Royal Armouries in Leeds brings Genghis Khan and the Mongols to the city

The Royal Armouries Museum has been one of Leeds' best-known attractions for years, and 2026 has given visitors fresh reasons to return. A blockbuster exhibition, lively summer shows and big plans for the future have put the museum firmly in the spotlight.

The headline show is Genghis Khan: How the Mongols Changed the World, which runs from 26 June to 1 November 2026. It brings together more than 250 objects on loan from Mongolian National Museums, including bows, weapons, armour, saddles, coins and jewellery.

Many of those objects are coming to the UK for the first time, giving visitors a rare chance to see the craftsmanship and culture behind one of history's great empires.

The exhibition was brought to life outdoors over the summer, too. Free daily Mongolian horse archery shows ran from 22 July to 31 August 2026, adding colour and spectacle to the museum's programme.

The new gallery space has been building momentum since 2025, when its first exhibition, Gladiators: Heroes of the Colosseum, opened to the public in June that year.

Looking further ahead, the museum has revealed more details of a major redevelopment worth more than £100 million. At its heart is a brand-new 3,500 square metre exhibition and events hall, and a planning application is expected to go to Leeds City Council in 2027. Time Out has described the plans as a major makeover for the museum.

For families, history fans and anyone with a curious mind, the Royal Armouries offers a vivid way to explore how people have defended themselves and displayed power through the centuries.

Taken together, the exhibition programme and the redevelopment plans show a museum that is thinking big. For Leeds, it means one of its flagship attractions is investing in new ways to share its collections and stories with visitors from near and far.

Visitors can find exhibition details, event dates and booking information on the Royal Armouries website. With the Genghis Khan exhibition closing on 1 November 2026, there is still a little time to catch it.