Published: May 22nd, 2026
Summer in Paris is always a joy, but for art lovers this year it feels like a must. The cultural calendar is especially rich this summer, with major exhibitions, newly reopened museums and fresh spaces to discover. And then there’s JR’s bold reimagining of the Pont Neuf, turning Paris’s oldest bridge into what is set to be one of the year’s most unforgettable moments. Even before the installation is complete, JR’s transformation of the bridge has already captured attention around the world!
From Matisse’s colorful late works to Calder’s playful sense of movement, these are the kinds of cultural experiences worth planning around. We’re sharing the ones we’ve marked on our calendar, with plenty of inspiration for planning an art-filled Paris stay in one of our beautiful vacation rentals.
JR’s La Caverne du Pont-Neuf
For just a few weeks this summer, Paris’s oldest bridge will become one of the city’s most talked-about contemporary artworks. From June 6 to 28, 2026, JR’s La Caverne du Pont-Neuf will turn the Pont Neuf into a monumental temporary installation, created as a tribute to Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s legendary The Pont Neuf Wrapped. It’s a rare chance to experience a familiar Paris landmark in an entirely new way – the kind of only-in-Paris moment that is truly not to be missed.
Want to stay close to the historic bridge and the heart of the installation? Our La Place Dauphine vacation rentals put you just steps from Pont Neuf, with one of Paris’s most charming squares right outside your door.
Matisse, 1941–1954 at the Grand Palais
One of the major exhibitions of the Paris season, Matisse, 1941–1954 is on view at the Grand Palais until July 26, 2026. Focusing on the final years of Matisse’s career, the exhibition brings together more than 300 works, from paintings and drawings to cut-out gouaches, illustrated books, textiles and stained glass. It’s a radiant look at Matisse’s lifelong passion for inventing, experimenting and finding new ways to express color and joy.
Our 7th arrondissement apartments, such as Pomerol, make a visit easy with a beautiful stroll along the Seine to Pont Alexandre III and just across to the Grand Palais. Nearby, Savoie is another lovely choice, with its spectacular Les Invalides view and elegant walk along the Esplanade toward the exhibition.
Calder: Rêver en équilibre at Fondation Louis Vuitton
At Fondation Louis Vuitton, Calder: Rêver en équilibre runs until August 16, 2026, celebrating both the centenary of Alexander Calder’s arrival in France and the 50th anniversary of his death. With mobiles, stabiles, wire portraits, drawings, paintings and jewelry, the exhibition captures the sense of balance and movement that made Calder’s work so original. It’s a creative summer pairing, with Calder’s mobiles inside the galleries and his larger works outside against the backdrop of Frank Gehry’s sweeping Fondation Louis Vuitton. It’s the perfect time to visit if you haven’t yet!
Michelangelo and Rodin at the Louvre
This is one of the most powerful sculpture exhibitions of the summer. On view through July 20, 2026, in the Hall Napoléon at the Musée du Louvre, Michelangelo and Rodin: Living Bodies brings these two masters into dialogue through their shared fascination with the human figure. The exhibition looks at the body not simply as form, but as something animated by inner life, strength and emotion. Even if you’ve visited many times, it’s a great reason to return to the Louvre.
To stay within walking distance of the Louvre, our Place Dauphine rentals are beautifully located just across the Pont Neuf, with both Muscat and Castillon still offering a selection of prime summer dates – though they’re filling quickly. Or stay just across the Seine on the Left Bank at charming Banyuls in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood.
Baroque Splendors at Musée Jacquemart-André
One of our favorite smaller museums, Musée Jacquemart-André is showing Baroque Splendors: From El Greco to Velázquez until August 2, 2026. Presented in collaboration with the Hispanic Society of America in New York, the exhibition brings together around 40 works from the Spanish Golden Age, including paintings by Velázquez, El Greco and Zurbarán. The setting makes it even more appealing since the elegant private mansion is a masterpiece in itself.
Fondation Cartier’s New Palais-Royal Home
For contemporary art lovers, Fondation Cartier’s new home at 2 Place du Palais-Royal is a fresh reason to spend time near the Louvre and Palais-Royal this summer. Opened in October 2025, the newly transformed space brings the Fondation’s collection into a historic Paris building redesigned by architect Jean Nouvel. Its inaugural Exposition Générale is on view through August 23, 2026, and presents the collection on a fittingly grand scale.
A Romantic Paris Gem Reopens
One of Paris’s most charming small museums has returned just in time for summer. The Musée de la Vie Romantique reopened on February 14, 2026, after extensive renovations to the former home and studios of painter Ary Scheffer. Once a gathering place for artists, writers and musicians of the Romantic era, the lovely museum offers a beautifully intimate look at 19th-century Paris. The reopening exhibition, Face au ciel, Paul Huet en son temps, runs until August 30, 2026, while the museum’s garden and tea room make it especially charming for a summer visit.
Renoir and Romance at the Musée d’Orsay
Speaking of romance, early summer is also the moment to catch one of the year’s major exhibitions at the Musée d’Orsay. On view until July 19, 2026, Renoir and Love: A Joyful Modernity (1865–1885) brings together many of the artist’s greatest masterpieces in France for the first time since the last major Paris Renoir retrospective in 1985. With its focus on affection, friendship and the social life of late 19th-century Paris, it’s a beautiful addition to any art-filled visit to Paris.
For a beautiful Left Bank stay near the museum, Montrose and Prosecco are both set in an area we love between the 6th and 7th arrondissements, close to the Musée d’Orsay, Saint-Germain-des-Prés and favorite central Paris sights.
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