More than 41,000 advance tickets have been sold for Frida: The Making of an Icon at Tate Modern, making it the gallery's highest pre-selling exhibition in history. The show, opening on 25 June, surpasses the previous record of 32,000 advance sales set by David Hockney in 2017.
Unprecedented Demand
Catherine Wood, Tate Modern's interim director, expressed surprise at the overwhelming response. 'We're pretty blown away by it,' she told the Guardian. The enthusiasm for Kahlo reflects a broader resurgence of blockbuster exhibitions across UK museums, despite pandemic-era predictions of their decline.
Bayeux Tapestry and Van Gogh Draw Crowds
The British Museum expects the Bayeux tapestry, on display from 10 September, to be one of its most in-demand exhibitions ever. Pre-sale demand crashed the museum's website, with members facing hours-long queues. A spokesperson called it 'the most popular first day of sales for any exhibition mounted by the museum.' Meanwhile, a recent Van Gogh show at the National Gallery became its most popular ticketed exhibition, attracting 334,589 visits and requiring overnight openings.
Why Blockbusters Endure
Museums believe visitors value seeing original works in person, even in a digital age. 'You can find images of Frida online, but people want to be in the room with the original painting,' Wood said. Kahlo's appeal spans feminism, gender identity, disability, and authenticity, resonating with diverse audiences. 'People are looking for forms of continuity and stability, for figures who are bold in owning their own life experience,' she added.
Financial and Cultural Impact
Successful exhibitions are crucial for museum finances amid rising costs and constrained public funding. 'Half of our audience are members, and their loyalty is so important to the economy of Tate,' Wood noted. Healthy competition among galleries also boosts overall art audiences. 'The more great shows we all do, the more it enlarges the audience for art,' she said.
Tate's current Tracey Emin exhibition, A Second Life, has attracted 234,000 visitors since February, exceeding predictions. An upcoming show on 90s art and fashion, curated by Edward Enninful, is also expected to draw crowds.
Post-Pandemic Recovery
Overall visitor numbers across UK attractions remain 7% below 2019 levels, according to Bernard Donoghue of the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions. However, the fear of missing out has returned. 'The right story, told well and capturing the public imagination, can electrify and excite audiences,' he said, citing successes like Van Gogh at the National Gallery and Marie Antoinette at the V&A.
