If you’re doing a self-guided tour of Paris, you’ll definitely want to visit a few museums. But there are so many museums and exhibitions to see in Paris that you’ll want to narrow it down to your favorite artists or interests.
Here are 10 Paris exhibitions for you to choose from if you’ll be visiting the City of Light in 2026!
1. Matisse: Colours Without Limits, Grand Palais
March 24 to August 2, 2026
At the Grand Palais, “Matisse: Colours Without Limits” focuses on the artist’s late career, when he pushed color and cut-paper techniques to radical extremes. Expect luminous cut-outs, simplified forms, and large-scale works that make the whole space feel like you’ve stepped inside a painting. Running from late March to early August 2026, it is poised to be one of the year’s flagship shows, so advance booking will be essential.
Henri Rousseau: The Ambition of Painting, Musée de l’Orangerie
April 1 to July 3, 2026
The Musée de l’Orangerie devotes a major retrospective to Henri Rousseau, the self-taught customs officer whose “naïve” jungle scenes deeply influenced modern art. Around fifty works, some rarely shown, will trace how his meticulous compositions and dreamlike botanicals helped shift painting toward a more imaginative, symbolic language. The exhibition is scheduled for spring–summer 2026, making it a perfect pairing with a stroll through the Tuileries just outside.
3. Passion 18th Century: Fashion in the Age of Enlightenment, Palais Galliera
December 13, 2025 to October 18, 2026
Palais Galliera, Paris’s fashion museum, looks back to 18th‑century style with “Passion XVIIIe siècle,” a show centered on women’s wardrobes during the Age of Enlightenment. Mannequins dressed in gowns, stays, and elaborate accessories will be displayed alongside contemporary creations inspired by the period, highlighting how silhouettes and ornament still inform today’s couture. Running from March to July 2026, it is a must for anyone interested in costume, history, or the roots of Parisian elegance.
4. Leonora Carrington, Musée du Luxembourg
February 18 to July 19, 2026
Surrealist pioneer Leonora Carrington finally gets the Paris spotlight with a large exhibition at the Musée du Luxembourg. Paintings, drawings, and writings will immerse visitors in her world of hybrid creatures, alchemical symbols, and feminist myth‑making, offering a broader view of Surrealism beyond its more famous male figures. Timed for the first half of 2026, this show is likely to draw both Surrealism fans and visitors discovering her visionary work for the first time.
5. Deserts, Grande Galerie de l’Évolution
April 2 to April 19, 2026
The natural history museum’s Grande Galerie de l’Évolution presents “Deserts,” an exhibition exploring these extreme environments through specimens, multimedia, and interactive displays. Visitors can trace how plants, animals, and human cultures adapt to arid climates, with a strong emphasis on current environmental challenges and conservation. Scheduled to run until spring 2026, it offers a refreshing contrast to traditional art shows while still being deeply visual and immersive.
6. Gerhard Richter at Fondation Louis Vuitton
October 17, 2025 to March 2, 2026
Fondation Louis Vuitton continues its series of major monographic exhibitions with a focus on Gerhard Richter, one of the most influential painters of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The show will likely mix his blurred photo‑based works, luminous abstract “scraped” canvases, and experiments with glass and mirrors, underlining his constant questioning of what painting can be. Set in the spectacular Frank Gehry building, it is one of the most anticipated contemporary art stops of early 2026.
7. Drawing Outside the Lines, Grand Palais
December 16, 2025 - March 15, 2026
“Drawing Outside the Lines: Masterpieces from the Centre Pompidou Collection” transforms the Grand Palais into a temple of works on paper. Spanning different movements and eras, the exhibition will showcase how artists use drawing as both a testing ground and a finished art form, from quick studies to ambitious large‑scale sheets. For visitors who love getting close to the artist’s hand and process, this will be a rare chance to see graphic treasures usually kept in storage.
8. Escher Retrospective in Paris
A major retrospective devoted to M. C. Escher brings the Dutch artist’s impossible architectures and optical illusions to Paris. More than a graphic curiosity, the exhibition will highlight Escher’s engagement with geometry, mathematics, and pattern, revealing why his work continues to fascinate scientists, designers, and art lovers alike. With Paris hosting this large survey for the first time, it is set to be one of the crowd‑pleasers of the early 2026 season.
9. General Exhibition, Fondation Cartier
October 25, 2025 to August 23, 2026
Fondation Cartier is planning a broad presentation of its collection in a new or renewed setting, offering a cross‑section of contemporary art from photography and painting to installation. Instead of focusing on a single artist, the exhibition will weave together different voices from the foundation’s holdings, giving a sense of how its curators have mapped global contemporary practice over the years. It runs deep into 2026, making it a flexible must‑see for visitors at almost any point in the year.
10. Weaving, Embroidering, Embellishing at Palais Galliera
December 13, 2025 to October 18, 2026
To round out the year, Palais Galliera also hosts an exhibition on “Weaving, Embroidering, Embellishing”, devoted to the meticulous crafts that underpin haute couture and luxury fashion. Showcasing textiles, samples, and finished garments, the show will spotlight ateliers and artisans whose handiwork turns designers’ visions into reality. If you’re interested in behind‑the‑scenes fashion, this long‑running 2026 exhibition offers a deep dive into the art of making clothes shimmer, sparkle, and move.
If you’re visiting Paris with France Just For You this year and go to one of these exhibitions, please contact us to let us know what you thought! We’d love to feature your review and/or photos in our monthly newsletter!
