Through September 7
Son et lumière
A sound and light show, La Nuit aux Invalides, this year focuses on the story and legacy of Napoleon.
Hôtel National des Invalides, Paris
Through September 7
Outdoor classical concerts
Concerts in the park at Festival Classique au Vert every weekend.
Parc Floral
Through September 7
Outdoor jazz
The Paris Jazz Festival offers free weekend concerts in the park (admission to park: €6).
Parc Floral, Paris
September 8
Food fest
At the monthly Le Food Market, the stands sell prepared dishes with prices capped at €10.
Boulevard de Belleville, Paris
September 8
French movies with English subtitles
Lost in Frenchlation presents La Maman et la Putain (The Mother and the Whore), directed by Jean Eustache.
L’Entrepôt, Paris
September 10
Acting out Parisian history
A new festival, Paris Vaut Bien une Fête, celebrates Paris’s patron saint, Geneviève, with a village representing four historical periods (the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Empire and the Belle Époque), a parade and concerts.
Quai de l’Hotel de Ville, Paris
September 9-10
Feminist family festival
The WeToo Festival is a “festive, familial and political experience” with performances and talks for children, teenagers and adults.
Cité Fertile, Pantin
September 9-11
The Fête de l’Humanité, the Communist Party’s annual festival, will feature concerts (Dutronc & Dutronc, Benjamin Biolay and many, many more), debates, exhibitions, etc.
Parc Départemental Georges Valbon, La Courneuve
September 9-11
The Saint-Maur Food Trucks Festival is France’s biggest food truck festival, with 60 trucks chosen for their locavore policies, in a festive atmosphere.
Place des Marronniers, Saint Maur des Fossés
September 6-11
Tribal art walk
Dozens of galleries put on special shows of world art for Parcours des Mondes.
Saint Germain des Prés, Paris
August 31–September 11
All that jazz
The festival Jazz à la Villette returns with a lineup including Ravi Coltrane and the Kenny Barron, Dave Holland & Johnathan Blake Trio.
La Villette, Paris
Through September 11
Stranger Things in Paris
Stranger Things Store: Fans of the Netflix series are queuing up for an immersive experience based on it.
44, avenue des Champs Elysées, Paris
September 14
Art fair
Some 60 galleries representing a huge range of artistic styles take part in Nocturne Rive Droite.
Various locations, Paris
September 18
Take back the streets!
On the Journée Paris Respire, motor traffic (with the exception of buses, taxis and emergency vehicles) will be banned in parts of Paris, notably the Champs-Élysées and the 1st through 4th arrondissements from 11am to 6pm.
City of Paris
September 14-18
Fun in the urban jungle
Urban Week features art installations, concerts and sports demonstrations.
Parvis de La Défense, Paris
September 15-18
Meet the press
Thriety international galleries specializing in urban art will present their artists at the District 13 Art Fair.
Hotel Drouot, Paris
September 16-18
Meet the press
During the Festival du Monde, the prestigious daily newspaper Le Monde opens its doors to the public to meet its journalists, visit its facilities and attend workshops and debates. Dance performances and DJ sets will be held on the building’s parvis.
Le Monde headquarters & MK2 Bibliothèque, Paris
September 16-18
Paradise in Paris
The newspaper Le Parisien sponsors the Paris Paradis festival with free concerts, performances, stand-up comedy, workshops, talks and more. Reserve on the website.
Parc de la Villette, Paris
September 17-18
Heritage days
The doors to normally closed monuments and other buildings open to the public for the Journées Européennes du Patrimoine.
Various locations, Paris
Through September 22
Aqua Mater
Sebastião Salgado‘s stunning black-and-white nature photos on the theme of water are exhibited in a bamboo structure designed by architect Simón Vélez. Above: Hartmann’s mountain zebras in the Hoanib Valley, Damaraland, Namibia (2005). © Sebastião Salgado
Parvis de la Défense, Courbevoie
Through September 23
River art
Sens Dessus Dessous: art honoring the upcoming Paris Paralympic Games adorns several Paris bridges.
Various locations, Paris
Through September 23
Bring Pisano to France
The Musée de Cluny, Paris’s medieval museum, is seeking donations for the acquisition of a stunning Christ crucified figure in ivory by 13th-century Tuscan artist Giovanni Pisano.
Online
September 9-25
Days at the Circus
Derring-do at the Village du Cirque festival.
Pelouse de Reuilly, Paris
Through September 28
A Peek at Puglia
Italophiles should not miss this free exhibition, “Apulia, Mystères des Pouilles entre Terre, Pierres et Mer,” on the fascinating region of Puglia in an 18th-century mansion with a lovely garden.
Institut Culturel Italien, Paris
September 3-30
Art on the Butte
The iconic windmill-topped Montmartre restaurant Moulin de la Galette hosts “Visages et Silhouettes,” an exhibition of the paintings of Anna Joffo.
Moulin de la Galette, Paris
Through October 1
Candlelit château
Every Saturday, 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 3-October 22
Orlando revisited
Joseph Nechvatal, creator of virus-modeled artificial life computer-assisted paintings and animations, presents the exhibition “Turning the Viral Tempest,” based on Virginia Woolf’s novel Orlando.
Galerie Richard, Paris
September 3–October 30
Melomania
The king of melodrama, director Douglas Sirk, is the subject of a retrospective.
Cinémathèque Française, Paris
Through December 31
Free outdoor concerts
Free music in the bandstands of Paris’s parks and gardens for Kiosques en Fête.
Various locations, Paris
Through February 9, 2022
Contemporary arts festival
The Festival d’Automne presents leading talents in art, dance, film, theater and more from around the world.