British Museum announces changes to deal with Bayeux Tapestry queues after hundreds were turned away or forced to wait hours

Published: 19:02 BST, 4 October 2026 | Updated: 23:11 BST, 4 October 2026

The British Museum is extending its opening hours in a bid to tackle massive queues for the Bayeux Tapestry after hundreds of visitors were turned away.

The new plans include extending the time that tourists can view the attraction in London, as well as introducing an audio guide.

It comes after visitors faced queues of up to two hours to get a glimpse of the 230ft-wide 11th-century tapestry. 

Some ticket-holders were even turned away when the museum closed for a private gala dinner hosted by Samsung last Wednesday and attended by Chancellor John Healey and Princess Anne.

Those waiting to see the tapestry, which depicts events leading up to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, were handed paper notices saying they would not be allowed to enter.

The museum has since apologised and issued refunds. Disappointed visitors were offered priority booking slots to see the tapestry at a later date.

Details of the longer opening hours have yet to be confirmed but the audio guide and increased signage will be in place from today.

The museum said that longer opening times were being brought in to deal with the crowd congestion at the exhibition. The museum has borrowed the tapestry from France for a year.

People queue to enter the British Museum in London for the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition

People view the Bayeux Tapestry after it opened to the public at the museum

Exhibition-goers were even banned from photographing the exhibit and a pre-recorded message encouraging visitors to move through the one-way route is being played.

'I'm really disappointed,' one fan wrote on Instagram. 'I've paid £33 for my ticket.

'I understand no flash but when my social media feed is full of influencers and celebrities all being able to take photos and film but I won't be allowed to, it feels so unfair.'

Demand for the exhibition, which opened to the public on September 10, was so high that a staggering 100,000 tickets were sold on the first day they went on sale in July.

Tickets for adults cost £33 at peak times and £27 for off-peak, more than double the 12-euro (£10) fee to view it when it is in Bayeux, Normandy.

The decision to include an audio guide was made after a blind man threatened to sue the museum for disability discrimination for not having one.

Law firm Leigh Day sent a letter to the institution on behalf of Dr Yusuf Ali Osman – insisting the museum had breached the Equality Act.

Dr Osman first contacted the museum in July to ask whether audio tours would be available, Leigh Day said. 

But the firm claims the museum told Dr Osman that self-guided visits would be prioritised over programmed tours and events owing to restrictions on visitor numbers.

The museum added that an in-person audio tour would be provided during the exhibition run on September 30 and that it was exploring including an audio tour on an app.

Despite this, Dr Osman sought damages, a declaration that he was discriminated against and policy changes.