Louvre Warns of Closure Without USD1.1B Overhaul
(MENAFN) The Louvre could be forced to shut its doors to visitors unless it undergoes sweeping renovations, museum president Christophe Leribault cautioned Wednesday, urging backing for a €1 billion ($1.1 billion) overhaul.
In an interview with a French daily newspaper, Leribault directed his appeal at the government that emerges from France’s presidential election, “whoever it may be,” asking it to support the museum’s transformation.
Without work, the museum risks eroding its stature and ultimately having to “close its doors to the public,” an outcome he called “a disaster.”
The world’s most visited museum is “in very poor condition” and “completely overcrowded,” said Leribault, who was appointed in February.
The warning arrives nearly a year after the Oct. 19, 2025 burglary, in which thieves made off with eight crown jewels. The heist exposed serious security weaknesses and pushed the museum into crisis.
Leribault is now pushing the “Louvre New Renaissance” project, arguing that tighter security demands upgrades to the historic building and its infrastructure.
The plan, estimated at €1 billion ($1.1 billion), covers renovating the museum and building a new entrance. Completion could take 12 to 15 years.
Leribault did not rule out another rise in admission prices, as long as it stayed “very reasonable.” Ticket prices for non-European visitors climbed this year from €22 (about $24) to €32 (about $35).
The museum president aims to raise €360 million (about $396 million) from French and international donors to help fund the project, which faces opposition from unions. No donor commitments have been signed so far, although Leribault told the newspaper that foreign donors were ready to back the museum.
In an interview with a French daily newspaper, Leribault directed his appeal at the government that emerges from France’s presidential election, “whoever it may be,” asking it to support the museum’s transformation.
Without work, the museum risks eroding its stature and ultimately having to “close its doors to the public,” an outcome he called “a disaster.”
The world’s most visited museum is “in very poor condition” and “completely overcrowded,” said Leribault, who was appointed in February.
The warning arrives nearly a year after the Oct. 19, 2025 burglary, in which thieves made off with eight crown jewels. The heist exposed serious security weaknesses and pushed the museum into crisis.
Leribault is now pushing the “Louvre New Renaissance” project, arguing that tighter security demands upgrades to the historic building and its infrastructure.
The plan, estimated at €1 billion ($1.1 billion), covers renovating the museum and building a new entrance. Completion could take 12 to 15 years.
Leribault did not rule out another rise in admission prices, as long as it stayed “very reasonable.” Ticket prices for non-European visitors climbed this year from €22 (about $24) to €32 (about $35).
The museum president aims to raise €360 million (about $396 million) from French and international donors to help fund the project, which faces opposition from unions. No donor commitments have been signed so far, although Leribault told the newspaper that foreign donors were ready to back the museum.
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