The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) has secured its position as Australia’s most visited art museum, ranking 25th globally in The Art Newspaper’s 2025 attendance report. The institution welcomed over 3 million visitors across its two Melbourne locations, bolstered significantly by a record-breaking Yayoi Kusama retrospective that drew 570,537 attendees. This blockbuster exhibition became the most popular ticketed show in the gallery's history, attracting international celebrities and a high percentage of overseas tourists.
The rankings highlight a robust recovery for global cultural institutions, with the top 100 museums collectively surpassing 200 million visits. While the Musée du Louvre remains the world's most visited site with over 9 million guests, the NGV's performance underscores Melbourne's status as a major cultural hub. The data also reflects the growing dominance of immersive and high-profile solo exhibitions in driving museum footfall and maintaining institutional relevance in a competitive global tourism market.