The National Gallery is set to make big cuts after facing an £8.2 million deficit next year. It plans fewer free exhibitions and ticketed shows, less borrowing of international artworks, and higher ticket prices. Rising running costs and flat income are to blame. The gallery will reduce spending on public programs and activities it can no longer support. A "voluntary exit scheme" with financial incentives will be offered to staff, and compulsory layoffs may follow if savings are not enough. A gallery spokesperson said, "Due to many widely reported circumstances which are beyond our control, such as rises in operational costs and commercial pressures, we have now reached a point where we must make difficult and painful decisions." They added, "To achieve sustainability, we must balance our artistic and educational mission with a new operating structure." Last year’s Van Gogh exhibition boosted earnings and brought 335,000 visitors, but overall visitor numbers have not bounced back since Covid. The gallery usually draws six million visitors yearly but only had 3.8 million in the year to September 2025. The reopening of the Sainsbury Wing helped, but visitors mostly come for the free permanent collection. The gallery expects a £2 million deficit this financial year ending March, growing to £8.2 million without action. Rising costs, new business rates, national insurance hikes, and inflation all add pressure. Despite financial troubles, the gallery celebrates its bicentenary and plans Project Domani, a new modern art wing funded by pledged donations of £150 million each from the Crankstart Foundation and Julia Rausing Trust. These funds are protected separately. The spokesperson said, "We have been successful in developing and vastly expanding our free offer, which is now hugely popular both in person and online. However, in the present global landscape and with the cost of living crisis, like many other institutions, we face increasing competition for people’s time and share of wallet." The National Gallery gets an annual £32 million government grant. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is in close contact with the gallery. The gallery’s trustees decide on staffing and operations. The gallery called for a "strategic reset," stating, "We know this is hard, but we all must understand that things have changed in the world, and we must respond to them. We need to make tough decisions now to futureproof the gallery for the years ahead."