Air-conditioned museums and major exhibitions in Paris in August 2026: the full summer programme
Exhibitions in Paris in August 2026 offer a rare chance to enjoy the city’s museums in relative peace, far from the usual hustle. They’re also a brilliant way to escape the heat and take refuge in the cool of an indoor space. Contemporary art, photography, fashion, history and immersive experiences: the summer programme is packed, both in the capital and across Île-de-France.
The must-see shows at Paris museums this summer
The Grand Palais has two major events on this month. First, the Leandro Erlich retrospective, billed as the largest exhibition ever dedicated to the artist in Europe, running until 6 September 2026. Second, Hilma af Klint, the pioneering Swedish abstract artist whose mystical, spiritualism-infused works are being shown in France for the very first time, in collaboration with the Centre Pompidou, until 30 August 2026.
At the Musée Maillol, Paris gets a dose of glamour with the Gianni Versace retrospective, open until 31 October 2026. Baroque excess and print overload: the exhibition promises colour and extravagance in equal measure. Meanwhile, the Grande Halle de La Villette is hosting Beyond the Streets, a celebration of graffiti and street art legends featuring more than 100 major artists across over 3,600 m², until 30 August 2026.
Exhibitions in Paris in August 2026 span a remarkably wide range of worlds. The Jeu de Paume presents two photography retrospectives: one dedicated to Madeleine de Sinéty and another showcasing the photo collection of Elton John and David Furnish, both on view until 27 September 2026. The Musée Guimet, for its part, unveils the ancient treasures of the Silla kingdom with “Silla: Gold and the Sacred”, until 31 August 2026.
“August in Paris is pure dolce far niente. You drift through museums, letting yourself be wrapped in the quiet beauty of the works around you.”
Immersive experiences and family outings
The Atelier des Lumières has several offerings this summer. From 3 July to 13 September 2026, the venue alternates between The Little Prince: An Immersive Odyssey, Van Gogh: Starry Night and Dreaming of Japan: Images of the Floating World. Each programme runs on specific days of the week, making it easy to combine visits.
At Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, Tutankhamun: His Tomb and His Treasures returns from 3 July to 6 September 2026. Reconstructions of the tomb, funerary treasures, an immersive room and a VR experience are all part of the journey. Equally, La Villette is presenting Passion Japon until 23 August 2026, with samurai, tea ceremonies, manga and gastronomy in a multi-sensory trail.
For families, the Musée en Herbe is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise with a playful exhibition until 6 September 2026. The Grande Galerie de l’Évolution at the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle is also running Sur les traces des dinosaures, an educational and immersive exhibition open since 16 July 2026 through to January 2028.
- Leandro Erlich at the Grand Palais: retrospective until 6 September 2026
- Beyond the Streets at La Villette: more than 100 graffiti and street art artists until 30 August 2026
- Tutankhamun at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles: reconstructed tomb and VR experience until 6 September 2026
- Hilma af Klint at the Grand Palais: first exhibition in France until 30 August 2026
- The Little Prince at the Atelier des Lumières: immersive odyssey until 13 September 2026
Photography, fashion and contemporary art: a rich programme
Exhibitions in Paris in August 2026 are equally strong on the photography front. The Maison Européenne de la Photographie presents two events until 13 September 2026: a retrospective of Camille Vivier and an artistic A-to-Z exploring the history of photography. The Galerie Roger-Viollet offers free entry to “Paris, Open at Night”, devoted to the capital’s nocturnal life in the 20th century, until 3 October 2026.
On the fashion side, the Palais Galliera invites visitors to discover the craftsmanship of embroidery and weaving until 18 October 2026. The Musée des Arts Décoratifs is hosting La mode en majesté, dedicated to Thai haute couture and the collaboration between Queen Sirikit, Pierre Balmain and the Maison Lesage, until 1 November 2026. The château de Fontainebleau, meanwhile, is showing stage costumes designed by Christian Lacroix until 2 November 2026.
The Bourse de Commerce has two highlights in store. First, Clair-obscur, featuring around a hundred works from the Pinault Collection by Pierre Huyghe, Bill Viola, Jean Dubuffet and Alberto Giacometti, until 24 August 2026. Then, Fujiko Nakaya‘s fog sculpture, which makes visitors appear and disappear inside a thick white cloud, until 14 September 2026.
The Palais de Tokyo, for its part, is packed with contemporary art proposals until 13 September 2026, with exhibitions by Pauline Curnier Jardin, Jesse Darling, Benoît Piéron, Cathy de Monchaux and Joseph Grigely, whose work questions architectural accessibility in cultural institutions.
Free events and what’s on in Île-de-France
Several exhibitions in Paris in August 2026 are free to visit. At Fluctuart, “Chacun cherche son chat” brings together around ten urban artists until 23 August 2026. At the Magasins Généraux in Pantin, Simulacres blurs the boundaries of reality until 27 September 2026. The Mémorial de la Shoah is also offering free admission to Simone Veil. Mes sœurs et moi until 15 October 2026.
Across Île-de-France, there’s no shortage of options either. The Abbaye de Maubuisson in Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône, Val-d’Oise, is hosting Inkarna, a contemporary art exhibition by Yosra Mojtahedi, until 30 August 2026. At the Domaine de Chamarande in Essonne, Lélia Demoisy has created a sensitive trail exploring the memory of forests, also until 30 August 2026. The château de Versailles, meanwhile, is presenting Jardins des Lumières at the Grand Trianon, with nearly 160 works on the art of landscape gardening, until 27 September 2026.
Exhibitions in Paris in August 2026 stretch well beyond the city limits. Whether it’s the Louvre with L’Eau primordiale on ancient Mesopotamia, the Musée du Quai Branly with 1913-1923: L’esprit du temps until 20 September 2026, or the Panthéon’s tribute to historian and Resistance figure Marc Bloch until 10 January 2027, the summer programme more than delivers. Don’t forget your hat, your sunscreen and your water bottle: museum-hopping is an endurance sport.
