The institutionalization of culture as a category of metropolitan-scale public action is gaining ground. Having played a key role in the construction of French cities as a political and social actor, culture is now mobilized to serve the same purpose in metropolises. This raises the question of the metropolitan governance of culture. The article explores the uncertain paths multi-level governance has taken in the Lille area. It highlights the success of Lille 2004 European Capital of Culture in initiating the institutionalization of a metropolitan cultural action but hides centripetal and centrifugal mechanisms that question the consequences of the event and explain why the metropolitan culture remains in search of multilevel governance.