Paris Photo · 2026

Agoris analysis · updated June 2026

Key takeaways

• Paris Photo 2026 is the 29th edition of the largest international fair dedicated to the photographic medium, from Thursday 12 to Sunday 15 November 2026 at the Grand Palais, nave and balconies. VIP preview on Wednesday 12 November from 2pm.
• Organised by RX France (a subsidiary of the British RELX group), with an all-female leadership: Florence Bourgeois (director) and Anna Planas (artistic director, appointed on 29 November 2022).
• Record 2025 results: 87,275 visitors (vs 81,000 in 2024, the previous post-renovation record), 170 galleries from 25 countries, 1,385 artists exhibited, 60 first-time participants or returning galleries (around 27% of the total), 39% female artists through the Elles x Paris Photo programme (vs 20% in 2018).
• 2026 ambitions set by RX France: more than 220 exhibitors, 30+ countries represented, 75,000 visitors expected, 18,000 collectors and VIPs, 165 galleries (60% French, 40% international), more than 900 artists, 30% new exhibitors.
• Five sectors structure the fair: Main, Editions, Emergence (created in 2018, formerly Curiosa), Voices and Digital. The 29th edition forms part of the Bicentenary of Photography celebrated in France in 2026-2027.

Who exhibits

Typical profile

A specialist international fair bringing together contemporary and historical art galleries specialising in photography, photo book publishers (Editions sector), institutions, foundations and digital platforms (Digital sector). Target audience: international collectors, curators, institution directors, exhibition curators, dealers, professional photographers, specialist art and photography press, art school students.

Notable exhibitors (2026)

Five curated sectors:

• Main: established international galleries presenting a historical and contemporary programme.
• Editions: publishers and booksellers specialising in the photo book, presenting limited editions, signed prints and rare works.
• Emergence: created in 2018 under the name Curiosa, dedicated to galleries presenting emerging artists or monographic proposals.
• Voices: a programme curated in 2026 by Zasha Colah and Francesco Zanot, dedicated to ambitious curatorial proposals put forward by the participating galleries.
• Digital: 15 galleries in 2026, curated by Marco de Mutiis, dedicated to photographic practices linked to the digital realm, generative imagery and new media.

Retention rate

A historical core of loyal galleries present across several consecutive editions, balanced by a deliberate renewal policy: around 27% first-time participants or returns in 2025 (60 galleries out of 170), with a target of 30% new exhibitors for 2026. Annual selection by a committee of international gallerists, ensuring editorial quality and renewal.

Visitor quality

A strongly qualified audience on the professional days and the VIP preview on 12 November at 2pm. 2026 target: 18,000 collectors and VIPs out of the 75,000 visitors expected, around 24% collector attendance. A strong international presence (curators from European, American and Asian museums), global specialist press, foundations and public and private acquisition programmes. The Pro Pass is reserved for photographers and art professionals (unlimited access from 13 to 16 November and to the VIP previews).

Programme & community

Conference programme

A programme of talks and conversations curated across the four days of the fair, bringing together artists, curators, publishers and critics around the major issues of the photographic medium. The detailed programme is published by the organisers ahead of the event on parisphoto.com.

Awards & prizes

Paris Photo-Aperture PhotoBook Awards (2025 edition, three categories, more than 1,000 books submitted from 55 countries):

• First PhotoBook Award: Eleonora Agostini for "A Study on Waitressing" (Witty Books), worth 10,000 dollars.
• PhotoBook of the Year: Hicham Benohoud for "The Classroom" (Loose Joints).
• Photography Catalog of the Year: "Generalized Visual Resistance" by Catarina Boieiro and Raquel Schefer (ATLAS).

Carte Blanche Étudiants: 8th edition in 2025, a programme run by Paris Photo, Picto Foundation and SNCF Gares & Connexions. Open to European schools offering a bachelor's or master's photography course, with the Gobelins school as host school. Four winners selected from 20 finalists. Saif Carte Blanche Étudiants grant of €3,000. The 2026 deadline is set for 8 June.

Satellite events

VIP preview on Wednesday 12 November from 2pm. Off programme in Parisian institutions during the week of the fair (Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Bibliothèque nationale de France, private foundations, off-site galleries). Artist signings and book signings in the Editions sector throughout the fair.

