London Exhibitions | British Museum | Until 11 July 2027
It’s the cultural event of the year. The Bayeux Tapestry, the famous embroidered story of the Norman Conquest and the Battle of Hastings, is on display at the British Museum until 11 July 2027. It’s the first time it has been in the UK since it was made almost 1,000 years ago, and with its home museum in Normandy closed for renovation, this is a chance unlikely to come again.
Here are five things to know before you go.
1. Tickets are released in waves, so plan ahead
The first batch of tickets, for September to December 2026, sold out soon after going on sale in July. The good news is that more are coming:
- 6 October 2026: tickets for January to March 2027 go on sale to British Museum Members
- 21 October 2026: the same dates go on general sale
- January 2027: tickets for April to July 2027 are released
Put 21 October in your diary and sign up to the British Museum newsletter to hear about each release first.
2. Children go free
Adult tickets cost up to £33 at peak times and around £27 off-peak, with timed entry slots. Under-16s go free with a paying adult, making it a brilliant family history lesson. British Museum Members also get in free, though special booking rules apply because of the demand. The rest of the museum stays free to visit as usual.
3. You’ll see it laid flat
At nearly 1,000 years old, the tapestry is too fragile to hang on a wall, so it’s displayed flat along specially designed long tables in the Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery (Room 30). You follow it along a one-way route, which means you can take in all 70 metres, 58 scenes and more than 600 embroidered figures in order, just like reading a story.
4. Allow a couple of hours
The tapestry route itself takes about 40 minutes. The exhibition also includes objects from the museum’s own collection and loans from elsewhere that help tell the story of 1066, so most people spend between 90 minutes and two hours. Look out for everyday life woven into the scenes too: castles, ships, clothes, food and furniture, as well as the famous moment King Harold is struck by an arrow.
5. Can’t get tickets? Try Reading
Fun fact: the Bayeux Tapestry isn’t actually a tapestry at all, it’s an embroidery. If you can’t get a slot at the British Museum, Reading Museum has Britain’s only full-size replica, made by Victorian embroiderers in 1886 and on permanent display there since 1895. It’s a great way to see the whole story in full, and makes a handy day trip from London.
Plan your visit
The Bayeux Tapestry
British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG
10 September 2026 to 11 July 2027
Room 30, Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery
Adults up to £33 (around £27 off-peak) · Under-16s free with an adult
Next general ticket release: 21 October 2026, for January to March 2027
Nearest stations: Tottenham Court Road, Holborn, Russell Square
You might also like: 5 Reasons to Visit Becoming America, the Science Museum’s New Free Exhibition and V&A East Thursday Nights 2026.