Hundreds of visitors with valid tickets were unable to see the blockbuster Bayeux Tapestry exhibition after the British Museum was forced to close early.
The premature closure followed a private corporate function sponsored by Samsung, held to mark the launch of the museum’s Korea exhibition.
Furious ticket holders, some of whom had travelled thousands of miles, queued for up to an hour before being told they would not be admitted.
Among those refused entry were visitors who had travelled from the US specifically to view the medieval embroidery.
The museum issued an apology, but the incident drew sharp criticism from those left standing outside.
Nick White, 58, who runs an antique shop in Alfriston, East Sussex, had booked a 2.30pm entry slot and made the trip into London specifically for the exhibition.
After waiting in line for an hour, he reached the front only for staff to announce that no further visitors would be permitted inside.
He reckoned between 200 and 300 fellow ticket holders queuing behind him suffered the same fate.
The Bayeux Tapestry will be in the British Museum until summer next year
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GETTY“At the British Museum, it seems corporate greed has conquered the public,” he wrote in a letter to The Times, adding that the museum should at minimum have warned visitors before they set off.
Peak-time adult tickets for the exhibition are priced at £33, nearly three times the £12 charged at its permanent home in Normandy.
Academic Ellen Walker wrote on X: “Waited since I was seven years old to see the Bayeux Tapestry. Got in an hour-long online queue to spend £50 on tickets. Got there ahead of time. Stood in a queue for 20 minutes. Then was told halfway through the queue that the gallery was closing. The British Museum stinks.”
The exhibition’s organisers promised full refunds and complimentary return visits for everyone turned away.
The premature closure followed a private corporate function sponsored by Samsung, held to mark the launch of the museum’s Korea exhibition
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PAMs Walker dismissed this as inadequate, noting that many of those affected had travelled too far to simply come back another day.
“The museum should be reimbursing more than just the tickets,” she argued, placing blame squarely on senior management for poor organisation.
The exhibition has been plagued by queuing difficulties since it opened its doors last month. When tickets first went on sale, more than 80,000 people joined the online waiting list.
Inside the museum, congestion has repeatedly caused delays well beyond scheduled entry times, with some visitors previously reporting waits of up to two hours.
The tapestry is located in the British Museum
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PAAlthough fewer tickets than usual were reportedly sold for Wednesday in anticipation of the early closure, a bottleneck formed as visitors lingered beyond their allocated 40-minute viewing window, making it impossible to process everyone before the shutdown.
A museum source conceded that moving people along was “not always easy” and explained that the Samsung event was staged in the Great Court, making it impractical to allow public access once preparations were underway
The museum said: “We have seen unprecedented demand for the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition and our priority is to enable as many people to see it as possible while maintaining our commitment to the best possible visitor experience.
“We have apologised to those affected and giving a refund as well as rescheduling their ticket for free. This was an isolated situation and we appreciate visitors’ patience and understanding.”
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