When the Pompidou Centre first opened its doors 40 years ago this month, no one could have foreseen its immediate success and overwhelming visitor numbers. Four decades on, it is still among the most recognisable and important landmarks of modern Paris, with its once-revolutionary multidisciplinary approach to the arts proving as popular as ever. Today it continues to be a meeting place of literature, film, performance and the visual arts, home to a vast public library alongside the Musee National d'Art Moderne, one of the largest contemporary art museums in the world.
To mark this anniversary year, the Pompidou is taking the celebrations outside the French capital with an ambitious programme of events across the country. Forty cities, including Grenoble, Lille, Chambord and Nice, will host exhibitions, alongside special concerts and performances commissioned for the occasion.
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