The British Museum has announced measures to tackle massive queues for the Bayeux Tapestry after hundreds of fans were turned away or forced to wait for hours.
Plans are being made to increase opening hours, add more signage and introduce an audio guide for visitors at the London museum.
It comes after museumgoers reportedly faced queues of up to two hours to get a glimpse of the 70m-long 11th century tapestry.
Some unlucky visitors were even turned away due to the huge backlogs when the museum closed for a private gala dinner attended by Chancellor John Healey and the Princess Royal.
Those waiting to see the almost 1,000-year-old embroidery were handed paper notices saying they would not be allowed to enter with some saying they were told by staff that a ‘private event’ was taking place.
The museum has since apologised and issued refunds to those who did not see the embroidery depicting the Norman Conquest due to the dinner held by Samsung on Wednesday.
Disappointed visitors were also offered priority booking slots to see the tapestry at a later date.
Details of the longer opening hours have yet to be confirmed but the audio guide and increased signage will be in place from Monday.
People queue to enter the British Museum in London for the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition
People view the Bayeux Tapestry after it opened to the public at the museum
The museum said that longer opening times were being brought in to deal with congestion at the incredibly popular embroidery which is on a historic one-year loan from France.
Museumgoers were even banned from photographing the tapestry and a pre-recorded message encouraging people to move through the one-way exhibition route is being played.
Demand for the exhibition, which opened to the public on September 10, was so high that a staggering 100,000 tickets sold on the first day they went on sale in July.
Tickets for adults cost £33 at peak times and £27 for off-peak, more than double the €12 fee to view it in Bayeux, Normandy. And at its home under-16s visit for free.
The decision to include an audio guide at the exhibition was introduced after a blind man threatened to sue the museum for disability discrimination for not having an audio tour when it opened.
Law firm Leigh Day sent a letter to the institution on behalf of Dr Yusuf Ali Osman – insisting the museum had breached the Equality Act.
Dr Osman first contacted the museum in July 2026 to ask whether audio described tours would be available, Leigh Day said.
But the firm claims the museum told Dr Osman self-guided visits would be prioritised over programmed tours and events due to restrictions on visitor numbers.
The museum added that an in-person audio-described tour would be provided during the exhibition run on September 30 and that it was exploring including an audio-described tour on an app.
Despite this, Dr Osman sought damages, a declaration that he was discriminated against and policy changes.
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