Strike at the Louvre Museum: the Paris institution remains closed until further notice

It’s official: the Louvre Museum will close starting December 15, 2025. Museum staff unanimously voted in favor of ongoing strikes. As a result, the museum will be closed to visitors until the strike concludes, with no set end date at this time. Anyone who purchased tickets for this Monday, December 15, will be automatically refunded.

This end-of-year stretch in 2025 at the Louvre Museum is anything but peaceful. Following a sensational break-in that grabbed headlines, the closure of the Campana Gallery due to structural issues, and recent water leaks damaging valuable Egyptian artifacts, the staff unions are now making their voices heard loudly.

The CGT, CFDT, and SUD Culture Solidaires have submitted their strike notices to the Ministry of Culture. According to information from AFP and Le Monde, the unions aim to put pressure on the management of the Paris museum to make their demands heard and push for the necessary changes.

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Employees are particularly concerned about the dilapidated condition of the buildings, staffing shortages, and technical failures... Meanwhile, staff are overwhelmed by increasing workloads, facing increasingly harsh HR management, and conflicting directives that prevent a stable and efficient public service environment.

Indeed, multiple reports support the unions' claims. The Court of Auditors specifically criticized the Museum of Louvre for significant security vulnerabilities both within the building and concerning its artworks, as well as for its insufficient investment in maintenance and renovation work.

To effectively carry out the negotiations needed during this strike, the unions have decided to bypass the Louvre's management and instead directly engage with the Ministry of Culture. This is due to the unprecedented deterioration of the internal social climate and the urgent need to obtain responses from the relevant authorities, according to information from Le Parisien.

The Parisian museum will therefore remain closed to the public starting this December 15th. Depending on how negotiations unfold, it may reopen sooner or later before the end of the year. Visitors are advised to check the museum’s website before planning their trip.