Last days: these exhibitions close in August 2026 in Paris and Île-de-France

In the heart of summer, the mois d'août à Paris invites a kind of seasonal calm. Yet while the capital may feel quiet, the Parisian calendar keeps moving. As some people soak up the terrasses and the parks, others dart from one musée to another to make sure they don’t miss the expositions canons qui s’apprêtent à disparaître. With so much to see, choices can be overwhelming, but one thing is certain: this August is the moment to discover the exhibitions that are about to bid farewell.

Here is the "last chance" selection . Some exhibitions, installed in emblematic venues such as Paris museums, châteaux in the Île-de-France region or more confidential spaces, close their doors by the end of the month. So what cultural events are coming to an end in August 2026 in the Paris region? We take a look here atthe exhibitions that are coming to an end soon.

As an added bonus, this selection is updated so that completed events are deleted as they occur. All you have to do is make your choice and seize the opportunity: it's now or never!

Exhibitions wrapping up in August 2026:

World Photography Day: exhibitions and museums to visit in Paris this August
This Wednesday, August 19, 2026, World Photography Day is being celebrated. It’s a perfect excuse to race over to the capital’s art galleries and museums to check out the latest photography exhibitions. [Read more]

Free evening opening at the Bourse de Commerce: reserve now for Saturday, August 1, 2026.
Want to visit the collections at the Bourse de Commerce? Take advantage of the free after-hours opening, held on the first Saturday of every month, to discover this must-see art venue in Paris. Next date to mark in your calendar: Saturday, August 1, 2026. [Read more]

The City of Economics offers free weekends in July and August: Paris's summer insider tip
Here's a real treat: the Cité de l'Économie opens its doors for free every weekend from July 4 to August 16. A great deal that lets us rediscover this museum all summer. [Read more]

Solar eclipse 2026 in Paris: A special day at the Cité des sciences—discover the program
The Cité des sciences is dedicating a day to the solar eclipse visible from Paris on 12 August 2026. On the program: workshops, mini-lectures, Sun watching, eclipse tracking, and the Night of the Stars evening. [Read more]

Cité des sciences: Critical thinking, the exhibition that unsettles our certainties — our photos
The Cité des sciences hosts the exhibition Critical Thinking, a journey designed to help children and adults question their certainties and the way they reason, running from July 7 to August 29, 2026. [Read more]

Summer Garden 2026: the free festival is back at the Quai Branly Museum.
Jardin d’été is back at the Musée du Quai Branly from July 4 to August 2, 2026, with free activities, workshops, storytelling, strolls, quizzes, and outdoor cinema. [Read more]

Genki-nobori banners fill the sky over the Hôtel de la Marine: a colorful, free installation this summer
A colorful, poetic installation transforms the courtyard of the Hôtel de la Marine: Japanese artist Susumu Shingu and child artists present the Genki-nobori, from June 26 to August 24, 2026. [Read more]

Saype, a leading figure in contemporary land art, is exhibiting his “Constellations” in Paris.
This summer, Saype returns to Paris to present his new solo exhibition, “Constellations.” Discover the remarkable work of this iconic figure in land art from July 4 to August 1, 2026 at the Danysz Gallery. [Read more]

Fun games and playful challenges for the whole family this summer on the forecourt of the Museum of Arts and Crafts.
Summer is meant for play! That’s the view of the Musée des Arts et Métiers, which invites you to join them from July 7 to August 2, 2026 for enjoyable, playful moments for families and friends. [Read more]

Chuck Sperry unveils his Archetypes in a free exhibition at the Art Generation gallery — our photos
His screen prints and concert posters have toured the world: discover Chuck Sperry’s work through the Archetypes exhibition, on view free of charge at the Art Generation gallery from June 13 to August 1, 2026. [Read more]

Roma, City of Light: the free photo exhibition to see this summer outdoors in Paris
The Roma, City of Light exhibition offers a portrait of the Italian capital through cinema’s seventh art, and examines its role as a backdrop in film. The free exhibit runs from July 2 to 6, 2026 at the Arènes de Lutèce, then continues until August 30 along the banks of the Seine. [Read more]

