Bayeux Tapestry opens at British Museum to sold-out crowds

The Bayeux Tapestry went on public display at the British Museum in London on September 10, 2026, returning to Britain for the first time in nearly 1,000 years. The 70-metre embroidery, which depicts the Norman conquest of England and the Battle of Hastings in 1066, left France for the first time since its creation and will remain in London until July 11, 2027, while its permanent home at the Bayeux Tapestry Museum in Normandy undergoes refurbishment.

The loan was arranged between French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer as an act of cultural diplomacy. In return, British treasures including the Sutton Hoo collection of seventh-century metalwork and the Lewis chessmen are expected to travel to French museums. King Charles III, who visited the exhibition with Macron ahead of the public opening, called the transfer a precious symbol of trust at a time when trust seems sadly to be in short supply between nations.

Public demand has been intense. The initial release of 100,000 tickets sold out within hours, generating more than £2.5 million, according to the museum. When tickets went on sale on July 1, more than 65,000 people joined the online queue,...