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In what really is a huge deal, the Bayeux Tapestry is returning to the UK for the first time in almost a millennium this year. The event is such a big deal, in fact, that Time Out has named it as the number one thing to do in Britain in 2026.
The medieval masterpiece was last on English soil 900 years ago, when it was made. Most historians agree that the artwork was embroidered in Canterbury in Kent, despite it being named after the Normandy town where it has resided since its creation.
The 70-metre-long tapestry will be displayed in the British Museum from September 2026 until July 2027, with exact details of the exhibition and how to get tickets still to come.
Telling the story of the 1066 Battle of Hastings between the Normans and Anglo-Saxons, most famously the Bayeux Tapestry depicts the moment an arrow hit King Harold II right in the eye.
Britain has tried to borrow the work three times in the past century – in 1931, 1953 and 1966 – but none of the requests were approved. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that Brits will finally be able to cast their eyes over what Nicholas Cullinan, the director of the British Museum, called ‘one of the most important and unique cultural artefacts in the world’.
He added: ‘It is hard to overstate the significance of this extraordinary opportunity of displaying it at the British Museum and we are profoundly grateful to everyone involved.
‘This will be the first time the Bayeux tapestry has been in the UK since it was made, almost 1,000 years ago. We are also delighted to send the Lewis chessmen, and some of our treasures from Sutton Hoo – the greatest archaeological discovery in Britain – to France in return.’
The 16 best new things to do in the UK in 2026.
The Bayeux Tapestry is going on display in London for the first time in 900 years: dates, tickets and everything you need to know.
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