Beyond the Streets at La Villette’s Grande Halle: the exhibition dedicated to the legends of graffiti and street art
Urban art comes to the Grande Halle at La Villette with the blockbuster exhibition "Beyond the Streets"! For three months, come and admire the work of more than 100 major artists around graffiti and street art. What’s on the program? Historic works, new pieces, archives, and immersive installations created especially for the occasion. All of it unfolds across more than 3,600 m², from May 27 to August 30, 2026. [Read more]

Lélia Demoisy at Domaine de Chamarande: an exhibition exploring forest narratives — our photos
At the Domaine départemental de Chamarande in Essonne, Lélia Demoisy presents a contemporary art exhibition devoted to the forest, to living beings, and to the traces left by matter, running from May 10 to August 30, 2026. With Récits de forêts, the artist unfolds sculptures and installations within a sensitive journey around the memory of woods and landscapes. [Read more]

Everyone's chasing their cat: the exhibition exploring the many facets of the feline at Fluctuart — our photos
"Everybody’s Searching for Their Cat," that’s the name of the new free exhibition at Fluctuart. Mark your calendars from May 7 to August 23, 2026, to admire works by about ten artists rooted in urban art. For the occasion, Madame, Kraken, Ardif, and Wenna explore the many facets of the feline that fascinates us. [Read more]

Silla: Gold and the Sacred: The historical exhibition of Korea's royal treasures at the Guimet Museum
Explore the history of South Korea with the Guimet Museum's exhibition: it unveils ancient treasures from the Silla Kingdom, in "Silla: Gold and the Sacred," on display from May 20 to August 31, 2026. [Read more]

The Navy and the painters: a splendid exhibition of maritime paintings at the Navy Museum - photos
The Maritime Museum puts the spotlight on painters who helped shape the history of the French Navy across four centuries, with an exhibition of paintings on view from May 13 to August 2, 2026. [Read more]

Noa Eshkol at the mahJ: contemporary dance and textile compositions in the Marais
Sponsored - Le mahJ dedicates an exhibition to Noa Eshkol, a pioneer of contemporary dance and a textile artist, from April 16 to August 30, 2026 in Paris. Join us at the Musée d'art et d'histoire du Judaïsme in Paris's 3rd arrondissement. [Read more]

Hilma af Klint at the Grand Palais: an exhibition weaving together spiritualism, the occult, and abstraction
Hilma af Klint, the Swedish visionary artist and a pioneer of abstraction, anchors a groundbreaking show at the Grand Palais, in collaboration with the Centre Pompidou, from May 6 to August 30, 2026. Her mystic works, nourished by Spiritism and the occult, are unveiled in France for the first time in a curatorial journey that brings together almost the entire body of the Temple Paintings cycle, her magnum opus. [Read more]

Origins: an exhibition that probes discrimination at the Museum of the History of Immigration
Contemporary art challenges racism and discrimination in a groundbreaking exhibition on display at the National Museum of the History of Immigration, from June 5 to August 23, 2026. [Read more]

Giovanni Segantini at the Marmottan Monet Museum: our photos from the exhibition on the painter of the Alps
The Marmottan Monet Museum in Paris shines a light on Giovanni Segantini, a master of Symbolism and Divisionism, with an exhibition focused on his Alpine landscapes, running from April 29 to August 16, 2026. More than 60 works on display invite visitors to rediscover a major Italian painter, immersed in nature, light and a spiritual quest. [Read more]

Madame de Sévigné, Parisian Letters: History Reimagined with the Carnavalet Museum Exhibition
The Carnavalet Museum pays tribute to Madame de Sévigné with a richly historical exhibition, on view from April 15 to August 23, 2026. [Read more]

Explorations: A State Affair? The historical exhibition unfolds at the Army Museum
The Army Museum traces three centuries of history and discovery, with the exhibition Explorations: a State affair?, on view from April 15 to August 16, 2026. [Read more]

