"The Louvre will raise ticket prices for non-European Union (EU) visitors by 45% from 14 January 2026, the Paris museum's board decided yesterday. The move will increase the cost of tickets for visitors from countries including the UK, US and China from €22 to €32, which the museum hopes will boost its revenue by around €17.5m annually. Staff unions have denounced the project as an "unprecedented challenge to the universal mission of the museum since its birth in 1793"."
"The Louvre previously increased its ticket prices by 30% in 2024, ahead of the Olympic Games, but has since faced a series of hefty budget cuts, including the loss of 7% of its public subsidies. These subsidies, which in 2015 amounted to half of the Louvre's budget in 2015, now represent only a quarter of it. In 2026 the French culture ministry is set to lose another €216m from its budget, with funds for museums and cultural heritage hit hard by a loss of €58m."
"The Louvre is also in search of funds to finance a €1.1bn upgrade, €450m of which would be earmarked for urgently needed maintenance and the restoration of basic infrastructure. The remaining €666m would finance the grandiose project for a new entrance to the museum and a subterranean complex around the Mona Lisa. The Louvre has yet to find €300m in sponsorship for this controversial part of the works, which the state auditing body has criticised as "financially unviable"."
The Louvre will increase ticket prices for non-European Union visitors from €22 to €32 on 14 January 2026, aiming to raise about €17.5m a year. Staff unions called the measure an unprecedented challenge to the museum's universal mission. The museum raised prices by 30% in 2024 and has faced budget cuts, including a 7% reduction in public subsidies, which now represent a quarter of its budget versus half in 2015. The French culture ministry faces further cuts in 2026. The Louvre seeks funds for a €1.1bn upgrade, with €300m in sponsorship still missing and parts criticised as financially unviable.
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