A Weekend in Paris: Art Exhibitions to See in May 2026
Paris in May 2026 is perfect for a short art-filled escape: the city’s museums, galleries, and outdoor art spaces are busy with major exhibitions, and many of the strongest shows are still open for a weekend visit. The best approach is to pair one or two blockbuster museum stops with a smaller gallery circuit in the Marais or around the Left Bank, so you get both scale and atmosphere.
Louvre and Orsay
One of the most important museum events in Paris in May is Michelangelo / Rodin at the Louvre, running from April 15 to July 20, 2026. The exhibition puts two sculptural giants in dialogue and is ideal if you want a classic, high-culture anchor for your weekend.
At the Musée d’Orsay, Northern Lights: Scandinavian and Dutch Drawings runs until May 10, 2026, which makes it a particularly good choice for a weekend early in the month. It’s a quieter, more intimate show, and a strong fit if you enjoy drawing, atmosphere, and 19th-century sensibility.
Contemporary Paris
If you prefer contemporary art, Paris has a strong gallery scene in May. At Perrotin, Soulages–Hartung: Elective Affinities runs until May 30, 2026, alongside Lee Mingwei’s When Beauty Appears and Susumu Kamijo’s spring exhibition. These shows are useful because they give you a concentrated look at abstraction, ritual, and contemporary painting without needing to cross the whole city.
Also worth noting is Brion Gysin at the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, on view from April 10 to July 12, 2026. It adds a more experimental, countercultural edge to a weekend itinerary that otherwise leans classic and elegant.
Outdoor and Free Stops
Paris is especially pleasant in May because some exhibitions move outside the traditional museum format. Cyprus on Faubourg Saint-Honoré presents open-air sculptures by Theodoulos Gregoriou from April 28 to July 27, 2026, creating a free sculpture route in the 1st arrondissement.
There is also the Circle of Parisian Artists at Parc Floral from May 4 to May 31, 2026, with more than 500 works from 130 artists, which makes it one of the more generous and accessible group shows of the month. If you want something more atmospheric and less formal, these outdoor or semi-outdoor options are excellent additions.
