May 27-June 3
Local literature festival
The libraries, bookshops, museums and universities of Paris’s literary fifth arrondissement open their doors for Quartier du Livre, a week-long celebration of the written word. Meetings with authors, conferences, concerts and more.
Various locations, Paris
June 5
Mandela onstage
The Life of Nelson Mandela follows the South African leader from youthful resistance to imprisonment, and from imprisonment to statesmanship and reconciliation. More than a historical account, it is a vivid theatrical portrait of a figure whose legacy still speaks powerfully today.
Alhambra, Paris
June 5
French movies with English subtitles
Lost in Frenchlation presents Le Lycéen.
L’Entrepôt, Paris
June 6
Midnight culture
Art of all types will be on display in the streets of Paris late into the night during the annual Nuit Blanche festivities.
Various locations, Paris
June 7
French movies with English subtitles
Lost in Frenchlation presents Laurence Anyways.
Studio des Ursulines, Paris
May 29-June 7
Cello festival
Concerts, dance and more at the Beauvais International Cello Festival.
Beauvais, France
June 4-7
Charity fashion sale
Hundreds of fashion brands have donated clothing to be sold at a 70 percent discount at the Grande Braderie de la Mode de AIDES.
Magasins Généraux, Pantin
June 5-7
Green music festival
We Love Green, an eco-friendly outdoor festival with concerts, DJ sets and more.
Bois de Vincennes, Paris
June 5-7
Gardens galore
For the Rendez-vous aux Jardins, public and private gardens all over France open their gates and offer educational tours, concerts, tastings and more. This year the focus is on views.
Various locations, France
June 5-7
Street art festival
Over 40 street art companies, including circus performers, dancers and puppeteers gather in the center of Nanterre for the three-day Parade(s) festival.
Nanterre Centre-Ville
June 5-7
Stimulating books
The Paris Ass Book Fair gives “an important place to marginal and untimely sensibilities, desires and aspirations, and to affirm a joyful approach to art and publishing, a taste for provocation and the absurd, an urge to stimulate minds and bodies.”
Palais de Tokyo, Paris
June 6-7
Lively literary festival
The festival Mots pour Mot offers free encounters with authors as diverse as Alain Finkielkraut and Riad Sattouf. Reservations recommended.
La Villette, Paris
June 7
Giant bike rally
La Convergence brings together riders from all over the Île de France, who converge on avenue de Saxe in Paris for a group picnic. See website for routes.
Île de France and Paris
June 6-8
Art & history in Fontainebleau
The annual Festival de l’Histoire de l’Art is a weekend packed with free activities, including exhibitions, films, a book fair, conferences, debates and guided tours celebrating art new and old, all in the gorgeous setting of the Château de Fontainebleau.
Château de Fontainebleau
June 9
French movies with English subtitles
Lost in Frenchlation presents Les Crevettes Pailletées.
Lucernaire, Paris
June 3-13
Short films
Côté Court presents all kinds of short-form art: videos, films, essays and fiction.
Ciné 104, Pantin
June 10-13
1984 & more
Go to church for a free outdoor concert followed by a film at the Festival des Canotiers. 1984, Thelma and Louise and other films will be shown.
Parvis de l’Église de Ménilmontant, Paris
June 13-14
Arty fun for kids
The Family Festival turns the Fondation Louis Vuitton and the adjacent Jardin d’Acclimatation into a huge playground for children up to 12 years old and their families.
Fondation Louis Vuitton & Jardin d’Acclimatation, Paris
March 20-June 21
Drawing season
Le Printemps du Dessin presents exhibitions and workshops highlighting this accessible art form across the country.
Various venues, France
June 5-21
June 5-21
Meet the trees
The festival Les Nuits des Forêts draws visitors into French forests with exhibitions, shows and immersive events, by day and by night.
Various locations, France
June 10-21
Directors’ Fortnight
The features and short subjects entered in the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs category at the Cannes Film Festival are shown in Paris.
Forum des Images, Paris
June 21
Dancing in the street
The Summer Solstice festival, the Fête de la Musique, brings free music, good and bad, into the streets of Paris and now the world.
Various locations, Paris
May 28-June 23
Classical music festival
The Festival de Saint Denis features both stars and young talents. Many concerts are held in the Basilique Saint-Denis
Various locations, Saint-Denis
June 3-27
New music
ManiFeste, IRCAM’s festival of experimental music, presents concerts and other events.
Various locations, Paris
May 21-June 28
Outdoor cultural markets
The Foire Saint-Sulpice brings week-long markets – featuring rare books, antiques, stamps, ceramics, contemporary prints and poetry – to the Place Saint-Sulpice. Free admission.
Place Saint-Sulpice, Paris
May 30-June 30
More Molière
During the Mois Molière, open-air plays and concerts are held in locations all over Versailles.
Various locations, Versailles
May 22-September 2o
The world as we know it today
The wonderful Musée Albert Kahn, whose founder’s aim was to create ““a vast photographic inventory of the Earth’s surface … as it appeared at the beginning of the 20th century,” brings that goal up to date with Mondes en Commun, a festival of contemporary photographs of our world.
Musée Départemental Albert Kahn, Boulogne-Billancourt
May 16-September 26
Candlelit château
Every Saturday throughout the summer, 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
May 30-November 15
Art among the departed
It’s a first: an art exhibition in a cemetery. And why not? There’s space, and the residents won’t mind. The exhibition “Demeure” includes works by some 20 artists.
Cimetière Parisien de Pantin, Pantin
April 3–December 31
Art indoors and out
Contemporary art exhibitions on the Île Seguin and in the Seine Musicale for the Extatiques festival. Free admission,