Hawaiʻi: a kingdom crossing oceans is the title of a special exhibition at the British Museum from 15 January to 25 May 2026

Captain James Cook’s third Pacific expedition first reached the Hawaiian Islands in January 1778, marking the initial sustained encounter between Hawaiʻi and Great Britain.
Cook’s subsequent return to the islands culminated in his death at Kealakekua Bay in February 1779, an event that has since occupied a central place in both Hawaiian and European historical narratives.
While this exhibition does not focus on this event, it allows those of us with an interest in the life and death of James Cook to situate this moment of encounter within a broader framework of Hawaiian religious practice, material culture, and evolving diplomatic relationships with Britain during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

Location: British Museum, Great Russell Street, London
Cost: Adults from £16, Members and under-16s are free

For more information, visit
https://www.britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/hawaii-kingdom-crossing-oceans