Louvre director says museum faces closure without one-billion-euro overhaul

Christophe Leribault, who became director of the Louvre in February 2026, has warned that the museum could eventually close to the public unless the French state pays for a major overhaul. In an interview with Le Figaro on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, he said the world’s most-visited museum needed to be repaired, updated and transformed.

“Whoever forms the next government must keep in mind that if the Louvre is not repaired, updated and transformed, it will very quickly fall behind and will eventually have to close its doors to the public. That would be a disaster,” Leribault said.

The warning comes from a museum that welcomed around nine million visitors last year while contending with chronic overcrowding. It also faces water infiltration, humidity, obsolete technical systems and deteriorated infrastructure.

“The museum is not only in very poor condition, but is also perpetually overcrowded,” Leribault said.

He put the overall investment required at around one billion euros and said the work would take between twelve and fifteen years. The programme would restore historic buildings, upgrade infrastructure, strengthen security systems and create a new entrance.

Leribault said there was no quick fix. “There is no easy, miracle “surface” solution. Everything is interconnected, everything is linked.”

The museum’s recent troubles were made stark on 19 October 2025, when a gang of thieves stole eight French Crown jewels worth an estimated $100 million. Inspections after the heist found outdated equipment and significant “blind spots” in the video surveillance system.

Laurence des Cars, Leribault’s predecessor, left after more than four years in the role following the crisis that struck the museum. The Louvre has also faced water leaks and ticket frauds.

An 83-million-euro security masterplan is now moving forward at speed. It includes a new head of security position, an upgraded camera network, and stronger surveillance around the perimeter and at access points.

Leribault said the Louvre would seek private funding for its transformation. A major public injection would still require approval after national elections next year.

That request will land amid pressure on public finances. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is trying to curb spending to reduce the country’s vast deficit, while successive minority governments have struggled for years to pass annual budgets.

President Emmanuel Macron has championed a separate 600-million-euro overhaul that would include a new entrance. The question for the next government is whether it will commit the public funding Leribault says the wider transformation requires.