Bayeux Tapestry Goes on Public Display at the British Museum

The Bayeux Tapestry went on public display at the British Museum on Thursday, the first time the medieval embroidery has been shown in Britain in some 900 years.

The nearly 70-metre work, which tells the story of the Norman Conquest of England and the Battle of Hastings in 1066, will remain in London until 11 July 2027. It is displayed in the Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery, Room 30, where it lies flat beneath glass along the length of the room rather than hanging upright as it does in Normandy.

Demand for tickets

Every ticket for the period from 10 September to 31 December has already gone. When sales opened in July, more than 80,000 people joined the online queue, and the museum has described it as the biggest day of ticket sales in its history.

Further batches will be released later in the year. Members will be able to book from 6 October, with general sales following on 21 October for visits in early 2027, and a later release planned for the final months of the run.

Standard adult tickets cost £33 at peak times, with cheaper off-peak and super off-peak prices of £27 and £25. Children under 16 go free, but must still book. A typical visit to walk the full length of the embroidery is expected to take about 40 minutes.

Alongside the tapestry, the exhibition includes objects from the same period, among them the Chew Valley Hoard of 2,584 silver pennies discovered in 2019, and a writ issued by William the Conqueror to the people of London.

A fragile journey

The tapestry left France in early July, the first time it had been sent overseas. It travelled through the Channel Tunnel in a specially designed crate that controlled temperature and humidity and absorbed shocks, and arrived in central London at night. The route was rehearsed in advance using a replica.

The embroidery, made of wool stitched on to linen, is thought to have been produced in England within a few years of the conquest, probably for the consecration of Bayeux Cathedral in 1077. It carries thousands of stains and around 30 large tears accumulated over nine centuries.

The move was not universally welcomed. In France, a petition launched by the art historian Didier Rykner, who argued that the journey posed an unacceptable risk to the work, attracted tens of thousands of signatures last year.

How the loan came about

The loan was announced by President Emmanuel Macron during his state visit to the UK in July 2025, and agreed between the British and French governments. It was made possible by the renovation of the museum in Bayeux, which normally attracts about 400,000 visitors a year and has closed for a two-year refurbishment. A new Bayeux Tapestry museum is due to open in 2027.

In return, objects from the British Museum's collection are due to be lent to museums in Normandy. Treasures from the Sutton Hoo ship burial and the Lewis chessmen are among the items that have been named as possibilities.

Why it matters

For the British Museum, the exhibition is one of the most significant international loans it has secured and a guaranteed draw for visitors from across the country and abroad. For London and Paris, it has become a symbol of efforts to improve relations after years of strain.

The tapestry has left Bayeux before, though never for Britain. Napoleon had it taken to Paris in 1803 and 1804 to build support for a planned invasion of England, and it was moved again during the Second World War.

What happens next

Those without tickets will have to watch for the October release, when demand is expected to be intense. After the London exhibition closes next July, the tapestry will return to Normandy to go on display in its new museum.

Image: APK via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0