The blockbuster Hokusai exhibition in Nantes has announced additional visiting time slots due to overwhelming public demand, with new tickets becoming available Friday, August 29 at noon. The exhibition, which features the world-renowned "Great Wave" masterpiece, has drawn massive crowds since its opening, creating impressive queues of visitors waiting for hours to gain entry to the Château des Ducs de Bretagne.
Facing the phenomenal success of this summer's must-see exhibition, museum organizers will release new time slots on the Château des Ducs de Bretagne website starting Friday, August 29 at noon. Given the exhibition's popularity, early visitors are likely to secure tickets first, and slots are expected to sell out rapidly. The original 40,000 tickets released when the exhibition opened were purchased within just a few hours, demonstrating the incredible public interest in this cultural event.
The exhibition, which opened on June 28, will conclude on Sunday, September 7, and organizers report that it has achieved "undeniable public success and scientific recognition." To accommodate more visitors before closing, the museum has extended operating hours during the final week. From Monday, September 1 through Saturday, September 6, the exhibition will remain open until 10 PM, while on the final day, Sunday, September 7, it will stay open until 7 PM with free admission and no reservations required.
Despite numerous requests from frustrated visitors unable to secure tickets, the exhibition cannot be extended beyond its scheduled closing date. Many disappointed art enthusiasts have expressed their frustration on the Château des Ducs de Bretagne's Facebook page, with visitors like Chris writing "When will there be an extension? I'm tired of being turned away after hours of waiting," and Marie noting that "for an 'exceptional' exhibition as you describe it, it would have been wise to plan for a longer duration."
Organizers explain that "the Hokusai exhibition unfortunately cannot be extended due to the fragility of the exhibited works." They emphasize that the partnership with the Hokusai-kan museum in Obuse, Japan, which agreed to loan works until September 7, is already exceptional given the established trust between the two institutions, as loan periods typically last only four weeks. This extended loan period represents an extraordinary cultural collaboration between French and Japanese museums.
For visitors who cannot secure tickets to the exhibition, organizers have arranged an alternative cultural experience. A documentary film by Lise Baron titled "Hokusai, Impressions of the Rising Sun" will be screened on Saturday, September 6 at Le Cinématographe cinema in Nantes, offering another opportunity to explore the life and work of the legendary Japanese artist whose "Great Wave" is recognized as one of the five most famous images in the world.
