The interior of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, DC Photo: Jeramey Lende/Alamy Stock Photo.

Everything you need to know about 2018’s exhibition and museum visitor figures, The Art Newspaper, 27 March 2019

The Art Newspaper’s exclusive annual survey ranks the world’s most visited shows in 2018, looks at the rise of Instagram-friendly exhibitions, and reveals the secrets of getting into a blockbuster.

The results of The Art Newspaper’s annual survey are in. Who came out on top? Where? Why?
Art’s Most Popular: here are 2018’s most visited shows and museums

Ranked: the top ten most popular shows in their categories from around the world
From Old Masters and contemporary to Post-Impressionist and Modern

Art in the age of Instagram and the power of going viral
As visitors to exhibitions are increasingly sharing their experiences online, should curators plan shows for maximum hype?

Relax and immerse yourself… the art of experiencing museums slowly
Schemes such as Slow Art Day offer an alternative to life in the fast lane, away from the jostling crowds and selfie-takers

How global art can provide a kick-start to local economies
Special exhibitions mean big money—not only for the museums that hold them but for local businesses as well

Comment: Exhibitions are a numbers game, whether we like it or not
Today’s directors are focused on figures—and not always for the right reasons

A dash of fashion and a pinch of gratis: the perfect recipe for a sell-out show
From creating “experiences” to being fashion-friendly, museums are getting savvy at driving visitors to their exhibitions. Here are some tricks of the trade

Suffering from the blockbuster blues? Here are some top tips for beating the exhibition queues
We asked museums for advice and The Art Newspaper team for their best hacks

For The Art Newspaper’s full Art’s Most Popular visitor figures survey, see our April issue.