BITE Insight

Game of Thrones. A new season. Those six words provoke more excitement and anticipation than many others. It is the show that took the world by storm and, if you’re a fan, or even if you haven’t watched it, there’s now another way of seeing the entire story brought to life.

Tourism Ireland worked with Publicis UK to create a giant, 77 metre long tapestry that tells the entire Game of Thrones story so far, showcasing its most epic and famous scenes. The tapestry represents a shift in employment taking place in Northern Ireland, as many people move from the Irish linen and textile industry into the ever-growing Game of Thrones tourism industry.

The tapestry, which now has its own Wikipedia page, was inspired by traditional tapestries that tell the tales of times gone by, such as the Bayeux Tapestry which depicts the events that led up to the Norman conquest of England, and ended with the Battle of Hastings.

Each section of the design represents a different series and will be added to now that the seventh season has concluded. The tapestry needed to be as accurate as possible – the hordes of pernickety online mega-fans lay in wait – so Publicis worked closely with HBO to ensure that the characters and scenes depicted on the tapestry were as true to the programme as possible.

The series has had a profound effect on Northern Ireland, where it has been in production for the last seven years, truly becoming part of the countries heritage and culture. The tapestry is on display to the public at Ulster Museum in Belfast but, for fans who can’t make it, they can view the tapestry in minute detail on the tapestry’s interactive website.