Community & networks

Institutional and operational partners: Aperture (long-standing partner of the PhotoBook Awards), Picto Foundation, SNCF Gares & Connexions and Gobelins (Carte Blanche Étudiants), Saif (student grant). A constant commitment to parity with the Elles x Paris Photo programme, which raised the share of female artists exhibited from 20% in 2018 to 39% in 2025, with a progression confirmed each year.

What's new in 2026

The 29th edition takes place within the framework of the Bicentenary of Photography 2026-2027 celebrated in France. Voices 2026: a new curatorial duo, Zasha Colah and Francesco Zanot (succeeding Devika Singh and Nadine Wietlisbach in 2025). Digital 2026: 15 galleries curated by Marco de Mutiis. Stated growth objective: 220+ exhibitors, 75,000 visitors, 18,000 collectors and VIPs, 30% new exhibitors.

On site: what you need to know

• Venue: Grand Palais, central nave and balconies. A return to the renovated Grand Palais since 2024, after the 2021 to 2023 editions held at the Grand Palais Éphémère during the works.
• Transport access: Métro L1 and L13 (Champs-Élysées - Clemenceau), L9 (Franklin D. Roosevelt). RER C (Invalides). Buses 28, 42, 72, 73, 80, 83, 93. The area is congested during the week, so allow 30 to 45 minutes' margin on public transport.
• Parking: Public car parks on rue de Berri, Marigny and Champs-Élysées. Heavy congestion expected on the preview day and at the weekend. Public transport is recommended.
• Accommodation: The 8th (Champs-Élysées, Madeleine), 7th (Invalides, Saint-Germain) and 1st (Tuileries, Concorde) districts are recommended. Book 3 to 4 months in advance, as the November week is in high demand in Paris.
• Opening hours & tickets 2026: Thursday 12 (VIP preview from 2pm, by invitation), open to the public from Thursday 13 to Sunday 15 November. B2C ticketing available exclusively online on parisphoto.com. Pro Pass reserved for photographers and art professionals: unlimited access from 13 to 16 November and access to the VIP previews.
• Services: Cloakrooms, specialist bookshop, on-site catering, press room, VIP collectors' lounge, artist signings in the Editions sector.

How much it costs to exhibit

Preparing your visit

For the exhibitor

• 12 months out (November 2025): preparing the application file, choosing the sector (Main, Editions, Emergence, Voices, Digital), putting together the artistic programme
• 9 months out (February 2026): submitting the application to RX France, selection by the committee of international gallerists
• 6 months out (May 2026): confirmation of the selection, negotiation of area and location, signing of the exhibitor contract
• 4 months out (July 2026): finalising the artistic programme, scenography brief, transport logistics and artwork insurance
• 2 months out (September 2026): collector and press invitations, team accreditations, communications plan
• 1 month out (October 2026): final adjustments, artwork loans, validation of labels and hanging

For the decision-making visitor

• Buy your ticket online on parisphoto.com (B2C ticketing exclusively online)
• Photographers and art professionals: request the Pro Pass for unlimited access from 13 to 16 November and access to the VIP previews
• VIP preview on Wednesday 12 November from 2pm: by invitation only, with priority for collectors and curators
• Favour Thursday 13 or Friday 14 November for gallery meetings, and the weekend for the off programme and signings
• Allow 1.5 to 2 days to cover the five sectors and the talks in the conference programme
• Carte Blanche Étudiants: 2026 deadline on 8 June, Saif grant of €3,000 for the winner

How the trade fair has evolved

Trajectory analysis

In 2025 Paris Photo confirmed its status as the largest international fair dedicated to photography, with a new attendance record of 87,275 visitors and a solid editorial foundation (170 galleries from 25 countries, 1,385 artists). The return to the renovated Grand Palais in 2024, after the editions held at the Grand Palais Éphémère during the 2021-2023 renovation works, marked a turning point: the fair recovered its historic setting and its full volumes. The 2026 edition plays three cards at once: the Bicentenary of Photography 2026-2027 celebrated in France, which places the 29th edition at the heart of a national cultural moment; the objective of reaching 220+ exhibitors and 75,000 visitors with 30% new exhibitors to confirm the renewal dynamic; and the consolidation of structural commitments (Elles x Paris Photo having risen from 20% to 39% female artists since 2018, the Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge and the Climate Pledge backed by the RX / RELX group). Under the direction of Anna Planas and Florence Bourgeois, Paris Photo confirms a trajectory of measured growth, anchored in curatorial quality and the diversification of collector audiences.

Unless otherwise stated, all factual data in this listing comes from the organiser's official website (parisphoto.com).