The Louvre raises ticket prices for a special reason

After the robbery made the news, the famous French museum announced that it would raise prices for tourists from outside the European Economic Area

01/12/2025 – 4:40 pm

The Louvre Museum, the most visited museum in the world, announced a radical decision An increase in your ticket prices For international visitors, a move that will make it the most expensive museum on the planet. Starting January 14, 2026, The ticket price for tourists from outside the European Economic Area will rise from 22 euros to 32 eurosThis represents an increase of 45%. This amendment, according to the institution, comes in response to the urgent need for this Funding an ambitious business and modernization plan Which will extend over the next few years.

This increase is just coming After two years, the entrance fee had already risen from 17 to 22 euros. Sets a new world record in entry fees to major cultural centres. Thus, the Louvre Museum will surpass international icons:

• The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (its ticket price is about 28 euros)
• Vatican Museums (20 euros)
• Prado Museum in Madrid (15 euros)

The measure seeks to boost funding for the busiest museum, which was designed to receive four million visitors annually, but closed in 2024 with… About nine million. The vast majority of this audience, about 80%, are International tourists. It is important to note that the increase will not affect EU residents or those under 18, who will continue to enter for free.

The Louvre Museum increases admission tickets for modernization works

The additional revenue generated by the new price of €32 will be used to support A comprehensive program of construction and technological renovation Launched by the institution. The action plan includes critical interventions in different areas of the complex, which are necessary to address the increasing influx of visitors and the challenges of preserving the collections.

Among the most pressing renovations are Interventions on the famous glass pyramid By I.M. Pei, reforms in High traffic areas Big improvements in Air conditioning systems. This last point is crucial to protecting the artifacts in the museum. The goal of business is to expand the enterprise’s capacity to some extent Twelve million visitors annually, Better manage people flows and ensure group security.

The Louvre Museum will increase admission fees to fund renovations

This announcement comes in a sensitive context, marked by events that highlighted the structural deterioration and security challenges facing the building. In October, the museum was forced to close for 24 hours after jewelry linked to Napoleon was stolen. Shortly after, the Campana Gallery had to close temporarily due to… Structural deterioration in its beams, This accelerated the internal debate about the need for immediate investments.

Louvre: The Gioconda Project and the Future of Access

In parallel with public works, the so-called “Renaissance Project” is progressing, which includes one of the projects The most ambitious transformations in the modern history of the Louvre Museum: Building an exclusive room for the famous Mona Lisa painting by Leonardo da Vinci.

This new space, with an area of ​​approximately 2,000 square metres, will be located below the Cour Carrée and will have an independent visiting circuit, implying a different ticket separate from the general admission ticket of the museum. This room, which seeks to improve the experience of viewing the world’s most famous works, is not scheduled to open before 2031.

The creation of a different ticket for La Gioconda and the general increase in foreign admissions is reviving a central debate in Europe: the balance between the need for museums to self-manage their funding for environmental conservation and the accessibility of culture for international tourism. With the new price of €32, the Louvre is not only financing its future, but also setting a new cost standard on the global cultural landscape.