Thousands join online queue as Bayeux Tapestry tickets open in London

artJul 1, 202654944

When tickets for the British Museum’s Bayeux Tapestry exhibition went on sale, an online queue swelled to tens of thousands of people, with some prospective buyers reporting positions above 40,000 and even over 70,000. The show will bring the 11th-century Bayeux Tapestry to London on loan from France for its first UK display, a 70 metre embroidered narrative of the 1066 Norman conquest. Organisers and commentators noted heavy demand and signs the exhibition could sell out quickly. Commenters pointed others to Reading Museum’s full-size Victorian replica, embroidered in 1885, 86 by Elizabeth Wardle and a team of 35 women and currently preserved and viewable in Reading. The Victorian copy uses intensified worsted colours prepared by Thomas Wardle and reflects 19th-century medieval revival tastes, making it a distinct historical artefact in its own right. Several visitors recalled seeing the original in Bayeux and advised using audio guides to follow the tapestry’s panels; others reported payment or confirmation glitches while queuing online. With high demand and limited display opportunities, many who cannot secure tickets are likely to seek alternative viewings or local exhibitions of the replica.

Dr Florence H R Scott

@florencehrscott.bsky.social

number 13,600 in the queue to get bayeux tapestry tickets. someone right now is at number 1066 and is freaking out

11345d ago

Robert Woolley 🇬🇧🇮🇪🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿5

They probably live in Hastings, too...

Steve4

It would be Doomsday for anyone at 1068 😂

Charlie Ashby1

oh GOD are they dropping now?!

Dr Seán DOOLAN 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🇮🇪1

I'm excited at being at 45,000 now, down from 83,000 when I signed on four hours ago.

Quoting this

Louie Stowell27

Who do I have to bribe to get tickets, I forgot they were releasing today! I will spring for the REALLY nice biscuits if you're corruptible?

Simon Brackenborough2

I refuse to jump on the Sew-asis Reunion bandwagon

Daisy Black

@daisyeblack.bsky.social

After months of gaslighting from my university, which thinks medieval things of little interest in an English Literature degree, it's validating/ extremely annoying to be 49,319th in the queue for tickets to see the Bayeux Tapestry.

6945d ago

Rachel Mann3

Oh Daisy. You should be first in my view.

Stéphanie1

Will wait until it is back in France to go see it 😳

Tamara Bumpdeeay1

That’s where I was at 10:45. Just got my tickets.

Cethan Leahy

@cethanleahy.com

Nothing makes me feel young and hip like logging on here and reading about church schisms and the long queue to see the Bayeux Tapestry.

6045d ago

Trish Byrne2

This delivered actual proper out-loud laughs.

Serena2

To be fair Bluesky has never pretended to be young and hip😃

New Flesh 🍓 🏳️‍⚧️ 🏳️‍🌈1

Wait til you hear those Gregorian chants!

The Guardian

@theguardian.com

‘The landscape offers the same russet and ochre hues as the Bayeux tapestry’: walking the 1066 trail in East Sussex

6645d ago

Adrian Littlejohn

@yorksfella59.bsky.social

Bloody foreign tapestries! Coming over here, being housed in our museums for free! This isn't the Brexit I voted for. It's that Reform bloke with the French name. Always knew he was dodgy...! I'm off to tie some flags to lampposts and then watch the match. Ingerland!! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

5845d ago

Phil Hare's Ghost4

Wait until you hear what's ON the tapestry...

Pat Manning.3

I heard they came across in small boats.

mac5106.bsky.social1

As always, Sir Littlejohn, well played. BTW had the privilege of viewing tapestry. Quite stunning.

Paul Garrard1

Apparently Gwilliam was a bit of a bastard.

Mike Andrews1

Yeah and celebrating an invasion and imposition of new culture and laws.

