Essential Information
| Type | Events and festivals |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Date and Times | Friday 19 - Sunday 21 September 2025 | 10am-5pm |
| Prices | 2-for-1 on all Pirates exhibition tickets | Museum admission free |
| Members go free. Not a member? Join now |
To mark the mighty occasion of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, we're calling all friendly buccaneers to join us for a swashbuckling fancy dress weekend at the National Maritime Museum!
As part of the celebrations we're offering everyone 2-for-1 entry to the Museum's epic Pirates exhibition from 19-21 September.
Plus, Benugo are offering Pirates ticket holders a £1 hot drink at the National Maritime Museum café with the purchase of one of their delicious pirate-themed cakes: rum and orange bundt cake or gold nugget ginger cake. Just show your tickets or Membership card to receive the goods!
Follow the history of piracy from the Caribbean to the South China Sea, and discover how our image of pirates has been shaped by film, fashion, literature and more. Budding adventurers can take part in family craft activities, and there will be a treasure trove of talks on offer too. Don't miss the boat and book your 2-for-1 tickets here.
(Make sure you select 19, 20 or 21 September before selecting your preferred time to visit).
But that's not all!
Come dressed in your finest pirate gear (unarmed pirates only, no fake weapons please) and you’ll be entered into our prize draw to win a chest of maritime treasures:
- Cutty Sark Rig Climb tickets for you and your first mate
- City Cruises voucher for a 24-hour Family River Pass
- Old Royal Naval College passes for two
- A family tour voucher (for up to four people) and a pirate goodie bag from The Golden Hinde
- A year-long Royal Museums Greenwich Membership
- An epic book bundle from our very own Royal Museums Greenwich shop: Pirates: Fact and Fiction (RRP £20), Buried Treasure (RRP £12.99) and Captain Ogle’s Cup (RRP £12.99)
Two lucky runners-up will each receive a Royal Museums Greenwich Day Pass, perfect for exploring the wonders of Greenwich with their trusty crew.
We're planning a weekend full of nautical mischief and pirate-themed fun, including a surprise visit from a real-life seafaring character actor on Saturday. Set a course for Greenwich and we'll see you in September!
How to enter
To enter the giveaway, snap a photo of yourself in your finest pirate gear at the National Maritime Museum during Talk Like a Pirate Weekend and share it with us!
- Post your pirate pics on either Instagram, Facebook or Twitter (NOT Instagram stories)
- Use the hashtag #PirateWeekendGiveaway
- Tag Royal Museums Greenwich on the relevant handle (linked above)
The giveaway launches at 10am on Friday 19 September 2025 and closes at midnight on Sunday 21 September 2025. All entries must be posted between these times in order to be entered into the prize draw.
For full social competition and fancy dress terms & conditions, click here.
Talk Like a Pirate Day events
From talks to craft activities, find out about the activities taking place over the weekend.
Friday 19 September
Talks
| Time | Talk | Location | Event information |
| 11am-11.25am | Why do pirates sound like that? Unpacking pirate stereotypes | Tudor and Stuart Seafarers gallery | Free to attend |
| 1pm-1.25pm | Barbary corsairs, Jan Janszoon and the Ottoman slave trade | Inside the Pirates exhibition | Exhibition ticket required |
| 3pm-3.25pm | Why do pirates sound like that? Unpacking pirate stereotypes | Tudor and Stuart Seafarers gallery | Free to attend |
| 4pm-4.25pm | Pirates! Truth is stranger than fiction | Tudor and Stuart Seafarers gallery | Free to attend |
Craft activities
30-minute timed sessions at 10.30am, 11.30am, 1pm and 2pm | Location: Learning Space
Get involved in a range of art and craft activities, suitable for pirates of all ages. Collect a card from outside the Learning Space to join a session.
Saturday 20 September
Talks
| Time | Talk | Location | Event information |
| 11am-11.25am | Barbary corsairs, Jan Janszoon and the Ottoman slave trade | Inside the Pirates exhibition | Exhibition ticket required |
| 1pm-1.25pm | Why do pirates sound like that? Unpacking pirate stereotypes | Tudor and Stuart Seafarers gallery | Free to attend |
| 3pm-3.25pm | Pirates! Truth is stranger than fiction | Tudor and Stuart Seafarers gallery | Free to attend |
| 4pm-4.25pm | Why do pirates sound like that? Unpacking pirate stereotypes | Tudor and Stuart Seafarers gallery | Free to attend |
Introduction to Pirates exhibition
30-minute talks at 10.30am, 11.30am, 1pm and 2pm | Location: Outside the Pirates exhibition space
Meet Pete the pirate and discover some of the key stories and objects within the exhibition. This talk is suitable for pirates of all ages.
Sunday 21 September
Talks
| Time | Talk | Location | Event information |
| 11am-11.25am | Why do pirates sound like that? Unpacking pirate stereotypes | Tudor and Stuart Seafarers gallery | Free to attend |
| 1pm-1.25pm | Pirates! Truth is stranger than fiction | Tudor and Stuart Seafarers gallery | Free to attend |
| 3pm-3.25pm | A brief history of the sea shanty – with sing-along | Outside the Pirates exhibition | Free to attend |
| 4pm-4.25pm | The pirate's wife: the remarkable story of Sarah Kidd | Inside the Pirates exhibition | Exhibition ticket required |
Introduction to Pirates exhibition
30-minute talks at 10.30am, 11.30am, 1pm and 2pm | Location: Outside the Pirates exhibition space
Meet Pete the pirate and discover some of the key stories and objects within the exhibition. This talk is suitable for pirates of all ages.
1 / 5
Edward Teach (Blackbeard), Walking the Plank
From the Pirates of the Spanish Main series (N19) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes (image via The Met Open Access Initiative)
2 / 5
An illustration of a pirate
Taken from Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates.
3 / 5
Detail of Piratical and Felonious by Linnea Maertens
Specially commissioned for Pirates at the National Maritime Museum
4 / 5
Detail from an illustration of the pirate Edward 'Blackbeard' Teach
5 / 5
Inside the Pirates exhibition at the National Maritime Museum
Plan your visit
