The British Museum will unveil a new outdoor installation, Tapestry of Trees.
The installation has been created by garden designer, Andy Sturgeon.
The installation is open to the public from 16 May to 2 June 2026.
Tapestry of Trees opens at the British Museum in May.
The British Museum will unveil a new outdoor installation, Tapestry of Trees. Drawing inspiration from the legendary Bayeux Tapestry, it has been created by celebrated garden designer Andy Sturgeon. Open to the public from 16 May to 2 June 2026, the installation transforms the British Museum’s forecourt into a magical woodland retreat.
Presented by Igor Tulchinsky, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of WorldQuant, the installation marks the beginning of the British Museum’s celebrations ahead of the arrival of the Bayeux Tapestry later this year. Trees play an important role throughout the historic artwork, separating scenes and highlighting key moments, and this new installation beautifully reimagines that storytelling tradition. Visitors are invited to wander beneath a canopy of 37 silver birch trees while discovering carefully selected plants woven throughout the colonnade, creating an enchanting and immersive experience in the heart of London.
Andy Sturgeon, Garden Designer, said: “Inspired by the location of many of the events depicted in the Tapestry, I wanted to bring an essence of the wooded Sussex countryside to central London. By placing dozens of trees outside the Museum, it evokes a woodland that can be enjoyed by visitors. The Museum is a vast monochromatic monolith, and I wanted the installation to be colourful and uplifting, and to signify the welcoming of the Tapestry to the Museum. The trees reach out towards the street entrance as if beckoning it to enter.”
Millie Horton-Insch, Project Curator: The Bayeux Tapestry, added: “The creation of a 70-metre embroidery, crafted entirely from natural materials, would have demanded a remarkable investment of time and labour in the natural world. This investment is reflected in the Bayeux Tapestry’s vivid and expressive depictions of nature within its own imagery.”
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Where: The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG
When: 16 May to 2 June 2026
Contact: www.britishmuseum.org