London mayor Sadiq Khan calls for city's public museums to remain free to enter

London mayor Sadiq Khan argued in an op-ed for LBC that national museums and galleries in London should remain free to enter, calling free admission a fundamental part of city life. He noted that many institutions charged admission until 2001, and said visits to formerly pay-to-enter museums rose by about 151% in the decade after free entry was introduced. Khan also claimed free admission generates around £1 billion annually in overseas tourism revenue and described the UK approach as distinct from cities such as Paris, Rome, and New York. His comments respond to renewed debate after the UK government said it would “explore options” for charging overseas visitors, a proposal some leaders oppose but that former V&A director Mark Jones has supported as a way to address funding gaps.

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