The City of Paris has launched a rather unique lottery to offer Parisians the chance to rest among the stars.
Indeed, should you wish to be buried next to famous names like Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Simone de Beauvoir and Édith Piaf, the French capital has got you covered.
Ten abandoned heritage graves in each of the historic cemeteries of Père-Lachaise, Montmartre and Montparnasse are being raffled, in a scheme that “presents a compromise” between respecting the dead and giving residents a chance to be buried within the city, according to the Paris council.
The plan aims to restore 30 tombs that have fallen into disrepair. Cemeteries within the city walls have been almost full since the beginning of the 20th century, with the clearing of abandoned tombs complicated by local regulations, the authority explained.
“In recent decades, cemetery visitors throughout France have expressed an interest in restoring a historic funerary monument in order to obtain a burial plot concession in return.”
Under the conditions, the lottery winners must restore the ancient funerary monument they buy within six months, with the new design “faithful to the original”. Once a monument is restored, they can acquire a burial spot not too far from the stars.
Candidates have to provide quotes from specialised stonemasons “to demonstrate that they are aware of the cost of the renovation, so there are no surprises,” said Paul Simondon, a deputy to Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo.
If the restoration and purchase conditions are not met, “the sale of the monument is cancelled and the buyer loses their investment,” the authorities warn.
The cost? Hefty.
Each existing tomb will be available to buy for €4,000 + restoration costs.
Then, burial plots are leased for a fixed term, or in perpetuity. A burial plot will set buyers back €976 for a 10-year lease; €3,354 for 30 years; €5,260 for 50 years; and €17,668 for perpetuity.
Still, these price tags and conditions haven’t spooked Parisians.
“Within the first 24 hours we had 1,000 clicks on the application forms,” Simondon shared with AFP.
So, for anyone currently living in Paris (applications are open only to residents of the French capital) and struggling to come up with an idea for the ideal Christmas gift, the applications are open until 31 December.
All Parisians need to do is select which cemetery…
Père-Lachaise counts Jim Morrison, Sarah Bernhardt, Molière, Oscar Wilde and Édith Piaf among its illustrious residents. Montparnasse cemetery is home to Charles Baudelaire, Serge Gainsbourg, Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Susan Sontag and Agnès Varda. As for Montmartre, you could be a stone’s throw away from Edgar Degas, Henri-Georges Clouzot, Alexandre Dumas, François Truffaut and Émile Zola.
The 30 winners will be announced in January 2026.