The Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, announced this Thursday, January 23, that she wanted to implement a differentiated pricing policy from January 1, 2026 for the Louvre. The objective is to make greater use of foreign visitors, from outside the European Union.
Rachida Dati at the Louvre. Alerted to the state of the emblematic Parisian museum, the Minister of Culture wishes to replenish the establishment’s coffers. “We have to be innovative, including in financing,” she declared this Thursday, January 23, to the press.
Funding that the most visited museum in the world needs, according to its director Laurence des Cars. In a note addressed to Rachida Dati, and revealed this Thursday, January 24, the latter sounded the alarm about the dilapidation of the premises and reception conditions while asking for financial support.
Heard in April 2024 by the cultural affairs committee at the National Assembly, Laurence des Cars had already mentioned the “structural difficulties” of the establishment and the “multiplication of damage in certain spaces of the museum”.
New prices in 2026
For Rachida Dati, one of the areas of work must notably relate to the price of tickets
“I wanted a differentiated pricing policy which will be implemented from January 1, 2026 and which will make it possible in particular to finance this new museum project,” she declared.
Contacted by BFMTV.com, the Ministry of Culture confirms that this differentiated pricing aims to make visitors from outside the European Union pay more. In 2024, 77% of visitors were foreign, 23% were Americans and 6% Chinese, according to the Louvre.
Currently, the museum already offers a differentiated pricing policy depending on visitor profiles.
-Residents aged 18 and 26 from countries in the European Economic Area enjoy free entry, as do visitors with disabilities as well as job seekers or beneficiaries of minimum social benefits. Questioning this pricing is not on the agenda, indicates the Ministry of Culture to BFMTV.com
Remain “the largest museum in the world”
This new differentiated pricing policy is part of a reflection initiated by the minister since 2024 to improve the visitor experience but also the working environment of museum staff.
“The visiting and working conditions are not up to par at the Louvre,” she said. “We have been postponing the work for years and the more you postpone it, the worse it gets,” she added to journalists.
The Minister of Culture also indicated that the President of the Republic was “aware” of the challenge of renovating the Louvre. Announcements should be made soon, according to the mayor of the 7th arrondissement of Paris.
“We have been working on this subject for months, the Louvre will remain the largest museum in the world and will become the most beautiful museum in the world,” concluded Rachida Dati.
Emmanuel Macron will go to the Louvre this Tuesday, January 28, BFMTV learned, confirming information on RTL. The president will deliver a speech there.
In 2023, the establishment generated 161 million euros in revenue thanks to ticketing, sponsorship and space rental. Figures for 2024 have not yet been communicated.
