A Summer in Le Havre

Le Havre is unlike anywhere else in Normandy. Boasting modern architecture, relaxed seaside vibes and a buzzing social scene, this port city has been hosting a diverse summer season of events every year since it celebrated its 500th anniversary back in 2017, and has made quite a name for itself as a creative and artistic hub. This year’s join the 10th edition, running from June 27 to September 20, 2026.

The artworks of the 2026 edition

Each summer, leading contemporary artists are invited to share their vision of the city through site-specific creations. As you wander through Le Havre, you’ll encounter works by recognized French and international artists.

The 2026 season, curated by artistic director Gaël Charbau, features seven new artworks, complemented by several exhibitions in the city’s museums and cultural venues : perfect for a day, a weekend, or longer.

• Sculpture flottante, Icebergs by Gaspard Combes, A floating sculpture in the Bassin du Commerce, Body of Water, evoking polar ice in the heart of the city.
• Les Optimists by Lorène Dengoyan. Familiar small sailboats adorned with colorful sails, also installed in the Bassin du Commerce, Body of Water.
• Spinning Around by Sophia Taillet, Rotating mirrors on the forecourt of Notre-Dame Cathedral, reflecting and reshaping the urban landscape.
• Sur le motif, by Guillaume Aubry. A periscope installed at Southampton Dock, marking the exact spot where Claude Monet painted Impression, Sunrise in November 1872.
• Les génies aussi passent le permis, by Samuel Trenquier. The title can be translated as : Even geniuses have to pass their driving test. About twenty colorful amphorae filled with fantasy creatures in Albert-René Square.
• Corallium, by Charlotte Huard, A participatory coral-like sculpture made from handprints of Le Havre residents.
• La ville qui n’existait pas IV – La maison des rêves (2050-2612), by Grégory Chatonsky. The title can translated as The City That Did Not Exist IV – The House of Dreams (2050–2612). A functional Perret-style phone booth where visitors can listen to stories combining personal testimony and artificial intelligence.

Photogenic permanent artworks

23 works and installations make up the permanent collection of A Summer in Le Havre and form an integral part of the city’s identity.
You immediately think of Catène de containers by Vincent Ganivet, which has literally transformed Southampton Dock.
On the beach, the work Up #3 by Lang/Baumann, very graphic like the city itself, also has its “little effect”.
Not far from the beach, at Saint-Vincent de Paul Place, the sculpture created by Japanese artist Izumi Kato, with its impressive proportions (7 metres high!), does not leave anyone indifferent.
Likewise the sculpture (6.24 metres) by Fabien Mérelle, To the End of the World, located on the Augustin Normand breakwater and literally turned towards the open sea and the future. It too has become a familiar landmark in the Le Havre landscape.
Not forgetting The Narrow House by Erwin Wurm, a pavilion with unusual dimensions: 18 metres long and 1.40 metres wide. To see and visit at Claude Érignac Square.
Not far from there, the artist Isabelle Cornaro imagined, under the title “Coupes”, the dressing of the station’s glass windows, using colour charts, echoing the stained-glass windows of the impressive Saint-Joseph church.

Exhibitions

Le Havre’s museums are joining the event with a rich cultural programme.

• “Monet in Le Havre”, from June 5 to September 27, 2026 at the MuMa (André Malraux Museum of Modern Art).The museum devotes its summer exhibition to Claude Monet’s years in Le Havre, on the occasion of the centenary of his death, with nearly one hundred works.
• Ai Weiwei, Water Lilies, from June 5 to September 27, 2026 at the MuMa, Le Havre, as part of the Normandy Impressionist Festival. A contemporary version of Claude Monet’s Water Lilies, made from 650,000 LEGO® bricks.
• The Story of Fixity, by Noémie Goudal, from June 27 to September 27, 2026 at Le Portique.
  Her work focuses on landscape, the relationship with nature, and emotions.
• Anima (ex) Musica, from June 6 to October 4, 2026 at the Museum (Muséum).
  Giant insects built from out-of-use musical instruments.
• Reminiscences, Ghosts of Slavery, from May 8 to September 20, 2026 at La Maison de l’Armateur.
  An invitation to collectively rethink the history of slavery and its resonances in contemporary society.

Useful information

A Summer in Le Havre 2026
From June 27 to September 20, 2026

Works in public spaces, artistic trails, and major exhibitions.
www.uneteauhavre.fr

Free of charge (except for certain museum exhibitions).
can be explored freely, on foot or by bike.
La Maison de l’Été (125 rue Victor Hugo) serves as a welcome and information point, with workshops for families offered throughout the summer.