UK Government confirms free entry to national museums will continue

The UK government says national museums will remain free for all, ending months of speculation that international visitors could be charged to enter institutions. UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has confirmed the UK’s national museums will remain free and open for all. Nandy confirmed universal free entry would be maintained for the 15 institutions sponsored directly by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) - institutions like the Tate, the National Portrait Gallery, National Museums Liverpool and the British Museum – which currently displays the Bayeux Tapestry. “Our museums are the places that light up the world,” Nandy said. “They remind of us our shared history and enable us to step outside the confines of our lives. There is something incredibly special about that. That’s why they must be free, forever, for everyone to access. I’m delighted that we’re continuing that transformative policy pioneered by the last Labour government, opening up access to our excellent museums for generations.” The policy of universal free entry came into effect on 1 December 2001 in the UK and will celebrate its 25th anniversary later this year. Nandy’s confirmation at an event hosted by Art Fund and The Cultural Policy Unit at Tate Liverpool during yesterday’s Labour conference follows increased debate about whether national museums should introduce entry fees for international visitors. Mayor of London Lord Sadiq Khan had opposed government plans to consider charging international visitors, saying that free museums and galleries were a "fundamental" part of London life. Following Nandy’s announcement, Director of the Cultural Policy Unit Alison Cole hailed free entry “one of the landmark cultural policies of our time”, saying: “It is wonderful that the Government has recognised not only its economic merits, but also its power to express our values and shape how we engage with the world.” Gabriele Finaldi, the director of London’s National Gallery, said: “Free entry to national museums is one of the UK’s greatest cultural assets: it enables millions to visit, enjoy and learn. Thanks to free entry our museums are a deeply integral part of national life and free entry to museums is widely admired among our museum peers internationally.” Research shows visitors to the 15 national museums in the UK have risen by 96 per cent since the policy of universal free entry came into effect in 2001 - from nearly 22.8 million in 1999 to just under 44.7 million in 2025/26. Conversely, any adult visitor from outside the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway now has to pay €32 to enter the Louvre. The price hike – which represents a 45% increase – came into effect in January and has sparked debate about “dual pricing”. The Louvre said the new rate will help fund investments under its “Louvre – New Renaissance” modernisation project and could bring in an additional €15 to €20 million a year. Elsewhere in France, the Palace of Versailles, the Paris National Opera and the Château de Chambord in the Loire area have also upped their prices for non-European visitors. French researcher Patrick Poncet previously drew a parallel between the French decision and Donald Trump’s “America First” policy, under which his administration raised the entry fee for foreign tourists in US national parks by $100, effective 1 January 2026. The French policy is “symptomatic of the return, as elsewhere in the world, of unbridled nationalism”, Poncet wrote in the newspaper Le Monde.