Quirky sketches at the Louvre during an extraordinary late-night edition for the Night of Museums!

The Louvre Museum is taking part in the 2026 Night of Museums this Saturday, May 23, 2026, and will warmly welcome visitors for a free, special nocturnal edition at this iconic Parisian venue. But be warned, you must register in advance to participate! So, ready for this 22nd edition?

At night, at the Louvre Museum, time seems to stand still. Centuries-old works gaze back at us and welcome us, part of this secret celebration that leaves us amazed. Good news: a new nocturnal celebration is being staged at the Louvre on Saturday, May 23, 2026: solo, with family, or with friends, come take part in the 22nd edition of the Nuit des musées at the Louvre in Paris!

Ahead of you lie mile after mile of paintings, sculptures and art objects. Admire, at your leisure, La Joconde by Léonard de Vinci, The Wedding at Cana by Veronese, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, the Venus de Milo, Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix, The Raft of the Medusa by Géricault, not to mention the ambiance in the Cour Marly and Cour Puget.

Musée du Louvre: discover the artistic and tourist heart of the capital
The Musée du Louvre, one of the capital's must-see museums, promotes French and European culture through its many masterpieces on display, as evidenced by the 8 million visitors a year who come to contemplate the smile of the Mona Lisa or the fervor of Liberty Guiding the People. A place steeped in history, where art has been flourishing for two centuries already, to discover if you're staying in Paris! [Read more]

But if you already know these permanent collections by heart, turn your attention to the events on offer for this festive evening during an exceptional nocturne at the Louvre Museum!

The 2026 Night of Museums program at the Louvre in Paris: what's on

The Louvre invites students to reimagine the wall labels for the exhibition "Primordial Water — Lessons from Mesopotamia."
This year, fifteen classes from Île-de-France, from CP to Seconde, and their teachers worked with museum teams to design the “child-friendly” route of the exhibition “Primordial Water – Lessons from Mesopotamia.”

Across large desks, texts imagined and illustrated by the students punctuate the rooms of the Oriental Antiquities collections and invite you to read the exhibition in a new way.
Participation terms: Full price (non-EEA visitors): €32. EEA visitors: €22. Free for those under 18 and for EEA nationals aged 18–25, as well as other eligible groups; see website. - Paid | Booking required - https://ticket.louvre.fr/billetterie/3313
Schedule: Saturday, May 23, 2026 — 1:30 PM to 5:00 PM
Living tableaux workshop
Throughout the evening, take part in a living, collective mural: alternately stepping into the pose and discovering the joy of drawing in life-size scale within an original, welcoming space that fuels creativity.

With artists Hélène Fromen and Anaïs Schram
Participation requirements: Subject to availability - Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, May 23, 2026 — 6:30 PM to 10:00 PM
In the Studio, drawing takes center stage!
Illustrated Tale: The Young Illustrator

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The museum's works have plenty of stories to tell! Young and old let themselves be carried away by a butaï, a theatre of Japanese pictures, and discover the story of Quentin, a young apprentice painter, madly in love with drawing, dreaming of greatness…

With the museum's storytellers

Duration: 20 minutes, at 6:30 pm, 7:00 pm, 7:30 pm, 8:00 pm, 8:30 pm, 9:00 pm and 9:30 pm

Exact replica

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Using a lightbox, in the spirit of the young artists who used to copy Louvre masterpieces right in the heart of the galleries, trace the outlines to create a drawing more true to life!

Self-guided / Continuous

The Superpowers of Drawing

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From the proposed activity sheets, choose the tools provided, experiment with their graphic effects, and discover the superpowers of drawing.

Self-guided / Continuous
Participation conditions: Subject to availability - Free | No booking required
Hours: Saturday, May 23, 2026 — 6:30 PM to 10:00 PM
The Art and the Craft
Masters and students, colorists or draftsmen, sketches and corrections... Get closer to the speakers to grasp the creative journey of the great artists whose works populate the Louvre’s collections.

In the permanent collections.
Participation requirements: Free of charge
Schedule: Saturday, May 23, 2026 - 6:30 PM ⤏ 10:00 PM
A quick tour of the exhibitions
Discover the exhibitions “Michel-Ange, Rodin. Corps vivants”, “l’Eau primordiale, leçons de Mésopotamie” and “Martin Schongauer, le bel immortel” through a brief introductory tour.

For “Michel-Ange, Rodin. Corps vivants”, departures every 15 minutes.

For “l’Eau primordiale, leçons de Mésopotamie”, departures every 30 minutes.
Participation conditions: Free of charge
Schedule: Saturday, May 23, 2026 — 6:30 PM to 10:00 PM
Workshop "The Louvre in Color"
Come bring a large black-and-white mural to life!

Young and old alike are invited to join a collaborative artwork by coloring an original composition inspired by the museum’s collections.
Participation terms: Ongoing, subject to availability - Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, May 23, 2026 — 6:30 PM to 10:00 PM
Small discoveries from the permanent collections
On the occasion of Museum Night, the Louvre’s speakers guide you through four emblematic spaces with a mini-tour:

– Moving sculptures

– Greece at the Louvre

– Stopover in Ancient Egypt

– The Napoleons

Departures every 30 minutes.
Participation requirements: Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, May 23, 2026 — 6:30 PM to 10:00 PM
Offbeat mini-sketches
The Louvre invites you to try out surprising exercises that will help you see the artworks in a new light. Grab your notebooks, ready, set, go—dig in!

In the permanent collections.
Terms of participation: Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, May 23, 2026 — 6:30 PM to 10:00 PM

Le programme est mis à jour en fonction des annonces officielles.

Heads up: to participate in this Louvre Night of Museums 2026, you’ll need to book your spot.

A free evening at one of the capital’s most beautiful museums is hard to turn down! So mark your calendars for May 23 at the Louvre for an exceptional Night of Museums. By the way, did you know? In addition to this cultural event, the Louvre also offers a free evening opening once a month!

Louvre Museum: the date of the next free late-night opening to experience on the first Friday of the month
Here's the smart move to take advantage of at the start of each month: the Louvre Museum offers free admission to all visitors on the first Friday of every month after 6 p.m. Next date to note: September 4, 2026. [Read more]