France’s Pompidou Center Hosts Its Biggest Event Ever Before Bidding Adieu for Five Years

France’s Pompidou Center Hosts Its Biggest Event Ever Before Bidding Adieu for Five Years The Pompidou Center, a top French cultural institution and the largest modern art museum in Europe, is closing its doors for a while. Starting in the fall of 2025, the building will undergo a five-year renovation process. Given its status in the art world, the famed Pompidou had to go out with a bang—and it […] READ: France’s Pompidou Center Hosts Its Biggest Event Ever Before Bidding Adieu for Five Years

Art Nov 10, 2025 0 8 Add to Reading List

France’s Pompidou Center Hosts Its Biggest Event Ever Before Bidding Adieu for Five Years

The Pompidou Center, a top French cultural institution and the largest modern art museum in Europe, is closing its doors for a while. Starting in the fall of 2025, the building will undergo a five-year renovation process. Given its status in the art world, the famed Pompidou had to go out with a bang—and it did. It held a multidisciplinary event that included a DJ set by Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter.

Named Because Beaubourg, the festival was billed as “the biggest event ever held at the Centre Pompidou.” It was created in collaboration with Because Music, a France-based independent music label that has propelled names such as Justice, Metronomy, Parcels, and Charlotte Gainsbourg to stardom.

This marked Bangalter’s first proper DJ set in 16 years. His music selections featured several classics by Daft Punk, the revolutionary electronic music duo made up of him and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. As such, it scratched an itch for fans of the band, which hasn’t put out a new album since their Grammy-winning Random Access Memories was released in 2013. The legendary music producer was joined by popular British singer and DJ Fred Again.. who shared the story behind Bangalter's unique connection to the building.

“Thomas told me in this lift on the way down to the show that the first time he fell in love with electronic music was in this building in 1992,” Fred Again.. wrote on Instagram. “He also told me hasn’t played a proper set without the mask on for 24 years. I didn’t know what to say to either of those things and I still don’t.”

The evening also featured a set by Pedro Winter (Busy P) DJing back-to-back with Erol Alkan. While the video from the livestream has been taken down, you can still listen to the set below.

The entirety of Because Beaubourg, which also featured a Roller Disco and several musical showcases, served as a bridge to the Pompidou’s off-site program. Named Constellation, it will keep the spirit of the museum alive by bringing art and culture to partner venues across France and the world. In 2026, the Pompidou will also open a new space in the southern commune of Massy, which will be known as the Centre Pompidou Francilien.

To stay up to date with the Pompidou Center’s renovations and events, follow the institution on Instagram.