Tickets for the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition at the British Museum go on sale at 10am today, with the museum warning its website will be 'very busy' as thousands rush to secure tickets for the once-in-a-generation display.
The 70-metre medieval masterpiece returns to the UK for the first time in nearly 1,000 years. The exhibition runs from September 10 until July 2027.
Website queue and booking advice
Anyone hoping to secure a ticket is urged to log on before the sale opens, as visitors must be on the website at 10am sharp to be assigned a place in the queue. A notice on the British Museum website states: 'Tickets for The Bayeux Tapestry will be on sale from 10.00 on Wednesday 1 July, and we expect the website will be very busy. If you'd like to book for General Admission or a different event we recommend trying again another day.'
Condition and display of the tapestry
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. For the first time in almost 200 years, the tapestry will be laid flat due to concerns it could be damaged if hung from a display rail.
Chairman's comments and ticket prices
George Osborne, the British Museum's chairman of trustees, called the exhibition 'the blockbuster show of our generation' and predicted it would help attract a record number of visitors to the London institution. Ticket prices range from £25 to £33 depending on the day and time of the visit.
