[12 November 2025, London, UK] The Natural History Museum has today announced that due to popular demand, its headline experience, Our Story with David Attenborough, will extend its run through summer 2026.
Created in collaboration with Sir David and the award-winning production team at Open Planet Studios, the Museum’s first-ever immersive experience was originally set to close its doors on 18 January 2026 but will now continue playing until 30 August 2026.
Adam Farrar, Director of Commercial and Visitor Experience, said: “The Museum’s mission is to create advocates for the planet and we’re proud to say that in just five months since its opening, this incredible experience has greatly aided our cause in reaching over 80,000 people. Combining Sir David’s masterful storytelling and the beautiful cinematic production by Open Planet Studios, Our Story with David Attenborough has been one of our best performing experiences this year. Now playing through until the summer, I would encourage everyone to immerse themselves in this wonderous exploration into our relationship with planet Earth.”
Jonnie Hughes, Co-Founder and Director of Open Planet Studios, said: “We created Our Story to bring to life the epic tale of people and planet in a way never seen before. The incredible response from over 80,000 visitors at the Natural History Museum shows this timely story resonates and highlights the power of immersive storytelling in connecting audiences with the most pressing issues of our time. We’re thrilled that many more people can now experience the wonder and urgency of this cinematic experience at the Museum through to summer 2026.”
First opening its doors in June this year, Our Story with David Attenborough saw strings of sellout performances throughout the summer, hosted in the Museum’s Jerwood Gallery which has played host to some of the Museum’s most unique and artistic experiences. Beautiful projections combine scientifically accurate animation and real-world footage that bring the walls and floor of the Jerwood Gallery to life. Throughout the 50-minute spectacle, Sir David explores the complex relationship between people and planet and ways in which we can work with Earth, rather than against it.
On the opening of the experience, Sir David said: “In this new immersive experience at the Natural History Museum, we explore two stories – the 4-billion-year epic of the Earth, and our own, relatively brief chapter, the story of humankind. These two stories are not, at this moment, aligned – but they could be. My hope is that anyone visiting the Our Story experience will come to understand how important humanity is in writing the planet’s next chapter.”
Accompanying the experience is a breathtaking original score by Tony Award- and Olivier Award-nominated composer, Nick Powell. Excitingly for soundtrack fans and those looking to continue their enjoyment after their Museum visit, “Our Story: the Original Soundtrack” will be released on all streaming platforms as of today, 12 November. Combining evocative orchestral textures, electronic flourishes and human vocals, Nick Powell’s original composition perfectly complements Our Story’s poignant narrative and the experience’s impactful visuals.
Nick Powell, Composer of “Our Story: the Original Soundtrack”, said: “I wanted to write a score that stands in awe of the universe and nature: the grandeur, the detail, the complexity of its patterns, but also one that also embraced that we ARE nature and nature is us. My work on the score began with the ‘Earthrise’ sequence, where the Apollo astronauts first saw the whole of the Earth from space. To me this was the emotional heart of Our Story - the moment when human beings, in one frame, could take in both Earth’s majesty and its fragility - the score is my humble attempt to hold onto both these things. Rarely have I had the opportunity to write music for a project that so aligned with my passions, it’s been a great honour.”
Alongside the soundtrack, the Museum last week announced alongside Open Planet Studios and John Murray Group the release of Our Story: The Remarkable Story of an Extraordinary Species, a brand-new companion book by Colin Butfield, Co-Founder and Director of Open Planet Studios, and Jonnie Hughes.
A visually inspiring celebration of the natural world and our unique place within it, the new book promises stunning imagery and a poetic script to immerse readers in the journey of Our Story long after finishing the experience at the Museum. The book will be available exclusively through the Natural History Museum’s in-store and online shop (www.nhmshop.co.uk/our-story) from 20 November 2025, before being available through general trade from 4 December 2025.
Nick Davies, Managing Director of John Murray Group says: “In the spirit of the Planetarium (Welcome to the Museum) or Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris, this is a beautiful, inspirational, and sweeping history of the world around us, that can be enjoyed by all age groups. We’re thrilled to be working together with Colin, Jonnie and the team at Open Planet Studios on another landmark book.”
Tickets for Our Story with David Attenborough are available via the Natural History Museum’s website. Museum members receive 50% off tickets, as well as free entry all year round to the Museum’s two other headline exhibitions, Space: Could Life Exist Beyond Earth? and Wildlife Photographer of the Year, which returned for its sixty-first edition last month. Programming in the Jerwood Gallery is supported by Jerwood Foundation.
