At the Paris Agricultural Show, Paris, February 26, 2026. GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT / AFP
Vendors looked downcast as the doors of the Paris International Agricultural Show closed on Sunday, March 1. With 437,402 visitors, compared to 607,000 in 2025, attendance at the event held at Paris's Porte de Versailles was down by 27.9%.
Even before its opening on Saturday, February 21, the 62nd edition of this agricultural gathering had already made history. For the first time in its history, cows did not make the trip to the capital, as cattle farmers remained shaken by the outbreak of contagious nodular dermatitis, also known as lumpy skin disease, which first appeared in France in the summer of 2025. Even Biguine, the show's mascot cow, a Brahman from Martinique, was absent. She was replaced by a hologram.
"When there is no mascot, a symbol is missing," said Jérôme Despey, president of the agricultural show, who, halfway through the event, already reported a 25% drop in attendance and expressing regret over the absence of cattle. He also mentioned the school vacation calendar as a factor behind the decline in visitor numbers. Ultimately, the hoped-for rebound in the final days did not materialize – a blow that was especially harsh for exhibitors.
