A Thousand and One Harps: the 2026 Museum Night music program at the Cité de la Musique

The Philharmonie de Paris is once again taking part in the European Night of Museums with a free late-night program! On this occasion, the Cité de la Musique unveils a special lineup for Saturday, May 23, 2026. A night of music guaranteed to be memorable!

Unmissable event in Paris, the Nuit des Musées brings together the curious and the passionate for a wonderful lineup of free late-night openings at the heart of museums, monuments, art foundations and other cultural venues. Paris et toute l'Île-de-France take part in this spring highlight, returning for a 22e édition ce samedi 23 mai 2026.

Music lovers take note: in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, the Philharmonie de Paris, also known as the Cité de la Musique, awaits you for Nuit des Musées. Located in the Parc de la Villette, the Philharmonie combines a concert hall, rehearsal rooms and exhibition spaces, including the Musée de la Musique. The venue also offers regular educational workshops, making it a true living space built around the musical arts.

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Want to drift along to the rhythms of a special lineup at the Philharmonie de Paris for this 22nd Night of Museums? We take you behind the scenes of what’s in store for this free late-night event in the heart of the Cité de la Musique.

The 2026 Night of Museums program at the Cité de la Musique – Philharmonie de Paris

A Thousand and One Harps
Saturday, May 23, 2026 — 7:30 PM ⤏ 11:59 PM
From ancient roots, the harp rings out across continents, unfolding in classical, traditional, and boldly modern guises as it continually reinvents itself, blending heritage with innovation.

For the European Night of Museums, the Celtic harp, the African kora (the African harp), and the electric harp dialogue in a unique sonic mosaic at the heart of the Musée de la Musique’s collections.

Let yourself be carried away by the magic of this instrument, at once intimate and universal, who keeps metamorphosing.

With Valérie Patte, Celtic harp; Maël Guezel, hammered dulcimer and percussion; Abdou Kouyaté, voice and chora; Aurélie Barbé, electric harp, effects pedals and machines.
Self-guided tour of the Music Museum collection
Saturday, May 23, 2026 - 7:30 PM ⤏ 11:59 PM
With a collection of nearly 9,000 instruments and works of art, the National Museum of Music sits at the heart of daily life at the Philharmonie de Paris. It houses one of the world’s most significant groups of instruments, prized for both rarity and diversity.

The museum’s new circuit, completed in May 2025, unfolds a sweeping history of music from the late 16th century to today. The collection traces Europe’s “modernity” in music—from the Renaissance to contemporary and electronic experiments—while placing the richness and vitality of musical cultures from Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Americas in dialogue with that story.

For the European Night of Museums, the Museum of Music highlights its remarkable harp collection, illustrating the instrument’s richness and variety—from the Erard house harp, crafted in 1799 and among the oldest preserved, to the Kundi harp from the Central African Republic, drawn from the former Victor Schoelcher collection...