culture
March 1, 2026
An ugly year for the Louvre: where does the world's biggest museum go from here?
After a heist and the departure of its boss, the French institution wrestles with water leaks, strikes and much-criticised plans for a €1bn renovation
TL;DR
- The Louvre is suffering from severe infrastructure decay, including water leaks and structural weaknesses in several galleries.
- The museum is significantly overcrowded, with 9 million visitors last year against a designed capacity of 4 million.
- Staff morale is low due to poor working conditions, understaffing, and low pay, leading to numerous strikes.
- A major €1bn renovation plan, 'Louvre: New Renaissance', backed by President Macron, is highly criticized as "pharaonic" and unnecessary by staff and experts.
- The museum experienced a daring daylight heist of €88m in crown jewels and a ticket fraud scheme potentially costing over €10m.
- Laurence des Cars resigned as president, citing "unprecedented media and political storm" and a lack of conditions to move forward.
- The new president, Christophe Leribault, faces the challenges of addressing essential repairs, improving security, and calming staff relations, while the 'New Renaissance' project's future is uncertain.
- Critics argue that the funds for the renovation would be better spent on immediate repairs and operational needs, and that the project is a 'vanity project'.
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