Early autumn in the Jardin des Tuileries

September begins the autumn cultural season in Paris. Jazz à la Villette opens the month, followed by Paris Design Week, European Heritage Days, festivals, performances, and the first days of Paris Fashion Week. Late-summer weather keeps concerts, gardens, and public events outdoors as the city moves into fall.

The September calendar ranges from contemporary design and new stage productions to historic buildings opened for Heritage Days. A major road race finishes at Versailles, gardens hold a citywide weekend of events, and Fashion Week closes the month with the Spring/Summer 2027 collections.

European Heritage Days In Paris

The President's office at Palais de l'Élysée – Wikimedia, Remi Vostok 91

European Heritage Days open doors that are normally closed to the public on September 19 and 20. Government buildings, private mansions, historic institutions, churches, museums, and architectural sites take part, with special visits and access to rooms rarely seen during the rest of the year.

The Palais de l'Élysée is among the coveted visits, with a route through the presidential residence and its ceremonial rooms. Elsewhere in Paris, the program extends from the Grand Palais and Musée de Cluny to Saint-Germain-des-Prés and numerous lesser-known buildings. Reservations are required at some sites; others admit visitors on the day.

Dates: September 19 & 20, 2026
Information: European Heritage Days →

Jazz à la Villette

Roberto Fonseca & Vincent Segal at Jazz à la Villette – Johann Sauty

Jazz à la Villette carries into the first week of September with concerts at the Grande Halle, Philharmonie, and Cité de la Musique. The 2026 program draws on jazz, soul, funk, hip-hop, and the current British jazz scene, with large evening concerts alongside smaller performances.

September highlights include Gil Scott-Heron's music performed by Brian Jackson and Yasiin Bey, sharing an evening with Cymande, followed by Emma-Jean Thackray, Selah Sue & The Gallands, corto.alto, Kokoroko, and Venna. The festival closes on September 6.

Dates: August 28 to September 6, 2026
Location: La Villette, 19th Arrondissement
Information: Jazz à la Villette →

Paris Design Week

Paris Design Week installation at BHV Marais – Nicola Spinetto

Paris Design Week turns museums, historic buildings, galleries, and workshops into exhibition spaces for ten days in September. Furniture, objects, installations, and new work by established and emerging designers appear at addresses throughout the city, with much of the program free and open to the public.

The 2026 program reaches into the MMusée Bourdelle, Hôtel d'Albret, Bibliothèque Historique de la Ville de Paris, and workshops in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine. At Musée Bourdelle, Anthony Guerrée places stained-glass screens, wood, textiles, and ceramics among Bourdelle's sculptures and studios.

• September 10 to 19, 2026
• Locations throughout Paris
• Information…

Paris Fashion Week

Paris Fashion Week at the Palais-Royal – Wikimedia, Anastasiia Ivanova

Paris Fashion Week closes September with the Spring/Summer 2027 collections, beginning September 28 with nine days of runway shows and presentations. Dior, Chanel, Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga, Valentino, and other fashion houses appear on the official calendar, with emerging designers joining established names throughout the week.

• September 28 to October 6, 2026
• Locations throughout Paris
• Information…

Festival d'Automne à Paris

Festival d'Automne begins its 2026 season on September 11, starting several months of contemporary theatre, dance, music, performance, and visual arts. The September program includes work by Nora Chipaumire, Carolina Bianchi, Alexander Zeldin, Christine Sun Kim, and Myriam Gourfink, with performances at the Odéon, Théâtre de la Ville, Musée de l'Orangerie, Ménagerie de verre, and other cultural institutions.

• From September 11, 2026
• Locations in Paris and the surrounding region
• Information…

Paris–Versailles – La Grande Classique

Paris–Versailles starts beneath the Eiffel Tower before following a 16.2-kilometer course from Paris to the gates of the Château de Versailles. The route follows the Seine out of the city, climbs the Côte des Gardes at Meudon, crosses wooded roads west of Paris, and finishes on Avenue de Paris in Versailles facing the palace.

• September 27, 2026
• Eiffel Tower to Château de Versailles
• Information…

Fête des Jardins

Fête des Jardins opens Paris parks and gardens for a weekend of gardening workshops, demonstrations, walks, and meetings with the city's gardeners and arborists. Events take place in every arrondissement, and several private gardens open exceptionally for the occasion. Parc de Choisy hosts the main festival village in 2026.

• September 26 & 27, 2026
• Parks and gardens throughout Paris
• Information…

Fête de l'Humanité

Fête de l'Humanité mixes a large music festival with politics, debates, exhibitions, theatre, cinema, and a sprawling book village. Founded in 1930 by the newspaper L'Humanité, the three-day gathering has more than 50 concerts in 2026, with Soprano, Louane, Superbus, Oumou Sangaré, Oxmo Puccino, UB40, and other performers on the program.

• September 11 to 13, 2026
• Base 217, Le Plessis-Pâté, Essonne
• Information…

Paris Independent Film Festival

Paris Independent Film Festival marks its tenth edition in September with two days of independent cinema at Reflet Médicis in the Latin Quarter. The program concentrates on micro-budget and no-budget filmmaking, with feature films, documentaries, shorts, animation, and experimental work from filmmakers around the world.

• September 25 & 26, 2026
• Reflet Médicis, 5th Arrondissement
• Information…

More Things To Do In Paris In September

September is also a great month for Seine cruises, museum exhibitions, guided tours, food and wine activities, and day trips beyond Paris. See our complete guide to what to do in Paris in September.

Things To Do In Paris In September →