Tate's Visitor Decline: Brexit, COVID, and Programming Under Fire

Tate Modern's visitor numbers dropped 25% in 2024 compared to pre-COVID 2019, with Tate Britain down 32% and Tate St Ives 37%, according to The Art Newspaper. Tate director Maria Balshaw attributes the decline to a fall in overseas visitors, especially those aged 16–24, citing Brexit and COVID. The institution posted a budget deficit for 2024–25 and has lost curators like Polly Staple. Critics point to programming focused on social justice and identity themes, including exhibitions like 'Hogarth and Europe' (2021) at Tate Britain, which featured apologetic wall texts about colonialism, and recent Turner Prize editions described as didactic. Tate Modern has highlighted women artists such as Hilma af Klint, Sophie Taeuber-Arp, and Yoko Ono. Commentators suggest the solemn atmosphere and guilt-tripping wall texts deter casual visitors, creating a downward spiral. Martin Herbert, writing for ArtReview, proposes a controversial solution: pay people to visit temporarily to boost figures and revive interest.