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Reports of the blockbuster exhibition’s death are premature as Tate’s Kahlo show breaks ticket record

The Guardian UK Friday 19 June 2026, 14:00 UTC By Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondent 1 min read
Key Points

Recent Van Gogh show was National Gallery’s most popular ever and British Museum gears up for arrival of Bayeux TapestryWhen Tate Modern announced a major exhibition devoted to Frida Kahlo, few doubted it would be popular. The Mexican artist has become one of the most recognisable cultural figures in the world, with her image adorning everything from tote bags to T-shirts. But even Tate was unprepared for the scale of demand.

Recent Van Gogh show was National Gallery’s most popular ever and British Museum gears up for arrival of Bayeux Tapestry

When Tate Modern announced a major exhibition devoted to Frida Kahlo, few doubted it would be popular. The Mexican artist has become one of the most recognisable cultural figures in the world, with her image adorning everything from tote bags to T-shirts.

But even Tate was unprepared for the scale of demand. The gallery has said that more than 41,000 tickets have already been sold for Frida: The Making of an Icon, which opens on 25 June, making it the highest pre-selling exhibition in Tate’s history and surpassing the previous record of 32,000 advance sales for David Hockney in 2017.

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Tate (PERSON) Recent Van Gogh (PERSON) National Gallery’s (ORG) British Museum (ORG) Bayeux (LOCATION) Tate Modern (ORG) Frida Kahlo (PERSON) Mexican (ORG) Frida (ORG) Icon (ORG) David Hockney (PERSON)
Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →

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