As one of the world’s major art capitals, Paris always attracts a cultured crowd. Its many outstanding museums are home to some of the world’s most revered pieces of art, and you could spend trip after trip exploring the permanent collections alone – but that would mean missing out on the blockbuster temporary exhibitions that roll through Paris every year.
2025 is no exception. On the agenda for this year? The Louvre’s first-ever exhibition on fashion, a dazzling disco retrospective at the Philharmonie, and an exploration of the work of Black artists in Paris in the latter half of the twentieth century at the Centre Pompidou, to name just a few. Below, our Paris editors have rounded up the most highly-anticipated exhibitions to hit the city this year.
David Hockney
According to Beaux-Arts Magazine, the retrospective is expected to focus on the past 25 years of the English artist’s creations, with both paintings and digital works on display. Fans of Hockney’s iconic works will be pleased to know that the paintings A Bigger Splash (1967) and Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) (1972), will both be on display.
When? April 9-September 1
Where? Fondation Louis Vuitton, 8 Avenue du Mahatma Gandhi, Paris 16th arrondissement
Paris Noir
Of all the exhibitions scheduled before the Centre Pompidou closes its doors for renovations (it’s expected to be shut from the end of summer 2025 until 2030), Paris Noir is the one that’s really caught our eye. Celebrating the works of 150 Black artists in the Paris art scene in the second half of the twentieth century, it will explore numerous artistic movements including surrealism, Afro-Atlantic abstraction, free figuration, and more.
When? March 19-June 30
Where? Centre Pompidou, Rue Saint-Martin, Paris 4th arrondissement
Agnès Varda, de-ci, de-là
The Musée Carnavalet will pay tribute to the film director, screenwriter and photographer Agnès Varda, with an exhibition that takes the courtyard-turned-studio of her pink house on Rue Daguerre (which served as her creative laboratory for over 60 years) as its starting point. The exhibition will feature 130 photographs, some of them previously unseen, along with film excerpts, personal objects, and sculptures from the archives of her production company.
When? April 9-August 24
Where? Musée Carnavalet, 16 Rue des Francs-Bourgeois, Paris 3rd arrondissement
Louvre Couture – Art and fashion: statement pieces
In 2025, the Louvre will host its first exhibition entirely dedicated to the world of fashion, a retrospective which will explore the influence of museums and their collections on fashion designers. Highlights will include Chanel pieces designed by Karl Lagerfeld (who was a frequent visitor to the museum), as well as designs by Yohji Yamamoto, Dolce & Gabbana, and a special focus on Marie-Louise Carven, a couturier who designed with petite women in mind.
When? January 24-July 21
Where? Musée du Louvre, Rue de Rivoli, Paris 1st arrondissement
Du Cœur à la main : Dolce & Gabbana
This milestone show, which debuted at the Palazzo Reale in Milan, has found a suitably grand location for its Paris instalment: the Grand Palais. From the duo’s diverse inspirations (including Sicilian ceramics and Venetian glassmaking) to one-of-a-kind pieces crafted by hand in their workshops, the exhibition weaves together the countless connections between Italian culture and the extravagant haute couture for which the house is known.
When? January 10-March 31
Where? Grand Palais, 3 Avenue du Général Eisenhower, Paris 8th arrondissement
What other exhibitions are opening in Paris in 2025?
Dennis Morris – Music + Life: February 5-May 18; Maison Européenne de la Photographie
Disco: February 14-August 17; Philharmonie
Niki de Saint Phalle, Jean Tinguely, Pontus Hulten: June 6 2025-January 4 2026; Grand Palais
Luc Delahaye: October 10 2025-January 25 2026; Jeu de Paume
Corps et âmes: March 5-August 25; Bourse de Commerce
Suzanne Valadon: January 15-May 26; Centre Pompidou
Robert Doisneau, Instants donnés: April 17-October 12; Musée Maillol
Out of focus. Another vision of art, from 1945 to nowadays: April 30-August 18; Musée de l’Orangerie
L’Art “dégénéré”: le procès de l’art moderne sous le nazisme: February 18-May 25; Musée Picasso
Wes Anderson: March 19-July 27; La Cinémathèque française
Claire Tabouret & Eva Jospin: December 2025-March 2026; Grand Palais
Planning a trip to Paris?
We’ve got guides to help with all your holiday prep, including where to stay, the best restaurants, dreamy day trips, great things to do with kids and our bumper list of the very best things to do in the city. If you’re looking to venture out of the capital, here’s our guide to the best places to travel in France in 2025.
Did you see that Paris is getting a brand-new, ultra-modern metro station this month?
Plus: These are the 14 best city breaks in Europe for 2025.
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