Bayeux Tapestry fans queue for more than nine hours for tickets as British Museum smashes sales record by raking in £2.5m in one day

Published: 15:33, 2 July 2026 | Updated: 15:35, 2 July 2026 The British Museum has smashed its sales record after it raked in £2.5million in one day as tickets went on sale for the Bayeux Tapestry.  Fans queued for over nine hours in order to secure tickets to see the historic relic which will return to English soil for the first time in almost 1,000 years in September. At its peak, a whopping 80,000 people were in the virtual line waiting to buy tickets which have now sold out.  History buffs keen to see the 230ft-long embroidered cloth will have two further opportunities to secure tickets in October and January for access between January to March, and April to July 2027. Taking to social media, some people have claimed that after waiting hours for their turn the website then abruptly crashed.  A second person said they entered the queue today only to find out it had sold out when they finally entered the website. Other people saw the humorous side of the queue. One tweeted that 'by the time I get to the front the f***ing thing will be back in France' while another joked that they 'better be allowed to take home a slice of the tapestry in a party bag after all this'. Around 7.5million people are expected to view the tapestry. Ticket prices range from £25 to £33 and it will be laid flat for the first time in almost 200 years amid fears over possible damage if hung from a display rail.  A section of the Bayeux Tapestry. Fans queued for over nine hours in order to secure tickets to see the historic relic which will return to English soil for the first time in almost 1,000 years in September. At its peak, a whopping 80,000 people were in the virtual line waiting to buy tickets which have now sold out. The British Museum made a whopping £2.5million in ticket sales yesterday smashing its record The tapestry depicts the 1066 Norman invasion and Battle of Hastings, which saw William the Conqueror take the English throne and become the first Norman king of England. While the exact origins of the tapestry are obscure, it is believed to have been the work of English embroiderers, but has been in France for the last 950 years. The tapestry had been on display at the Bayeux Tapestry Museum in Bayeux in the Normandy region of France since 1983 and it will return there once the UK event is finished. The precise arrangements of how it will be transported are being kept secret amid fears from heritage experts and artists that it could be damaged in transit. The exhibition will see the tapestry shown in one continuous display in a specially made glass container, and visitors will be able to view its entire length from above and also look at it up close. France confirmed that the museum could borrow the tapestry last July during President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to Britain as the guest of King Charles. The loan of such a cultural treasure is being billed as a sign of closer ties between France and Britain one decade after the discord caused by the 2016 Brexit vote. In return, French museums will host some British treasures, including the Sutton Hoo collection of helmets, shields and other metal artwork dating back to the 7th century in Anglo-Saxon England.  Taking to social media, some fans vented their frustration at missing out on tickets  French workers and volunteers, prepare to pack the Bayeux Tapestry in a crate for transfer to the British Museum. It will be on display in the museum from September until July next year  George Osborne, chairman of trustees at the museum, described the tapestry in February as a 'defining piece of our nation's history and a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience', adding that its display will be an 'extraordinary moment for the country'. Polling carried out for the museum earlier this year revealed more than three-quarters (76 per cent) of the public believe that '1066 is an important part of British history and people should learn more about it'. Meanwhile, four out of five (82 per cent) were supportive of school trips and encouraging of visits to the museum to see the tapestry while it is in the UK. Dr Nicholas Cullinan OBE, Director of the British Museum, said: 'We've seen an extraordinary response to The Bayeux Tapestry with today becoming the single biggest day for any exhibition ever held at the British Museum. 'The level of demand reflects the unique opportunity this exhibition brings and the appetite of the public for more arts and culture. I want to thank everyone for their support and the patience of those in the queue yesterday. We look forward to welcoming you all to the Museum in September when we get to unveil this unique show.' The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. 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