British Museum to Display Bayeux Tapestry Flat for First Time
The British Museum has revealed its plan to display the nearly 1,000-year-old Bayeux Tapestry flat for the first time in recent history, in a bespoke case that will allow visitors to see all 58 scenes. The tapestry, which depicts the 1066 Norman Conquest, is on loan from France for a ten-month exhibition starting September 10. The display will include digital elements and be accompanied by loans such as the Junius II manuscript from Oxford's Bodleian Libraries and silver coins from the Chew Valley Hoard. Igor Tulchinsky, CEO of WorldQuant, pledged £5 million ($6.7 million) in support. The exhibition will also feature an outdoor installation inspired by the 11th-century landscape. Tickets cost £25–£33 ($33–$44) and go on sale in July.
Key facts
- Bayeux Tapestry goes on view in England for first time in nearly 1,000 years.
- British Museum will display it flat, not vertically as in Normandy.
- Exhibition runs ten months starting September 10, 2025.
- Igor Tulchinsky pledged £5 million ($6.7 million) in support.
- Loans include Junius II manuscript and Chew Valley Hoard silver coins.
- Outdoor installation with birch trees and woodland grasses.
- Tickets £25–£33 ($33–$44), on sale in July.
- Visitors get 40 minutes with the show.
Entities
Artists
- Igor Tulchinsky
- Michael Lewis
- Hélène Duchêne
- Nicholas Cullinan
- George Osborne
- William the Conqueror
- King Edward
- David Hockney
- Andy Sturgeon
- Camille Pecoroni
- Bishop Odo
- King Harold
- Marc Morris
Institutions
- British Museum
- Bayeux Tapestry Museum
- WorldQuant
- University of Oxford
- Bodleian Libraries
- South West Heritage Trust
- Somerset Council
- London Archive
- Opera Amsterdam
- Artnet News
- Musée de la Tapisserie de Bayeux
- Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery
- Bodleian Library
- London Archives
- The Independent
- Le Journal des Arts
- Bayeux Museum
- Bayeux Cathedral
- Artnet
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Bayeux
- France
- Normandy
- Canterbury
- Oxford
- Piccadilly Circus
- Chew Valley
- Sussex
- England