Palais de Tokyo opens its doors for free every Thursday until midnight this summer
Visiting a contemporary art exhibition without spending a single euro, until midnight, with no booking required: that’s exactly what the Palais de Tokyo is offering every Thursday evening this summer. This weekly event is open to anyone who wants to experience the venue’s programme without worrying about budget or scheduling.
Free Thursday evenings with no reservation at the Palais de Tokyo
For most of the year, entry to the Palais de Tokyo‘s exhibitions is paid. This museum in the 16th arrondissement, located on avenue du Président-Wilson, doesn’t have a permanent free-access space like some of its neighbours. Yet every summer, the rules change entirely.
Every Thursday evening until 10 September 2026, the doors open for free between 7pm and midnight. No ticket, no advance booking required. These summer late-night openings are a rare opportunity, particularly for those who can’t afford the regular entry price, to immerse themselves in contemporary art in a truly exceptional setting.
What’s on right now
The current programme offers several avenues of discovery. The theme of Normes Corps takes centre stage, exploring vulnerability, disability and representations of bodies that fall outside the norm. Three artists contribute their respective works: Jesse Darling, Benoît Piéron and Cathy de Monchaux.
Also on view, Joseph Grigely’s installation This Is Where We Are runs until 13 September. The work raises a concrete and often overlooked question: how can cultural venues and their architecture genuinely welcome all audiences? It’s a meditation on accessibility, placed right at the heart of the museum.
Beyond the exhibition galleries, the Palais de Tokyo‘s main hall is buzzing too. La Chambre des échos hosts free activities, including Ping City, a table tennis project that visitors can take part in directly. The experience goes well beyond passive contemplation.
What’s coming in autumn
The autumn programme brings a complete refresh to the venue. From 21 October 2026, the group exhibition Toi et ta bande runs until 14 February 2027. Through around thirty works, it shines a light on artists and collectives based far from major cities, in the countryside, the mountains or island territories. A decentralised perspective on contemporary creation.
The new season will also bring La Source de la Loire et autres films, an exhibition dedicated to recent films by filmmaker Rose Lowder. Nature is the central subject, offering visitors a different relationship with time and landscape.
- Free late-night openings every Thursday until 10 September 2026, from 7pm to midnight
- No reservation or ticket required
- Exhibition Normes Corps featuring Jesse Darling, Benoît Piéron and Cathy de Monchaux
- Installation This Is Where We Are by Joseph Grigely, on view until 13 September
- Free activities in the hall, including Ping City
A space for families and younger audiences
The Palais de Tokyo also has families in mind this autumn. Le hamo, the venue’s dedicated education and outreach space, is once again hosting creative workshops, storytelling sessions and contemporary art workshops for children and the adults accompanying them.
This educational dimension reinforces the venue’s core mission: making contemporary art accessible to as many people as possible, whether through the free summer late nights or participatory formats designed for all ages. The museum is located at 13 avenue du Président-Wilson, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris.
