Exhibition
The Bayeux Tapestry
Coming September 2026
Free
British Museum
A historic loan from France
The Bayeux Tapestry
Experience
/
10 September 2026 – 11 July 2027
Tickets reopen later this year – sign up for news (Opens in new window) Member priority booking reopens in October
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Bayeux Tapestry, England, about AD 1072–77. Photo © La Fabrique de patrimoines en Normandie / Antoine Cazin.
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Key information
10 September 2026 – 11 July 2027
Sunday – Wednesday, 10.00–18.00
Thursday – Saturday, 10.00–21.00
See full opening hours
Room 30
The Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery
Tickets
Tickets from 10 September – 31 December 2026 have sold out.
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For the first time since it was made nearly 1,000 years ago, the Bayeux Tapestry is returning to England.
Following a historic agreement with France, the 70-metre-long tapestry, depicting events leading up to the Battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, will be loaned to the British Museum from September 2026 to July 2027.
This monumental embroidery tells the dramatic story of a moment that changed England forever. No year in the country's history is more famous than 1066. It was the last time England was successfully invaded, and it is the year from which the modern monarchy dates itself. And there is no other object that is as instantly recognisable, as studied in schools and as copied by artists as the Bayeux Tapestry.
One of the wonders of the medieval world, the Tapestry offers a vision of life in 11th-century England both before and after the Conquest, from castles, warfare and ships to clothing, food and furniture. Likely commissioned by a Norman patron and made by English embroiderers, using manuscript drawings from Canterbury, the Tapestry is both a precious historical record and a remarkable work of art.
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Ticket information
How to book
- Tickets from 10 September – 31 December 2026 have sold out.
- If you've missed out, don't worry, there will be further ticket releases. Bookings for January to July 2027 will open later in the year. Sign up to our newsletter (Opens in new window) to be the first to hear about future ticket releases.
- There's a maximum of 10 tickets per booking. Multiple bookings from the same email address will be cancelled. Tickets can only be used by the booker and ID may be checked.
- See ticket terms and conditions.
- Considering becoming a Member? Find out more about Membership benefits.
- Reciprocal entry and passes from ICOM, ICOMOS, MA and NMDC are not valid for visits to The Bayeux Tapestry between September and December 2026. Details of reciprocal entry for visits in 2027 will be available later in the year.
Members
- Each Member will need to book a timed ticket in advance of visiting.
- The first window for Member priority booking opened on 16 June for visits from 10 September to 31 December 2026 – please note all tickets are now sold out.
- Priority booking for January 2027 to March 2027 dates will open in October 2026.
- Booking for April to July 2027 dates will open in January 2027.
- If you have recently joined online as a Member, use the link in your email confirmation to see ticket availability and book tickets.
- Members can find out more on Visiting as a Member and Membership FAQs.
Groups
- You can book up to 10 tickets online. Please note that multiple bookings from the same email address will be cancelled.
- Groups of 11–30 people will need to book through the Box Office, by calling +44 (0)20 7323 8181 (phone lines open 10.00–16.50, Mon–Fri). You may book up to a maximum of 6 dates (180 tickets).
- For premium tours out-of-hours please contact traveltradebookings@britishmuseum.org
- Please note there's a maximum of four under 16s per ticketed adult, with a maximum total group size of 30.
- There are no discounts for groups or group leaders.
- Groups will be split across two time slots, if they are larger than 15 people.
- No guided tours or talks can take place inside The Bayeux Tapestry.
- There are no restrictions on dates or time slots for groups.
Schools
- Book your visit for UK schools.
- Sign up to our schools newsletter (Opens in new window) to be the first to hear about further ticket releases.
Patrons and supporters
- Special priority booking is open for September to December 2026 tickets.
- Bookings for January to July 2027 will open later in the year.
- Find out how to become a Patron.
- All Patrons, Supporters and their guests, including under 16s, will need a booked timed ticket.
- Please note ID may be checked.
