1 / 5Paris is about to transform its most historic crossing into something out of a dream. From June 6 to June 28, 2026, French street artist JR will unveil La Caverne du Pont Neuf — a monumental, walkable cave that completely envelops the Pont Neuf, Paris’s oldest bridge, built in 1607. A boat moves along the River Seine with the temporary artwork “La Caverne du Pont Neuf,” conceived by French street artist JR as a tribute to Christo and Jeanne-Claude on the Pont Neuf bridge in the background, in Paris, France, May 26, 2026. REUTERS/Alice Sacco
2 / 5The installation measures 120 metres long, 20 metres wide, and up to 18 metres tall in some spots, making it the world’s first installation of its kind on this scale. Inside, visitors will encounter sound and augmented reality alongside optical illusions, inflatable structures, and dramatic plays of light that turn the bridge into a temporary “mineral fault”. Image source: REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
3 / 5The structure is almost entirely made of air — 80 canvas arches filled with air create the cave’s rocky illusion rising over the Seine. Thomas Bangalter, former member of the music duo Daft Punk, (to the right on the picture) has imagined the sound dimension for the installation. Photo: Eléa Jeanne Schmitter ©Atelier JR
4 / 5The project pays tribute to Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s iconic “The Pont-Neuf Wrapped” from 40 years ago, marking a new monumental chapter in Paris’s tradition of transformative public art. The artist, often called the “French Banksy”, has previously glued giant faces on Gaza’s walls, covered the Palais Garnier façade with dancers suspended 30 metres high, and made the Louvre pyramid disappear.
5 / 5One of the most exciting aspects for travellers: access is completely free, without reservation, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The bridge will be closed to traffic but accessible on foot, by bicycle, from the quays, nearby bridges, the Seine, or even riverboats.
