This summer, Leeds will become the UK’s gateway to ancient Rome as the internationally acclaimed Gladiators: Heroes of the Colosseum arrives at the Royal Armouries Museum. Running from 28 June to 2 November 2025, the blockbuster exhibition brings the gritty reality and grand spectacle of Rome’s most famous fighters to the heart of the city.
Having already attracted more than one million visitors across Europe, this is the first time the exhibition will be seen in the UK. Developed in partnership with the Colosseum in Rome and featuring rare artefacts from the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, the exhibition promises a dramatic and immersive experience for all ages.
Visitors can expect to come face-to-face with original gladiatorial armour and weapons, including three of the few surviving intact gladiator helmets. These artefacts, alongside life-sized models and interactive installations, reveal the brutal world of the arena — but also the human stories behind the legend.
Nat Edwards, Director General and Master of the Armouries, 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 exhibition draws on recent archaeological discoveries from Pompeii’s gladiator barracks and contemporary accounts to paint a fuller picture of gladiatorial life. Far from being lone fighters, many lived and trained together, forming close-knit communities. Their diet, surprisingly, was mostly vegetarian — consisting of beans, barley stew, vegetables, and a mineral-rich drink made with bone ash to strengthen their bones for combat.
Gladiators: Heroes of the Colosseum also marks the debut of the museum’s brand-new Special Exhibitions Gallery — the first major phase completed in the Royal Armouries’ 700 masterplan, which is set to transform the museum over the coming years. The gallery has been made possible thanks to funding from The Wolfson Foundation and Garfield Weston Foundation.
While general entry to the Royal Armouries remains free, the Gladiators exhibition is ticketed. Tickets are now available to book online through the museum’s website. Admission prices are £6.50 for adults, £4 for children aged 4–17 and concessions, while children aged 3 and under go free.
Presented in partnership with the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, Expona, and Contemporanea Progetti, this is a rare opportunity to get up close to the real world of Rome’s most iconic warriors — not on screen, but in person.
