Free forever: UK drops plan to charge foreign visitors at national museums

England’s 15 national museums will remain free for everyone, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy confirmed on Monday, ending months of speculation that the government would charge international visitors to shore up struggling institutions.

Nandy made the announcement at an event hosted by Art Fund and the Cultural Policy Unit think tank at Tate Liverpool during the Labour Party conference. Universal free entry to the DCMS-sponsored national museums — including the British Museum, the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery and Tate — has applied since 1 December 2001 and celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

“Our museums are the places that light up the world,” Nandy said. “They remind us of 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.”

The government had floated charging foreign tourists since March this year, arguing it could strengthen museums’ “long-term financial resilience”. According to the Financial Times, foreign visitors account for 43 per cent of total visitors to major British museums and galleries.

Alison Cole, director of the Cultural Policy Unit, which campaigned against charging, said: “This is one of the landmark cultural policies of our times, one that has established itself as a universal public good.”

Several national museum directors supported the move, including Tristram Hunt of the Victoria and Albert Museum and Nicholas Cullinan of the British Museum. National Gallery director Gabriele Finaldi said: “Free entry to national museums is one of the UK’s greatest cultural assets: it enables millions to visit, enjoy and learn.”

The debate was re-ignited by the DCMS response to Labour peer Margaret Hodge’s review of Arts Council England, published last December. How the government will fund the museums remains open to debate, with some cultural leaders pressing for revenue from new regional tourist levies to be ring-fenced for arts and culture.

Sources

• The Art Newspaper, “Culture secretary confirms free admission for all at England’s national museums will remain”, 28 Sept 2026: https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/09/28/free-admission-nationla-museums-england-lisa-nandy-confirmed
• Arts Professional, “Nandy confirms national museums will retain universal free entry”, 29 Sept 2026: https://www.artsprofessional.co.uk/news/nandy-confirms-national-museums-will-retain-universal-free-entry
• ChosunBiz, “UK drops plan to charge foreign visitors at national museums”, 29 Sept 2026: https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-international/2026/09/29/7C6JVB4YIBGR7O4VIB5IKOLB5Q/