The world of culture is now operating in slow motion, since the Ministry of Culture on Friday invited museums, theaters and monuments to close their doors to the public or to limit their activities. From the Eiffel Tower to the Printemps de Bourges, an overview of inaccessible cultural places and canceled shows due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Covid-19 pandemic is gaining ground in France, causing the cancellation of cultural events and the closure of cascading cultural places. Prime Minister Édouard Philippe announced on Friday that gatherings of more than 100 people were now banned. In the process, the Ministry of Culture called on Friday all the structures under its supervision, including museums and libraries, to limit their activities or to close to the public. Museums, monuments, festivals ... The world of culture is gradually coming to a halt in Paris and in the regions.

Parisian and regional museums close their doors

Friday, Parisian museums announced one after another their closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Louvre, the most visited museum in the world, is closed "until further notice", announced its management on Friday. Other major museums in the capital such as the Musée d'Orsay, the Musée de l'Orangerie, the Center Pompidou, the Palais de Tokyo, the Institut du monde arabe, the Bibliothèque nationale de France, the Musée de l'Homme , the Galeries du Jardin des Plantes and the Musée du Quai Branly are closed until further notice. In the regions, the Mucem in Marseille is also prohibited to the public, as is the Center Pompidou in Metz and the Maeght Foundation in Saint-Paul de Vence, in the Alpes-Maritimes.

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Museums that feel ready to apply the gauges of the hundred visitors wanted by the executive remain open for the time being: the Lafayette Anticipations Foundation, the Louvre-Lens, the Domaine de Chaumont, the Musée Marmottan-Monet, the Musée Jacquemart- André and the Carrières de Lumières. For these sites, access is limited to visitors who have reserved their tickets online, subject to compliance with the gauges.

Monuments prohibited to the public

The Eiffel Tower will be closed from Friday evening because of the coronavirus epidemic. "Due to the epidemic of Covid-19, the Operating Company of the Eiffel Tower announces the closure of the Tower this evening at 9 pm," said the operating company, saying it hoped "to be able to reopen very soon when the health situation allows. " The Palace of Versailles is also closed, with the exception of its gardens and park.

In the context of the # COVID19 epidemic and the government measures announced today, the #tourEiffel will be closed to the public this evening at 9 p.m. for an indefinite period. # Covid19 # Coronaviruspic.twitter.com / vWDlhB5AuP

- The Eiffel Tower (@LaTourEiffel) March 13, 2020

However, various parks remain open, such as the Jardin des Plantes or the Vincennes zoo. Visitors are indeed not confined to it.

Le Printemps de Bourges canceled

The Printemps de Bourges, one of the most important music festivals in France, scheduled for April 21 to 26, has been canceled due to the ban on gatherings of more than 100 people linked to the coronavirus, organizers said on Friday. This event gathered 200,000 festival-goers last year. Catherine Ringer, Alain Souchon, M, Suzane, Philippe Katerine and even Romeo Elvis were scheduled for this 44th edition.

The Old Plows maintained

The 29th edition of the Vieilles Charrues festival, which will take place in Carhaix-Plouguer, in Finistère, will take place from July 16 to 19, the organizers said. "The decree of the ministry has no impact on the holding of the festival, which will open its doors on 07/16. We are in solidarity with all the actors of the cultural and event sector. We call for the establishment exceptional support measures, "they said in a tweet on Thursday.

The dates of the Hellfest metal festival are also maintained for the moment. This is also the case for the Solidays festival in Paris, which even announced new artists on Friday, including PNL, Justice and Sean Paul. A major festival in the south-east of France, Garorock has not announced any deprogramming, just like the Main Square Festival in Arras, the Francofolies de La Rochelle and the Festival d'Avignon.

Disneyland Paris and Futuroscope concerned

Disney announced Thursday the closure of its Disney World, Florida and Disneyland Paris theme parks from Sunday until the end of March, "as a precautionary measure" against the coronavirus epidemic. The hotels of the two sites will remain in operation "until further notice" but the world number one in entertainment has also decided to suspend all its cruises for the month of March, he announced in a press release to AFP.

In Poitiers, Futuroscope is also affected by this series of closures. The large leisure park, which welcomes nearly two million visitors a year, announced that it will close Friday from Monday until March 31. For their part, the Puy du Fou park and Parc Astérix have assured that their season would only start on April 4.

The Futuroscope is temporarily closed from Monday March 16 in the morning until Tuesday March 31 inclusive, in the context of the fight against the spread of COVID-19.
You will find answers to your questions at https://t.co/XBEBNgabX5pic.twitter.com/HlRdf4o5CY

- Futuroscope (@futuroscope) March 13, 2020

Operas, theaters, standby libraries

Scalded by a historic strike by its staff against the pension reform which cost them 16.4 million euros, the Paris Opera foresees seven million additional ticketing losses with the cancellation of at least 34 performances in Bastille and Garnier by April 24. Friday, the institution decided to cancel until March 31 all of its ballet and opera rehearsals, as well as the shows in its smallest rooms, the amphitheater and the Bastille studio. At the Lille Opera, the performances of 20 dancers for the 20th century are also canceled. The Opéra national de Lorraine, meanwhile, canceled all of its performances until April 5.

Parisian and regional theaters are also protecting themselves from the pandemic. In Paris, the Odéon theater has closed until further notice. The doors of the Comédie-Française, the Théâtre National de Chaillot, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and the Philharmonie de Paris are also closed to the public until April. The Théâtre du Châtelet has also canceled its performances.

Several municipal libraries are no longer accessible. This is particularly the case in Besançon, Caen, Rouen and Metz. In Rennes, three libraries are closing for the moment, the others remain open. The youth sections of the media libraries and libraries are also closed in Paris.