🍁Connie L🍁🌏🌈🌲🐝 Living with COPD1

It's not for free. The British will make millions from this just another money making grift. Tourism is the biggest money maker

Reuters

@reuters.com

Once in a 1,000-year chance to see Bayeux Tapestry in England makes for sell-out show reut.rs/4eGECg0

4745d ago

Catherine Clarke

@cathamclarke.bsky.social

In the queue for #BayeuxTapestry tix? How about some light reading? theconversation.com/the-bayeux-t...

3745d ago

Quoting this

Dr Lori-Ann Foley4

I got in the queue bang on 10 am & there were 1285 people ahead of me; it only took 15 minutes to get to the website & order my ticket. At 1 pm, out of curiosity, I looked at the queue & there were 65000 people in it!😳So plenty of time to read this splendid article plus several scholarly tomes !

Dr. Kendra Preston Leonard (she/her)3

Check out Paul Kingsnorth's The Wake for an excellent historical-fantasy novel on this as well!

bookswain.bsky.social3

I love how one of the group pointing at the the comet of 1066 (later named after Edmond Halley) in the sky above them notices the bird flipping them off below them.

Reading Museum

@readingmuseum.bsky.social

Reading’s unique full-size replica of the Bayeux Tapestry is 140 years old this year! Visit for free or book a guided tour with one of our expert team. From September you can compare it to the original on display at the other end of the Elizabeth Line in the British Museum! #BayeuxTapestry

A detail from Reading Museum's Bayeux Tapestry, showing soldiers fighting with swords on horseback and on foot at the Battle of Hastings. There are two borders at the top and bottom, with birds and animals at the top, and archers in the bottom.

4445d ago

Quoting this

Louise, Prof/Dr4

Well, if you fail to get tickets for the British Museum Bayeux Tapestry exhibition there's always this. After nearly 4 hours in the queue we got tickets for October, and the exhibition goes on till July 2027 so there are plenty of tickets still.

Lesley Pitman

@lesleypitman.bsky.social

For those who fail today to get tickets for the Bayeux Tapestry, you just need to jump on the Elizabeth Line. There is an extraordinary full size Victorian replica in the Reading Museum, embroidered, and each panel signed, by the ladies of the Leek Embroidery Society.

2045d ago

C20 Society

@c20society.bsky.social

🎟️ Tickets for the historic Bayeux Tapestry exhibition at the British Museum go on sale today! We love these 1966 commemorative postage stamps by David Gentleman, taking scenes from the Battle of Hastings as depicted on the tapestry, and intricately engraving them on boxwood blocks for printing.

2245d ago

Marie Gardiner

@mariegardiner.bsky.social

Saw the prices for the Bayeux Tapestry in London 😳. Went to see it in Bayeux in 2022 for an extra €1 on a multi-ticket for the local museums, just to see we'd seen it. Actually really enjoyed it. You got a headset and walked along panel by panel while the headset explained what you were seeing.

2745d ago

Marie Gardiner5

The entire ticket (for 2 or 3 museums) was less than just to see the tapestry here.

guinevereofmason.bsky.social1

You can see a very fine copy ( embroidered by a group of Victorian ladies) in Reading Museum for free. 5 minutes walk from the station and it won't be a crush either. It's on permanent display.

Marie Gardiner1

Just to say we'd seen it*

Robin Baker

@robinalexbaker.bsky.social

1/3. Saw the (largely) faithful, full size replica of the Bayeux Tapestry @readingmuseum.bsky.social yesterday. Unlike the British Museum's forthcoming exhibition, it's free and there are no crowds. You can book yourself on an excellent tour, too www.readingmuseum.org.uk/bayeux-tapes...

1745d ago

Quoting this

David Benedict9

Good gracious! Who knew? (Not me, obvs.)

Damian Barr

@damianbarr.bsky.social

Rock and roll! I am now 46,391 in the queue to get tickets to see the Bayeux Tapestry in London. I stand more chance of successfully retaking France BUT I FIGHT ON! www.britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/...

2845d ago