Arc de Triomphe hosts Triumph by Night from 28 October

Arc de Triomphe opens Triumph by Night in Paris from 28 October 2026, presenting an exhibition about the monument’s nocturnal history in partnership with the City of Paris. The programme runs until 26 March 2027 and places night-time ceremonies, urban life and lighting at the centre of the visitor experience.

Triumph by Night opens on 28 October 2026

The exhibition began at the monument on 28 October 2026 and continues through 26 March 2027. It brings together images and documentary material about how the site has been used and represented after dark, from commemorative occasions to artistic and popular events.

The Centre des monuments nationaux, which operates the monument, is presenting the project with the City of Paris. Its related programme includes guided tours, lecture-tours, storytelling tours, creative workshops, talks and conferences. The operator also says that author Sophie Loizeau will take part in the third edition of the monument’s poet-in-residence programme. The operator’s exhibition announcement confirms the dates and partnership.

The Salle des Palmes gives the exhibition a specific setting

Triumph by Night is installed in the Salle des Palmes, a part of the monument that is rarely open to the public. The room held the remains of the Unknown Soldier in 1920 before his burial, giving the exhibition’s themes of memory and commemoration a direct connection with the building.

The exhibition is arranged in sections devoted to Tribute and Memory, Urban Life at Night, and Utopia of Lights: Arts and Entertainment. A further section addresses sustainable night-time lighting, while an educational area provides additional material. This links the exhibition’s subject to the architecture itself: the monument was inaugurated in 1836, and its terrace offers a view across Paris that changes significantly after dark.

The project also places the Arc within a wider history of illumination. Gas lighting, electricity and photography changed how nineteenth-century cities were seen and recorded, while the monument became part of Paris’s night-time visual culture. A Paris exhibition report likewise describes the display as a combination of photographs, paintings, posters, drawings and archival documents.

Access to the monument remains stair-only

The lift is out of service because of maintenance work, so visitors currently reach the upper areas by climbing 284 steps. The operator says renovation is planned and that the return to service is expected in 2027, although no exact date has been announced.

Visiting Arc de Triomphe: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Triumph by Night runs at Arc de Triomphe from 28 October 2026 to 26 March 2027, in the Salle des Palmes.
• The exhibition is inside the monument, and the lift is unavailable, leaving access to the upper areas via 284 steps.
• The address is Place Charles de Gaulle in Paris. The nearest public transport includes Metro lines 1, 2 and 6 and RER A at Charles-de-Gaulle-Étoile.
• Entry to the monument is through the Passage du Souvenir, reached from the top of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées or the Avenue de la Grande-Armée.

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Frequently asked questions about Arc de Triomphe

When does Triumph by Night take place at Arc de Triomphe?

The exhibition runs from 28 October 2026 to 26 March 2027. It is installed in the Salle des Palmes.

What is Triumph by Night about?

It examines the monument’s night-time history through images, documents and sections on memory, urban life, arts, entertainment and sustainable lighting.

Where is Arc de Triomphe and how do you get there?

It stands at Place Charles de Gaulle in Paris. Metro lines 1, 2 and 6 and RER A serve Charles-de-Gaulle-Étoile.