Record Attendance at the Centre Pompidou Before Its Closure for Renovations

The Centre Pompidou, located in the heart of Paris, experienced an exceptional year in 2024, welcoming over 3.2 million visitors—a 22% increase compared to 2023. This record attendance comes just months before its scheduled closure in March 2025 for extensive renovations lasting five years.

A Program That Captivates the Public

Key highlights of 2024 included the Brancusi retrospective, which attracted more than 390,000 visitors. The Surrealism exhibition, celebrating the centenary of the movement founded by André Breton, also proved highly popular, drawing nearly 512,000 visitors since its opening in September. The exhibition remains open until January 13, 2025.

Other cultural events, such as Comics on Every Floor and the tribute to Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul, who won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2010, also drew large audiences. Weerasethakul’s tribute combined cinema, exhibitions, and augmented reality performances to enhance the visitor experience.

Digital innovation further boosted attendance, with AI-powered tools designed to guide visitors, notably during the Brancusi exhibition, as well as an enhanced online presence.

Imminent Closure and an Ambitious Project

As the Centre Pompidou—also known as Beaubourg and inaugurated in 1977—prepares to shut its doors between March and September 2025, it embarks on an ambitious renovation project costing an estimated €262 million. The works include asbestos removal and a complete overhaul of the iconic building, scheduled for completion in 2030.

During the closure, the museum’s collections and programs will be showcased in other cultural institutions across France and around the world. In the meantime, the first quarter of 2025 will feature a final exhibition dedicated to painter Suzanne Valadon, opening on January 15 in Gallery 2.

Next week, other major Parisian museums, such as the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay, are set to reveal their own 2024 attendance figures.