The Eiffel Tower temporarily closed on the evening of 7 September 2026 after female staff said they were told to "make themselves invisible" during a private visit by around 100 members of a Hindu group over the weekend. The delegation was in France for celebrations linked to the inauguration of a Hindu temple near Paris, and appears to have requested limited "interactions with women", with some female employees replaced by male colleagues at their posts. The incident has sparked anger among staff and condemnation from senior French politicians, raising questions about how the request was accepted in the first place.

Staff union representative Diane Davoine said women were asked to leave their workstations on Saturday so men could take their place, prompting employees to hold a meeting on Monday to demand it never happen again; the tower subsequently closed for "operational reasons" with management issuing an apology. SETE, the tower's operating company, said the conditions were incompatible with its values and those of gender equality, and its president Ariel Weil called the practice unacceptable. Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire announced an investigation, while equality minister Aurore Berge, far-right candidate Marine Le Pen and centrist figure Gabriel Attal all publicly criticised the arrangement, insisting no religion or culture could dictate women's place in France.