The Olympic and Paralympic Games held in Paris this summer led to a significant drop in the number of visitors to the Louvre. However, despite this “very unique context”, the largest museum in the world “maintains (…) its attendance at the level of that of 2023”, with 8.7 million visitors (8.9 million in 2023), estimated the Louvre Museum in a press release.
In July and August, months which partly included the period during which the Paris Games were held, the museum welcomed 1.3 million visitors, a drop of 14% compared to the same period in 2023. The Louvre also had to close on July 25 and 26, the day of the opening ceremony of the Games.
However, the Olympic and Paralympic Games “gave the Louvre worldwide visibility”, particularly outdoors, “due to the installation of the Olympic cauldron on the Tuileries estate, which enjoyed great popular success”, welcomes the museum, which highlights “good figures throughout the late season”.
In 2024, the Louvre welcomed 77% foreign visitors, including 13% Americans and a number of Europeans (5% from Italy, the United Kingdom and Germany, 4% from Spain). “Chinese visitors (6% compared to 2.4%) are beginning to make a significant return,” underlines the museum. Note that 28% of visitors benefited from the free admission to the museum, which increased its prices just a year ago (22 euros for the full price).
Van Gogh's success
Other museums popular with tourists: the Orsay Museum and the Orangerie, which welcomed 4.9 million visitors in 2024, compared to 5.07 million the previous year, according to the public establishment in a press release. Overall attendance “only fell by 3% compared to 2023, a year of record attendance. It is up more than 15% compared to 2022,” he adds.
“Summer attendance was down during the JOP (-26% at the Musée d'Orsay compared to 2023, -22% at the Musée de l'Orangerie)”, underlines the institution, noting however that “the public welcomed (… ) during this period was younger than usual.
The year 2024 is notably “marked by the success of temporary exhibitions”, in particular “Van Gogh in Auvers-sur-Oise. The last few months”, with 794,000 visitors, the “best exhibition attendance since the opening of the museum”.
