No money to raise salaries, no money to give young people a decent education, no money to fund culture. Apparently, the French government has decided to cut costs across a large portion of sectors essential to the people of France. On Thursday, October 1st, the 2027 finance bill was presented. And since France is facing an absolutely catastrophic economic situation — the largest debt in Europe — apparently, everyone needs to pitch in to find a solution. On the culture side, expect a budget cut of 96 million euros compared to 2026. But not everyone is in the same boat.
Avec un budget en baisse de 96 millions d’euros pour 2027 par rapport à 2026 de son ministère de tutelle, la Culture en France risque de se trouver en situation de paupérisation, son avenir de plus en plus sombre https://t.co/Rb5F99nfUw
— Bruno Serrou (@Cirmeau) October 2, 2026
Taking part in the common « effort »
« We are led to make efforts like all the other [ministries] », notably stated Catherine Pégard, Minister of Culture, « the efforts we make today should help us avoid sacrifices tomorrow ».
The total budget allocated to culture will therefore be 3.649 billion euros — compared to 3.745 billion last year, a decrease of 95.4 million euros.
Not all culture is affected equally
While the budget cut affects all areas of culture, some are more disadvantaged than others. This is notably the case
live entertainment and the Pass Culture. While the former will receive only 963 million euros in budget (compared to 983 million in 2026), the latter sees its annual budget reduced by 20 million euros. As for the Louvre, 3 million euros will be cut from its annual budget.Voir cette publication sur Instagram
Others, however, have a slight edge. In 2027, cultural heritage will be given more prominence with a budget of 1.1116 billion euros compared to 1.108 billion in 2026.