British Museum Sleepover: Incredible islands

Two children exploring the galleries after dark during a sleepover

Dear Andrew,

We’re delighted to announce our next British Museum Sleepover: Incredible islands, taking place on Saturday 18 April.

Enjoy an exciting evening of storytelling, crafts, and hands-on activities as you explore distant islands and ancient archipelagos.

Enhance your sleepover experience by pre-ordering one of our exclusive water bottles or reserving a SEND sensory bag.

Can't wait until April? Join us for a February half term event inspired by Korea - find more details below.

We hope to see you there!

The Young Friends and Schools and Family Programmes Teams

Set sail and voyage across seas and centuries

Close-up of feathered cloak worn by Hawaiian chiefs.

British Museum Sleepover

Incredible islands

Experience the Museum after dark and explore distant islands and ancient archipelagos through storytelling, crafting and hands-on activities.

After an action-packed evening, you'll spend the night sleeping in the Egyptian and Assyrian galleries, surrounded by kings and gods from the ancient world.

Join us in the morning for breakfast and the chance to explore our exhibition Hawai’i: a kingdom crossing oceans with an exclusive trail.

Tickets: £79 per adult/child

Sleepovers are for 8–15-year-olds and their accompanying adults only.

Each child must be accompanied by an adult. Each accompanying adult must also purchase a ticket.

18–19 April, 18.15–09.00

Book now

Read FAQs

Sleepover sensory bags

A selection of different sensory toys surrounding a brown bag.

We want to welcome everyone to our sleepovers. As part of this, we have a limited number of SEND sensory bags available to book for the duration of the event. Each adventure pack includes a selection of fidget toys, themed activities, ear defenders and communication tools to accompany your sleepover experience.

Pre-booking is essential. Please email us via [email protected] to reserve a bag and the Young Friends team will be in touch directly to confirm availability and your reservation.

Please note that sensory bags will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

You can also reach out if your group has any accessibility requirements or you'd like to talk to the Young Friends team about how we can best support your visit.

Pre-book now

Exclusive water bottles

Pre-order an exclusive Young Friends Sleepover water bottle whilst purchasing your Sleepover tickets. Choose from two designs, featuring either the charming Lewis Chessmen in orange or a slithering Aztec serpent in blue.

Water bottles can be collected from the registration desk upon arriving at the sleepover. You will need to show your order confirmation on your smartphone or on a print-out. You will also be able to purchase our Sleepover exclusive water bottles on the night itself.

Price:
• 1 for £12
• 2 for £20

Pre-order now

What else is on at the Museum?

A contemporary reinterpretation of a traditional Korean yutnori board, featuring traditional motifs, with playing pieces on the board and wooden sticks behind, as a hand moves a piece.

Let's play, Korea!

Ages 7+

Explore traditional Korean games with London Korean School, enjoy festive activities, and taste handmade Korean treats like yakgwa.

Free, drop in.

Please note that we expect the Museum to be busier than usual and we recommend booking your free ticket for Museum entry in advance.