Ticket prices
Standard pricing:
| Adults | £33 |
| Adults + £3.50 donation | £36.50 |
| Under 16s | Free. Please book your under 16s ticket alongside an accompanying adult ticket. Maximum of four under 16s per ticketed adult. |
| Students, 16–18 years, Jobseekers | £25 |
| Disabled visitors | £25<br>Assistant free, booking required |
| National Art Pass | £16.50 |
| Members | Two visits with no additional cost for existing Members, 10% discount thereafter. Find out more on Visiting as a Member. |
Off-peak pricing:
| Adults | £27 |
| Adults + £3.50 donation | £30.50 |
| Under 16s | Free. Please book your under 16s ticket alongside an accompanying adult ticket. Maximum of four under 16s per ticketed adult. |
| Students, 16–18 years, Jobseekers | £25 |
| Disabled visitors | £25<br>Assistant free, booking required |
| National Art Pass | £13.50 |
| Members | Two visits with no additional cost for existing Members, 10% discount thereafter. Find out more on Visiting as a Member. |
Super off-peak:
( Valid term-time weekdays, 15.30–16.20)
| Adults | £25 |
| Adults + £3.50 donation | £28.50 |
| Under 16s | Free. Please book your under 16s ticket alongside an accompanying adult ticket. Maximum of four under 16s per ticketed adult. |
| Students, 16–18 years, Jobseekers | £25 |
| Disabled visitors | £25<br>Assistant free, booking required |
| National Art Pass | £12.50 |
| Members | Two visits with no additional cost for existing Members, 10% discount thereafter. Find out more on Visiting as a Member. |
Prices may vary.
Some prices include a small donation. By adding this small donation you can turn any eligible tickets into Donation Tickets, and if you choose to also Gift Aid your tickets, we can claim 25% extra on the whole price of your ticket from the government, if you are a UK taxpayer. The option to Gift Aid your donations is on the payment page. Thank you.
Maximum of 10 tickets per booking. Multiple bookings from the same email address will be cancelled. Tickets can only be used by the booker and ID may be checked. See ticket terms and conditions.
Group visits can be booked from 1 July – please call the Box Office on +44 (0)20 7323 8181 (phone lines open 10.00–16.50, Monday–Friday).
Explore the Bayeux Tapestry
Exhibitions and events / 22 May 2026
Everything you need to know about the Bayeux Tapestry
Our curators answer key questions and reveal some fascinating and surprising features of this historical document and work of art.
Read more
Quote
The Bayeux Tapestry is one of the most important and unique cultural artefacts in the world, which illustrates the deep ties between Britain and France and has fascinated people across geographies and generations. It is hard to overstate the significance of this extraordinary opportunity of displaying it at the British Museum and we are profoundly grateful to everyone involved. This will be the first time the Bayeux Tapestry has been in the UK since it was made, almost 1,000 years ago. To encounter the tapestry in person is to feel history in a way no reproduction or textbook can ever really quite capture, a sense of absolute awe.
Dr Nicholas Cullinan OBE, Director of the British Museum
Exhibition events
Online events / Lectures & discussions
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£50
-
25 September 2026
Book now
The real world of the Bayeux Tapestry \ . Book now\ .
Expert Bayeux Tapestry curator Michael Lewis brings the 11th century alive in this talk with medievalist Leonie Hicks.
Book now
Festivals & special events
- 9 October 2026
Free
Bayeux Late: medieval making \ . Free\ .
Join us for the start of the Bayeux Tapestry opening festival with the first Bayeux Late featuring workshops and activities.
Find out more
Family activity
- Various dates
Free
Big Bayeux bash\ . Free\ .
Join us for a weekend of family-friendly fun inspired by the medieval world at the Bayeux Tapestry opening festival
Find out more
Workshop
-
£300
-
Various dates
Sold out
Royal School of Needlework weekend course \ . Sold out\ .
Create your own hand-embroidered peacock in this weekend course led by textile archaeologist and professional embroiderer Alexandra Makin.
Sold out
Visiting information
Opening hours
Sunday – Wednesday, 10.00–18.00
Thursday – Saturday, 10.00–21.00
Please note specific opening times may vary and only bookable slots will be visible. You should allow for a 40-minute visit.
Entry is timed. See the booking page for available slots.
We will begin clearing the experience 10 minutes before closure.
Visitor guidance
- Your ticket(s) will be emailed to you four days in advance of your visit. Please have them ready to show on your smartphone or printed on your visit to the Museum.
- This experience will take approximately 40 minutes to enjoy. It follows a one-way route.
- Photography is permitted, but no flash.
- Drawing or sketching are not permitted.
- Buggies and large bags are not permitted into the experience. A paid cloakroom is available, but is subject to capacity restrictions.
- Museum staff will be present to support your arrival and movement through The Bayeux Tapestry.
- Groups will share the space with other schools and age groups.
Access
Experience and layout
- This experience will take approximately 40 minutes to enjoy.
- The Tapestry will be displayed flat at a height of 80cm.
- A supporting animation runs behind the display.
- There are low light levels throughout the space to help conserve the Tapestry.
- Lifts are available for visitors who cannot use stairs.
- There is a single accessible toilet available once you have entered the foyer but please note that there are no toilets available in the space itself. If you exit to use the Great Court public toilets you will not be able to re-enter The Bayeux Tapestry.
Find out more about accessibility at the Museum.
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Past exhibitions
Take a look at our past exhibitions and enjoy the articles, videos and image galleries still available to view online.