excelled themselves” with an “incredibly diverse programme” for 2026.

A prestige sandy coloured building with two pillars at the front and two rectangular drapes hanging down from each side of it. You can see people walking along the path and a few people sat in front of the building.

Ferens Art Gallery in Hull will host Moomin artwork and Monet masterpieces as part of its 2026 events

The first book on Moomins, The Moomins and the Great Flood, was published in 1945.

Since then, 30 million books have been sold worldwide and Moomins have featured in TV animations, films, opera and puppet shows.

The Ferens Art Gallery display, The Wonders of Moominvalley, will run from 23 May to 6 September and feature installations, paintings and projections.

Hull Museums 2026 highlights

Into The Stores: Work that has been hidden away in the Ferens’ collection will be put on display in the public galleries between 13 February and 4 May.Fixing for the Future: Visitors will be able to learn how the gallery preserves and stores artwork as well as share their ideas for the Ferens ahead of its centenary year in 2027.The Wonders of Moominvalley: A celebration of Tove Jansson’s Moomin characters runs from 23 May to 6 September with interactive installations, projections and paintings.Claude Monet: The Petit Bras of the Seine at Argenteuil (1872) will go on display as part of The National Gallery Masterpiece Tour from 19 June to 13 September. It will run alongside an exhibition co-curated with Flourish, Ferens Art Gallery’s creative group for children and young people.Open Exhibition: The work of amateurs and professionals will be on display at the gallery with prizes for young artists aged 15 and under.20 Historical Women: Held at Wilberforce House Museum and the Streetlife Museum, a collection of work by Doncaster-based artist Chinwe Russell will look at well-known modern and historical women who “changed the world”.