Bayeux tapestry becomes pop culture hit as young people more keen to see exhibition than top films

A 1,000-year-old embroidery may be an unusual candidate for a pop culture moment, but young people are seemingly more willing to shell out for tickets for the Bayeux tapestry than spend money on Hollywood blockbusters.

In the first hour that the second round of tickets to view the tapestry were available last Wednesday, payments from Monzo cardholders to the British Museum reached £14,100 and were 48 times that of a normal Wednesday morning. More than half (55%) of those buyers were aged under 35.

This was double the opening mornings for this year’s blockbuster films: the critically acclaimed The Odyssey, at £7,000, and the box office smash hit Spider-Man: Brand New Day, at £6,300, according to the bank’s spending data for its 16 million customers.

Tickets for the Bayeux Tapestry, which is on display in England for the first time since it was taken to France in the 11th century, are significantly more expensive than the average cinema ticket, at £33 for standard adult peak tickets and £27 for off-peak. However, adjusting for the more expensive entrance fee – as well as the limited availability of tickets compared with a blockbuster movie – highlights the huge appeal of the tapestry.

As a result, buyers spent five times more on average at the checkout than on Spider-Man’s opening morning, at £97 versus £19. By the time the Bayeux tickets had been on sale for two hours, Monzo customers had spent £30,500. Enthusiasm was such that many buyers were willing to travel from across the country for the once-in-a-lifetime event, with almost half of the buyers based outside London, and the furthest purchases coming from Glasgow.

Thousands joined an online queue to secure tickets when they went on sale at 10am on Wednesday, with spots selling out within three hours – beating the first wave, which sold out in 24 hours.

The frenzy has drawn comparisons with big pop cultural events such as Glastonbury festival and the Oasis reunion tour. The British Museum said the response to the tapestry going on display last month had been “extraordinary”, leading it to make changes to address lengthy queues for ticket holders, including banning visitors from taking photos.

The exhibition has received rave reviews for its meticulous display of the woven record of the Norman Conquest, which is treasured for its impressive technical prowess, skilful storytelling and historical value. The Guardian described it as “a stupefying, thrilling, horrifying masterpiece that shakes the earth”.