The Bayeux Tapestry exhibition at the British Museum has drawn significant interest from younger audiences, with those under 35 accounting for more than half of ticket buyers during the most recent sales. The latest round of tickets sold out within three hours last week, driven largely by millennials and members of Generation Z who are increasingly opting for hands-on cultural experiences over digital entertainment.

Data from the digital bank Monzo, which tracks spending patterns of its 16 million customers, showed a surge in purchases when tickets were released. In the first hour alone, Monzo cardholders spent approximately £14,100 on exhibition tickets—twice the amount recorded during comparable openings for popular films such as The Odyssey (£7,000) and Spider-Man: Brand New Day (£6,300). Over the following two hours, spending rose to £30,500, outpacing the combined average Saturday night spending between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. at six notable UK nightlife venues, including London’s Koko, Fabric, and the Roundhouse, as well as Bristol’s Lakota and Thekla and Glasgow’s Sub Club.

This surge reflects a broader trend among younger generations known as “hobbymaxxing,” a movement towards engaging in creative, hands-on activities instead of time spent on screens. Correspondingly, retailers like John Lewis have reported a nearly 65% increase in sales of tapestry and embroidery kits compared to last year, suggesting a growing interest in needlecraft inspired by the exhibition.

The Bayeux Tapestry, a nearly 1,000-year-old embroidered cloth depicting the Norman Conquest of England, is on display in the UK for the first time in centuries. The British Museum described the exhibition’s reception as “extraordinary,” noting that measures such as photography bans have been implemented to manage the crowds and reduce queue times. Almost half of ticket purchasers live outside London, with some traveling hundreds of miles to see the woven historical artifact. Following the initial ticket release in July, the museum experienced its highest single day of sales, generating over £2.4 million in 24 hours.

Widely regarded as a medieval masterpiece, the tapestry provides a detailed visual account of 11th-century life, including depictions of castles, warfare, ships, clothing, food, and furniture. Believed to have been commissioned by a Norman patron and executed by English embroiderers using Canterbury manuscript sketches, the artifact is scheduled to remain on view at the British Museum until July 11. Additional tickets are expected to go on sale next year.