British Museum apologises after Bayeux Tapestry ticket holders wait hours and are turned away empty-handed

From the Newshound archive · first published 27 September 2026.

John Wilson turned up for his 4.20pm timed slot at the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition, waited more than two hours in line, and was then ushered out after barely 20 minutes when staff switched off the gallery lights. The British Museum has apologised after "unprecedented demand" saw large numbers of paying visitors turned away without seeing the exhibition, their scheduled 40-minute slots unfulfilled. Photography has been prohibited in a bid to keep visitors moving, and the museum says it is exploring options to reduce the disruption.

Tickets for the exhibition — the first time the 1,000-year-old embroidery has left France since the 11th century — are fully booked through the end of the year.

Curator Professor Michael Lewis acknowledged that some visitors become so "entranced" they stop moving along the 68-metre tapestry, causing a bottleneck behind them.

Wilson's advice: book a morning slot — 'at least that gives you the chance that the lights won't go off.'