The Louvre
The Louvre has announced it will raise ticket prices by 45% for non-EU visitors.
The Louvre will have to find multiple ways to raise money for the extensive renovations promised by French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this year. One of the easiest ways is to raise ticket prices. Starting on January 14, 2026, the museum plans to increase ticket prices from €22 to €32. However, this will only be for some visitors. An exemption will be granted to visitors from European Economic Area countries, including all EU member states, as well as Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein. This move is estimated to raise between €15 and €20 million per year for infrastructural and security improvements. Visitors from the United States and China, who respectively comprise 13% and 6% of all museum visitors, will be the largest groups to bear the brunt of the policy.
Initial estimates on the proposed renovations to the Louvre put the price tag at around €500 million. However, others say this is far too conservative and may cost up to €800 million. President Macron has proposed creating a new entrance near the Seine, as well as a new, purpose-built chamber for the Mona Lisa. But this was all before the October 2025 jewelry heist, which raised important questions surrounding the Louvre’s security systems. An audit by the Cour des Comptes has submitted a list of recommendations to improve museum security measures. These include completely overhauling the museum’s computer systems, developing new security protocols, and repealing the policy dedicating 20% of ticket sales to new acquisitions. The museum has further stated it will install more cameras, increase cooperation with Paris police, establish a cybersecurity operations center, and install anti-ram barriers to prevent unauthorized vehicles from approaching the buildings. With these security improvements, the cost for a full renovation has now climbed to around €1.1 billion.
Not only will the money raised from the price increases cover part of the proposed upgrades, but it is also intended to compensate for the €216 million recently cut from France’s culture ministry budget. €58 million of this money was earmarked to supplement the budgets of museums and other cultural organizations. Historic sites like the Palace of Versailles have also announced ticket price increases because of these cuts.
Increasing ticket prices was among the recommendations made by the Cour des Comptes in its audit. Despite this, the culture division of the CFDT, one of France’s largest labor federations that represents some museum employees, opposes this move as discriminatory. They further call these increases “absurd and unjust”. It is important to point out that this move is part of a global pattern. With the cost of living rising and cultural funding being cut, museums and other cultural institutions have been steadily raising ticket prices for a few years now. Here in New York, though, pay-what-you-wish programs enacted by museums like the Met are for anyone who presents a New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut ID. The Louvre’s distinction between EU and non-EU visitors is a far broader policy that may set a risky precedent.