The most eagerly awaited exhibitions in 2026

Presented at the BnF (^{13th arrondissement}) from January 27 to April 5, this intimate and extensively documented exhibition (posters, photographs, printed scores, fan letters, and press clippings) dedicated to the singer Barbara will bring her back to us, more endearing than ever. Thanks to the funds donated to the institution by the Barbara Perlimpinpin association, this rich retrospective will offer a fascinating insight into the personal and artistic life of this icon of French chanson. Barbara, a singer with a unique voice, whose songs were as much about her personal life as they were about the world around her, was a true icon of French music. Her songs were as much about her personal life as they were about the world around her, and her songs were as much about her personal life as they were about the world around her. Thanks to the collection donated to the institution by the Barbara Perlimpinpin association, this rich retrospective will offer a fascinating insight into the personal and artistic life of this icon of French song, not to mention the passionate relationship she had with her audience.

Martin Parr, who passed away on December 6, will be the focus of the next major exhibition at the Jeu de Paume (Paris Center), which will take the form of a tribute. Through 180 works created over five decades, it will offer a reinterpretation of his work, illuminated by the perspective of our era and its successive crises. Behind his offbeat images, tinged with biting humor, lies a sharp critique of consumer society, individualism, mass tourism, junk food, and wealth inequality. His gaze is both scathing and amused, and now seems more lucid than ever… The exhibition will be held at the Jeu de Paume (Paris Centre) from October 2023 to February 2024.

What was a typical day like in an^18th-century mansion? From February 18 to July 5, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (Paris Center) will offer us this experience. At the heart of a cinematic setting, more than 550 pieces from the collections will recreate the intimacy of an aristocratic residence, from sunrise to sunset. Immersed in an atmosphere that engages all the senses, visitors will wander from room to room, encountering masters, servants, and pets along the way. It's enough to make you feel like a privileged guest of the family…

She lived there from 1677 until her death in 1696. Starting on April 15, the Carnavalet Museum (Paris Center) will lift the veil on Madame de Sévigné's Parisian life, on the occasion of the^400th anniversary of her birth. Her life will be recounted through more than 200 works from the museum's collections (paintings, drawings, objects). These will highlight how much the famous letter writer left her mark on people's minds through her letters, which truly reflect^17th-century Paris. The place of women, courtly culture, transformations of the capital, political tensions: beyond her social life, it is an entire era that will be retraced.

At the Musée de l'Orangerie (Paris Center), we are about to discover another side of Henri Rousseau, often hidden in the shadow of "Douanier Rousseau." From March 20 to July 20, a unique collection of masterpieces, brought together through various international loans, will retrace his artistic journey, which was resolutely diverse and eclectic. Scientific analyses, digital displays, and dialogue between the different collections will invite us to sneak behind the scenes of his creative process, like a little mouse, in order to understand the audacity and ambition that lie behind a body of work as rich as it is modern.

Must great paintings necessarily be serious? On display at the Musée d'Orsay (^{7th arrondissement}) from March 17 to July 19, this retrospective devoted to the work of Auguste Renoir aims to prove the opposite. While his most famous paintings—joyful scenes of popular dances, open-air cafés, and bucolic walks—are firmly rooted in our collective imagination, the museum invites us to look at them with fresh eyes. Long considered, sometimes with slight contempt, as a "painter of happiness," Renoir will rediscover his modernity here: that of an artist who chose to depict happy couples, moments of conviviality and camaraderie, in an era marked by the weight of religious morality and— paradoxically—the romanticization of illegitimate love affairs.

No, this isn't yet another exhibition on Henri Matisse. Instead, the Grand Palais (^{8th arrondissement}) will be shining a spotlight on the final years of his career, from 1941 to 1954, in an exhibition running from March 24 to July 26. This was a period of boldness and experimentation, as evidenced by his famous Blue Nudes. At the heart of his studio, which was undergoing a metamorphosis, visitors will be able to admire an exceptional collection of paintings, drawings, and cut-out gouaches, which allowed him to nurture his inspiration and express the decorative dimension of his art without reserve.

For the first time, the Arab World Institute (^{5th arrondissement}) is dedicating an exhibition to Muslims and Christians enslaved from the ^17th century to the 1830s. From March 31 to July 19, it will take us to the shores of the Mediterranean, following in the footsteps of North Africans and West Africans forced to work on the Old Continent as galley slaves, servants, translators, musicians, or artists' assistants. This little-known part of our history will finally be restored thanks to numerous paintings, drawings, sculptures, and other handwritten letters, offering a unique insight into these tragic destinies and the impact they had on material cultures in Europe.

Clubs aren't just a place to party: they're also a space for freedom. At Quai de la Photo (^{13th arrondissement}), the exhibition "The Beat Goes On!", opening on January 9, shines a spotlight on club culture, analyzing it as a social and political phenomenon. From New York dancefloors to European raves, images from around the world will draw us into the dance. Bodies intertwine and identities assert themselves in a collective trance, transforming into an act of resistance.

The Philharmonie (^{19th arrondissement}) is preparing an exhibition for music lovers and gamers. With "Video Games & Music," it celebrates video game music, which, in just a few decades, has become an established part of the cultural landscape . On the program: around twenty installations retracing its history, from the first melodies composed in research laboratories in the 1960s to the great concert halls where the epic orchestrations of Final Fantasy resound. Designed as a true sensory experience, the scenography promises a visit that is as entertaining as it is informative. All that remains is to wait until April 3…