The British Museum has announced that a new wave of tickets for the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition will go on sale next month, with TV presenter Claudia Winkleman starring in a new trailer for the event.
The 70-metre-long (229ft) tapestry, made of linen with embroidered images of the Norman Conquest, arrived at the museum from France in July, marking its first return to the country since it was created around 960 years ago. It will be on display at the British Museum from September until July next year, with around 7.5 million expected to visit while it is on show in London. Tickets are currently sold out until December.
New tickets announced
In an action-packed trailer with broadcaster Winkleman at the helm, the British Museum announced that additional tickets will go on sale in October for visits between January and March next year.
Winkleman, who hosts The Traitors and is a trustee of the museum, said: “It was an honour to be part of this excellent film. We’re so excited about the Bayeux Tapestry coming to the British Museum and for everyone to see the exhibit.”
Trailer brings tapestry to life
The award-winning presenter features in the trailer as a new security employee who is faced with the 1066 Norman invasion and Battle of Hastings as the tapestry is brought to life. The short film, produced in collaboration with Spacebar, features more than 30 historical re-enactors from across the country as it combines live action and visual effects to tell a tale inspired by the tapestry.
Winkleman is seen rushing around the British Museum, moving through its popular galleries and exhibitions while passing some of its recognisable objects as she tries to restore order and control the soldiers. The video ends with Winkleman fleeing the scene as the two armies meet face-to-face in the great court of the museum for a dramatic confrontation. “Get closer to the Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum,” text on screen reads.
Exhibition details and ticket sales
The tapestry has been on display at the Bayeux Tapestry Museum in Bayeux in Normandy since 1983 and will return there when the museum reopens after renovation. It will be displayed at the British Museum in Room 30, the Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery, marking its return to the UK for the first time in almost a millennium.
When general admission tickets went on sale last month, the museum recorded the single biggest day of ticket sales in its history, generating more than £2.4 million in sales in the first 24 hours. The next wave of public tickets for The Bayeux Tapestry will go on sale on October 21 at 10am, and further tickets covering the final months of the exhibition will be released at a later date.
