The Centre Pompidou Francilien in Massy will open its doors for three free preview weekends — 17-18 October, 24-25 October and 31 October-1 November 2026 — ahead of its official opening in spring 2027. Titled “Prelude!”, the booking-required event offers a first glimpse of the new conservation and creation centre before the national collections move in. Spanning 30,000 square metres, the building is designed to house the 150,000 works of the Centre Pompidou’s collection. Designed by the PCA-Stream agency and built by VINCI, it combines a centre of excellence for conservation with public spaces for major exhibitions, multidisciplinary events, mediation programmes and artist residencies. Conceived as an art factory — a fabrique de l’art — it pairs professional spaces for conservation, research and technical expertise with a cultural space open to its local area and beyond. Each weekend centres on a distinct thread: Architecture (17-18 October), Nature and Territory (24-25 October) and Playing Together (31 October-1 November). Visitors will explore 9,000 square metres across several levels, with the route punctuated by major works from the collection, including sculptures by Jean Dubuffet and Germaine Richier and video and sound installations by Clément Cogitore, Claude Closky and Douglas Gordon. The programme also includes live performances, concerts, talks, flash tours and workshops for young audiences. The preview weekends arrive while the historic Beaubourg building in central Paris is closed for an extended renovation. The Massy centre, developed with the Île-de-France region, the Essonne department and the Paris-Saclay conurbation, will become fully operational in spring 2027, with its first major exhibition expected in March of that year.