British Museum offers ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ chance to see the Bayeux Tapestry
More than seven million visitors are expected at the British Museum when tickets for a rare London exhibition of the Bayeux Tapestry are released this summer.
More than seven million people are expected to visit the British Museum after tickets go on sale this summer for a rare exhibition of the Bayeux Tapestry in London.
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Tickets will be released on 1 July, with the first wave covering entry dates between September and December.
Further releases in October and January will allow access through to July 2027.
The 70-metre medieval masterpiece, which depicts the 1066 Norman invasion of England and the Battle of Hastings, will return to British soil for the first time since it was created nearly 1,000 years ago.
It famously portrays the conquest of King Harold by William the Conqueror.
George Osborne, chair of trustees at the museum, described the exhibition as “a defining piece of our nation’s history and a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience”, predicting it will mark the biggest year in the institution’s history, with an estimated 7.5 million visitors.
Museum director Nicholas Cullinan called the opportunity to display the tapestry in the UK “exciting and rare”, adding that it is one of the most important surviving cultural artefacts from the medieval world.
To mark the announcement, Osborne and Cullinan were joined by French ambassador Hélène Duchêne at Piccadilly Circus, where a special promotional display was unveiled.
The tapestry has been housed at the Bayeux Tapestry Museum in Normandy since 1983.
It will return to France following renovations at the site.
Visitors are encouraged to sign up to the British Museum newsletter for ticket updates ahead of July’s release.