European Night of Museums
The 18th European Museum Night is an event that takes place in more than 3,000 museums, and in nearly 30 European countries! On this occasion, the museums open their doors free of charge in the evening and offer various activities. A unique opportunity to discover the permanent collections and temporary exhibitions showcased. A program of arts and cultural education, “the class, the work!” allows for mediation by school students.
#NuitDesMusées - Saturday, May 14, 2022
Throughout France and Europe, the most beautiful museums open their arms for a night.
A Paris, Nantes or Bordeaux, in the Museums of Decorative Arts or the Museums of Natural History, creative development is organized thanks to the talents of artists, professionals and volunteers from the artistic world. At European level, the same is true of the RijksmuseumAmsterdam, at the Kunstmuseum de Bale or the Prado de Madrid.
Welcoming around 2 million visitors per edition, nearly 1,300 museums are participating throughout France and more than 3,000 across Europe. As an example, in 2019, the Louvre opened its doors to 16,000 visitors, the Musée des Confluences lyonnais lent itself to the game with 7,000 visitors, as much as at the Toulouse.
It is also an opportunity for citizens to explore heritage from a new perspective. By visiting for example the Fine Arts Museum of La Cohue, in Vannes, with two clowns (2019), or under hypnosis at the Nantes Art Museums (2020). All arts and media are engaged as in Avignon where it is through a video evening on childhood that we discover the Maison Jean Vilar (2012), or as in Troyes, where we dance in museums for this night exceptional.
The European Night of Museums, more than 20 years of exceptional opening of European museums.
First created in 1999 under the name of «Spring of Museums», succeeding the Berlin event «Lange Nacht des Museen», the Night of Museums opens in 2001 to all museums in 39 member countries of the Council of Europe.
Naturally placed under the patronage of the Council of Europe, the French National Commission for theUNESCO and the International Council of Museums (ICOM), its obvious objective is to reveal to the citizens the riches of the French and European heritage in another night’s light. Generally associated with ICOM’s "International Museum Day", it takes place every year in May, making it the "Museum Month".
In 2020, the edition was fully digital.
Thanks to digital innovations around the museums and their collection, many projects have been created especially for this date of the hashtag #NIGHTUSEWE. The event was well attended with more than a million impressions on social networks. A commitment commensurate with the investment of each museum and artistic establishment in this extraordinary edition.
Night programmes in European museums
The full programme of the "Night of Museums" is available a few weeks before the event on the dedicated website of the European Night of Museums.
To participate
Professionals, find the visuals and registration conditions in the dedicated area
Read more
Find creative posters and visuals from previous editions of The European Night of Museums
