Paris Events Guide: What's On And When To Plan Your Visit

A view over the Paris rooftops features the Eiffel Tower and Tour Montparnasse

There’s always something happening in Paris. It is never the same from one week to the next. A major event can take over a neighborhood, a festival can fill a stretch of days, or a seasonal tradition can appear for a moment and then disappear again. What you find depends on the timing of your visit.

This guide follows the year month by month, pointing to the events and activities that define each period. You see what is on, where it takes place, and which dates stand out. From there, the monthly guides give more detail, with practical information on what to do and how to plan your visit.

January In Paris: Museums, The Louvre & The New Year

January follows the holiday season with a quieter, more open feel. Decorations come down, streets ease, and museums become the focus again. Early in the month, New Year's Day affects opening hours, but exhibitions and performances continue across the city.

You can spend longer stretches indoors, moving from museum to gallery without rushing. The Louvre is easier to visit than later in the year, with fewer lines and more time to see the major works properly.

START WITH:

• Things to Do in Paris in January →
• Paris Events in January →

EARLY JANUARY:

• New Year's Day in Paris →

February In Paris: Fashion Week & Valentine's Day

Paris Fashion Week takes place, toward the end of February adding a noticeable buzz in certain central neighborhoods. Elsewhere, the month includes events like the Six Nations Rugby matches at Stade de France and a steady run of exhibitions and performances across the city.

Valentine's Day falls mid-month, when restaurants and evening plans fill for the night. Around the same time, events such as the Course Saint-Valentin bring a lighter note to the calendar, with couples and runners crossing the city in themed races and gatherings.

START WITH:

• Things to Do in Paris in January →
• Paris Events in January →

EARLY JANUARY:

• New Year's Day in Paris →

March In Paris: Film, Festivals & Events

Cinéma du Réel and Drawing Now Paris set the tone in March, with screenings and contemporary work shown in central venues. The Saut Hermès at the Grand Palais adds a very different kind of spectacle, with show jumping staged under the glass roof.

The Semi de Paris runs through the city later in the month, bringing crowds out along the route and along the Seine. In the evenings, visitors head to the river, often choosing a Seine dinner cruise as an easy way to see the city after dark.

START WITH:

• Things to Do in Paris in March →
• Paris Events in March →

April In Paris: The Marathon & Art Paris

Art Paris takes over the Grand Palais in April, bringing galleries and contemporary work into one of the city’s most recognizable spaces. The Drawing Now Paris exhibition runs at the Carreau du Temple, focusing on more specialized work in a smaller venue.

Poisson d'Avril appears on April 1, when children tape paper fish onto an unsuspecting back and chocolatiers fill their windows with fish-shaped creations wrapped like sardines.

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• Things to Do in Paris in April →
• Paris Events in April →

May In Paris: The French Open & Jazz at Saint-Germain

The French Open runs from mid May to early June at Roland-Garros, drawing tennis crowds to the western edge of the city. At the same time, the Jazz Festival at Saint-Germain-des-Prés brings concerts to Left Bank venues, with evening performances spread over two weeks.

Nuit des Musées takes place one night in May, when museums across Paris open late with free entry and special programs.

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• Paris Events in May →

June In Paris: Nuit Blanche & Music Festivals

Fête de la Musique takes over Paris on June 21, with performances set up in streets, courtyards, and public spaces across the city. Many visitors stay out into the evening, often ending the night on a Seine dinner cruise.

Earlier in the month, Nuit Blanche runs through the night, with museums, galleries, and installations open across the city. The Paris Jazz Festival begins at the Parc Floral, with weekend concerts set among the gardens on the eastern edge of the city.

START WITH:

• Paris Events in June →

July In Paris: Bastille Day & City Beaches

Bastille Day on July 14 includes a military parade along the Champs-Élysées and fireworks from the Eiffel Tower, drawing large crowds across central Paris. Many visitors watch the fireworks from the river, often on a Seine dinner cruise.

Later in the month, the Tour de France winds up in the city, with riders finishing on the Champs-Élysées. Paris Plages sets up along the Seine and the Bassin de la Villette, with sandy beaches, palm trees, lounge chairs, and activities along the waterfront.

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• Paris Events in July →

August In Paris: Open-Air Cinema & Assumption Day

Cinéma en Plein Air screens films at the Parc de la Villette in August, with evening showings set up outdoors on the lawn. Paris Plages continues along the Seine and at the Bassin de la Villette, with seating and installations still in place along the water.

Assumption Day on August 15 closes many shops, restaurants, and services across the city. It’s also a month when many visitors leave Paris for a day, including trips to the D-Day beaches in Normandy or the Loire Valley châteaux.

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• Paris Events in August →

September In Paris: Design Week & Heritage Days

Paris Design Week runs across the city in September, with installations, exhibitions, and showrooms open in central neighborhoods. Toward the end of the month, Heritage Days open government buildings, private mansions, and institutions, often with lines forming outside places normally closed to the public.

Visitors also spend time outside the city during this period, including on a day trip to Champagne as the vineyards approach harvest.

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• Paris Events in September →

October In Paris: Salon du Chocolat & Montmartre Harvest Festival

The Salon du Chocolat takes place at Porte de Versailles in October, bringing tastings, demonstrations, and displays centered on chocolate. At the same time, the Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre fills the hilltop neighborhood with parades, music, and wine celebrations.

Montmartre becomes busy during the harvest festival, with crowds filling its streets and gathering around its squares. Elsewhere in the city, food and wine walks continue in neighborhoods such as the Marais and Saint-Germain.

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• Things to Do in Paris in October →
• Paris Events in October →

November In Paris: Beaujolais Nouveau & All Saints' Day

Beaujolais Nouveau arrives on the third Thursday of November, with wine bars and bistros marking the release across the city. Earlier in the month, La Toussaint — All Saints Day — brings visits to cemeteries such as Père Lachaise where flowers appear on graves.

Armistice Day on November 11 includes ceremonies at the Arc de Triomphe, with traffic paused around the Champs-Élysées during the commemorations.

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• Things to Do in Paris in November →
• Paris Events in November →

December In Paris: Christmas Markets & New Year's Eve

December centers on the holiday season, with Christmas markets set up across the city and seasonal events running through the month. Many visitors plan around Christmas in Paris, when special dinners, concerts, and holiday programming take place across the city.

New Year's Eve is another key date, with dinner cruises, cabaret shows, and late-night celebrations booked well in advance. If you are visiting at the end of the month, it is worth reviewing options for New Year's Eve in Paris and securing plans early.

START WITH:

• Paris Events in December →
• Christmas in Paris →
• New Year's Eve in Paris →

French National Holidays

Public holidays in France affect opening hours across Paris, with many shops, services, and some museums closed or operating on reduced schedules.

• January 1 – New Year's Day
• Easter Monday
• May 1 – Fête du Travail
• May 8 – Victory in Europe Day
• Ascension Day (date varies, May)
• Whit Monday – Fifty days after Easter
• July 14 – Bastille Day
• August 15 – Assumption Day
• November 1 – All Saints' Day
• November 11 – Armistice Day
• December 25 – Christmas Day

Continue Your Paris Adventure

A dinner cruise on the Seine River

There's always a lot to do in Paris, no matter the month. Here are a few ways to make your visit even better:

🎨 Skip-the-Line Louvre Masterpiece Tour →
🗼 VIP Tours of the Eiffel Tower →
🚢 Toast Paris on a Seine River Dinner Cruise →
👑 A Royal Day at Versailles →
⚜️ City of Paris Website: News & Happenings →