Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum: How to get tickets and what do they cost?The iconic tapestry opened to the public on Thursday, September 10 – here’s what you need to know
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Tom Place, News Reporter2 minutes ago
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The Bayeux Tapestry has gone on public display in the UK for the first time since it was created nearly 1,000 years ago.
Tickets to what has been described as the “blockbuster show of our generation” sold out almost instantly. But the British Museum – where the tapestry is being displayed – is set to release more tickets later this year for those who missed out.
The tapestry’s return to the UK has not been without its controversy. More than 77,000 people have signed a petition attempting to block the move of the artwork from its home at the Musée de la Tapisserie de Bayeux in Normandy, which is currently closed for renovation.
Measuring 230 feet in length and 20 inches in height, the woven linen and wool cloth already has 24,000 stains, 16,000 creases, nearly 10,000 holes and 30 rips.
There will be a reported cost to the taxpayer of £800 million if it encounters damage during its visit. Two threads are already reported to have been broken when the tapestry arrived in London.
George Osborne, the British Museum’s chairman of trustees, has called the forthcoming exhibition “the blockbuster show of our generation”, and predicted that it would help attract a record number of visitors to the London institution.
Tickets to see the Bayeux Tapestry are due to go on sale on July 1 PA Media
The tapestry will be laid flat for the first time in almost 200 years, due to concerns it could be damaged if hung from a display rail.
Curators have said that the new arrangement will allow audiences to “fully appreciate the scale of this spectacular and one-of-a-kind medieval embroidery”.
The King, Queen Camilla, and President Macron of France were treated to a private viewing of the tapestry earlier this week, while other community groups, museum staff, and high-profile figures also attended preview slots ahead of the public opening.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron with King Charles III and Queen CamillaAFP/Getty
What is the Bayeux Tapestry?
Most likely commissioned by a Norman patron and made by English embroiderers, the tapestry depicts 58 scenes leading up to the Battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, and features 626 characters and 202 horses.
Written in Latin and Old English, it is witnessed by several people depicted in the tapestry, including King Edward, Queen Edith, Archbishop Stigand, Earl Harold and Harold’s brother Gyrth, both of whom are shown in the tapestry being killed during the battle.
As well as the tapestry, the exhibition features digital elements and display cases of treasures from the Norman Conquest and the British Museum’s collection.
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Artefacts have also been loaned from other international institutions, including a 1060 charter from the reign of Edward the Confessor, granting lands in Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, to Westminster Abbey.
There will also be an illustrated manuscript from the Bodleian Library, as well as a hoard of coins thought to have been hidden as the Normans swept across England following the invasion.
How to get tickets to see the Bayeux Tapestry?
Tickets for the 40-minute experience first went on sale on July 1, but sold out almost immediately.
But, there is still a chance to see the masterpiece as the British Museum plans on releasing more tickets on October 21 for non-members.
Members will be able to book tickets before they go on general sale on October 6. Prices range from £25 to £33 depending on the day and time of the visit – much higher than the usual cost for exhibitions at the museum.
There will also be dedicated times set aside for school visits, and under-16s will be able to visit for free when accompanied by an adult.
(left to right) Lord Peter Ricketts, French ambassador Helene Duchene, Nicholas Cullinan and George Osborne stand in front of the Piccadilly Circus advertising board announcing the date that tickets to the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition will go on sale PA WireThe tapestry measures 230 feet in length and 20 inches in heightBayeux Museum/PA Wire
Nicholas Cullinan, director of the British Museum, said: “The Bayeux Tapestry is one of the most important surviving works from the medieval world and an extraordinary account of a defining moment in our history.
“Since we first announced this historic loan, we have been committed to ensuring as many people as possible can see it, and we’re excited about welcoming the first visitors through the doors.”
He added: “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.”
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