Inkarna: our photos from Yosra Mojtahedi's exhibition at Maubuisson Abbey
L’Abbaye de Maubuisson, in Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône, Val-d’Oise, presents from 12 April to 30 August 2026 the contemporary art exhibition Inkarna, the metamorphoses of the sacred, curated by Yosra Mojtahedi with Elsa Guillaume and Magdalena Abakanowicz. In this journey, the sacred, the body, matter and the transformations of the living engage in dialogue within a heritage site dedicated to contemporary creation. [Read more]

Lee Miller : a major exhibition devoted to the renowned photographer at the Museum of Modern Art
From April 10 to August 2, 2026, the Paris Musée d'Art Moderne will devote a major retrospective to photographer Lee Miller. Spanning nearly 250 vintage and contemporary prints, the exhibition aims to illuminate the breadth of the American artist's work, from her fashion shots to portraits and landscapes, and to her war photojournalism. [Read more]

The splendors of Baroque: The Jacquemart-André Museum's Spring Exhibition
The Jacquemart-André Museum is taking visitors on a journey through Hispanic Baroque art, from March 26 to August 2, 2026. Don't miss the exhibition "Splendors of the Baroque." [Read more]

Byblos, a millennia-old Lebanese city: the historical exhibition opens at the Arab World Institute
The Arab World Institute takes us on a journey to discover the world's first international maritime port, dating back nearly 9,000 years. The exhibition, "Byblos, a Millennium-Old City of Lebanon," is open from March 24 to August 23, 2026. [Read more]

Passion for Japan: Immersive Exhibits and Installations at La Villette in Paris – Review & Photos
Craving a trip to Japan without leaving Paris? From March 19 to August 23, 2026, Passion Japon transports you from the timeless streets of Kyoto and the bustling energy of Tokyo to serene Zen gardens—all set inside the Espace Chapiteaux at La Villette. Samurais, tea ceremonies, manga, fashion, and cuisine come to life in an immersive exhibition that awakens all your senses. [Read more]

ABC Dictionary: Exploring the Arctic Through Inuit Art — The Contemporary Exhibition at Art Inuit Gallery
Inuit artists share their lives and culture from the Arctic through an artistic alphabet, available for free at the Art Inuit Gallery from March 26 to August 31, 2026. [Read more]

Chiaroscuro: the Exhibition Exploring Shadow and Light at the Bourse de Commerce - Our Photos
On the occasion of its latest exhibition titled "Chiaroscuro," the Bourse de Commerce transforms into a landscape that is both luminous and dusk-like. Until August 24, 2026, visitors can explore around a hundred works from the Pinault Collection, featuring pieces by Pierre Huyghe, Victor Man, Bill Viola, Laura Lamiel, Jean Dubuffet, Alberto Giacometti, Germaine Richier, as well as Yves Tanguy and Wolfgang Tillmans. [Read more]

Facing the sky, Paul Huet in his era: a poetic exhibition at the Musée de la Vie Romantique, photos
Immer yourself in the skies painted by Paul Huet with the exhibition Facing the Sky, running from February 14 to August 30, 2026. This showcase also marks the grand reopening of the Museum of Romantic Life. [Read more]

Calder. Dreaming in Equilibrium: The Retrospective Exhibition of the Sculptor at the Fondation Louis Vuitton
For its upcoming exhibition, the Fondation Louis Vuitton will celebrate Alexander Calder with "Calder. Dreaming in Equilibrium" a remarkable retrospective running from April 15 to August 16, 2026. The show will feature nearly 300 works, including mobiles, stabile sculptures, and jewelry brought to life. In the striking architectural spaces designed by Frank Gehry, art will no longer be static... it will pulsate, sway, and dream gracefully in perfect balance. [Read more]

Colors of Korea: free contemporary art exhibition at the Korean Cultural Center in Paris, photos
The Korean Cultural Center unveils the exhibition "Couleurs de Corée, Lumière sur l'art contemporain coréen", on the occasion of the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and Korea, from October 24, 2025 to August 29, 2026. This free exhibition presents a unique immersion in Korean art, illustrating the work of 34 artists who blend tradition and innovation through the power of color. [Read more]

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