At night, at the Louvre Museum, time feels suspended.centuries-old artworks stare back at us and welcome us, taking part in this secret celebration that leaves us amazed. Good news: a new nocturnal celebration is organized at the Louvre, on Saturday, May 23, 2026: solo, with family, or with friends, come join the 22nd edition of the Nuit des musées at the Louvre in Paris!
Miles of paintings, sculptures and objets d'art stretch out before you. Admire your choice of Leonardo da Vinci' sMona Lisa , Veronese's Marriage at Cana, the Victory of Samothrace, the Venus de Milo, Delacroix's Liberty Guiding the People, Géricault' s Raft of the Medusa, not to mention the atmosphere 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're already familiar with the permanent collections, why not take advantage of the evening's festivities at the Musée du Louvre?
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Heads up: to take part in this Louvre Night of Museums 2026, you need to reserve your spot.
An evening of free admission at one of the capital’s finest museums is hard to resist! So join us on 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 Museum also offers a free monthly late-night opening!
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]
Dates and Opening Time
On May 23, 2026
Location
Louvre Museum
musée du louvre
75001 Paris 1
Access
Metro Palais Royal - Musée du Louvre
Prices
Free
Recommended age
For all
Official website
www.louvre.fr
Musée du Louvre: discover the artistic and tourist heart of the capital
Louvre Museum: the date of the next free late-night opening to experience on the first Friday of the month
