Join us for fantastic in-person events at The National Archives in Kew.
We also host a full programme of online events, which can be enjoyed from the comfort of home. Plus, you can explore our family and children’s events.
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Behind the Scenes Tours (SOLD OUT)
Our behind the scenes tours from April to June are sold out. We will be releasing the dates for tours from July to September later in the year. Please continue to visit this page for updates.
We have a small number of dates available for group tours. Please email boxoffice@nationalarchives.gov.uk for more information and to book.
May 2025
VE Day Celebrations in London, 8 May 1945. Image: IWM (D 24586)
VE Day 80 – A document display – Drop-in, everyone welcome
- Tuesday 6 May, 14:00 – 16:00
Take a glimpse into the preparations for VE Day as peace was declared. This event features a fascinating display of original documents that highlight the plans made by Government departments and military personnel, from Parliament speeches and the King’s broadcast to bonfires across the nation. Learn how military units in northwest Europe marked the day with locally arranged services, meals, games, and entertainment. Speak with our records specialists to gain historical context and understand the significance of VE Day.
This event will be held in one of our learning spaces on the first floor. You do not need to book a ticket and can drop-in anytime from 14:00 to 16:00.
Story of a Murder: The Wives, The Mistress and Dr Crippen
- Wednesday 21 May, 19:00
On 1 February, 1910, the vivacious music hall performer, Belle Elmore, vanished suddenly from her north London home, causing alarm among her circle of female friends, the entertainers of the Music Hall Ladies’ Guild who demanded an immediate investigation.
They could not have known what they would provoke: the unearthing of a gruesome secret, followed by a fevered manhunt for the prime suspect: Belle’s husband, Dr Hawley Harvey Crippen.
Join Hallie Rubenhold as she reconstructs the legendary Dr Crippen case giving voice to those who have never properly been heard – the women.
Hallie will be in conversation with Anthony Delaney.
This in-conversation event will take place in person at The National Archives in Kew. It will not be recorded. The event will last approximately one hour, followed by a book signing and an opportunity to view a selection of original records from The National Archives’ collection. A pop up bar will be open from 18.45, serving drinks before the event.
June 2025
Secrets and Spies: An evening with Mick Herron
- Wednesday 11 June, 19:00 – 21:00
Mick Herron’s Slough House series has established him as one of today’s top spy novelists. Featuring an unlikely team of disgraced MI5 agents led by the irascible Jackson Lamb, the books have reached Number One on the Sunday Times Bestseller lists, as well as achieving critical success, being awarded two Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Daggers and the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award.
Join Mick Herron and Miranda Carter as they discuss fictional spies, real-life espionage, and the ways in which these two worlds sometimes meet.
This in-conversation event will take place at The National Archives in Kew. The event will last approximately one hour. A pop up bar will be open from 18.45, serving drinks before the event.
This event is currently sold out. To join our waitlist, visit the link below.
Pipe Roll Society Annual Lecture: Magna Carta and its Medieval Legacy
- Tuesday 24 June, 17:00 – 18:00
2025 sees the 800th anniversary of the issue, by King Henry III, of what would become the definitive text of Magna Carta. The Great Charter enshrined a wide range of legal, social and governmental principles, and attempted better to regulate relationships between the monarch, the crown, the church and the people. The text and its interpretation have long been fought over, as has its legacy.
Join the Pipe Roll Society for a panel discussion between four world experts on kingship, government and the law in the Middle Ages. They will explore the context for Magna Carta, the reasons behind its revisions, its impact on contemporary politics and society, including on the development of parliament, and its centuries-long legacy.
This event takes place at The National Archives in Kew and is in-person only. It will not be streamed or recorded. The event will last approximately one hour, followed by an opportunity to view original records from The National Archives’ collection.
The Pipe Roll Society is a charity which aims to increase public knowledge of medieval history by the publication of the Pipe Rolls and the associated records of medieval English government, and of other manuscripts of national importance prior to the year 1350.
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