Attendance at the Musée du Louvre in Paris dropped by almost a quarter during the recent Olympic Games, in part due to increased security measures brought in by city officials.
During the Games, which took place between 27 July and 11 August, weekly attendance dropped to 331,759, with an average daily tally of 23,644 visitors—22% less than during the same period last year.
According to a Louvre spokesperson, attendance also dropped in the run up to the Games, with 166,604 visitors attending the museum between 15-26 July, a fall of 45% compared to the same period in 2023. Crucially, the museum was closed on 25 and 26 July for the opening ceremony, further affecting visitor figures.
“The museum’s attendance, during this period preceding the opening of the Olympic Games, was strongly impacted by the integration of the museum into the security perimeter set up by the authorities during the nine days preceding the opening ceremony, with restricted access to the Seine quays and the closure of most bridges and certain metro and RER [train] stations,” the spokesperson says.
For 2024 to date, overall visitor figures at the Louvre stand at 5,006,071, a decrease of 4% compared to the same period in 2023.
On 15 January this year the museum increased its basic ticket price from €17 to €22, as part of a plan to support free admission programmes for some visitors. The 30% increase—the first price hike since 2017—will also offset an 88% increase in energy costs.
The overhaul is part of a masterplan by Laurence des Cars, the Louvre director, to regulate attendance at a museum that received 8.9 million visitors in 2023, making it the most visited in the world.
