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Museum footfall almost doubles with free entry

Roseanna LeconteJersey
News imageBBC A woman with long brown curly hair standing in front of a wall with a number of portrait black and white photos on itBBC
Jersey Heritage no longer charges an admission fee for Jersey Museum

The number of people who went to Jersey Museum almost doubled in the first year of free entry.

The government started funding the cost of admission fees in July 2024 - leading to a 97% increase in footfall by the following July, according to the arts, culture and heritage delivery report.

Louise Downie, the director of curation and experience at Jersey Heritage, said: "It's really important that all islanders, no matter their financial situation, have access to heritage."

"[It] has been proven to be really beneficial for people's wellbeing, for their mental health, and for their social interaction," she added.

News imageA bald man smiles at the camera, and he is wearing a pale blue polo shirt. In the background there are pieces of wood to build a float for the Battle of Flowers parade.
Martyn Maguire hopes the Battle of Flowers will always be free to go to from now on

So far, the government has paid a grant of £284,000 per year to cover the costs.

Downie hopes it will continue to offer funding for the museum to remain free.

Last year, the government spent nearly £11.5m on arts, culture and heritage - more than half of which went to Jersey Heritage, the report said.

It was part of its promise to spend 1% of its net revenue on the sector.

'Double-edged sword'

Battle of Flowers organiser Martyn Maguire has similar hopes after last year's parades were free to attend for the first time.

Maguire confirmed this year's event would also be free after securing a £160,000 grant from the government.

He said: "Our main ambition as the new association is to always keep Battle free.

"It's a bit of a double-edged sword. It costs us money to put it on, but we need to keep it free to get people there so that people want to be part of it."

The 2025 parades saw 6,000 more spectators than the year before.

Other free events in Jersey last year also saw large numbers.

More than 42,000 people went to Bubbletecture - and Channel Islands Pride had its biggest crowd yet, with 12,000 attendees.

News imageA large outdoor art installation that looks like giant bubbles, on a green floor that resembles grass. There is a dance performance happening in front of it. The dancers are wearing white t-shirts with white shorts or skirts. There is a crowd of people all around watching.
News imageA float vehicle covered in flowers on a road, made to look like a windmill and two giant clog shoes. There are children in costumes sat inside the shoes and stood by the windmill. The front of the float says 'FLORAL FRISIA'. On either side of the road, there are small crowds of people watching the float go past. Some people are taking photos.
About 42,000 people went to see 'Bubbletecture' in 2025
More than half (57%) of people who answered a survey said they would not have gone to Battle of Flowers 2025 if it had not been free

The report shows how the government allocated funds to arts, culture and heritage in 2025.

Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel said: "Government remains committed to investing a significant proportion of annual revenue funding into the sector."

The BBC has contacted Morel directly to ask if Battle of Flowers and Jersey Museum would continue to be subsidised in the future.

Some politicians have in the past shared concerns that continuing the 1% arts funding commitment means other departments could have to make cuts.

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