The figures are clear: “Municipalities account for 80% of cultural spending by local authorities and about 45% of public cultural spending,” states Vincent Guillon, a political scientist and co-director of the Observatory of Cultural Policies. “Municipalities are truly the core of public cultural funding. This is where cultural life is most supported and sustained.”
This significant role in funding contrasts with the low visibility of culture in electoral campaigns. “There is a paradox between the budget weight of cultural policies at the local level and the lack of interest they generate in political debates,” the researcher continues. “In municipal budgets, culture represents an average of about 7% of expenses, but this figure varies greatly depending on the size of cities: around 5% in small municipalities, up to 20% in the largest, where it can be the second or third budget item.”
Except for Paris, where major cultural facilities such as national museums like the Louvre, Orsay Museum, Center Pompidou, Grand Palais, and theaters like the Comédie-Française are directly funded by the state.
French cultural policy is based on a unique legal framework: culture is not a mandatory competence for local authorities. Municipalities can intervene in this area, but are not obligated to do so. This status explains both the importance and fragility of local cultural policies. “When public finances are strained, culture becomes an adjustment variable,” observes Vincent Guillon.
Since 2023, there have been concerning signals. The barometer of cultural budgets of local authorities, published by the Observatory of Cultural Policies, indicates that between 2024 and 2025, almost half of the authorities have reduced their cultural spending, significantly affecting live performances, festivals, and contemporary creation actions.
Professionals in the sector regularly experience this. “The subsidies from local authorities represent 70% of the financing for live performances,” points out Claire Guièveze, co-president of Syndeac and deputy director of the Dijon-Bourgogne Center, a national dramatic center. “For us, it is crucial to see what cultural policy candidates have in store for the municipal elections.”
To assess these commitments, Syndeac and several organizations in live performances have sent a questionnaire to candidates in the upcoming municipal elections. The goal is to identify their cultural commitments for the duration of their mandate.
“The public cooperation has allowed both the development of cultural policies and a certain independence of cultural actors,” explains Vincent Guillon. “Cross-financing prevents an institution from being dependent on a single political power.”
In practice, municipalities play a decisive role in the structuring of cultural institutions. The buildings often belong to cities, as in the case of the Dijon-Bourgogne theater. “We have a budget of just under four million euros. The city of Dijon provides us with one million euros. If that were to change, it would be very complicated for us,” details Claire Guièveze.
This dependency is part of a logic of cross-financing, with cultural institutions generally relying on a balance between state and various levels of local authorities, as part of France’s decentralized cultural policy framework established since the 1980s.
However, this model is under pressure. The recent reduction in the state budget for culture and significant cuts by some regions, such as Pays de la Loire, pose a threat to the future of the arts sector, making the outcome of the 2026 municipal elections critical.
Another factor that could reshape the landscape is the decentralization law proposed by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, which aims to give more freedom of action to local authorities. This could potentially disrupt the longstanding balance between the state and local authorities in French cultural policy.
In rural areas, culture plays an essential role in maintaining local cohesion and can even be a lever for territorial attractiveness. For example, in Vicq-sur-Breuilh, the mayor Christine de Neuville emphasizes the importance of culture in creating social bonds in the community. The village hosts the Cécile-Sabourdy Museum dedicated to naive art and opens up dialogue between contemporary artists and local heritage.
Overall, the role of municipalities in funding culture is crucial, especially in rural areas, where cultural initiatives can be a vital factor in nurturing community bonds and fostering local pride and engagement in the arts.
