The British Museum apologized to Bayeux Tapestry exhibition visitors who were turned away during an early closure and offered refunds and free ticket rescheduling. The disruption came as the museum prepared a gala dinner with corporate sponsor Samsung, held to celebrate its “Korea” exhibition. The event drew criticism over VIP access while demand for the tapestry show was high.
Visitors turned away during preparations
On Wednesday, visitors were refused entry partway through the day as the museum made preparations for the dinner. Some ticket holders had been waiting to enter at their allotted time when delays left them unable to visit.
The dinner was attended by Chancellor John Healey and Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats. Princess Anne attended the pre-dinner reception. The available accounts do not establish that the gala was held specifically for her.
Refunds and free rebooking offered
A museum spokesperson said the institution had apologized to affected visitors and was offering both a refund and a free rescheduled ticket. The statement described the disruption as an isolated situation and acknowledged visitors’ patience.
The museum also said demand for the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition had been unprecedented, and that its priority was to allow as many people as possible to see it while maintaining the visitor experience. The refund and rebooking offer addresses the immediate loss of access, but does not undo the interruption for people who had planned their visit around a particular day.
A gala for the “Korea” exhibition
The dinner was hosted with Samsung, the British Museum’s long-term corporate sponsor, to mark the “Korea” exhibition. That exhibition opened on Thursday, the day after visitors were turned away during preparations for the gala.
The overlap between an event for invited guests and public access to a heavily attended exhibition put the museum’s scheduling under scrutiny. The source material does not give the number of affected visitors, the value of refunds, or a detailed account of how the closure was communicated, so the scale of the disruption cannot be quantified.
Earlier questions about VIP access
The episode follows reports of a private viewing of the Bayeux Tapestry for billionaire tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel in August. The visit took place on August 18 and was hosted by Charlotte Appleyard, the museum’s director of development.
That earlier visit and the gala-related closure have renewed criticism of how the institution balances access for high-profile guests with access for ticket holders. They are distinct events: the private viewing was reported in August, while Wednesday’s disruption arose as the museum prepared a sponsor gala.
Access remains a wider concern
Visitor access has also been raised in a legal complaint. Earlier in the same busy September, a blind man filed a lawsuit against the British Museum over the absence of audio guides at the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition.
A museum spokesperson said it was exploring a separate audio-described tour through the exhibition’s app-based audio guide. Together, the lawsuit and the closure underline different practical barriers to seeing the tapestry: entry at the scheduled time and accessible ways to experience the display.
Takeaway: The British Museum has offered refunds and free rebooking after turning away tapestry visitors during preparations for a Samsung gala, amid wider questions about access and VIP treatment.
What this piece draws on
- usaartnews.com — “British Museum Refunds Visitors After Early Close for Gala”
- artnews.com — “British Museum Refunds Bayeux Tapestry Visitors After Closing Early”
- heni.com — “Mary M. Walsh Art Advisory”
- telegraph.co.uk — “Bayeux Tapestry visitors turned away for Chancellor's dinner”
- linkedin.com — “ARTnews' Post”
