How to write an accurate art event listing

Gather the facts before writing

Start with the confirmed event title, organiser, venue, street address, postcode, public dates and opening times. Keep the booking or official event link alongside them. If a detail is not confirmed, resolve it before presenting it as a fact. A clear listing is more useful than promotional language that leaves readers guessing.

Use the public-facing event name consistently across the title, poster and booking page. Avoid describing an event as a reviewer's favourite, a sell-out or the city's best unless you have a truthful basis; readers need to know what is happening, not how strongly you can praise it.

Write two descriptions with different jobs

The short description should tell readers what the event is and what they will encounter. The long description can explain the work, format and practical arrangements. Do not spend the short description repeating the title or filling it with hashtags.

Title

3-120 characters.

Short description

60-120 characters; no more than 10 line breaks.

Long description

200-1200 characters; no more than 40 line breaks.

Opening times

3-50 characters.

Venue name

Optional, with a maximum of 60 characters.

These are the current submission form and API limits, checked on 8 October 2026. They are characters, not words. Use short paragraphs and the form's counters; the API normalises whitespace before checking descriptions.

A useful drafting order is: what is presented; who is involved; what a visitor will see or do; and what they need to know before attending. Include access or booking arrangements only when confirmed. Read it once as someone who has never heard of the event.

Use the address people actually need

Put the street and number in address line 1. Use the optional second line for the building, floor or suite when relevant. Supply the postcode and select London and United Kingdom in the form. The venue name helps recognition but does not replace a street address.

Check the visitor entrance rather than copying an office or postal address. Explain a separate gate or reception route in the description when necessary. Choose the London area from the event's actual location, not from an audience you hope to reach.

Separate public dates from promotion

Use the first and last public event dates, and give opening hours that explain when visitors can attend within that range. Do not turn the date of an announcement into the event start date. If the opening evening has different hours or registration, make that distinction clear.

The API allows a start date up to seven days in the past; the end date must be on or after the start and no later than three months after it. An optional promotion start date cannot be in the past. The form treats performance, talk and workshop as one-day types and sets their end date to the start date. These are platform rules, not advice to change the facts of your event to fit.

If your event does not fit, ask through Contact rather than using misleading dates. For a one-day visit, write the hours precisely enough to distinguish doors opening from the programme start.

Prepare images and check the preview

Use an image you have permission to publish. Keep essential names and dates readable, but repeat practical information in the text so it is not available only inside a poster. Do not use an unrelated artwork or venue photograph in a way that misrepresents the event.

The poster limit is 5MB (5 x 1024 x 1024 bytes), with a recommended resolution of 1600 x 2000 pixels. The form accepts image files and processes the poster to JPEG; the API accepts the processed JPEG. Use Preview and its Adjust Image or Crop Image options, checking that the final framing has not cut off information.

You can add up to four additional photos, each at most 5MB, in JPG/JPEG, PNG, WEBP or GIF format. Choose images that add context rather than four copies of the poster. Check permissions and any required credit before uploading.

Review as a visitor before submitting

• Does the title match the official event page?
• Can someone find the entrance from the address?
• Are public dates, opening hours and booking instructions consistent?
• Does the preview preserve the poster's important content?
• Have you replaced guesses and unsupported claims with confirmed facts?

Use Add Event when ready. Check Pricing for current submission options and About & FAQ for platform information. These are listing options, not the admission price of your event.