Paris might have been the middle of the world’s consideration in the course of the Summer time Olympics, however its most celebrated museum skilled a large drop in attendance figures.
Through the Video games, which came about between July 27 and August 11, the Louvre obtained 331,759 guests, representing a 22 p.c lower in comparison with the identical interval from final 12 months, in line with figures the museum shared with Artnet Information.
This can be partly attributable to safety-related measures. Forward of and in the course of the Olympics, metropolis authorities put a safety perimeter into place round a lot of central Paris. This restricted using the Seine’s quays and bridges in addition to metro and railway stations that usually present entry to the museum. Accordingly, within the 9 days previous the Video games, from July 15 to 26, 166,604 guests entered the museum, a fall of 45 p.c in contrast with the identical interval from 2023.
Customer figures had been additional impacted by the museum’s closure on July 25 and 26 within the run-up to the opening ceremony, which came about on the River Seine.
“This slight drop isn’t a shock,” a spokesperson for the Louvre instructed Artnet Information through electronic mail. “The expertise of the 2012 London Olympics prompt a drop in attendance figures at cultural venues.”
But when attendance fell, visibility rose. All through the Video games, the Louvre served as a backdrop to a lot of spectacles together with the passing of the Olympic flame, and the Olympic cauldron was positioned within the Tuileries Backyard, in entrance of the museum. Street biking and the marathon additionally handed by.
In the long run, the museum believes this may tremendously profit its picture. “The Louvre, its iconic works, and its palatial structure loved nice visibility,” the spokesperson stated, noting that 25 million individuals in France alone tuned in for the occasion. “The success of the 2024 Olympics and its lovely photographs of Paris and of the Louvre could have optimistic results on the museum’s attendance within the autumn.”
Throughout 2024 to date, the Louvre’s customer figures stand at somewhat over 5 million, a lower of 4 p.c in comparison with the identical interval in 2023. However the Louvre, the spokesperson stated, isn’t targeted on attendance charges, however relatively on the standard of the customer expertise. “Since 2022, the museum has set each day customer capability at 30,000 guests per day in an effort to enhance visiting situations.”
In January, the museum raised its costs for the primary time in seven years, with basic admission growing from €17 ($18.90) to €22 ($24.50). This matched worth will increase that had been seen throughout the town’s cultural establishments, with the Palace of Versailles elevating admission by €1.50 ($1.70) to €21 ($23.40) and the Nationwide Monuments Middle, which function about 100 cultural institutions, growing costs by a mean of €1 ($1.10).
To have fun the Video games, the museum additionally hosted a particular exhibition on the Olympics and invited members of the general public to hitch exercise courses surrounded by its masterpieces. And, in a preferred put up on X, rapper Snoop Dogg made an after-hours go to, basking within the glow of a few of the establishment’s best-known works.
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