Gladiators: Heroes of the Colosseum – Landmark Exhibition Brings Rare Roman Artefacts to UK for the First Time
For the first time in the UK, the internationally acclaimed exhibition Gladiators: Heroes of the Colosseum arrives at the Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds, from 28 June to 2 November 2025. Having captivated over one million visitors worldwide, this landmark exhibition immerses audiences in the dramatic world of ancient Rome’s most revered warriors.
Developed in collaboration with the Colosseum in Rome, the exhibition features original artefacts from the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, including gladiatorial weaponry, armour, and three of the few surviving intact gladiator helmets. Using contemporary accounts, cutting-edge research, and discoveries from Pompeii’s gladiator barracks, Gladiators explores combat skills, daily life, and the social status of these warriors through immersive installations, life-sized models, and interactive experiences.
Visitors of all ages can engage with the reality of gladiatorial life. Gladiators trained together and lived as a collective family; a community of fighters joined by fate. Perhaps surprisingly, meat was rarely on the menu for gladiators. Their vegetarian diet of beans and barley potage, supplemented by fresh vegetables alongside an ‘energy drink’ enriched with bone ash was served to increase mineral intake and ensure optimal bone structure.
Director General and Master of the Armouries, Nat Edwards, said:
“There are few stories as compelling as that of the gladiators. From the great Hollywood epics to games, comics and Saturday evening TV – we’ve all shared the drama and larger than life stories.This exhibition delivers spectacle but also something far more powerful, real artefacts that connect us to the lives of the people behind the myth. It’s a rare opportunity to step into their world.”
The National Museum of Arms and Armour, the Royal Armouries provides a fitting backdrop for this extraordinary display. Gladiators: Heroes of the Colosseum will be the first full-scale exhibition in the museum’s new special exhibition gallery, marking a significant milestone in the Armouries 700 masterplan for site transformation.
Tickets are now on sale via the Royal Armouries Museum website. While museum entry remains free, the exhibition is ticketed.
- Adults – £6.50
- Concessions- £4
- Children 4-17– £4
- Children 3 and under- free
Gladiators: Heroes of the Colosseum is presented by the Royal Armouries in collaboration with the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, Expona and Contemporanea Progetti. The development of the Special Exhibitions Gallery has been supported by grants from The Wolfson Foundation and Garfield Weston Foundation.
Main image: Colosseum Room.
