British Museum Apologizes as Bayeux Tapestry Show Faces Criticism

The British Museum has apologized for the experience of some visitors to its Bayeux Tapestry exhibition, citing overcrowding and long wait times. The museum's director, Nicholas Cullinan, expressed regret for the difficulties faced by ticket holders, stating that the institution wants to "put it right" and provide a better experience for all visitors.

The exhibition has been extremely popular, with the museum expecting to welcome its 100,000th visitor soon, just three weeks into the show. However, some visitors have reported waits of up to two hours, and hundreds were turned away last week due to backlogs when the museum closed early for a private event.

In response to the criticism, the museum has announced changes to the exhibition, including longer opening hours, an audio guide, additional seating, and clearer signage. According to the BBC News, Cullinan said that the museum had sought advice from the Bayeux Tapestry's home museum in Bayeux on queue management and timings, and denied that the museum had let too many people book tickets.

Brief written by urgent.news from Artnet News, NYT Arts, BBC News — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.