Culture, sport and events: What's new in France in 2026
Including the Bayeux Tapestry, Six Nations and new museums
The 2026 Tour de France will set off from Barcelona (Spain) on July 4 and reach the finish line on the Champs-Elysées on July 26Radu Razvan/Shutterstock
Five major French cultural institutions, including the Louvre, are increasing admission fees for non-European tourists from January 14, 2026. The new price is €32 to enter the Louvre – €10 more than the current admission price.
It is hoped Unesco will make a decision this year on a world cultural heritage listing for Normandy’s D-Day beaches. The Normandy region applied for this in 2018.
Six Nations Championship (rugby)
France will open the tournament playing at home (Stade de France) and finish against England; three home matches are scheduled in the February 5 - March 14 fixtures.
Basketball tour
The Harlem Globetrotters will celebrate their centenary with a nationwide tour of France in March and April.
Tour de France
The 2026 Tour will set off from Barcelona, Spainrui vale sousa/Shutterstock
The 2026 Tour de France will set off from Barcelona (Spain) on July 4 and reach the finish line on the Champs-Elysées on July 26. The women’s tour runs from August 1 to 9, from Lausanne, Switzerland to Nice’s Promenade des Anglais.
Championnats d’Europe de natation 2026
Held in Paris (July 31 – Aug 16, 2026) across pool, diving, high diving, open water and artistic swimming.
Coupe du monde masculine de ski alpin (saison 2025–26)
France is hosting World Cup rounds this season – notably in Val d’Isère (December) and Courchevel (March) on the FIS calendar; snow and Olympic timing will shape results.
Grand Prix de France MotoGP
Le Mans will host the Michelin Grand Prix de France in May 2026. Expect the usual huge crowds for the classic MotoGP weekend.
New museums
A dedicated Marcel Pagnol museum is scheduled to open in Allauch (Bouches-du-Rhône) in 2026, housing archives, manuscripts and film material linked to his Provençal-themed books and films.
American Olivia Atherton donated her OSS-agent father’s wartime photos to Cahors’ (Lot) new Musée de la Résistance, which opens early in 2026, honouring his 1944 missions supporting local fighters and sabotaging Nazi infrastructure.
Bussy-Saint-Georges (Seine-et-Marne) will open the world’s largest video game museum, called Odyssée, retracing the history of this kind of entertainment, with interactive exhibits and an events arena for e-sports and shows.
Massy (Essonne) is home to a new branch of the Pompidou Centre – le Centre Pompidou Francilien, set to open this year.
It will house works from the Musée national d’art modern and the Musée national Picasso-Paris, as well as new spaces for artistic creation and exhibitions.
New manga-themed zone in Parc Spirou
The Parc Spirou Provence, near Avignon will open a new 1.5hectare area dedicated to popular manga character Naruto in the spring.
