For the first time since it was made nearly 1,000 years ago, the Bayeux Tapestry is returning to the UK for a major new event at British Museum in London.
Public tickets to see the Bayeux Tapestry on display will go on sale this summer, with the event expected to be one of the most popular in the Museum’s history.
When Do Bayeux Tapestry Tickets Go on Sale?
Tickets for the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition at the British Museum will be released in three phases:
1 July 2026 – Tickets for September to December 2026
October 2026 – Tickets for January to March 2027
January 2027 – Tickets for April to July 2027
Demand is expected to be exceptionally high, with advance booking strongly advised.
The British Museum has also confirmed dedicated opening hours for British schoolchildren to ensure educational access. A national outreach programme is being developed to extend learning opportunities beyond London.
What is the Bayeux Tapestry?
Following a historic agreement with France, the 70-metre-long tapestry depicts events leading up to the Battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.
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.
Who Created the Bayeux Tapestry?
One of the wonders of the medieval world, the Bayeux 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.
Dr Nicholas Cullinan OBE, Director of the British Museum, said:
“The Bayeux Tapestry is one of the most important cultural artefacts from the Medieval world and has been a source of inspiration and wonder for generations. It’s difficult to capture just how extraordinary the opportunity to display the tapestry in the UK for the first time in 1000 years is. I’m glad we’ll now all be able to share in that excitement as people book their tickets and travel to London to take part in what is undoubtedly going to be one of the biggest cultural events the British Museum has hosted – one for the ages.”
Where is the Bayeux Tapestry Normally Displayed?
The tapestry has been on display at the Bayeux Tapestry Museum in Bayeux, France since 1983, though the museum is now closed for major renovations until October 2027. The tapestry will return to France for display following its display at the British Museum.
For more information on the Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum, visit: britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/bayeux-tapestry
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I have been keen to see the Tapistry for years. I am a keen textile artist, so this piece is of huge interest to me. Hopefully I will manage a ticket, even though I’ll have to travel from Scotland to see it !!!!!!1 Thanks, Lilian Mugrew