Why the Louvre closed its doors to tourists abruptly

It is the world’s most-visited museum, which has capped the number of daily visits to 30,000. But on Monday, as thousands of tourists queued up, the Louvre in Paris abruptly shut down. Many, holding tickets in their hands, were left stranded beneath I M Pei’s glass pyramid for the better part of the day. Wonder why. The staff decided to go on strike.

The striking staff included gallery attendants, ticket agents and security personnel, among others, the same people tasked with managing the huge crowds.

It’s rare for the Louvre to close its doors. It has happened during World War I and World War II, during the pandemic and in a handful of strikes, including spontaneous walkouts over overcrowding in 2019, and safety fears in 2013. But seldom has it happened so suddenly, without warning, and in full view of the crowds.

“It’s the Mona Lisa moan out here,” said 62-year-old Kevin Ward from Milwaukee, US. “Thousands of people waiting, no communication, no explanation. I guess even she needs a day off.”

Why is the Louvre staff striking?

The world’s most famous museum has become a case study in overtourism. As iconic sites from Venice to the Acropolis urgently address overtourism , the Louvre, frequented by millions, is facing an imminent crisis due to overwhelming crowds.

A spontaneous strike erupted at the Louvre during a routine internal meeting, as gallery attendants, ticket agents, and security personnel immediately refused their posts to protest unmanageable crowds, chronic understaffing and what one union labelled ‘untenable’ working conditions. Even with daily visitor numbers capped two years ago, the Louvre staff complain that the work has become a constant struggle, marked by too few places to rest, inadequate bathroom facilities, and intense summer heat intensified by the pyramid’s glass structure.

The Louvre’s strike was preceded by widespread anti-tourism unrest across southern Europe, with thousands rallying in places like Mallorca , Venice and Lisbon a day earlier. Protesters there decried an economic model they believe pushes out residents and degrades urban living. Barcelona activists even resorted to spraying tourists with water pistols, a ’theatrical bid’ to symbolically ‘cool down’ runaway tourism.

What’s more, the disruption comes just months after President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a sweeping decade-long plan to rescue the Louvre from precisely the problems now boiling over: water leaks, dangerous temperature swings, outdated infrastructure, and foot traffic far beyond what the museum can handle.

But for workers on the ground, that promised future feels distant.

“We can’t wait six years for help,” said Sarah Sefian, a front-of-house gallery attendant and visitor services agent. “Our teams are under pressure now. It’s not just about the art,  it’s about the people protecting it.”

Is Mona Lisa to blame?

At the centre of the overcrowding crisis is Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, which draws the biggest crowds at the Louvre. The 16th-century painting attracts nearly 20,000 people a day, who flock to the museum’s largest room, Salle des États, to click a selfie with it.

The scene is often noisy, jostling, and so dense that many barely glance at the masterpieces flanking her, works by Titian and Veronese that go largely ignored. “You don’t see a painting,” said 28-year-old Ji-Hyun Park, who flew from Seoul to Paris. “You see phones. You see elbows. You feel heat. And then, you’re pushed out.”

Can Macron’s revamp plan help?

President Macron’s ‘Louvre New Renaissance’ renovation promises a solution, with the iconic Mona Lisa finally receiving her own dedicated, timed-entry room. Additionally, a new entrance near the Seine River is slated for completion by 2031, aiming to alleviate the strain on the existing, overcrowded pyramid hub. “Conditions of display, explanation and presentation will be up to what the Mona Lisa deserves,” Macron said in January.

But Louvre workers call Macron hypocritical and say the 700 million to 800 million-euro ($730 million to $834 million) renovation plan masks a deeper crisis. While Macron is investing in new entrances and exhibition space, the Louvre’s annual operating subsidies from the French state have shrunk by more than 20 per cent over the past decade, even as visitor numbers soared.

“We take it very badly that Monsieur Le President makes his speeches here in our museum,” Sefian said, “but when you scratch the surface, the financial investment of the state is getting worse with each passing year.”

The full renovation plan is expected to be financed through ticket revenue, private donations, state funds and licensing fees from the Louvre’s Abu Dhabi branch. Ticket prices for non-EU tourists are expected to rise later this year.

But workers say their needs are more urgent than any 10-year plan.

When will the museum reopen?

The full museum might reopen as normal on Wednesday. Some tourists with time-sensitive tickets might be allowed to reuse them then. The Louvre remains closed on Tuesday.

How does overcrowding affect the Louvre?

Last year, 8.7 million people visited the museum. Shockingly, this is more than the number of people that the museum is designed to accommodate.

Louvre President Laurence des Cars revealed in a leaked memo that the building is ’no longer watertight,’ priceless art is endangered by fluctuating temperatures and basic visitor amenities, including food, restrooms and signage, are far below global standards. She simply called the experience a physical ordeal.

Unlike other major sites in Paris, such as Notre Dame Cathedral or the Centre Pompidou Museum, both of which are undergoing government-backed restorations, the Louvre remains stuck in limbo, neither fully funded nor fully functional.

President Macron, who delivered his 2017 election victory speech at the Louvre and showcased it during the 2024 Paris Olympics, has promised a safer, more modern museum by the end of the decade.

Until then, France’s greatest cultural treasure, and the millions who flock to see it, remain caught between the cracks.

With inputs from AP