Snap unveiled a new cultural partnership with the Palace of Versailles, bringing historical royal festivities to life through augmented reality while continuing to navigate EU regulatory requirements.

The “Dansez Versailles” experience integrates four AR lenses into the Palace of Versailles’ official mobile application. The project transforms specific garden locations into interactive performance spaces, recreating baroque dances that were central to court life under Louis XIV. Visitors can experience reconstructed historical dances at landmarks including the Latona Fountain, the Orangery, the Water Theater grove, and the Ballroom grove.

The initiative highlights dance as a political and cultural tool during the reign of Louis XIV. The “Sun King,” described as an accomplished dancer trained from childhood, established the Royal Academy of Dance in 1661 and made baroque dance fundamental to court life. The AR experience aims to restore the gardens to their original function as spaces for spectacle and entertainment while providing an educational dimension to visitors’ experiences.

European User Base

This cultural initiative comes as Snap maintains a significant European presence, with 93.7 million monthly active users across the EU according to its latest DSA Transparency Report. France, home to the Versailles partnership, represents Snap’s largest European market with nearly 27 million users.

The company continues to balance creative initiatives with regulatory compliance, reporting 89% accuracy in its automated content moderation systems across EU member states while processing approximately 4 million user notices during the second half of 2024.

The Versailles partnership represents Snap’s ongoing investment in culturally significant AR experiences within its European operations.