British Museum Adjusts Bayeux Tapestry Viewing Amid High Demand and Queues
New measures include extended hours, audio guides, and improved signage to manage visitor flow for the 11th-century embroidery.
The British Museum has announced a series of changes to its Bayeux Tapestry exhibition to address significant queues and overcrowding since its opening. The measures aim to improve the visitor experience for the highly sought-after 11th-century embroidery.
Starting Monday, visitors will benefit from longer opening hours, an audio guide offering more detailed information, additional seating, and clearer signage. These changes follow concerns raised by visitors who reported waiting for up to two hours, with some ticket holders being turned away due to congestion at closing time.
A museum spokesperson acknowledged the "extraordinary" public response to the exhibition but admitted that some visitors experienced longer waits than anticipated. The museum has since apologized to those who were unable to enter, offering refunds and priority booking slots for rearranged visits.
Demand for the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition has been exceptionally high since tickets went on sale in July, with a record 100,000 sold on the first day alone. Further ticket releases are scheduled for October and January for those who were unsuccessful in the initial sales.
Adult tickets are priced at £33 during peak times and £27 during off-peak hours, a notable increase from the €12 fee for viewing the tapestry in Bayeux, Normandy. Children under 16 can attend the London exhibition for free.
The exhibition, which opened on September 10, has faced challenges with visitor flow, with some individuals exceeding their allocated 40-minute viewing slot. In response, photography has been restricted, and a recorded message has been introduced to encourage visitors to keep moving through the one-way exhibition.
The 70-meter-long Bayeux Tapestry, which is technically an embroidery, depicts 58 scenes detailing the Norman conquest of England, the Battle of Hastings in 1066, and the end of Anglo-Saxon rule. It features approximately 626 human figures and 200 horses.
This exhibition marks the first time the Bayeux Tapestry has returned to the UK since its creation over 900 years ago. The artifact is on loan from the French government and will be on display in London until July 2027.