Paris Events In April 2024 – Art, Music, Festivals & Easter

Springtime in Paris will bring showers and sunshine along with an exciting collection of activities. Events this April include the annual Paris Art Fair, Easter festivities, and the ever-popular Paris Marathon. So grab your parapluie (umbrella) and lunettes (sunglasses) and use our Big List of April activities & events to plan your time in Paris.

What To Do & See In Paris When You're Here

Art Paris – Art Fair

A thousand artists will gather under the glass dome of the Grand Palais to exhibit their latest works. This leading fair for modern and contemporary art features one hundred forty-five art galleries from Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

• Grand Palais Éphémère
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Easter In Paris

• Good Friday, April 7, 2024
• Easter Sunday, April 9, 2024
• Easter Monday, April 10, 2024 – French National Holiday

Poisson d'Avril

They say April Fools Day, called Poisson d'Avril, is a French tradition dating back to the 16th century. In 1564, Charles XIV decreed the Gregorian calendar would replace the Julian calendar making the New Year celebrated on January 1st instead of April 1st. Without reliable communication between Paris and rural areas, many did not get the memo for several years, or did not believe it. So, pranks were played on those April Fools still following the Julian calendar, and the tradition began.

Today in France, schoolchildren tape a paper fish onto the back of an unsuspecting ami, yelling "Poisson d'Avril" when the fish is noticed. And if you happen to be in Paris on April 1 you will notice chocolate fish for sale at practically every chocolatier. The fish-shaped chocolates, called fritures, are a traditional Poisson d'Avril treat, can be filled with ganache, and are made to look like a sardine wrapped in a silver wrapper.

• April 1, 2024

Paris Roubaix Challenge Cycling Race

Ever dreamt of riding in the Tour de France? The Paris-Roubaix bicycle race gives amateur cyclists the chance to compete in an event as close as possible to a professional race. Cyclists from around the world will compete in the legendary race called the Hell of the North with three increasingly difficult routes to choose from covering distances from 70 km to 172 km. All three routes will finish with a final lap on the velodrome in Roubaix, 230 km from Paris.

• April 2024
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The Annual Paris Marathon

Each April thousands of runners gather to run the famed marathon that covers the top Paris sights — including the Champs-Elysées, place de la Concorde, and the Eiffel Tower. The Paris Marathon is one of the biggest in the world, attracting 55,000 runners from 150 countries. The first Paris Marathon, named the Tour de Paris Marathon, took place in 1896 with nearly two hundred participants. Eighty years later the first modern Paris Marathon was held in 1976.

Runners follow a challenging route starting at the Arc de Triomphe, heading towards the Place de la Concorde, Rue de Rivoli, Place de la Bastille, Bois de Vincennes, Notre Dame, and the Eiffel Tower. The race finishes on Avenue Foch, almost full circle to the Arc de Triomphe. For the full running experience French style, visit the Salon du Running expo which takes place three days before the marathon

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Le Salon du Running Expo

This is the biggest expo dedicated to the sport of running in France. 90,000 runners and joggers and gawkers will head to the Porte de Versailles exposition center for expert tips and tricks to improve their running game. For twenty years the Salon du Running expo has attracted a growing number of runners and has supported the participants of the Marathon de Paris with bibs and timing chips.

Here's where you can learn from running professionals with a full schedule of conferences, cooking classes, a massage area, and medical advice. But you don't need to be gearing up for a marathon to enjoy the sportif atmosphere. Being it's in France, there's a fashion area with a sneak preview of upcoming running fashion trends.

• Porte de Versailles
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Foire de Paris – The Grand Paris Expo

This is the place to find out all about the latest trends in European home interiors, gardens, even wine & gastronomy. The top Paris home show has been a staple of French culture since 1904, and the show was presented even in 1917 during World War I, when the front line was only 100 kms from the city gates. That's commitment to design! The Foire de Paris has been held at the Porte de Versailles exhibition salon since 1924, and in 1945, with World War II barely over, Charles de Gaulle gave the opening speech declaring the foire's commitment to France's renewal.

• Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles
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Tour Auto Optic 2000

Ready, set go! Vintage car fans will flock to the Grand Palais to admire the vehicles chosen to take part in the the annual road race before they leave Paris. This year's race celebrates exotic British cars like Frazer-Nash, Jowett, Sunbeam-Talbot, and Fairthorpe. In fact, only 240 cars released pre-1965 are able to compete in this auto race that criss-crosses France.

The key ingredients are special stages and race circuits, and, like the Tour de France, the route changes every year to keep it fresh and interesting. Competitors discover France on a bespoke itinerary that combines tourism, gastronomy while avoiding the major motorways.

Since its creation in 1992, the five-day car rally always departs from Paris with a route that includes Trocadero, Invalides, Tuileries, and the Grand Palais before taking to the open road top and renowned historical sites like Chateau de Fontainebleau, Avignon, Baux de Provence, and the Abbaye de Fontenay. This kind of fun has a price tag; the entry fee is €9,950 per car with a two-person crew. (Although that does include five days of accommodations and meals.)

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