Gladiators: Heroes of the Colosseum at the Royal Armouries – Review

Few surviving intact gladiator helmets. Photo: Izzy Hebb.

For the first time in the UK, the internationally acclaimed exhibition ‘Gladiators: Heroes of the Colosseum’ arrives at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, on view from 28 June to 2 November 2025.

Having captivated over a million visitors worldwide, this landmark exhibition offers an immersive journey into the dramatic world of ancient Rome’s most revered warriors. Ahead of its opening, we were invited to preview the exhibition and speak with those involved about the significance of the collection – and why this important moment matters for the Royal Armouries. 

Matthew Wood, Exhibition and Displays Manager at the Royal Armouries, noted that ‘Gladiators’ was first developed in 2013 by the Italian company Contemporanea Progetti. The exhibition features original artefacts, including gladiatorial weaponry, armour and three of the few surviving intact gladiator helmets. Drawing on contemporary accounts, cutting-edge research, and discoveries from Pompeii’s gladiator barracks, ‘Gladiators’ explores the combat skills, daily life and the social status of these warriors through immersive installations, life-sized models and interactive experiences dotted throughout.

While the exhibition capitalised on a renewed public interest in gladiators, sparked by the Hollywood film, its goal was to challenge and correct some of the myths that film had popularised. “The biggest myth, and one I was guilty of believing too, was that it was always a fight to the death,” Matthew admitted. For Matthew, the purpose of demystifying these myths is to refocus attention on the real people behind the spectacles – those who were “ultimately sentenced to an arena to fight, bleed and die for the entertainment of others.”

Nat Edwards, Director General and Master of the Armouries, echoed this sentiment. He emphasised that people are at the heart of what that Armouries is about: “We want to tell people not just about the arms and armour – how it was made and how it worked – but how it was used, and the impact it had on people.” He continued: “It’s no exaggeration to say that almost every aspect of life today—our language, beliefs, politics—has been shaped by conflict.” The weaponry displayed at the Armouries wasn’t just used in battle; “it helped decide who held power, whose ideas prevailed and what became the accepted natural order. But that order isn’t natural at all. It was created—fought for, enforced and defended.” 

Model of the Colosseum. Photo: Izzy Hebb.

In that sense, this exhibition isn’t just about history or education –it’s about agency. “It reminds us that the world has been shaped by people making choices,” Nat said, “and that we too have the power to shape the future.” He hopes visitors leave with a deeper sense of connection. At the end of the exhibition stands a gravestone, created by the wife of a gladiator named Urbicus—a warmhearted man who once spared an opponent, only to be killed in return. On his grave, he’s depicted not as a warrior, but alongside his pet dog. These glimpses into the lives behind the armour remind us that across centuries, people’s stories still resonate. For Nat, they prove that none of us are really that different, that we’re all part of these bigger stories – and that we can continue to shape them. “Humans have made the choices that got us here” he stated, “so humans can make the choices to change things as well.” 

Gladiators Heroes of the Colosseum. Photo: Izzy Hebb.

‘Gladiators’ marks a significant milestone for Leeds, arriving in the UK for the first time after touring internationally. While the Royal Armouries is already proud to host the headquarters of the world’s oldest museum, the arrival of this exhibition further underscores the city’s growing cultural stature and its ability to stage events of global importance. Both Matthew and Nat highlighted how this exhibition forms part of the wider Armouries 700 site transformation. Matthew outlined several major changes to the museum, from the removal of the original hunting gallery to the creation of a vast double-height space. A dramatic new lighting system and 14 high-spec projectors have also been installed, transforming the gallery into a flexible, immersive environment capable of hosting a wide range of future exhibitions.

Reflecting on the exhibition’s impact, Nat emphasised the value of bringing world-class collections to the region: “This exhibition has artifacts from the Colosseum in Rome and the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, giving the city access to things you can’t see anywhere else. We feel Leeds deserves to be a place where people can encounter extraordinary exhibitions like this.” As ‘Gladiators’ invites visitors to look beyond myth and spectacle, it also asks them to reflect on the lives behind the legends—and to see themselves in those stories. In a city that prides itself on openness and collaboration, this landmark exhibition is not just a celebration of the past, but a call to imagine what we might create in the future. 

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‘Gladiators: Heroes of the Colosseum’ will be on view at the Royal Armouries Museum from 28 June to 2 November 2025. While museum entry remains free, the exhibition is ticketed and tickets are now on sale via the Royal Armouries Museum website.