Press release

Statement on the Jewish Culture Month event

Key information

Publication date: 27 May 2026

A statement from the British Museum regarding the Jewish Culture Month event

Like many leading cultural institutions across the UK, the British Museum is proud to support and host events recognising Jewish Culture Month.

Tomorrow's event, led by members of our senior curatorial team alongside organisers from Jewish Culture Month, has been planned for many months as part of our commitment to education, scholarship and cultural dialogue.

In recent days, we were informed that a significant proportion of registered attendees were individuals intending to deliberately disrupt the event, preventing others from participating in good faith and undermining the purpose of the programme.

The British Museum fully recognises the importance of lawful protest and freedom of expression in a democratic society. Equally, we have a responsibility to ensure that events hosted within the Museum can proceed safely, securely and without intimidation for speakers, staff and visitors alike.

Following discussions with organisers and security partners, a joint decision was taken to postpone the event to a later date when it can take place in an environment that properly safeguards both the audience experience and the integrity of the programme itself.

This decision was made to protect the event — not to diminish it. We will continue to support Jewish Culture Month and remain committed to providing a space where history, culture and scholarship can be explored openly, respectfully and without disruption.

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