5 ways to beat the Bayeux Tapestry ticket queue & watch the Battle of Hastings re-enacted

If you’re stuck in an online queue, waiting to get tickets to the Bayeux Tapestry, we feel your pain. This incredible wonder of the medieval world went on show at the British Museum in London in early September to phenomenal demand.

It’s the first time the 70-metre-long, 11th-century masterpiece has returned to British soil in nearly 1,000 years and the first round of tickets sold out almost immediately as we succummed to Bayeux mania.

Thousands of users waited for up to nine hours online hoping to secure a timed entry slot, and the exhibition broke the British Museum’s record for single-day ticket sales. Today, a new batch of timed-entry slots have gone on sale for tickets from January through to March 2027, but chances, are you’ve missed out on those too. And if not - lucky you!

Our advice is: don’t panic. We’ve found five alternative ways to see this incredible piece of history including treating yourself to an overnight stay at a hotel within walking district of the show (with tickets included). But first, here’s my account of re-living the moment King Harold died, allegedly thanks to a Norman arrow through his eye in 1066 (but you know that spoiler).

Every October, English Heritage stage a re-enactment of the Battle of Hastings on the exact spot it took place, transporting visitors 960 years back in time. More than 300 people spend the weekend dressed up as a Norman or a Saxon, with helmet-friendly haircuts and hand-stitched clothing. There’s spit-roasted food, woodsmoke, weaving, traditional games and medieval merriment before THAT epic big fight, although, of course, everyone already knows who the winner was.

Visiting the location of the Battle of Hastings at Battle Abbey in Kent wasn’t on my agenda until I became obsessed with the Bayeux Tapestry, a 224ft-long, 20in-wide embroidery, roughly the length of six buses and the width of a widescreen TV.

The extraordinary artwork is both a political document and a piece of propaganda, depicting the epic conflict that ushered in Norman rule. Historians largely agree the work was done by the British women – Anglo-Saxon needleworkers, likely based in Canterbury – and that in itself is worth celebrating.

And thanks to the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition, this year’s re-enactment was the busiest it has been in a decade – with more than 13,000 people turning up. My 13-year-old son came with me and wasn’t disappointed. The action is fascinating: charging horses, gruff men (and women) in chainmail, and a wry commentary from a man who sounds a bit like Ian McShane. It’s an experience the modern world can’t touch.

Afterwards we strolled up to the ruins of Battle Abbey, built as atonement by William the Conqueror for the death of King Harold (by that fateful arrow), before travelling forward in time to The Old Rectory (double rooms from £150 a night, including breakfast), in Hastings, a chic 18th-century hotel with nine restful rooms, delicious, locally sourced food, a peaceful, tiered garden and its own range of body-care products. It’s worth booking a weekend break there this autumn, battle re-enactment or not, as English Heritage has a new exhibition in Battle Abbey visitor’s centre, including films, talks and specials events.

Like most of the Bayeux fans I talked to at the event, seeing the tapestry itself with its 58 scenes, 626 characters and 202 horses (not to mention the naughty bits) is still a dream. Here’s how to beat the queues…

1. SIGN UP FOR BRITISH MUSEUM MEMBERSHIP

The final ticket release, for dates between April and July 2027, when the exhibition closes, will go on sale in January and you can sign up to the British Museum newsletter to be first to get the exact date for your diary. But if you become a British Museum Member, you’ll skip the queue entirely and get a priority booking window. Win, win.

2. GO ON A CRUISE

Viking are a long-term partner of the British Museum and a member of the 1066 Circle in support of The Bayeux Tapestry. As a result, they’re offering Viking guests who’ve travelled with them before, the exclusive opportunity to win general admission tickets for a date of their choice (subject to availability) before those tickets are released for general sale, meaning you’ll get access to the widest choice of dates and times. They’re also hosting private view evenings and behind-the-scenes curator-led tours – so our advice is get on board a Viking cruise fast! If you do, you’ll also get to see carefully crafted replicas of parts of the Bayeux Tapestry on the staircases of its 13 ocean ships.

3. BOOK A LUXURY WEEKEND BREAK

Several London hotels close to the British Museum, including One Aldwych and The Londoner, are offering Bayeux Tapestry breaks, which include hard-to-get-hold-of tickets. The Bayeux Tapestry Stay at One Aldwych starts from £820 a night including an overnight stay for two, exhibition tickets, themed Lobby Bar cocktails, breakfast and a complimentary in-room mini-bar. More ticket packages being released in the coming days. The Londoner, another corporate partner of The British Museum, includes tickets in its Bayeux Tapestry overnight offer. King rooms start from £400 a night and guests get 15% off and two free tickets to the exhibition depending on availability. The Montague on the Gardens is the closest hotel to the British Museum and has a Bayeux Tapestry Afternoon Tea from £55pp as well as private Bayeux Tapestry Brush Experiences.

4. SEE A FULL-SCALE REPLICA

A 70-metre replica of the Bayeux Tapestry, also made by women and free to view, hangs in the Reading Museum in Berkshire. Stitched by 35 members of the Leek Embroidery Society between 1885 and 1886, the only thing missing are the rude bits – as the women worked not from the original but from black-and-white photographs and etchings that had been hand-coloured or ‘cleaned up’ by men with Victorian sensibilities.

5. WAIT UNTIL IT RETURNS TO FRANCE

If all else fails, you’ll have to wait until the Tapestry returns to the Bayeux Museum in Normandy, which is currently being renovated and is due to re-open in late 2027.