Arc de Triomphe opens Triumph by Night on 28 October

Arc de Triomphe and the Triumph by Night exhibition open a new visitor focus in Paris on 28 October 2026. The display runs until 26 March 2027 and examines how the monument has been used after dark for ceremonies, remembrance, art and public gatherings.

Triumph by Night opens at Arc de Triomphe on 28 October

The Centre des monuments nationaux is presenting the exhibition in partnership with the City of Paris. Its material includes images and documentary material linked to the monument’s night-time history, while the presentation is shaped by the changing effect of illumination.

The exhibition is in the Salle des Palmes, a part of the monument that is rarely open to visitors. The room held the remains of the Unknown Soldier in 1920 before his burial, giving the new exhibition a direct connection with the site’s history of remembrance. The operator’s exhibition details confirm the dates, venue and programme.

Night-time history meets a room tied to remembrance

Triumph by Night is arranged around sections on tribute and memory, urban life at night, and arts and entertainment. A further feature examines sustainable night-time lighting, linking the exhibition to current questions about how public buildings are illuminated.

The subject reaches beyond a general history of Paris after dark. The exhibition connects the monument’s 1836 inauguration with later changes in gas lighting, electricity, photography and public ceremony. Its position in the Salle des Palmes makes that theme specific to the building, while the terrace provides the setting for views across the illuminated city.

The programme also includes guided tours, lecture-tours, storytelling tours and creative workshops for families, the general public, schoolchildren and other groups. Talks and conferences are planned within the monument and at off-site locations in partnership with the City of Paris. The operator’s poet-in-residence programme is also due to welcome Sophie Loizeau for its third edition, focused on the night.

Paris landmark gains a new exhibition route

The exhibition presents Arc de Triomphe as more than a daylight viewpoint. It treats the building as a place whose meaning changes with lighting, commemoration, artistic activity and gatherings, a reading also reflected in the exhibition coverage.

For visitors, this means that the new display is located inside the monument rather than at a separate gallery. The Salle des Palmes is therefore both the venue and part of the story, with the 1920 history of the Unknown Soldier adding a precise link between the room and the exhibition’s remembrance section.

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

• Triumph by Night is on view at Arc de Triomphe from 28 October 2026 to 26 March 2027, in the Salle des Palmes.
• The lift is out of service, so access currently requires 284 steps; renovation is planned and its return is expected in 2027.
• The monument stands at Place Charles de Gaulle in Paris, with access through the Passage du Souvenir from the Champs-Élysées or Avenue de la Grande-Armée.
• Metro lines 1, 2 and 6, together with RER A, serve Charles-de-Gaulle-Étoile station.
• French is the official language and the currency in France is the euro.

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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 in the Salle des Palmes.

What is Triumph by Night about?

It explores the monument’s night-time ceremonies, remembrance, urban life, arts, entertainment and sustainable lighting.

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

It is at Place Charles de Gaulle in Paris, near Charles-de-Gaulle-Étoile station, served by metro lines 1, 2 and 6 and RER A.