L’Été Dernier (Last Summer)
Echoes of Phaedra
Writer and filmmaker Catherine Breillat made her name with explicit, prolonged depictions of sex and sexuality, perhaps most notoriously in Romance (1999), in which she directed Italian porn star Rocco Siffredi in a number of unsimulated sex scenes, and À … Read More
Lohengrin
Wagner at War
The first night of Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov’s Paris Opera début at the Bastille was destined to be a sensational event. Serebrennikov, who has always been outspoken in his home country over such issues as LGBTQ rights (he is openly … Read More
Musée National de l’Histoire de l’Immigration
Honoring France's Immigrants
The Palais de la Porte Dorée – a stunning Art Deco building opened in 1931 for the International Colonial Exhibition celebrating France’s worldwide empire – is now the home of the Musée National de l’Histoire de l’Immigration (and a tropical … Read More
Godaille Restaurant
Almost Wrinkle-Free
Throughout our meal at Godaille, my friend Jean-Michel, a French linguist, puzzled over the choice of the restaurant’s name, a word that means “crease” (in clothing or fabric). We finally got a chance to ask our server, who explained that … Read More
Yannick
(Dangerously) Live Onstage!
Quentin Dupieux is one of the most original, innovative and downright wacky movie directors around. All his films have started from a completely absurd premise; for example, in Deerskin, the protagonist falls in love with a deerskin jacket that speaks … Read More
The bridges of Paris. Photo: Ron Fox
What's Happening in Paris This Week
For full details about an event, click on the title to visit the official Web site (in English when available).
September 29
French movies with English subtitles
Lost in Frenchlation presents Toni en Famille, directed by Nathan Ambrosioni.
L’Arlequin, Paris
Through September 30
Dueling Duets
A series of concerts of two-handed piano pieces at the Rungis Piano-Piano Festival.
Various, Rungis
September 30
Open-air art
Ateliers du Père Lachaise Associés presents Galerie d’Artistes Ouverte: artists from Paris’s 2oth arrondissement will exhibit their work on a charming square.
Place de la Réunion, Paris
September 30
Urban Farm Festival
The eco-conscious Ici C’est Prairie festival includes concerts, DJ sets, a “hip-hop village” and food trucks on an experimental farm in the city.
La Prairie du Canal, Bobigny
Through September 30
Candlelit château
Every Saturday through September 30 and Friday in July and August, the Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte and its grounds will be lit by 2,000 candles for the Soirées aux Chandelles.
Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, Île-de-France
September 22–October 1
Antique fair in a bucolic setting
A visit to the Foire de Chatou antique market and regional products fair just outside Paris on the Impressionists Island makes a great weekend outing.
Chatou, Île-de-France
Through October 1
Free outdoor art
Monumental works by eight international contemporary artists are on show during the Extatiques festival.
La Défense & La Seine Musicale, Paris
Through October 7
Chanson française
L’Estival features French-language singers.
Various locations outside Paris
Weekends through October 8
The New Place des Théâtres
Paris’s Place du Châtelet is no more. Vive la Place des Théâtres, the square’s new name, in celebration of the reopening of the Théâtre de la Ville, now the Théâtre Sarah Bernhardt (its original name, changed by the Nazi occupiers because she was Jewish). On weekends during the month of September, a series of free events will be held there and in its companion theater, the Théâtre du Châtelet.
Place des Théâtres, Paris
October 5-8
Cutting-edge sculpture
C14 Paris, the Contemporary Ceramics Fair, spotlights the latest in the art form.
Mairie du 14ième arrondissement, Paris
October 6–8
Fun with science
La Fête de la Science au Muséum goes all out to make science interesting to kids and adults in some of Paris’s leading museums.
Various locations, Paris
October 9
Paralympic tickets
Tickets for the 2024 Paralympic Games go on sale online.
Online, Paris
October 1-15
Art meets science
The Atmophères Festival presents films, performances, concerts, conferences and more on a variety of science-related topics with an ecological focus.
Various locations, Courbevoie and online
October 13-15
Celebrating France’s architecture
The Journées Nationales de l’Architecture aims to bring French people closer to their country’s finest contemporary architecture. The 2021 theme is “living together.”
Various locations throughout France
October 16-22
Learning with food
La Semaine du Goût returns for a week of events for young people on the value of food – from the heritage meals can carry to the importance of a balanced diet.
Various locations, Paris
September 28-October 28
Local photography
An exhibition of the work of eight laureates of the Rencontres Photographiques du 10e, who trained their cameras on residents of the 10th arrondissement.
Mairie du 10ème Arrondissement, Paris 10
Through December 21, 2023
Contemporary arts festival
The Festival d’Automne presents leading international talents in art, dance, film, theater and more.
Various venues, Paris & Île de France
Through December 31
Free outdoor concerts
Free music in the bandstands of Paris’s parks and gardens for Kiosques en Fête.