NIGHT OF THE MUSEUMS. This Saturday, May 13, 2023, is the 19th edition of Museum Night. On this occasion, more than 1,000 French cultural establishments open their doors until 1 a.m. The program in Paris, Lyon, Marseille…
[Updated May 13, 2023 2:24 PM] The European Night of Museums is back for its 19th edition. The Ministry of Culture is organizing this event this Saturday, May 13 at night, giving visitors the opportunity to discover the richness of the collections of more than 1,000 museums for free at unusual hours. The museums will exceptionally open until 1 a.m., allowing visitors to discover the works in a different way.
The European Night of Museums is an opportunity for museums to offer original entertainment for the public. The nocturnes in different establishments allow a more playful approach to art and a night visit to castles and monuments. Guided tours, conferences, readings, concerts, introductory workshops or even video mapping are on the program for this exceptional night.
The event takes place in different cities in France, including Paris, Lyon, Nice, Toulouse, Bordeaux and many other cities. With so much entertainment on offer, it can be hard to know what to choose. Fortunately, an interactive map lists all the activities near you, as well as a more detailed program in several cities, to help you find your way around.
The European Night of Museums is a unique opportunity to discover museum collections in a different way and to be surprised by original events. It is also an excellent opportunity to spend an evening with family or friends, while discovering the cultural heritage of your region.
The Ministry of Culture and Communication provides the interactive map below to find the European Night of Museums event that suits you. Thanks to geolocation, you can discover the events taking place around you or carry out your search by city in France. Discover without further delay the details of the nearby program as well as our selections of museums by major cities in France thanks to the summary opposite.
The capital puts its finest museums in the spotlight during the event. Here is a selection of the museums participating in the programming of the 19th Night of Museums:
The Dourdan Castle Museum offers a concert in the courtyard of the medieval castle of Dourdan with Essonne artist Ol Kainry who will perform on various rap-influenced sounds accompanied by Jango Jack and Kamnouze to reform, for a few titles, the group Factor X.
The Museum of Contemporary Art in Lyon offers a concert by the artist High-lo in the museum hall with a rap program that puts the body in the spotlight.
The MUCEM – Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations – will exceptionally be open all evening from 7 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.
A rich program awaits visitors to the Aquitaine Museum from 6 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. First of all, the public will be able to freely visit the museum’s new temporary exhibition: Prehistoric Art, from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean.
Then, with the participation of students from the Illustration master’s degree from the University of Bordeaux Montaigne, the young public will be able to draw mammoths, horses and rhinos on the wall of the dark room and then discover them by the light of a flashlight. Young and old can also carve their flint.
Also, a guided tour is offered in front of the majestic Gothic rose window with the students of the Literature prep from Camille Jullian high school who will read passages from Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo and La Cathédrale by Joris Karl Huysmans from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
The public will be able to let themselves be led by young people from the E2C (Second Chance School), who will share their vision of Bordeaux heritage through a selection of key objects presented in the rooms of the museum from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The most playful can take part in a unique game-tour around the architecture of Bordeaux.
Finally, between 8:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., there will be a concert on silent short films from the beginnings of cinema on the theme of prehistory with the students of the Conservatory’s instrument department who will improvise musical themes.
A rich program awaits visitors to MAMAC – Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. First, visitors will be able to watch the film Marcel Alocco, la Manu-facture du Sens by Alain Amiel from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
In the workshop, visitors will be able to use reproductions of faces from various materials, cut-outs and superimpositions to create hybrid portraits from different countries from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
The Machine collective will offer a masked reading of dreams (at 6 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.). With “En Circulo”, the Cie El Tercer Ojo will explore the phenomenon of the circle of ants, strange on a human scale (from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.). The young dancers of the Pôle National Supérieur de Danse Rosella Hightower will offer a stroll through the museum (at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.).
Finally, a concert will be given with the percussionist students of the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Nice who will offer a concert in dialogue with the works of the rooms dedicated to Pop art and Yves Klein (at 8:30 p.m., 8:45 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.). They will also offer a musical finale on the roof terrace of MAMAC at 10 p.m.
The European Night of Museums was created in 2005 by the Ministry of Culture and Communication and will celebrate its 19th edition this year 2023 on Saturday 13 May.
The Night of the Museums is a completely free event that has taken place every year for 18 years.
