Are arts memberships worth it?

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If you’re partial to considering a Kandinsky, or taking in The Tempest performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company, you might have considered signing up to an arts membership. For an annual fee, you can typically book tickets for shows before anyone else, and get access to members-only bars and restaurants — all while demonstrating to your friends your rich cultural knowledge and refined tastes.

But are they worth it?

You can maximise perks by taking out several memberships for the leading culture clubs for you and a guest. Then, if you’re savvy (like me), you might want to ask your friends to sign up to others, ensuring you have access to all the best shows, performances and events year-round.

But let’s be honest: attending gallery shows, private viewings and exclusive performances or screenings is all well and good, but if you’re paying a premium, you want to be seen. So don’t just focus on the art — explore the grandeur of the members’ rooms for lunch in some of the most dramatic settings in the UK too.

Best members’ rooms

My apologies for being London-centric, but the capital does lead the way on this front. I consider The Picturehouse in Soho one of the best-kept secrets in town. Along with five free cinema tickets every year and discounts on food and drink, you gain access to two floors of private members’ rooms and a huge rooftop terrace overlooking Haymarket — all for £90 per year. Only if you take the West End membership though.

The members’ room at the Victoria and Albert Museum is arguably the most attractive space around (prosecco on tap, too, if that’s your poison) with a highly regarded restaurant (£77 with unlimited visits and members-only events). But the most desirable of all members’ rooms are those of the Tate, simply because you have so many options, from the rotunda at Tate Britain to the Granville-Grossman bar at Tate Modern with its incredible views over London. Take the member with a guest option at £114 a year.

Best all-round memberships

If you’re looking for a good all-rounder membership, the Art Pass allows you entry to more than 240 museums, galleries and grand country manors either free or with big reductions, for about £60 a year. And what self-respecting country-dweller would be caught without a National Trust membership sticker in the window of their car? A £91.20 annual stipend for individuals gets you access to more than 500 properties.

Best luxury memberships

If you really want to make an impression, you might want to consider the Royal Opera House. You’re going to need that membership just to get through the door, as the priority booking system is the only way to get your hands on the top seats. There are lots of different membership levels, but the “Premium 2 Friend” option will get priority booking before all the other levels of membership, access to four exclusive rehearsals each year and bragging rights — your name will grace the Royal Opera House website: all for roughly £2,700 a year. Something to casually drop in to the conversation at the Paul Hamlyn champagne bar or over lunch in the Piazza Terrace overlooking Covent Garden.