The Louvre breaks new visitor record in 2018

The Louvre, the world's most visited museum, broke its own record in 2018. The museum saw a  25% increase in visitors compared to its previous record set in 2012, a rise from 9.7mn to 10.2mn people. The demographic consisted of largely younger visitors, with over 50% under the age of 30.

In addition to several other exhibits, the increase in visitors is primarily accredited to young fans of the married music duo, The Carters, using the gallery as a location for a music video.

The music video generated over 150mn views in 2018, and drew publicity for the museum, as it featured major works such as the Mona Lisa, The Shades of Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta appearing to Dante and Virgile, Ary Scheffer, and The Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon and the Coronation of Empress Joséphine.




The museum’s Director, Jean-Luc Martinez said “It’s clear that 2018 was a remarkable year for the international reputation of the Louvre.”


The museum has focused on improvements, including ticket office refurbishments, and the push for online ticket sales, which has subsequently reduced queues. Additional contributions to the increase in the number of visitors can be attributed to a retrospective exhibition of Eugène Delacroix, which met with success.

By 2025, The Louvre expects over 12 million visitors per year. With the current annual revenue of $127mn, the museum is set to make a steady increase in profit.

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