Current exhibitions at the British Museum in 2026 including the Bayeux Tapestry, plus what's upcoming
Updated: Sep 6
2026 is an unusual year for the British Museum’s exhibitions.
The loan of the Bayeux Tapestry — which arrived in September and will be shown for 10 months — dominates everything. The museum’s Chair George Osborne says this alone will mean “2026 is going to be the biggest year in the museum’s 273-year history."
He's also predicted that “with the Bayeux Tapestry arriving in [the] autumn we could potentially get seven and a half million visitors during the year.” If so, it would certainly mark a major reversal of the turmoil at the British Museum of recent years.
Yet, there's already this year been major exhibitions on the history of Japanese Samurai, and a fascinating look at the artistry and culture of Hawai'i. Both were very popular with visitors.
But as this guide has been updated in September 2026 and these shows have now closed, it means all eyes are on the blockbuster Bayeux Tapestry display, but there's also a show on the art and culture of Korea over the centuries due soon too.
Throughout the coming months though you will also be able to visit a number of fascinating free displays which the British Museum stages in smaller gallery spaces. These are always worth a look to dive deeper into a niche chapter of history.
So here’s a guide that will help you navigate what’s on right now and what’s coming soon at the British Museum in London. Updated regularly, it’s your go-to for planning a trip to one of the world’s most-popular cultural destinations.
Exhibitions at the British Museum open now
These are the current exhibitions at the British Museum, which you can see right now — including their fascinating free displays.
Early Netherlandish drawings
110 rare artworks feature in this show that explores the significant period in European art where drawings made in the Low Countries became collectible and sought after in their own right. Early Netherlandish drawings displays northern-European artworks on paper that were made over 400 years ago. The drawings are all sourced from the British Museum’s own collection.
At the core of the exhibition are the findings of a five-year research project which has been the first in-depth study into this collection in nearly a century. This free exhibition which runs until 20 September 2026, and features artists including Rogier van der Weyden, Lucas van Leyden, Pieter Bruegel the elder, and Hendrick Goltzius.
Early Netherlandish drawings is open now and runs until 20 September 2026
The Bayeux Tapestry
The Bayeux Tapestry exhibition needs no introduction — it will undoubtedly be the most popular and significant exhibition held in the UK this century. The "extraordinary" loan of the artwork back to Britain for the first time since it was created nearly 1,000 years ago has been a huge sensation ever since the news was announced as part of French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to the UK in July 2025. And when the first tranche of tickets went on sale, there were online queues for up to nine hours, despite tickets costing up to £33. Bayeux fever even resulted in a glossy trailer starring Claudia Winkleman.
Key Norman-conquest objects are displayed in this show too — such as the remarkable Chew Valley Hoard of silver coins — and they help to contextualise the 70-metre Tapestry and its telling of the 1066 Norman conquest and the Battle of Hastings. The critics think the show is a triumph, with many five-star reviews. One — the Telegraph's Alastair Sooke — said “[seeing] this astonishing artefact back in Britain for the first time in 1,000 years is the most moving moment of my career.”
The Bayeux Tapestry is now open and runs until 11 July 2027
Declaring independence: USA 250
America is 250 years old this year, and this small display brings together four objects with connected histories around the American Revolutionary War. At the core of the display is the Washington Peace Medal, an object that passed through the hands of all three parties involved in the war, which curator Tom Hockenhull calls "an extraordinary survivor of this turbulent time."
Halfway through the display's run, a remarkable ceremonial copy of the Declaration of Independence will be added. It's a handwritten copy produced on sheepskin parchment and is the only handwritten ceremonial copy to exist alongside the original manuscript — the Matlack Declaration — held at the National Archives in Washington DC.
Declaring independence: USA 250 is open now and runs until 29 November 2026
British Museum upcoming exhibitions
Here's all the upcoming museum shows scheduled to open at the British Museum — and more will be added as they're announced.
Korea
Two millennia of Korean art and culture go under the spotlight in this exhibition, with a focus on the country’s artists and craftspeople and their superb technical skills over the centuries. It’ll be the first major exhibition on Korea’s art and history at the British Museum in over 40 years, and many of the objects on show come from the collections of the National Museum of Korea and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, both in Seoul.
There’ll be historic national treasures alongside modern and contemporary works, creating a dynamic conversation across time. British Museum Director Nicholas Cullinan says visitors will see “how a distinctive cultural identity has been continuously shaped in dialogue with the wider world to this very day.”
Korea opens on 01 October 2026 and runs until 31 January 2027
More London exhibitions
