UK Museums Turn to Hotel Suites, VR in Licensing Push — SkimNews
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- UK licensed merchandise and services sales grew 7% to $19.2bn (£14.5bn) last year, with the "art property" category covering museums up more than 8% and "attractions and promotions" — which includes immersive experiences — soaring 53%, according to Licensing International
- Natural History Museum licensing manager Louisa Skevington said the museum's programme grows about 15% year on year, with deals including a £724/night Park Plaza London Riverbank family suite featuring T-rex bunk beds, a Farrow & Ball paint range, Lucy & Yak dinosaur-print jumpsuits, and a Sandbox VR "Age of Dinosaurs" experience
- V&A launched 63 product ranges in 2025, head of licensing Jen Maude-Roxby said, including William Morris-inspired phone cases with CASETiFY and artwork for Samsung's "the Frame" TV
- British Museum product licensing manager Craig Bendle cited Bayeux tapestry merchandise — including a Liberty department store collaboration that landed in Vogue — as evidence of demand for "major cultural moments" beyond the museum visit
- Brand Licensing Europe conference in London this week features new attendees National Gallery, National Trust for Scotland, Ashmolean Museum, and Tate Enterprises, joining British Museum, NHM, V&A, and Imperial War Museum on a programme that also covers the "Bluey effect" and a new Harry Potter TV series
Why it matters: Museums are monetising their collections at scale to plug funding gaps: the V&A alone launched 63 product ranges this year, and UK immersive-experience licensing surged 53% year on year. With the National Gallery, Ashmolean, and Tate now joining the licensing trade floor, cultural institutions are competing directly with entertainment IP like Bluey and Harry Potter for brand partners.
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