Museum Night 2026 at the Château de Versailles (Yvelines, 78): the program for the Sun King’s domain.

The Nuit des Musées is the must-attend event that invites us to rediscover museums, castles and cultural centers from a new angle through an extensive program of free late openings. The event spans the four corners of Île-de-France, and this year the 22nd edition is scheduled for Saturday, May 23, 2026. And specifically for this edition, it’s a chance to head to the Yvelines to discover what awaits at the Château de Versailles estate.

A visit to the Château de Versailles and its program
The Château de Versailles, its gardens and grounds, are a world heritage site. The official residence of the kings of France, the Château de Versailles holds the record as the largest château in the world, and of course the most visited in France. [Read more]

This emblem of royal power under Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, symbolizes the apogee of 17th-century French art and marks a turning point in the history of the French monarchy. Today, Versailles is not only a monument to French grandeur, but also a living testimony to the ingenuity and excess of the ancien régime before the French Revolution.

Originally built as a modest hunting lodge for Louis XIII, the Château de Versailles was transformed and enlarged under the reign of his son, Louis XIV, who made it the center of political power in France from 1682 until theFrench Revolution in 1789 . Architect Louis Le Vau, landscape architect André Le Nôtre and artist Charles Le Brun played key roles in the development of Versailles, creating a harmonious ensemble that combines architecture, interior design and landscaping in exemplary fashion.

The Versailles estate also includes the Petit and Grand Trianon, more intimate retreats created to escape the strict etiquette of the court. The Hameau de la Reine, built for Marie-Antoinette, is an idealized rustic village where the queen and her guests could enjoy country life.

Today, Versailles attracts millions of visitors every year, eager to explore its opulent rooms, impeccable gardens and fascinating history. The château is not only a museum of French history, but also a lively performance venue, with concerts, operas and fireworks shows keeping the château alive.

That's why any opportunity to visit it for free is worth taking. Take a plunge through time, where every stone, every sculpture and every garden tells a story of grandeur, decadence and, ultimately, revolution.

• To be read
• This week's top picks in Paris and Île-de-France, April 6–12, 2026.
• Night of Museums 2026: Programme, dates... Everything you need to know about this year's event in Paris and Île-de-France

The full program for the 2026 Night of Museums at the Palace of Versailles:

• The European Night of Museums 2026
  On the occasion of the 22nd edition of the Night of Museums, the Château de Versailles hosts a musical late-night in collaboration with the Pianestival association and their Les Amateurs Virtuoses festival led by M. Julien Kurtz. The Château de Versailles offers visitors a musical interlude in the Battle Gallery with four two-piano concerts. They will then continue their nocturnal tour through the Empire rooms accompanied by students from the École du Louvre.
  Free admission with prior online time-slot booking
  Bookings opening soon.
  Schedule: 7:00 p.m. to midnight (last entry 10:00 p.m.).
  
  
• Musical program
  4 concert sessions of 30 minutes
  • Concert 19:20-19:50
    Johann Sebastian Bach, Concerto for two keyboards in C minor BWV 1060, I. Allegro, II. Adagio, III. Allegro
    Pianists: Felicia Cheng and Claire Meissner Bernard
    Franz Liszt, Symphonic Poems, two-piano arrangement, 3. Les Préludes, after Lamartine
    Pianists: Julien Kurtz and Yannick Weiler
    
    
  • Concert 20:20-20:50
    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (arr. Nicolas Economou), The Nutcracker, Suite from the ballet, 1. Overture, 2. March: Tempo di marcia viva, 3. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy: Andante non troppo, 4. Russian Dance (Trepak): Tempo di Trepak, molto vivace, 7. Dance of the Mirlitons: Moderato assai, 8. Waltz of the Flowers: Tempo di valse
    Pianists: Olivier Dupont and Aloïs Scrizzi
    Modest Mussorgsky (arr. Jura Margulis), A Night on the Bare Mountain (two-piano version)
    Pianists: Deirbhile Brennan and Matthias Fischer
    
    
  • Concert 21:20-21:50
    Franz Liszt, Symphonic Poems, two-piano arrangement, 6. Mazeppa
    Pianists: Florian Chevallier and Thomas Prat
    Alexander Tsfasman, 4 Songs, 2. Jolly Night, 3. Dancing Fingers & Abram Chasins, Fantasy on themes from Johann Strauss’s The Bat
    Pianists: Victor Amoureux and Romain Coharde 4.
    
    
  • Concert 22:20-22:50
    Franz Liszt, Reminiscences de Norma, after Bellini
    Pianists: Deirbhile Brennan and Thierry Goldwaser
    Camille Saint-Saëns (arr. Greg Anderson), Le Cygne (two-piano version) & Leonard Bernstein / John Musto / Xavier Aymonod, Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
    Pianists: Xavier Aymonod and Tristan Legris
    
    
• Student mediations
  Visitors will be able to explore the Empire Rooms of the South Wing and discover one of the largest collections devoted to the Napoleonic era. Students from the École du Louvre will be on hand at various points during the tour to offer guidance and context to visitors.

Don’t miss this unique, enriching experience, which puts you at the heart of French history inside the Château de Versailles during the Night of Museums 2026.

This page may contain AI-assisted elements, more information here.