Our Story with David Attenborough, produced in collaboration between David Attenborough and Open Planet Studios, is playing until 30 August 2026. For more information, visit www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/exhibitions/our-story-with-david-attenborough.
A 50% discount on tickets is available to Museum members. To find out more about Museum membership, visit www.nhm.ac.uk/support-us/membership.
ENDS
ADDITIONAL QUOTES
Sir David Attenborough at the end of the Our Story with David Attenborough experience: “This could be the next chapter of our story, and of the Earth’s story… a time when we and our Earth are finally back on the same page.”
On the release of the accompanying book, Colin Butfield, Co-Founder and Director of Open Planet Studios, said: “This book is a specatcular and engaging addition to the 360° experience we built with the Natural History Museum. Dave Brown’s playful and beautiful treatment of the show’s script and its imagery delivers the special feeling of being in that space – perhaps that is not so suprising: the human mind is, after all, the ultimate immersive environment!”
Also on the release of the accompanying book, Jonnie Hughes, Co-Founder and Director of Open Planet Studios, says: “This book contains about the biggest story you could possibly imagine, The multi-billion year epic of our planet and the multi-million year saga of humankind, which are connected in a way that is important for us all to recognise. For when we do, we begin to understand that there is another chapter just ahead – one in which we and our planet are finally on the same page.”
NOTES TO EDITORS
Press contact
Natural History Museum Press Office
Tel: +44 (0)20 7942 5654 / 07799 690151
Email: press@nhm.ac.uk
Assets
Imagery, audio and B-roll are available to download HERE.
Captions and credits for assets are included in file names.
Information for listings
Name: Our Story with David Attenborough
Location: Jerwood Gallery, Natural History Museum
Date: Open from 19 June 2025
Until: Tickets available until 30 August 2026
Price: Adult prices from £20. Members receive 50% discount
Ages: Suitable for ages 8+. Minimum age 4 years old.
Link: www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/exhibitions/our-story-with-david-attenborough
About Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum is a world-leading scientific research centre and one of the world’s most visited museums. Our mission is to create advocates for the planet – people who act for nature.
Our 400 scientists are finding solutions to the planetary emergency - from reversing biodiversity loss to resourcing the green economy.
We are seeking an additional £150 million to transform our South Kensington building: placing our groundbreaking research at its heart, revitalising four existing galleries, opening two new magnificent galleries and delighting 1 million more visitors a year with the wonders of the natural world.
About Open Planet Studios
Open Planet Studios (formerly Studio Silverback) is one of the world’s leading producers of impact films. Founded by Colin Butfield and Jonnie Hughes, the studio specialises in groundbreaking content to drive change for our planet – from short films to strategic campaigns, immersive experiences, and global feature documentaries.
The award-winning team at Open Planet Studios have worked on landmark TV and film productions, including Ocean with David Attenborough (National Geographic and Disney+) Breaking Boundaries (Netflix), David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet (Netflix), The Earthshot Prize: Restoring Our Planet (BBC, Discovery+ and PBS), and Seat At The Table (YouTube Originals).
Open Planet Studios regularly produce content for major UN events, including David Attenborough’s rousing speech on the opening day of COP26 in Glasgow, for which it was invited to join the UN’s SDG Media Compact in 2023.
Through its award-winning, not-for-profit impact library, Open Planet, the studio is empowering storytellers globally with free, trusted, world-class content of our changing planet.
About Jerwood Foundation
Established in 1977 for John Jerwood MC (1918-1991) by Alan Grieve CBE (1928-2025), Jerwood Foundation is a UK charity committed to supporting excellence and emerging talent in the arts in the UK. Alan Grieve served as Chairman for over 30 years and was appointed Chairman Emeritus in 2023, when Rupert Tyler was appointed Chairman. The organisation is led by Lara Wardle, Executive Director and Trustee and to date Jerwood Foundation has committed over £113 million to support the arts in the UK.
Jerwood Foundation owns the Jerwood Collection of modern and contemporary art, and an important part of Jerwood’s philanthropic mission is delivered by the Collection through its loaning programme and promotion of a broader understanding, interpretation and enjoyment of art. Also included in the Jerwood group of organisations is Jerwood Space, which was Jerwood’s first major capital project when established by Jerwood Foundation in Southwark in 1998. Jerwood Space is a dedicated rehearsal space providing theatre, musical theatre, opera and dance companies with an outstanding environment within which to create their work.
www.jerwood.org
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